Paintings With Soul

A couple weeks ago I taught   my first zoom workshop , mono printing in our journals, and it was a wonderful experience. Zoom allows me to demonstrate my process, simultaneously share my journal and my palette, and interact with participants in real time. Additionally, the class video becomes available afterwards for direct download for any students wishing to try the lesson on their own time after the fact. If you haven't yet tried journaling, what's holding you back? There's no need for previous arting experience (I promise you that - as complex as my pages may look, they are simple exercises that can be completed by anyone), no specialized art materials or equipment. And no expectation that what you make will hang on a wall or even ever have to be shared. All you need is the desire to make some marks and play with the tools. So please consider joining us - either in a zoom session, or one of the free   #journalthroughit classes. If you are an avid journaler, you w...

This summer I've been taking art journalers on a virtual camping trip - each week we've done a new lesson together using an online classroom space. The image above is one of my journal spreads inspired by this summer's activities.  There's 10 lessons altogether, and students can complete them at their own leisure. Enrollment is open through the end of 2014 - but as of September 8th tuition jumps from $75 to $99. More information, including enrollment details,  is here . This summer has been unusually busy, and I've travelled more miles than I usually do in one entire year. Since May I've split my days fairly evenly between home and Trafalgar (Indiana), Calahari (Ohio), Saratoga Springs (New York via Campbelville Ontario), Indianapolis (Indiana), Port Huron (Michigan), Omena (Michigan) -- and I'm not done yet.  This Friday the kids and I take our annual end-of-summer trek to Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio).   Nearly every trip...

An image transfer created from a Dr. Seuss greeting card, temporarily adhered to the inside of the front window of the Orion Art Center.   I love my grownUP Journalers - tonite we had a BLAST making our own image transfers using printed materials.   We got so caught up in making them that we didn't get to the intended collage part. One of the hardest parts of teaching was learning when it is ok to abandon the lesson plan in favor of encouraging exploration and adventure.   I'll just have to plan for collaging transparent layers in a future class. No harm done at all in the grand scheme of things!!   Meanwhile, if you want to join us, shoot me a note - we usually meet on 3rd Thursdays of each  month (but September 2013 will be changed) - Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

    From my journal, an experiment with pan pastels, french curves, stencils, spirograph, glitter gel pens, and washi tape. I'll work further on this at tonite's grownUPs Journaling class (Orion Art Center, 6-8pm, $15 all materials supplied,  please rsvp ).     March's been a rough month. Today playing with color and sitting quietly helped. Making mandalas (spirographs) was very meditative.   What are your coping mechanisms? I'd love to hear them!   Fondly,  Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

        Go from a full sheet of pastel paper a homemade journal in a matter of hours, using some basic supplies like markers, inks, stencils, watercolor pencils, and masking tape.     I'll be leading fellow journalers through the steps at a class in Longwood, Florida (near Orlando) next Monday evening, February 25th. For more information,  contact Debbie , your hostess with the mostest, at The Craft Shack.   And for you locals who are excited about this idea, just hold tight - I'll offer the same class this fall in Rochester, Michigan.   Meanwhile my grownUP Journalers are meeting this Thursday evening from 6-8pm at the Orion Art Center. Being as February is the month of love, we'll be focused on journaling about our passions. Class is $15 and there's a little bit of mental homework to prepare - please  RSVP to me  and I'll get you started.   Have a great evening! Kim ks...

grownUPs journaler Toni demonstrating her understanding of contour drawing and exploring the use of positive and negative space, from this evenings art journaling workshop.     Things are settling down in the Santini household. There were no broken bones today and dinner was homemade spaghetti and meatballs. All three kids were smiley (although one's smiles were, admittedly, vicodin induced), homework completed, and animals fed and walked without complaint.   And then Mom got to escape to one of her happy places.   That being grownUP journaling classes.   We meet on the 3rd Thursday of each month for a couple hours in the evening. And tonite I savored every moment of our togetherness.   Our group was intimate (I'm not judging those who opted to stay home and watch the Tigers dominate the Yankees!) and all the more special for it.   We focused on edges, quality of line, and positive and negative spa...

This is detail from an in-process page inside my Gratitude Journal (the entire spread is pictured at the left). Done mostly in acrylic paint, it includes a word ticket given me by a student. At our last grownUPs Journal class, participants were given three word tickets. They labeled objects with their tickets, and I was tagged "Fortunately." One of the best gifts ever - thank you Toni!!   I've been a daily painter since 2006. That's a LOT of paintings to come across my easel. And a LOT of pressure to stay fresh, every day (we're not talking showering, kiddos!).   One of the creative habits I picked up shortly after making my daily painting pledge was that of art journaling. The idea behind art, or creative, journaling is that it is part sketchbook part diary part science lab with art materials. Anything goes!   I thought it would be healthy for me to have a place to work out frustrations or anxieties and be able to make marks without ...

