"Fantasy Forest" 18 x 24 Intuitive Painting

"Fantasy Forest" Intuitive Painting by Tammy Dial Gray

This week I played with layers and layers and feelings that bubbled to the surface.  I thought about connectivity and abundance, history and ecology and thought deeply about how these ideas have been represented in animated forest scenes such as the movies Avatar and The Secret of Kells.  This painting is what developed from those reflections.

Here is a more detailed shot:

Close Up of "Fantasy Forest" an intuitive painting by Tammy Dial Gray

You can read more about this piece here

You could win a prize!

Genuinely Jane Church Window Book Decorated by Tammy Dial Gray

This week over at Artistcellar.com we teamed up with Geniunly Jane Studios. Check out my tutorial and find out how you can win!

Creating and Using a Color Wheel with Silks Acrylic Glazes

 

Creating a Color Wheel with Silks Acrylic Glazes

I am passionate about Silks Acrylic Glazes. I can get sheer gorgeous color and shimmer with one coat or use more than one layer to achieve opaque brilliant shimmery colors. In this article I illustrate how easy it is to use color theory, create tint and shades with these beautiful paints.  

Once you have decided what colors you want to use for your Silks Acrylic Glaze Color Wheel, you can start trying out different color theories. I decided to use tags as they are small and easy to experiment with. Here are a few illustrations.

Using A Color Wheel With Silks Acrylic Glazes & a Tag

Silks Acrylic Glazes, Girls Night Tag

Silks Acrylic Glazes & April Showers Tag

For my color wheel I used the following Silks Acrylic Glazes: Sunburst Ginger Peach Spicy Tomato Love Struck and Spicy Tomato Combined Love Struck Jasmine Snap Dragon Sapphire on Ice Sky Blue Teal Zircon Emerald and Key Lime

For my tags I also used the following Artistcellar Products:

• White and black pens 
• The Viva Decor Pearl Pen 
• The Black Ranger Archival Ink Pad 
• The Blue Moldable Stamp 
• The Arrow, Cherry Blossom, and Constellation Stencils and 
• The Parrot Fiber Mix 

You can get your own free color wheel template here.  I printed mine on Bristol Board Smooth Paper.

Tutorial: Making Stamps from Stencils

Tutorial: Making Spray Paints with Silks Acrylic Glazes

Thank you for stopping by.  I am always grateful for your comments.

 Please "like" my artist page at: www.facebook.com/ArtistTammyDialGray  

Blue Moldable Stamps + Stencils + Heat Tool= Personalized Stamps!

I have been collecting stencils for awhile now and I love them. I am always looking for new ways to use them. I was thrilled when I discovered that I could turn my stencils into stamps...(drum roll please) and the product to do that with only costs $1.50 to make 2 stamps! You need Blue Moldable Stamp, and stencils such as Brain Coral Stencil, and the Constellation Stencil. Here is the tutorial for turning your stencils into stamps! :)

After I made the stamps, I decided I would have fun making my own gift paper and tags. I simply stamped deli paper with the Blue Moldable Stamp that I created and Ranger Archival Ink Pad. I heat set the ink and then added Tim Holtz Distress Stains to color my paper.

.

For my finished project, I wrapped a gift using this deli paper. I sprayed tags with Homemade Silks Acrylic Glazes sprays, dried, and then stamped as described above. I created roses with the stamped and stained deli paper as well. Finally, I put it all together with Burlesque Fibers and a Black Viva Decor Pearl Pen. 
For those of you who haven't tried the Home Made Silks Acrylic Spray Paints, here is the tutorial for you.  

Thank you so much for checking out my post. I would love it if you show me what you create and your comments are always gratefully received! Tammy Dial Gray www.facebook.com/ArtistTammyDialGray

When you smile, the stars dance in their heavens.

