
nathalie-kalbach
Just A Quick Note – Card

Never hurts to have a little stack of cards ready to go .

I created this quick note using my new Central Avenue Stencil and Stabilo Wood Pencils.

I simply placed the stencil onto a blank card and rubbed lightly some different colors against the stencil. The pigments of the very soft woody pencils accumulated on the edges of the plastic of the stencil.

Using a slightly moist brush I brushed over the stencil grid, and blended the different colors together to get some nice color mixes as well.

The stencil needs to be wiped off with a rag or baby wipe so that any leftover pigments won’t be applied to a future project.

I dunked a black watercolor pencil into water and applied some scribbles and the sentiment to the card.

Love how dimensional the effect is doing this method.
Here are some of the supplies I used for this card:

Comments (2)
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Jill Adamy
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nathalie-kalbach
Thank you so much Jill! Love that you are also love making cards to have on hand :)
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Currently Digging – October 2018 AIT

Once in a while I thought I would share with you some nifty finds – like an Artist who’s work caught my eye…, some Inspiration or the what, when and where that caught my eye and got my creative juices flowing, and Tools & Techniques I am currently digging like a new way to use a material or an application that I’m taking away. Hope you enjoy this.

Recently I saw the work of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint at the Whitney Museum and took notice of her unique style. She was painting abstractly before almost anyone else was and I was actually shocked by the dates on her paintings.

“Group IV, No 7. The Ten Largest, Adulthood”, 1907

“Primordial Chaos, No. 16, Group I”, 1906-7
I am looking forward to her upcoming show soon at MoMA to learn more. She was a pioneer in the art world and someone that I am excited to know more about.

This month my inspiration is… Building Cornices! Yup, the kind on houses and buildings :) I am always checking out the old buildings in my hood and noticing the architecture. I love the details and once you start looking up, you will see all the ways they topped them off way back when.

In my neighborhood green seems to be a popular paint color.

I am joining everyone who is already a fan of Stabilo Woody Pencils :) Recently I made a card using my new Central Ave stencil.

I used a wet brush to blend the colors.

I like the built up texture that they left behind and how easy it was to get different hues with just a few colors.
Also I’m discovering that they’re fun to use with foam and rubber stamps too, or just to scribble! Sometimes a chunky tool is just the thing you need to loosen up.
What do you think of this month’s Currently Digging stuff?
Comments (2)
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Denise Spillane
Hi, you always inspire me and introduce me to new artists. I love your style and art
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nathalie-kalbach
Awe- thank you Denise! thank you for being such a support – I always love “seeing” you :)
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Photos of the OstseeScrap Workshops in Germany

I had such a great time teaching for the third time at the Baltic Sea for the Ostsee Scrap Retreat in Germany. It was wonderful to see so many known and new faces again and yes it was also fun to teach in German for a change again :)

18 gorgeous ladies joined for the 3-Day Retreat filled with different workshops ranging from pure Scrapbooking to Art Journaling to Mixed Media Canvases. I taught two workshops starting with a Mono Printing workshops.

From some basics about using different tools

and supplies to create texture and patterns

we worked our way up.

Made our own stamps and stencils

and got our hands dirty with wonderful colors

Some created backgrounds for Scrapbooking Layouts

And some created some Mono Print Paintings

It was a fun morning

and I am super happy to report that many are joining the dark site of mono printing ;)

I hooked them up LOL. they cannot be stopped anymore!

I lurked in some of the other classes – here is Mel teaching an amazing mini album workshop …and as you can see the students are very behaved ;)

And here is a photo of Denise and me …also well behaved …and no, I did not drink hahaha- jet lag at its finest ;)

I also had a little bit time on Saturday to down the beach – which is about 3 mins next to the workshop room

Even though it was raining in between it was wonderful to walk around , and breathe in some fresh air.

I miss those iconic Windbreaker Seats – Strandkorb – typical for the Nordic Sea and Baltic Sea in Germany . When I see one of those I always feel wind in my hair and smell sunscreen …no kidding

And …another typical sight -a smoked fish hut along the beach. Also pretty cool.

