Hej! Jag har inte skrivit på denna sida på ett tag nu som ni säkert märkt. Det har hänt en del på den kreativa fronten och jag vill nu börja om på nytt med en ny hemsida/blogg.

 

Varmt välkomna till/Very welcome to www.tinasartfulness.se

 

 

Mixed media flower painting

I just finished making my second mixed media flower painting. It's so energizing to work with such vibrant, happy colours! I absolutely love making black and white zentangles and doodles, but I feel the same love for making colourful paintings.

I wanted this painting to show what summer in Sweden looks like. Or at least it shows my feelings for summer in Sweden. Colours, flowers and just pure happiness :)

Hope you like it!

 

A zentangle Mandala and some zentangle knots

I can't stop zentangling. I've bought the perfect book for it with perfect paper in it and it's gorgeous and I love it! My new pens, Pigma Micron fineliners are the best! The only trouble is that my neck and shoulder hurt after a while. It's so hard to take breaks and suddenly two hours have passed and I haven't even noticed it :)

I made the zentangle mandala the day my daughter left Sweden for the Greek island Rhodos for five months. The boarder of the mandala is full of hearts even if that can be a bit hard to notice. I really like making mandalas, it's a great way to deal with feelings. It's nice to put my thoughts in the zentangle and kind of having them safe in a circle.

The zentangle with the knots was so fun to draw! Really easy to make and it only took me an hour.

Zentangle on canvas

I found an amazing zentangle on the net and was so inspired that I just had to do my interpretation of it. All cred to the artist that inspired me, Art & Potatoes .

I made mine on a canvas, quite big, and just used black and white pens in different sizes. I also added a few quotes about art that I love. It's so true; As the sun colours flowers, so does art colour life (John Lubbock).

 

A mixed media owl

I've been working on this owl painting for a few days now and yesterday it was completed. It's hard to know exactly when to stop, but suddenly it just felt right.

It's made on a canvas (46x38 cm, 18x14") and it's the largest piece I've ever created. I've used acrylic paint, scrapbook paper, gelatos and molotow pens. I made at least a million mistakes and lost hope several times, but after each revival the painting reached a higher level. I've definitely learnt not to fear mistakes :)

As you problable know by now, I LOVE owls so this painting is a darling to me. I just had to write the poem "A wise old owl" on it and I had to squeeze the last words in. It's so hard to calculate the space letters take and I was sure it would fit in without any problems and with a little force, it did.

So, here he is... my darling owl :)

The green/blue and bronze are metallic acrylics and it really glows in some angles. Love it!

For the first time one of my pieces was allowed to move in to our living room :)

The third and last Mandala assignment - Mandala as a dream catcher

I'm so into this mandala making that everything else at home is neglected. I needed time on my own to really get into mandala thinking and making mandalas part of my life, so there was never any other option. However, now it's Easter and I will be more available to my family :)

This third assignment was to make a mandala based on dreams or images or elements that are part of your life. I new exactly what would be included in my mandala. Waves, as I think the sound of them a warm summer day is so soothing and they are forever, whatever happens in the world, no matter if I'm happy or sad, they are still there with their irrepressible strength. Owls, because I love the sight of them, the coolness about them and the smartness they stand for. I feel respect and humility for them. Rays of sun surrounding them. That just felt right and bright and brings hope for the future.

So, as you can see I'm not good at drawing, I'm more of a "pattern person" but when I draw it always gets kind of childish. In any case I like it and I've decided not to get into the comparison game, which is easy to do when I see all the incredibly talented artists around me.

The text around the rays is about owls and waves. I also had to write down this wonderful poem of an owl that I just love. I have no idea who wrote it.

The Wise Owl
The wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he saw the less he spoke.
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we be like that wise old bird?

Thank you Lisa for this workshop! As you already know you've given me the mandala fever and I'm grateful for that :) Also, thank you for that wonderful meditation session. I will surely come back to it, over and over again. Love!

Had to take a closeup because I've used water colour with glitter in it and it's so sad that it doesn't show properly on the photo. In this closeup you might see it in the blue and green (the green outside the mandala).

Playing in your Mandala garden - Lesson two by Lisa Hofmann

This assignment was to create a mandala from the center outwards. I tried to paint directly with watercolour, without drawing lines first, but that was too difficult to me. It became a mess. I definitely have to practice more on doing that. I cheated a bit and instead drew patterns from the center outwards and then coloured them with watercolour.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the process and mandala making is such a great way to just let go and get in the wonderful state of just being and not thinking. I surrounded my little mandala garden with flowers and leaves.

So, in the next mandala lesson we will be exploring the mandala as a practice or tool for gathering healing insight and as means of deepening self awareness. So exciting!!!