YouTube has always been my go to for tutorials. Lately I have been struggling to find good tutorials on YouTube. And then I came across a video from a watercolorist about a new learning platform, skill share.

Decided to check it out, especially since they had a special going on now. I was excited to find many many tutorials in there! 

I watched a tutorial from Ana Victoria Calderon and learned to create patterns and texture with watercolor. Decided to give it a try on my portrait painting. 

I experimented with a few things here. Firstly, darker skin tone. The pose. The texture on the background, the whale and also her hair. 

Really excited about how she turned out! I am really digging this new technique of creating new textures and patterns. Will do it again.. and again! 

Loved painting her. Watercolor with salt, splatters of acrylic paint, and loads of glitter. Wish you can see the glitter up close. It sparkles and twinkles in the light. Glitter makes me happy and I definitely glitterized her!😂😂😂 this is one of my favorite paintings… 

… be your own definition of amazing. 

Watercolor portrait. Practicing a new pose. Was not an easy pose for me. Need to practice more..

Currently obsessed with the flapper hairstyle…

Painted her today (watercolor) starting with the one on the left. Then played with apps effects and created the one on the top right corner. Decided to add more drama to my girl and ended up with the one on the bottom right. 

Can’t decide which one do I prefer. 

Do you have a preference? 

It’s Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays. A day to count my blessings. A day to be grateful for what I have. 

With all the hype about the thanksgiving meal, I find myself stressing over the menu every year. And so far, we’ve never gotten it quite right. One year, my son told me (when I was stressing over the menu)…” mom, thanksgiving is about being together, not about the food.”… so true…

Yes, next year, we will go to a restaurant for thanksgiving meal😂😂😂

Watercolor painting with gouache for the black background and white acrylic paint for the stars. Love this quote by Jennifer Gayle. It’s all about perspective..

I am thankful. 

Happy thanksgiving! 

Another fun day playing with mixed media in my altered journal.  Given the color palette, I must be dreaming of spring!…

This is a 2 page spread. I started with slapping some acrylic paint on my book. 

Then collage and stencil. Glitter and doodle. 

And a quote. TELL YOUR STORY.

“It’s important that we share our experiences with other people. Your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else. When you tell your story, you free yourself and give other people permission to acknowledge their own story. -Lyanla Vanzant

So true. 

Had another watercolor fail, so I decided to gesso over the page and go crazy with mixed media instead. 

To me, this seems like a crazy page, no rhyme or reason. I started by trying to cover up a girl I did not like. Gesso, then a picture of a sofa from a catalogue, followed by a name card from a restaurant in New York. And then it’s just play. Scrap paper here and there. 

There was an empty spot, so I decided to add an eye to the spot. Followed by another eye and then her lips. Viola, a face emerged. Guess I kinda like faces too much.. they just appear..

Kinda weird but I love it for some strange reason ❤️❤️❤️

The past week has been tense. It’s time to take a deep breath… and let it all go… I saw this woman on a catalogue and I loved her expression. The wind on her back.. I can imagine how soothing and free that gentle caress feels…

I found this quote to go with it. It is by Jasmeine Moonsong(what a pretty name), a take on a traditional Irish blessing. I loved it.

So, for my friends…

May you always feel the sun shining warm upon your face.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the love always burn bright within your heart.

Watercolor painting with collage for her dress. I used gouache for the red background as I wanted it to be a little opaque and very vibrant. Love the effect. 

Happy Sunday! 

Sketched this on the train ride home from NYC. Saw this girl on Pinterest and it reminded me of my daughter when she was little. 

NO. She would say. And I had to try not to laugh. She looked so cute. Why can’t teenagers be cute like that when they argue with us? 

Another facial expression practice. 

They say there are 5 stages of grieving. I am at the 6th… accepting but fighting for what I believe in. Justice. Equality. Kindness. Respect. Humility. 

Sketched her on the train on my way to NYC. Wish I have her buff arms😂😂😂