When I had the joy of opening up the Shooting Stars Stencil package from Artistcellar and playing with it in my studio one thought kept returning to my mind. It wasn't as much an image as it was a sentiment. When I look at the Shooting Stars Stencil it looks to me like the stars are dancing. The sentiment I kept thinking of was, "When you smile, the stars dance in their heavens."

After much thought, I realized that I wanted to make others smile. So, I sketched out one of the things that makes me smile. A dog, and a smiling dog is even better. :)

I used my regular sketching pencils and Bristol Smooth paper. I thought this dog's smile could put a smile on a young child's face. So, I decided to keep with the whimsical theme and paint my dog in bright colors.

For this 12 x 12 wood panel I used, Silks Acrylic Glazes, bleeding tissue paper, Shooting Stars Stencil, black pens, white pens, gesso, gel medium, home made Silks Acrylic Glazes Spray Paints (the tutorial is provided below,) punchinella, and white acrylic paint.

 The truth is...When you smile, the stars dance in their heavens. 

 Tammy Dial Gray  www.facebook.com/ArtistTammyDialGray

What? I thought they said it was spring!

I painted this bunny after seeing and adorable photo of a bunny eating a flower.  We have had tornadoes in our area so I wanted a wild Florida sky.  I used the Ripples Stencil and three colors of paint for the sky (Rich Cobalt Acrylic Glaze,  Stewart Gill Byzantia Aegean, heavy body white acrylic paint.  

For the grass and blue flowers I used Stewart Gill Byzantia Acanthus, heavy body white acrylic paint, and Fern Silks Acrylic Glaze with the blue colors listed above and the Cherry Blossom stencil.  

For the color of the orange flowers I mixed Sunburst Silks Acrylic Glaze with Spicy Tomato Silks Acrylic Glaze.

For the bunny, I did an under coat with colored pencils and then used a dry brush and white heavy body acrylic paint.  I used white and black pens to finish off the details.  

Happy Easter to You and Yours!

 I have had so much fun with the Jane Girls Series Face stencil.  It has been amazing to see so many different styles of faces created with just this one stencil.

For this face, I have enlarged the eyes and stretched out the face some to create a more childlike appearance. I started this project by creating my face using colored pencils and black pens in my Strathmore Visual Journal - Mixed Media.  When I got the face colored and shaded the way I wanted it, I sprayed the page with workable fixative and set it aside to dry.

I painted 140lb watercolor paper using my Gelli Plate and craft paints and let it dry.  I used heavy body white acrylic paint and the Rouen Cathedral Series Stencil and the Tortoise Japanese Geometric Series to stencil over the paint page.

 I cut around the Jane Girl that I had set aside to dry and then used matte medium to collage her onto the page.  I used a dry brush to add some yellow and turquoise craft paints to the page to add interest.  I scanned my page and then added the sentiment using my computer.

I hope this Easter is full of joy, peace, and grace for you and yours! Tammy Dial Gray
  Artistcellar and www.facebook.com/ArtistTammyDialGray    

She's Got Style: Mixed Media Canvas

I have always liked fashion illustrations. So, when I looked at my Brain Coral Stencil and my Ripples Stencil and realized that the size and patterns of the designs would look great on an outfit for one of my girls,  I couldn't wait to get started on this project.  The first thing I did was sketch out my girl and her obvious companion, a stylish cat.  I used Bristol paper, and graphite pencils to do the sketch work.  I then used a black pen to trace the lines of the Ripples Stencil on the jacket of my girl.  I traced the Brain Coral Stencil on the dress.  I started the coloring process with Inktense and colored pencils.      I continued adding color to the design using Inktense.  I cut out my girl and her cat and used matte medium to adhere them to my prepared background. Some of the supplies I used in my background are as follows: Stencils: Amiens, Ocean Waves, Cherry Blossom, and Seven Jewels. Silks Acrylic Glazes, white pens, gesso, white heavy body acrylic, bleeding tissue paper, gold paint pen, water soluble markers, and workable fixative.  

Thank you for stopping by!

