Another city for a change – yep – Lady Liberty went San Francisco ;)
I guess I have a crush on Flat Iron Buildings – we have a tiny one here in Jersey City too – I think it is time to add that one to my J.C. Canvas Collection :)
Have an amazing day
A couple weeks ago I headed out to Brooklyn and strolled mostly around in Williamsburg. From my place it is a 45 min ride with public transportation- so not a biggie- and what an inspirational stroll :
Besides the warehouses ….did I tell you, I have a big heart for old ware houses- I want one- LOL – this is such a cool and funny one – and I love it on the rusty brown background too.
These colors just popped and I love all the different details
Tehehe- that one made me smile by Goodandshiddy – as well as this one
I love how it is framed by the two houses and with the chimney in the background.
Love this “good cop- bad cop” stencil play very cool!
So many details- so much to look at – love the black background and the different surfaces giving texture – like the garage door and the brick wall…I also love the Mr Mushroom sign ;)
LOVE – obviously because it is a close hit to home regarding my work – and I do love the colors, brushstrokes and paper textures coming through
Gotta love a cat on a mint green wall!
very cool doodle work and love the color combination with the different black line sizes.
So real and you get lost looking into this eye looking at the details – so much depth!
I saved my favorite for last- just the texture behind it made me gasp – the whole vanishing piece of art- the different building materials and the all in all very muted but dramatic feel – Don’t you want to touch that one? Well, you can – but you better hurry up before it is totally vanished!
This stroll itself was pretty inspiring but I did continue on to the Brooklyn Museum -which will be a different blog post :) Which one of the images inspires you the most?
Have a gorgeous and creative day
Very inspiring walk you had! Great photos and amazing art!
Just delightful Nat! Thanks for bringing us with you on your stroll.
I so enjoy finding street art and take pics when I can.
The eye really caught my eye (ha ha ha).
Hope you have a colorful weekend.
I want to go on your jaunts with you!! Such incredible pieces of art- out there for everyone to admire!! Glad you found them and share them here with us Nat! Thanks! xo
Comparison is the thief of joy – Theodore Roosevelt
It is something I have to keep in mind.
Here is what I used for the spread:
have a joyful day!
Awesome!
Quote to ponder and I often remind my 11-year-old son this because it is so important!
Gorgeous journal entry, Nat! The title is so true and one I like to use to often remind myself. Thank you!!
Last week I headed with Liquitex and Winsor & Newton to Dallas for the Michaels Leadership Conference. Michaels Store Managers from all of North America come to this conference and part of is is to attend an exhibition to learn more about the newest products they sell in their stores.
Liquitex was showing their new awesome Mixed Media Kits which show some of my artwork on the packaging and I was super duper stoked that I was asked to demo the contents and display some of my artwork at the show.
It was a very interesting show and the questions differed a lot from those of the retail or trade shows I have been working at so far. This show was mostly about Education. And as you know – I love teaching and get people excited about the things I love. I loved the enthusiasm of the attendees about the products and we played a lot in the booth – like here with Pouring Medium ….that bowl that was so much fun! Too bad we couldn’t take it back with us – the paints were so thick in there- it would have taken a couple weeks to cure.
And I had the best girls with me at the booth – they took so good care of me and I had a blast working with them!
gosh what better day when dabbling my hands in paint in my art journal and on mini canvases all day – I was in a pretty happy place there !
We also had to get up pretty pretty early and the days were long…the result of which ended in amazing drawings like this one by Liquitex and Winsor & Newton ‘s Resident Artist Jimmy Leslie .
I might have “stolen” the sketch from him – LOL. Jimmy does amazing Sketches (his sketchbook is basically a diary with cool drawings- he shows those often on twitter – so go and follow him if you want to see) and he used the new Winsor & Newton Water Colour Markers – awesome stuff – can’t wait to play with them myself
Mario A. Robinson was also there demoing the water markers and water colors, and I was just in awe by his amazing work – and personality! You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter– his paintings are amazing and he also teaches a lot of classes !
His Lady Liberty…might have fallen also into my suitcase – so so so cool!
It was awesome to hang out with all those wonderful artists and share time and talk. In fact this was my highlight of the show – I felt inspired when I came home and I couldn’t wait to get into the studio.
And Nat…What about Dallas? …Yeah…what about it? Well…I have not seen ANYTHING besides the hotel, the booth and the highway back and forth to the airport . But …that might change next month when I come back to Dallas to teach at the CREATE Mixed Media Event !
I will show loads of fun Mixed Media Techniques in all my workshops and for sure use a lot of Liquitex Products! so I hope I see some of you there and I hope I will at least see a tiny bit of Dallas .
Have a creative day
Looks like an awesome experience. I just listened to the podcast… holy moley, you gals were working BIG and it was so interesting to listen to you both being so candid. Big hugs!
Wow Nat- I hadn’t even heard of those other artists thank you for turning me on to them! And again congrats on your art on those packages- what an honor and validation!! Love the boxes- might have to buy one of each so I can say I own a piece of your art! teeheehee
Love the Lady Liberty. It would make a cool stencil.
I can’t wait to get one of these kits at my local Michael’s.
How exciting to see your art on the box!!!
When the why is clear, the how is easy. – unknown
I love this – makes so much sense in so many parts of your life :)
Used Soft Body Acrylic Paints on the background and layered them adding gesso here and there. I also used some paint skins and applied them with Gloss Medium and Varnish – I love how they fuse into the background and yet add texture and visual interest.
Then I just stamped the quote with the wooden alphabet stamps.
Done :)
Have a gorgeous day!