I was also super stoked to see my sweet friend Andrea again – she was also teaching and I haven’t seen her personally in about 4 years. She and I go way back together in doing what we do :)

Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture with Sandra who also taught a wonderful workshop – but hopefully next time :)

On Sunday I taught an art journaling class

Loved seeing some self made journals

but also some students decided to use the techniques in their daily journals

or on background papers for scrapbooking Layouts

and even in mini albums

I love that- it just shows the versatility of the techniques that you can use in an art journal.

I loved gorgeous patterns

colors

and how the stencils and stamps were being used –

And loved seeing some super free pages




I had a great time- thanks Susan for the shot of me at the end of the last workshop

Danke ! to all the students – it was so wonderful – AMAZZZZIIIINNNNGGG – wedel wedel – to see you and thank you to Dani, who once again organized a great retreat- thank you for having me!
If you would like to take an in-person class with me, I am teaching two more in-person classes this year:
there is one spot left in a workshop at my home on October 13th “Transfer, Trace, Transform” and I am also teaching a Mixed Media Collage WS with my friend Julie Fei-Fan Balzer in Coventry, UK for Art Workshops on November 2-4- and I think there are one or two spots left.
If you cannot join me in-Person – check out my new Online Class – BYO Art Journal – it is super fun !!!
Comments (2)
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Denise
It was such a pleasure and *fangirlmode on* honor *fangirlmode off* to meet you.
The workshops were aaaaaammmmmmaaaaaaazzzzzziiiiiiinnnnnnnggggg.
Love from the Baltic Sea <3
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nathalie-kalbach
AWEEEE- Denise es war so schön, Dich zu treffen!!! BUSSSIIIIII – nat
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Be Kind, Always – Art Journal

I loved playing with my new and secretly new favorite Hamilton Stencil and tons of spray paints.

I pasted a piece of deli paper on top on which I had drawn.

I love how reapplying the stencil and spray partly with different colors and then repeating the process a couple times makes the pattern look so dimensional. It is my favorite thing about using spray paint.
Here are some of the supplies that I used:

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Artist Quote of the Week – Eva Hesse

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Things will work out – Art Journal

Love how this one turned out- see it all works out ;)

I used my new Broadway Stencil and with a Distress applicator I added some Distress Oxide ink through the stencil. I used different colors.

For the right page of the spread I applied some Distress Oxide ink with the applicator, then washed the applicator out and while the foam was still wet, rubbed lightly over the stencil

which resulted in a nice subtle pattern – love this!

I painted with some artgraf charcoals on top and added some gouache here and there.

I added some journaling with the artgrafs into the openings on the left and used a thin wet brush to go over to desolve it a bit.

I love how this turned out. Fun to play with those Distress Oxides.
Here are some of the supplies I used:

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Best Days – Art Journal

“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t happened yet.”

I painted the background with some copper, magenta and white paint

and stamped some marks using some stamps from my Embroidery Stamp Set.

I transferred a photo to the background and painted with inks and gouache over it.
Here are some of the supplies I used besides Acrylic paints:

Comments (2)
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Sue Clarke
Love the words! The colors are great together as well Nat.
It strikes me that there are no longer colors that I think of as “your colors” anymore…you use them all!-
nathalie-kalbach
wohooo Mission accomplished – I am using aaaaaallll the rainbow :)
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Watercolor Stenciled Thank You Card

I am really enjoying playing with watercolor and stencils – I love the way a stencil helps you for the design but I love the loose look of watercolor.

I taped down the Valley Road Stencil and then started coloring in the pattern with different colors. The trick is to be less generous with water which seems to be a bit counter intuitive when using watercolors :)

Lift the stencil and there you go –

So much fun!







I am totally in the same mindset as you with having a little stack of cards handy just in case you need to send something along. And I love making them, especially out of just found items in my studio. Love what you did here! Thanks for sharing!
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