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Little Princess

Thursday, March 4th, 2010 by Alyice

My friend’s granddaughter—my honorary great niece—ended up having two back-to-back surgeries last week. It’s at times like these that I wish I lived closer. I hate having to read about stuff like this on Facebook—which is how the family keeps each other updated.

At only seven years of age, Jasmin, had two surgeries. She went in to repair something called, Intussusceptions, and discovered her appendix needed to be removed, too. I still cannot believe what a little trooper she was! She’s recovering nicely, but prayers are always appreciated.

To let her know that I was thinking of her, I sent her a little care package: this vase, in which I affectionately named “Little Princess”, as Jasmin reminds me of the princess Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin, a cute soft and cuddly baby blue purse, and a handmade note card with loads of hugs and kisses.

Give thanks…

Posted in Artist's Life, The Art Jars | No Comments »

To Believe In Yourself Is To Love Yourself

Thursday, February 11th, 2010 by Alyice

When I first started painting on a regular basis, I purchased a folding table—thinking that I wouldn’t have to worry about spilling paint or glue onto its surface. Boy was I wrong! All the paint spills, splatters, and globs of glue drove me crazy! Yet, try as I might, I couldn’t remove the stuff; especially since the tabletop was made of vinyl. So I began covering the tabletop with plastic trash bags.

That was all fine and dandy, but then one day my husband chose to host a barbecue for his co-workers and he wanted to use my table. Talk about embarrassing!

It was at that moment that I decided to do something about that table.

At first, I thought about being cautious, but then I realized that every time I sat down to paint, I freaked out. I worried that what I created wasn’t going to be “good enough” or that there would be flaws and imperfections or that others would ridicule my style of art or that I’d never sell a single creation—whether it be a tutorial or the actual artwork.

Those fears debilitated me. They were inhibiting and stifling and caused me to spend more time “wanting” to create art than actually creating art.

So I decided to break free by grabbing whatever supplies I had on hand and I told myself that it wasn’t about creating something beautiful or perfect. And it wasn’t about creating a composition, a theme, or even a scene. It was simply about the act of creating. It was about finally allowing myself to break free and just be in the moment…to create without inhibitions.

Copyright 2010, Alyice Edrich
Mod Podge Tabletop © Alyice Edrich, 2010
Sorry about image quality. Too much snow to go outside and lighting in studio is horrible.
It’s much more vibrant (and appealing) in person.

I pulled out my Mod Podge®, paint brushes, white gesso, acrylic paints, tissue papers, left over birdies, and my hand painted square inchies. And for the next few weeks, little by little, I added to that table—until the entire surface was covered.

It might seem strange to have the text appear in the middle of the composition the way it does—and at the time, I actually thought it was another piece of scrap that I was just too lazy to cut into squares. But looking back upon the completed piece, I can see that it was my subconscious speaking to me.

“Don’t Forget Love” could mean a lot of things but I think, for this particular project, what it means is:

Don’t forget to love yourself enough to do what makes you happy.

Who cares if someone doesn’t like your art, someone else out there does. And who cares if after you create something, you decide you don’t even like it, because again, someone else out there might. But more importantly, remember how good you felt creating it.

Love yourself enough to follow your dreams. Love yourself enough to create what feels right to you at the moment of creation. And love yourself enough to grow and improve as an artist.

In the end, all will be well when you don’t forget to love yourself, first.

Today, I use that table religiously when I create art. But instead of placing a black trash bag over the table, when I create, I use a clear trash bag. That way, I can see the art underneath and subconsciously remind myself to love myself enough to do what makes “me” happy and to not be afraid of the process—or the outcome.

Keep Creating

Posted in Artist's Life | 1 Comment »

I Am So Excited! And A How To…

Sunday, February 7th, 2010 by Alyice

The sweet and incredibly talented, Lisa Fulmer, of Lisa Liza Lou, just purchased an original mixed media canvas from yours truly!

This is what she purchased…

I call it “Longing For Fall” because I seriously cannot take much more of this winter and I desperately long to see the changing of the seasons. I truly hope she likes it.

Oh, and by the way… this mixed media painting was created using scrap materials. I am a firm believer in getting every last morsel I can out of my supplies—and thanks to Lisa’s blog, I am always challenged to think outside the box when it comes to using my scraps.

How To Create A Mixed Media Blooming Tree

For this particular project, I was down to the last of my modeling paste and I didn’t want it to harden so I lathered a nearby canvas with it. While the modeling paste was still wet, I inserted paper strips, a tree stump, and flowers. Once dried, I painted the canvas.

When the paint dried, I glued on some course turf (the stuff railroad modelers use) and clear beads. And just before I sprayed the canvas with a high gloss varnish (three coats), I sprinkled glitter onto the sky.

Here’s a tip: Every time you use paper in a project, set the leftovers aside. Then on a day when your creativity is low, take your scraps and cut them into various shapes and objects. The next time you want to work with paper, you’ll have plenty of pieces to choose from!

Keep Creating

Posted in Art How-Tos, Artist's Life, The Canvases | 1 Comment »

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