Jane Girls: Under the Sea

I have the entire tutorial including all of the supplies I used available for you at Artistcellar.  I would love it if you leave a comment for me there.  xoxoxox

Having Fun With the Jane Girl's Stencil

What a thrill it is to get to work with the Jane Girls Series Stencils. They offer so many options. I have been playing with eye placement, curve of the lips, and hair styles. In this post I show what subtle differences can do to the look of a piece. I used the same colors and supplies in both 8"x 8" canvas pieces.


In this canvas, I have her eyes looking towards the viewer, have hair on both sides of the neck, have a more subtle background pattern and use a hair band all the way around the face.           In this canvas, the girl is looking more forward, her lips curl more upward, the hair is pulled back and on one side of her neck and the background pattern is more pronounced.

 For these projects I used:

1. The 3-Quarter Stencil from the Jane Girls Series.
2. The Star Coral stencil from the Coral Series.
3. 8" x 8" Canvas
4. Derwent Inktense Blocks
5. Silks Acrylic Glazes
6. Water soluble color pencils
7. Sekura Koi WaterBrush
8. Water soluble crayons
9. White Gesso

Process:

• Prepare each canvas with White Gesso.
• Use Derwent Inktense Blocks to color the entire background.
• Blend colors using a Sekura Koi WaterBrush, dry.
• Use the Star Coral stencil from the Coral Series and the Silks Acrylic Glazes to
• Use the Water soluble color pencils, 

Thank you for checking out my post.  I would love to see what you are doing with Artistcellar stencils.

My Hope is in You: Intricate Doodle Tutorial

I enjoy making intricate doodles and I love the Cathedral Series Stencils so I decided to combine these two loves to create today's project.

Techniques for creating the Paris Cathedral Intricate Doodle: 1. Trace the Paris Cathedral Stencil onto an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper using a black pen.  (I decided to use an 8.5" x 11" inch piece of paper so that I could easily print out copies of of my finished artwork to use for homemade calendars or other projects.)

2. Color the page using water soluble pencils and blend the colors with a Sekura Koi WaterBrush.

3. Add doodles using black and white pens.

4. Finish the project by adding a title strip.  I made mine using Photoshop.  I used http://translate.google.com/ to translate my title into French to go with the Paris theme.

Artistcellar: Joy Comes in the Morning Art Journal Page

Technique for Creating Joy Comes in the Morning Art Journal Page

1. Spray water color paper with the Silks Acrylic Glazes home made spray (tutorial is included below...click on the image for a larger view), dry.
2. Use the Flower of Life Stencil and Matte Gel Medium to stencil over a strip of water color paper, dry.
3. Apply Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Brushed Pewter over the dried Matte Gel Medium.
4. Use the Ranger Archival Ink Pad and a border stamp to stamp around the entire border of the art journal page.
5. Apply Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Brushed Pewter lightly over the stamped border.
6. Use the Flower of Life Stencil and a Silks Acrylic Glaze to stencil on the bottom right side of the page as shown.
7. Use the Ranger Archival Ink Pad and letter stamps to stamp the title "Joy" on tissue paper
8. Adhere the title with Matte Gel Medium as shown
9. Select photo and mat with metallic card stock.  Adhere to page as shown.
10. Spray a strip of water color paper with Silks Acrylic Glazes home made spray and dry.
11. Use a Faber-Castell Pitt Pen to write out "...comes in the morning." and adhere to the page
12. Use the Viva Decor Pearl Pen to add pearls as shown.
13. Use a silver pen to add accents around the page as shown.

Close Up View of Joy Comes in the Morning Art Journal Page

Tutorial for creating your own Silks Acrylic Glazes Spray Paints

Love Birds Tutorial

My post for Artistcellar today is a tutorial for making this Love Birds Bird House.  

29 Faces Day 7: Impacting Stars

I created this quick portrait in my art journal with pan pastels, the Hemp Flower stencil from Artistcellar and some soft colored pencils. I quoted myself again and added in the text in Photoshop.  I am seriously loving learning how to use the pan pastels.  

