In the Studio This Week – A Magical Equine and Gesture Drawings and Self-Doubt
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In the Studio This Week – A Magical Equine and Gesture Drawings and Self-Doubt

In the studio this week, I focused exclusively on the Milan Art Institute lessons as I’m trying to get ahead of the syllabus schedule. That and all the little life annoyances that have recently cropped up in my life. I had some ups and downs both in my artistic growth and my personal challenges. The…

In the Studio – Wonky Portrait, UFOs, and a Duck
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In the Studio – Wonky Portrait, UFOs, and a Duck

This week I will share the results of my efforts in creating a wonky portrait, a UFO (unfinished object), and a duck! In addition to taking the Kaleidoscope 2023 course starting in August, I decided to sign up for Milan Art Institute’s Mastery Program. It claims to be able to turn someone (me) into a…

Using Triadic and Complimentary Colors in the Studio
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Using Triadic and Complimentary Colors in the Studio

Being an overachiever (hah!), I finished the August lessons from Kaleidoscope 2023 ahead of schedule. I did two mixed media paintings following the triadic color scheme. The triadic color scheme consists of three colors separated by three spaces on the color wheel. I then tried to do a 30-minute portrait using a complimentary color scheme…

Watercolor Week in the Studio
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Watercolor Week in the Studio

This week I dove into the Kaleidoscope 2023 lessons and actually created paintings! They were done primarily with watercolors. I have had a love/hate relationship with watercolors. I love the transparent effect they render. I love the fact that watercolors are easily transported and clean up with just soap and water. I also love that…

In My Studio This Week – How to Create a Bold Mixed-Media Portrait
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In My Studio This Week – How to Create a Bold Mixed-Media Portrait

This week I’m inviting you into my studio for a follow-up from my last post. This time I’m going to show you how to create a bold mixed media portrait. This version will use the self-portrait created last week to further explore color theory. 1. Gather your materials Use the same portrait you created last…

The Vagabond Artist is Almost Home – Travel and Art Journal Practices
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The Vagabond Artist is Almost Home – Travel and Art Journal Practices

This post serves as an update of my journey and how I’ve been able to incorporate travel and art journal practices while on the road. More Exploring of Oro Valley, Arizona Honey Bee Trail Within walking distance of our rental house is an amazing trail that winds through Honey Bee Canyon.  On one side of…

In the Studio This Week – Flashback to the 60s and Dustin Hoffman
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In the Studio This Week – Flashback to the 60s and Dustin Hoffman

Time in the studio this week was limited as I was away from the studio for two days and felt like I lost my motivation a bit. I am behind in the Master Program by about a week and a half, leaving me feeling a little anxious. Thanksgiving in the US is coming up as…

In The Studio This Week – Birds and Doodles
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In The Studio This Week – Birds and Doodles

In the studio this week, I continued with The Mastery Program lessons. This week’s module focused on mark making on a variety of surfaces. I chose two different birds as reference photos for two of the projects. I seem to be drawn (pun intended) to birds. The last lesson was a large-scale doodle. I was…

In the Studio This Week – Small-Scale Realism and a Rainbow Pegasus
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In the Studio This Week – Small-Scale Realism and a Rainbow Pegasus

Time in the studio this week was limited, but I tried to finish the Milan Art Institute Section and have some fun with art as well. I spent too much time in car dealerships and then ended up being ill for a few days, something I certainly couldn’t afford at the time. I will be…

In the Studio This Week – Portraits and Learning How to Drive (Again)
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In the Studio This Week – Portraits and Learning How to Drive (Again)

In the studio this week, I was focused on a couple of portraits, but also distracted by trying to resolve my traffic citation from the accident I was in nearly three weeks ago. I decided to take the Defensive Driving course and that way the wreck wouldn’t show up against my driving record. It was…

In the Studio This Week – Perspectives (Ugh!)
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In the Studio This Week – Perspectives (Ugh!)

In the studio this week, I focused exclusively on the Milan Art Institute lessons. This week was entirely about perspective and cityscapes. My husband has been encouraging me to do city scenes so I thought this would be a good opportunity to practice. Reference Photo Selection The program offered several different scenes to use as…

In the Studio This Week – Still Life Two Ways and an Owl, plus a Wreck!
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In the Studio This Week – Still Life Two Ways and an Owl, plus a Wreck!

In the studio this week, the Mailan Art Institute Mastery Program art school had a scheduled break. I was about a week behind and used this time to catch up. I also had signed up for the taster sessions for Lifebook 2024. This is another course offered by the amazing Tamara LaPorte of Willowing.org. I…

Back Home in the Studio – Monster Portrait, More Charcoal, and Still Life
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Back Home in the Studio – Monster Portrait, More Charcoal, and Still Life

Back home in the studio, I found myself challenged with the next level of lessons with the Milan Art Institute. The lessons touched on a variety of techniques in portraiture and still life. I thought I’d have an easy time of it but learned that thinking something would be easy at the outset didn’t always…

The Vagabond Artist On the Road – Portraits, Portraits, Portraits!
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The Vagabond Artist On the Road – Portraits, Portraits, Portraits!

As the Vagabond Artist on the Road, portraits were the ongoing theme this past week on the road. Last week was the second week of our travel and spent it in Sedona. I focused on making up lost time in the Milan Art Institute Program since I really couldn’t do much while on the road….