From my journal, a spread carrying prayer flags, which I will be leading my grownUP students in creating during tonite's class.   Did you know that we all breathe molecules that Leonardo da Vinci breathed himself? that we have the ability to put positive, brilliant energy out for others to benefit from? I'm fascinated as of late by the idea of karmic attraction - like attracting like. Our personal energy fields impact more than we realize.   Prayer flags  are a beautiful manifestation of desires and wishes. Intentions are put onto a "flag" using symbols and text and a variety of media. That flag is hung in a window or outdoors, where the breeze can pick up those intentions and carry them into the world.   Ok, call me that kooky crazy artist lady. I've been called worse.   But the Princess and I made some healing flags together and strung them on the back porch - we talked about her baby cousin who's healing from heart ...

  The welcome postcards for my summer workshop AirMail Journaling will be mailed tomorrow. The cards include a tune-up exercise to get participants primed and ready to go.   What's AirMail Journaling? 5 art journal lessons mailed to your home (or an address of your choosing) - lessons include directions, prompts, ephemera and materials, along with sample images  we start the week of June 25th and will continue through the end of August - the lessons will be mailed every two weeks there's also a private, online classroom where participants can share their images and have a dialogue about processes/ideas So, how much for all this wicked sweet journaling goodness? Only $30.  I kid you not. Only $30 (within the US - additional fees for international addresses apply). Simply paypal funds to journal@turtledovedesigns.com  and I'll get off a materials list and class outline. What will we be doing? I'll give you a glimps...

    It's nearly impossible to schedule any sort of workshop in the summertime that works with everyone's calendar. There's vacations and sunshine and working parents and travel sports teams and watermelon, and frankly, I can't blame anyone for choosing those sorts of things over taking a class (even though my physical class IS in a toy store).   I still wanted to tailor my offering to somehow flex around everyone's schedule. I spent some time on the back porch, just listening to the birdsong and wondering when life got so darned busy. I got all melancholy recalling the long summer days of my childhood - melty popsicles, the smell of hot pavement, the sting of sprinkler water on sunburned skin, the excitement of the mail's arrival (was there anything for ME?) - and BING - AirMail Journaling was born!   I've had the most fabulous time designing five entirely new lesson plans for this summer's journaling adventure. These...

  A mixed media collaged spread from my journal (detail below), including hand painted papers and ephemera, stamping, tea staining, song lyrics, and personal affirmations. Tonite's journallistas will use ink and watercolors to stain paper scraps, and build cairns/totems of their own.   I teach journalling classes to children and adults year-round, and new students are always welcome. Each class introduces new methods or art concepts, and participants are encouraged to experiment. No previous journalling experience necessary, nor is any particular skill level with art materials/concepts needed.   Ask abou t upcoming classes!! And thank you!!     It was a delightful morning to make a roadtrip. I don't allow myself out of the studio that often (I'm too easily distracted!), so it's an extra special treat when I get out into the real world on occasion. I made the most of the sunshine, singing along to...

Just one of our tables, strewn with paper samples and a variety of tape, with the girls hard at work.   Here I am showing The Jordan's how to bind pages into their books. Photo courtesy of the amazing Lisa Drumm.   Anna, showing off her favorite sequence of pages.       I had the best afternoon - I spent it with Stadium Drive Elementary's Brownie Troop - and let me tell you, these ladies are most definately our next generation of movers and shakers.   We started with an introduction to the idea of art journalling, shared some of my journals with the girls, and talked a little nurturing one's creative voice.    Then I showed them how to make a tape-bound journal using recycled materials.   We got busy sorting through a variety of papers, measuring and cutting our pages, and building our books.   I wanted to stay all nite and give them some pointers on what to put inside their new books, but had to satisfy myself by leaving a h...

"Blooms I," 11" x 14", a mixed media painting by Kiki Kelly   I hope that your holidays were as delightful and magical as ours. We had some amazingly fun times with family and friends - and at home with ourselves, too. Lots of laughter, good eats (I need a chocolate cookie detox), a killer Bananagrams tourney, and even some most excellent football (way to go Michigan State Spartans!!).   And now it's back to work!!   I didn't get all the painting done that I planned on accomplishing over break, but there's still a small window of time before my most pressing of deadlines. Meanwhile, this week I'm also working on getting projects aligned - exhibition entries off, articles edited, files archived, reference photos sorted and lesson plan tweaking for my winter journalling workshops ( email me  if you want in - we'll be doing some COOL things!!).   And I'm taking a class myself - Traci Bautista's  Doodles Unleashed , a month-long onl...

  Detail of "It's Snowing!" a multi-media collage built from various patterned paper, paint, and tissue.   Today I am driving kids about (they have a busier social life than me!), doing a bit of computer work (the harddrive filled on one of my computers, so I've been compressing/backing up/juggling data about), and considering some holiday baking (I started last night with a delish apple-cherry brandy laced cobbler!).   Which doesn't leave any daylight hours at the easel, but that's ok - I'm content to come in later tonite and set up shop once things have quieted down.   Meanwhile, I thought you might enjoy a snippet from one of several new mixed media experiments. I can't show either of them because they are Christmas gifts, but I think you get a sense of how much fun The Princess and I had with the "paper explosion" that occurred in the studio this past weekend.   Thank you so much for supporting my artwork and providing my liveli...