I don't want anything,
I don't want anything.
I just want peace and to extend that to others.
I don't want anything.
Just a hello and a smile.
A familiar face.
Honest work.
The simple things in life.
To watch the sunset.
To sit in the morning sun with my breakfast.
To love and to be loved.
To be a constant.
TDx
11/7/2022
Do you want to make art but feel a bit unmotivated? Don’t over think it… just start making something. It’s like getting your butt up to exercise, the hardest part is to just get to the gym, once you are there it’s easy.
Below are some places to start:
The image above is a copy of a piece of art I like, I really enjoyed making it and learnt a lot about the joy of playing with colour, making marks on a piece of paper and composition . SIMPLE but so beautiful and intentional!
Pencil: Prismacolor Pencils
Paper: Cason Drawing Paper 110 gsm
Van Gogh is a bad ass in the art world. You cannot go wrong with studying Van Gogh. The two above images is a Van Gogh interpreted by me in line drawing style.
Medium: Digital Ipad with Rubber Stylus
I didn’t quite find this image in a book however it was an image I came across that inspired me to use my Huion Tablet. I used Adobe Photoshop and my tablet to create the image on the right.
Yep, the above is literally a doodle of the things around me like laundry, my lamp and my hand. Plus a few random things here and there.
Swatches by far are my favourite exercise. So simple, meditative yet fun at the same time. Check out my Weekend Mindfulness Art for ideas on how to make mindfulness art.
Pencils: Jasart Colour Pencil 72
Paint: Cotman Watercolours Winsor and Newton
This is a fun little drawing of my room. I was sat on my bed and I drew the view of my room with a fine pen on some scrap Muji Paper.
Paper: Recycled Paper Note Pad/Plain $1.60
Pen: From Vietnam Brand Name Ben Nghe it’s blue and super fine and scratchy
I hope you get back to creating and do a little scribble. Have Fun!
Have an awesome week!
Teresa XX
Some years will be like this but you’ll just have to keep showing up!
Last year I created a post titled “New Year Ritual” this ritual helps keep me grounded and I have returned to these exercises for 4 years now, yay me!
So this year I wanted to set some goals for myself to keep me motivated to make and create. I also wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the year of that was.
Thank you 2022
I have been blessed this year with a number of great milestones and I am super grateful and not at all disappointed when I look back and see that there was a huge gap between my posts.
When I think about the amount of projects and art I have made, I wish it was more however I do remind myself that I have also had a very busy year! With this being said, I am pretty pleased with the projects I have completed. Some years will be like this but you’ll just have to keep showing up!
Projects:
Start, Stop, & Continue
What do I want to start doing this year? Create a cohesive collection.
What do I want to stop doing this year? Maintain too many social media outlets at once. Ultimately to focus my attention and decide where I want to spend my energy.
What do I want to continue doing this year? Making physical art.
This year I noticed that I have been into using an inky consistency to paint. I continue to enjoy drawing buildings and am getting faster and more confident with my art making.
Wishing you all a wonderful 2023 filled with art making and fun projects ahead.
Love,
Teresa xx
A minimalistic style piece inspired by Henri Matisse portraits
Want to know how to create your own prints in Matisse’s style?
Inspiration
These faces have been painted with Gouche using a paint brush. A minimalistic style piece inspired by Henri Matisse portraits.
This painting style is called Fauvism characterised by strong colours and fierce brushwork (Tate Museum).
“Fauvist art is characterised by its bold colours, textured brushwork and non-naturalistic depictions. In some ways, Fauvist artists emerged as an extension of the Impressionist artists working at the turn of the century.”
What I love about this style is that it really highlights the use of colour and the way in which you can still see the brush strokes. It illuminates the artist’s process as it looks unfinished, like a work in progress.
Interested in reading more about Fauvism see #source1 #source2 #source3
If you want to find out more about inky paintings see my post on Sumi Ink
What you need for this exercise:
The process:
Some tips:
This style of painting would look lovely in a vibrant blue, enlarged and framed for home decor.
