Royal Romance

   The courtship that began so many years ago has finally gifted eager citizens of the world with a royal wedding!

  As the world watched, Princess Catherine stepped out of her Car, full of refinment, adorned with minimal jewlery, and a modern gown, history was made.

   A moment that particularly imprinted my mind, was when Prince William turned to see his bride, and said a few times, "Beautiful, you are beautiful"-

 During such an exciting time with the royal wedding, and planning my own wedding, I have been inspired to revisit the idea of the invitation; the wedding invitation, in particular. I have also been collaging and writing like crazy!

 How have you been expressive lately? Have the recent events effected your practices in any way or inspired you?
 

Create a inspirational home

 Some say "home is where the heart is", I like to play around with that old saying and say" Home is where the ART is".

 Many artists create in two different categories: Art to sell, and Art to keep. It is very important to maintain and create your home decor around art that inspires, brings joy and ignites whatever feelings you want to stir up in certain rooms. In the photograph above, the cloud portrait I created helps us drift off to sleep with its fluffy, calm energy.

 I invite you to take a look around your living areas (including your work environment) and simplify things. Display your art and enjoy it. Take pride in your creations and share the beauty. Take a look at the wall hangings that surround you, and take a moment to respond to them. Try to keep art around you and your family that evokes positive feelings.

 Create a beautiful day,
 Jessica

Scent-spiration

  Today I made it my mission to fill our home with the scent of spring. We have been having very mysterious weather lately- bright sunsets that look like they are on fire, thick foggy afternoons and dreamy misty mornings. Although I adore the season, I am certainly looking forward to spring with all of its bright flowers, wonderful sunny days and brighter energy.

 The smell of lilac blossoms remind me of certain colors and tastes.  It all blends together to create a very interesting feeling that inspires me to get painting in bright hues, on large canvas, with big brushstrokes.

 Our sense of smell is a direct route to inspiration. Unique smells can conjure up specific details in our memories.

 My sense of smell is one of my favorite tool to inspire creativity.

 Do you have a favorite scent? How does it make you feel? How can you work with those feelings in a creative way?

The importance of creating

 


 One of the reasons that I have perused a career in the arts, is simply fueled by desire to help others find themselves and express their feelings.

   I invite you to dance with the ups and downs of life while expressing feelings through projects. I firmly believe there is joy and relief to be found through creating art.

Happy Creating to you dear friend!

  I wish you glue and paint covered fingers and joy in your heart after looking at whatever you choose to create! There is no better time to create then now- go get messy!

Valentine Musings

 Regardless of your 'relationship status', Valentines Day can be a fun holiday to celebrate. Many believe it to be just a celebration for those in love or lust, but I disagree. 

 This year, I hope that you make hand made Valentines! Hand made crafts are a easy way to add charm to the occasion. Besides being enjoyable, most of all of the supplies you would want can be easily found around the house. Items such as scrapbook or construction paper, lace, news print, old sketches, pressed flowers, twine, stamps, wax, tissue paper- feel free to use materials that will look great, and add texture.

 When it comes to Valentines day gifting and crafting, the possibilities really are endless- it doesn't have to just be the traditional card or box of chocolates. Maybe this year you will decide to make home made soaps, candles, a heart garland or a beautiful meal, enjoy Valentines Day this year. It isn't just for romance and couples, its also to celebrate Love in general; Love of friends, family, yourself, pets, neighbors etc.
  For those of you who are feeling rebellious or jilted this year- a satisfying project for you could be creating Valentines in chillier tones of dark purple, black or creamy gray.

   It is very easy to create your own Valentines Day style by borrowing warmth from hues in red and pink.

  The Living Artfully crew is going to buy a huge bouquet of different flowers and gift them out to random people. We plan to walk all over the heart of the city handing out carnations and gerbera daisies with sweet little notes tied with ribbon.

 How are you planning to express yourself this Valentines Day?

Warmly,
Jessica and the Living Artfully Crew.

Color has been used for decades to influence moods and emotions. It is an excellent tool to express feelings and adjust comfort levels.

Colors are actually wave lengths of electromagnetic energy seen through our eyes, which have symbolic meanings immediately recognized by our subconscious minds.

RED:
Action, confidence, courage, vitality, leader, prosperity, love, danger, life, passion, survival, lust

PINK:
Universal love, quiet, peace, tenderness, femininity, self worth, acceptance, relaxation, innocence, enjoyment, spring

ORANGE:
Power, enthusiasm, endurance, thoughtful, sincerity, the sun, warmth, curiosity, spice, non invasive, respiration, achieving goals, fire

YELLOW:
Pure, bright sunshine , wisdom, joy, happiness, intellectual, alert, decisiveness

GREEN:
Nature, fertility, life, restfulness, wealth, growth, harmony, ecological, desire, expand, balance, order, transformation

BLUE:
Ocean, cool, sky, sleep, twilight, heavenly, soothing, spirituality, truth, moderation, communication, confidence

PURPLE:
Royalty, good judgment, spiritual fulfillment, peace of mind, mystery, ideas, purpose, focus, dynamic, active, balance, removes obstacles, energize, calming, imagination

INDIGO:
Deepens mood, wisdom, realization, communication, instantaneous, intuitive, solitude

Create a fantastic day,
Warmly,

Jessica

Photography

Some friends of mine are participating in Project 365, where they take a photograph each day. Its wonderful to watch them express their delight in this creative process.

Did you know it only takes 30 days to form a new habit?

Like painting, drawing, and crafting, Photography is a delightful way to express yourself and document life; Tell your story, capture the moment!

Photography can also be used as a study to paint from.
I often take a few photos, and make a large scale painting, or even a series using these images as my reference and inspiration.

When is the last time you played around with your camera?

{Tip of the day: When photographing the sunsets, fool around with different exposure times and settings, I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised how much one image can change, with small adjustments.}

Create a fantastic day,
Jessica