Goodbye 2017, hello 2018!

Hello all! I did my #bestnine over on IG the other day and I came to realize that I had a really eventful year! My boyfriend and I bought a house. I turned 40 and jumped out of a plane at 15k' over Vegas. I had some creative breakthroughs and we adopted a 6 yr old puppymill golden retriever.

2017, overall, was a very good and positive year for me. I let go of a lot of negative energy around me and set up boundaries in the process.

With that being said, I am really looking forward to 2018. There are so many things I want to accomplish. I want to have the most creative year to date! I am going to strive to create art on a regular basis. I know life is not going to always let this happen. But, I am hoping the week (s) that go by without creating art, other weeks will find me in the studio more than once! 

I am excited to share with you, that I will be in Wanderlust's 2018 online art class! I am so blessed that my mom gifted this to me for an early Christmas present! 

One of the benefits of "early bird" sign up, is access to some additional free videos. I had so much fun participating in Kasia's dynamic paper painting lesson! These fun papers will be used in future projects! (i.e. art journal pages, collages, etc)

Above are the various papers I started with and below are the middle and final stages of dynamic painting. 

Here are some juicy close ups. 

For the Wanderlust's year long journey, I will be creating in Dylusion's 8x8 Creative Journal. 

A couple of weeks ago (before I knew I'd be part of Wanderlust), I had ordered Dina Wakley's Media Journal. 

I am going to use this journal to play in, do challenges (outside of Wanderlust) and repeat some of my fave lessons from Wanderlust. 

I filled in the inner cover and first page this week. I participated in Dina Wakley's #showusyourMEdia challenge for December, called "HAPPY". 

The right wing flips up to reveal journaling: “my happy is being in my studio listening to Miles Davis. My style is chaotic like jazz. When I’m creating, I am totally lost on the moment and everything else falls away”

Here are most of the products I used on this spread.

What is making you happy these days? Please share below, I would love to know! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Cheers to Jeanne Oliver!

 Artsy friends, I'd like to share Jeanne Oliver's new creative network right here. With her first blog post about it here. She talks about how long the road was and the hard work it took to get there, but they made it! I am so happy for her! She is one of my favorite, most inspiring artist-role models! 

One of my favorite classes of hers is Wild Awakening. This class was such a soul-pushing, limit-busting, expression-finding workshop! If you ever have the chance to take this class; you will not be sorry! Here is the 8-piece set I am working on during this class. These are about halfway done. There are many more layers to go! 
And this class has so many different processes you learn that can all build onto each other to make a series like this, one big piece, or even art journal pages. The sky is the limit once you learn these fun techniques! 

I had never played with charcoal or soluble pastels. Seriously, this class really stretched me creatively, with new mediums and techniques! 

Layers of coffee stains, charcoal and pastels... so far. Going to add some light blue and other contrasting colors and mediums before it's all said and done! 

Well, I hope you all will leave me some love below or tell me what class you've taken over at Jeanne's!   Also, go check out her new site and get entered into a fantastic giveaway! 

xoxo

B

California Travel Journal

Harrison and I spent a week in California at the beginning of this month. We had such a wonderful time with his parents in Tahoe, with his brother and sister-in-law in Napa and just he and I in San Francisco! I created a travel journal documenting our trip. It was the first time I created in this style and I absolutely loved it! I hope you enjoy!

long time, no bloggy...

I know, I know... I've been a bad blogger! BAD BLOGGER! (smacks hand). But, does it help to know that my man and I moved into our new home and we've been busy decorating, settling in and closing down our previous apartments?
It does? Well then, WHEW! I'm out of the blogger doghouse and here to bring you fun photos of what we've been up to!

Sayonara, Maplehood. You've been really good to me and I'll miss you! 

I took over West Elm's bed display one Friday afternoon. The employees had fun with me, too, as I created a look to go with our dark walls. This bedspread came home with me that day! 

As mentioned above, we painted our bedroom walls a dark blue. Harrison's style is contemporary, while mine is modern. You will see both our styles throughout the house. We went modern in the bedroom. 

I am currently in love with Tuesday Morning! I found these beautiful pillows there, as well as the big painting below.  Dark blue, teal, white and gold are the main colors in the room. The curtains will be gold velvet from West Elm. We got gold mercury glass lamps from Ashley. 

The painting will go on a side wall. And on the other wall will be a gold frame collage that I still have yet to create. 

We picked up a new rug, sectional and coffee table at Ashley. You can see that we still need to get wall decor hung. (slow process)

I did find my "shaggy" throw I'd been wanting for only $20 at Tuesday Morning!

Love the rustic, somewhat-southwest vibe our family room has. 

What kitchen would be complete without a tabletop wine cooler!?

Since the move, I needed to find a new gym. I joined 9Round! 30 minutes of intense kickboxing training and exercise! I love it so far! 

Speaking of health... I started keto this past Sunday. 

I made this dish last night and it was soooo good! Even the man loved it! Chili-paste marinated pork chops, homemade garlic butter (gotta get that fat intake UP) and avocado/scallion sauteed green beans. This is by far one of the best meals I've ever cooked! 

Even though I haven't gotten a chance to paint in a while, I HAVE still been creative! Amy and I did an all day crop a couple of weeks ago. I started my CA mini album. Can you tell I'm in love with gold right now? haha

She is coming over this weekend so we can hang out in my studio and get creative! I hope to get more done on this cute little album. 

So, that's what I've been up to! What about you?