Love the quote. It really does answer a lot of questions, don’t you think?!
As always, your art is so inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
Yes it does Jean :) I take it as a reminder when I sometimes struggle on the things that need to be done ;) thank you for your sweet words!
Love the grungy effect!! And the colours are great!
thank you so much Ashley!
Awesome – love the texture! And I can totally relate to the quote :)
thank you Gunvor!
Interesting quote which I need to give more thought to.
Hope you have a bright day as well Nat.
I do Sue- hope summer is good to you!!! Nat
“It’s easier to succeed if you’re trying to fail” – Philip Guston
So very true – and something I tell my students quite often too – if you just enjoy the process and don’t care about the outcome – the result usually rocks for you!
I love using some of my left over color chips on my palette – I peel it of and apply it with Gel Medium – gives texture and interesting little color fields in the art journal. Texture in the background was achieved with heavy gesso through punchinella and then I painted over and applied again a thinner layer of gesso here and there to lighten areas up.
Here are the supplies I used for this page:
Have a wonderful day
Great words of advice!
Cosmetic sponges have changed the way that I play in my art journal.
DISCLAIMER: In this Blog Post I make fun of Americans…or maybe more about their vegetation…or maybe it is just nothing – anyway– some might think that nothing is totally inappropriate . If you have a problem with this, you might be better off reading something else . Don’t email me to complain and don’t visit my blog anymore because I might post things like this again !
This Paste Up made me smile
And for the next one I had to do a double take – so fun!
And I love the frog by Mike Maka
And mural next to it is by Case
Other than that I really enjoy the summer here ….and you know since everything is bigger in America …
This flower is as big as my head- and believe me – my head is not that small!
The tomatoes grow like weed and they grow so fast…they need to develop stitches to keep intact. This one is probably a Frankenstein species. Delicious – Jersey Tomatoes are awesome!
And these are …Red Noodle Beans …I mean come on…these are not beans anymore…these are gigantic NOODLE Beans -very yummy and the whole name is Chinese Red Noodle Bean …so maybe they are not really from America ;)
And now the kicker for my European friends….
They put LOBSTER in a sandwich roll! Yes…you heard right…Lobster- the stuff that is super duper luxurious and expensive in Europe. The stuff you eat at a fine dining restaurant …they sell that out of a food truck in a sandwich…and it is pretty delicious ;)
Guess they have enough Lobster here .
And what does the Cat say to all this?
Oh ..sorry Niles-I forgot you are on a diet and you are mad with me
Well -I wish you a gorgeous day and see you soon for the next stroll…I promise I won’t make no fun anymore…;)
Hallo Nat, sind die Blüten von letzter Woche? echt riesig – und die Lobster scheinen hier wohl der “Ersatz” für Backfisch zu sein ;)) und im Chelsea Markt konnte nur Tims Kommentar “iss sie und du stinkst drei Tage nach Fisch, da kannst du bei meinen Eltern schlafen, seine Fee vom Stürmen des Hummerladens abhalten …………….. Bin gespannt auf weitere “Nachbarschaften” …………… und HH ist ein Dorf sag ich dir, weiß ich jetzt ;)) LG Ursula
Oh Nat, you are such a classic….love your humour, and being an Aussie I really appreciate your take on the American “bigness” . Gwe sometimes see them that way LOL
I want to go on a stroll with you! We don’t have Lobster Sandwiches like that in Texas, but I’d eat one in a New York minute!!! Yum!
Well you better make some more fun next time too.
Hello Niles. How do you like your new home?
I just love your strolls! That lobster sandwich looks so delicious!!
Was fun seeing you here Jean and I agree. The stroll made me chuckle.
It’s been a while since I last did some sketching- so it was good to have the chance to attend a sketching class of my friend Julie Fei-Fan Balzer in NYC last weekend to get me going again. I love it. Here is what I sketched while we were sitting outside …I sketched sketchers ;)
BTW- I would love to recommend a book by Felix Scheinberger to you if you are interested in sketching and watercolor. I have two of his books for a while and I just found out that his first one: Urban Watercolor Sketching: A Guide to Drawing, Painting and Storytelling in Color was finally translated from German to English. His style is super inspiring and his tips are gold. It is one of my most loved art books I have.
Scheinberger has a very loose style which makes it easy for me to enjoy my own sketching – Take a peek inside the book- you will see what I mean .
Have a wonderful day
Oh this so fun ..I love the images of life.
hugs
susan s
Your sketch is nice and seems to go hand-in-hand with Julie’s post about that day. It’s great that you two get to spent so much time together.
I saw some street art yesterday in Somerville, MA and thought of you. Hope that doesn’t sound too creepy. LOL
Do something instead of killing time. Because time is killing you. – Paulo Coelho
I spray painted the background in brown and blue tones and lifted off some of the paint by pressing different household items into the wet paint getting a nice texture and pattern. I splattered some acrylic ink in white here and there and then adhered the clocks which I found in a newspaper with Gloss Medium and Varnish.
I like how the background turned out a lot – I want to use this technique more often.
Have a gorgeous day!
Love this! Your journal pages are such inspirational. I love that splatter brush. It must such great marks and textures.
Simply Fab!!! xo
Comments (4)
Gina Sismilich
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Your city art is amazing – love this!
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Laura S
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Gorgeous, Nathalie! I wonder if every metropolitan city has their token Flat Iron? It might be cool to travel to each city in the US or the world, and visit these historical beauties. Have a beautiful week!
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Laura
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A flat iron building would make a great stencil ;)
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Nurse Ratchet
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Love this piece Nat..I have a love of the Flatiron buildings as well, especially the one in my home town.
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