Good Luck with making your beautiful master pieces! Hope you are all having a fun holiday season with family and friends.
Teresa xx
I am here to create. Just a quick note to get our juices going for the holiday season. Join me, I will be playing with my art supplies and sharing it here this holiday season. I picked up some pretty cool supplies when Europe when I visited this year so watch this space…. you see more inks, paints and colour 🙂
Have an awesome weekend!
Teresa xx
This is a quick post about some gems who give me hope and inspiration in the independent art and illustration world. They have all stood the test of time ❤ If you are looking for inspiration and new artists to follow make sure to give put these guys on your list:
These people remind me of the joys of art making and doing things.
Have an awesome weekend!
Teresa xx
A night, unplanned. Where the night takes us, who knows. A gap in the fence. Moon light, couples in a secret search for a special spot, a sky painted with rich blues, yellows and orange. A feeling, a place and time irreplicable. A moment alone. The heat of the sandstone below my feet. The silence of nature. A daze as the lights of the city flash. A dash back in the dark. Last ones to leave. The trill of nearly getting locked in. TD x
Art is a practice and practise means doing something regularly!
Hey!
I wanted to quickly jump on here to share! I quickly did some water colour tests this afternoon after a “little break”. Life happens and sometimes art takes a back seat. *shrugs* haha
Today I took the opportunity to test my water colour skills, it just goes to show I’ve forgotten some of the techniques after taking such a long break from using them. With watercolour painting it’s all about timing and preparation, drying time and mastering this comes with patience and muscle memory.
Art is a practice and practise means doing something regularly!
I tried a few wet on wet, wet on dry techniques to create this butterfly. First, I tried a few samples of gradients and picked the colours combos I liked the most. I traced this butterfly from an old drawing I did for my 365 day challenge in 2019/2020 and painted it the same way I painted the gradients. I was rough with it and liked that the paint didn’t say in between the lines. I went over the butterfly again with lead pencil. I did consider lining it in black in but decided it would be too harsh for my liking.
P.S.
It appears that Windsor and Newtown (W&N) products are very expensive to purchase in Australia. The 12 set of W&N tube set was 16 pounds which is equivalent to $30 AUS. So bizzare. Note to anyone travelling to London, buy art products over there, it’s so much cheaper!!
Products
I hope you guys are staying safe and well.
Teresa x
A little reminder.
Draw as much as possible.
Don’t be limited to what you feel you NEED to draw, draw what your heart and mind are drawn to.
Tim Burton (director, producer, creator) says, do what you love and what you are passionate about and keep doing it, for it’s the love of the the labour that leads to mastery and true artistic expression. Don’t get swept up in easy wins or shortcuts, it can lead you down a pathway or direction that is not authentically you. Stay true to what you love… (Tim Burton – Master Class)
I hope this helps you to draw and create as much as you love to and not limit yourself by any rules.
Be you, that is what the world wants to see.
Love,
Teresa x
To be more free with my lines, to allow my hand to flow without too much thought behind it. I am still yet to “get there” but am enjoying the process.
A lesson on ink.
Ink is a super fun medium to play with. I have been playing with Sumi ink lately and have found it loose and free. As someone who has tendencies toward careful and slow mark making using ink has helped me to loosen up. To be more free with my lines, to allow my hand to flow without too much thought behind it. I am still yet to “get there” but am enjoying the process.
Fun, loose and quick!
I found doing these studies helped me to use my ink brushes on my digital drawing apps.
What I learnt:
What you will need:
Art created on: Bamboo App
Matisse
Henri Matisse has a few notable pieces whereby he uses brush strokes to depict nature, faces and still life.
Anna Farba
Anna Farba, a botanical artist, has made some lovely floral art with ink.
Rosie McGuinness
Rosie McGuinness, London Based artist fashion artist and life drawing.
Lucy Auge
Lucy Auge, UK based artist has a beautiful collection of inky flowers.
Check out my pinterest board for more ink art ideas to learn from Pinterest Board.
Wishing you a lovely week ahead.
Teresa xx
Teresa Dang 