Flower of Life Stencil and Creating Spray Paints with Silks

I created these projects for Artistcellar.  Here are the tutorials.  

Greeting Card and Artist Trading Card

Tag and Book Mark

See the step by step process here.

29 Faces: 2.5.12 Madonna and Child

I created this with a white charcoal pencil, very old black gel paper, and the Rouen Cathedral Stencil from Artistcellar.  

Every winter season I am moved by the Christmas story.  Even though I try to focus on other aspects of Christmas what really reaches me and moves me deeply is the story of Mary's willingness to be the mother of Christ and all of the sacrifice that calling would require of her.  I see her as a deeply compassionate and faithful woman who was both over joyed with carrying and having the Son of God but also tremendously pained by Christ's experiences.  So, it is with this sense of what Mary will face in her life as the Mother of Christ that I celebrate these moments of joy when He is her child and she is a mother in love with every aspect of the baby she holds.

29 Faces 2.4.13 "A Woman Before Her Time"

I had a ton of fun using the following stencils from Artistcellar: the brand new Flower of Life, Steampunk Lace, Paris Cathedral and Runes Textures. I also used Derwent Inktense Pencils, Silks Acrylic Glazes, pan pastels, water soluble graphite, and a black pen.

29 Faces 2.3.13

Summer Girl  She is a Work in Progress.  

I created her with Pan Pastels (the 20 piece portrait set), sketching pencils, Derwent Inktense Colored Pencils, Silks Acrylic Glazes, the Seven Jewels Stencil from Artistcellar, and the London Old World Map Stencil from Artistcellar.   

29 Faces 2.2.13

Here is my entry for day 2 of the 29 Faces challenge.  I am brand new to using Pan Pastels and I discovered there was a lot I liked about them including the ability to layer and blend and how fun they are to use with stencils.  

For this project I used Pan Pastels, Derwent Soft Pencils and the brand new Flower of Life Stencil from Artistcellar that was just released.  

On Wednesday, I will be sharing with you my first Design Team post for Artistcellar.  For the time being I am particpating in the 29 Faces in the month of February.  My goal is to do quick work in a variety of mediums to increase my experience and skill level.  Thank you for your support!

Whirlwind of Dreams and Opportunities

Since the Design Team announcement for Artistcellar, I have been quietly working on my pieces for my weekly contributions to their site.  I will have posts up both on their site and on my blog every Wednesday starting the first week in February.  I am utilizing their amazing collection of exclusive stencils.  Similar to the way I have used them in the background of this piece and each of my posts includes a tutorial.

At the same time, I started teaching Intricate Doodles at The Doris an art gallery in my town.  For the Intricate Doodles class, I am working to create a greater variety of colored pieces to teach my students how to use color in their work.  Both of these projects take time.  An intricate doodle like this one takes me about 15 hours.

I thought that the opportunity to teach and to work for Artistcellar was exciting enough and then The Doris requested that I submit pieces for a gallery show they are doing this weekend and for the month of February at the Florida Community Design Center in the Chamber of Commerce Building.  So, for the first time in my adult life, I have three art pieces in a gallery show.

The show opens with Artwalk this Friday night.  I am in the amazing company of the Artists' in Residence at The Doris and some of the other art teachers like my beautiful friend and Mosaic Artist Limor Ben-Naim Herb.  

As I spoke with Turbado Marabou, one of the incredible Artists In Residence at The Doris, he expressed interest in the Artistcellar stencils.  It was a surreal moment as my online art world and my local art world came together.  I will be sharing with Turbado the amazing line of Artistcellar stencils and I hope to discover his methods for using them in his work.

To say that I am amazed that all of this is happening at once is an understatement.  I am also extremely grateful for each of these opportunities to express myself through my art.  So, while I might be more quiet than normal, I am in my studio working away and bursting with excitement that I am able to participate in the art world both locally and online.  I am immensely grateful for your generous support.