Feeling cheery today, thanks to the spring like weather outside! Enjoy while we can, before winter decides to come back next week! Watercolor and glitter. Also learning to draw a different posture.

I am in LOVE with using absorbent grounds on collaged background!!!! This is my second piece and love how i can get the stained effect with watercolor and the background comes through the piece. Also learned to use color pencils with it (I never did that before!).

First I glued pieces of paper I love, choosing colors and pattern that seems to go together. Also added washi tape, which I love!

Then I added some paint to pull the background together.

Added a drawing of a face.

Then I painted the absorbent ground on the page, and let it dry completely. VERY important to let it dry completely. After the layer of absorbent ground is dried, I painted the face with watercolor. I love the staining effect when the watercolor is applied on the surface primed with absorbent ground – it also forces me to be less perfect and I love the painterly effect. Also used color pencils after that to add more dimensions on top. Viola! Love this process, will practice more with it!

I learned a new technique today from an online class I am taking “let’s face it 2016” (all about faces!). I am now able to combine collage with watercolor by using absorbent grounds. Never heard of absorbent grounds until the lesson by Karine bosse. Absorbent grounds is a kind of primer that you can apply on surfaces like wood or canvas and then paint with watercolor. Before I used it, I could only paint watercolor on watercolor paper. Now I can paint on wood, canvas, collaged backgrounds… Woo hoo!

Here is what I did. First I created a page of collage using papers I like.

Then I decided to draw a face on it (of course… A page feels empty without a face for me😉)

At this point, I usually have to paint with acrylic paint since it is not a watercolor paper anymore. This time, I decided to try using absorbent ground as the primer. And used watercolor on top of it.

And viola! So happy with the outcome! This has opened do many new adventures for me. Can’t wait to try on other surfaces!!!

By the way, I could not find absorbent grounds anywhere, so I followed someone’s tip to make my own absorbent grounds using one part modeling paste to three parts gesso. It worked!!!

Back to painting red heads.. This time with the song “this girl is on fire” in my head… Yes, some women fear the fire, some simply become it! Watercolor and ink.

It’s Valentine’s Day and Downton Abbey night, what better way to celebrate than with Anna and Mr Bates… Sweet sweet love. And I agree with Anna. I am blessed to have found the right man, one who has been by my side through thick and thin. We’ve gone through ups and downs during our last 20+ years together. We loved, we fought, we laughed, we cried. But we were there for each other through it all. I chose the right man and will choose him all over again. I love you Eric Choo.

My son turned 16 this week. I am so proud of the fine young man he is turning into. I also can’t help feeling sad that he is growing up way too fast… too fast for me anyway… I miss the little boy who has that bright big smile and the baldy head. And I dread the coming years when you will leave home for your new life…. I won’t think about that now and just be thankful for all the joy and happiness you have brought to my life. My dear Ethan, you’ve been a Blessing from the start and I will always love you, with all my heart.

Painted a simple card for a good friend’s baby shower. Love baby girls… So sweet and pure…

In anticipation of tomorrow’s Downton Abbey episode, I am posting my rendition of the next DA cast. This time, it is Lady Sybil and Tom Branson and I am sketching instead of painting (currently obsessed with sketching!)…. oh, how sweet is their love and how sad that she died so young. I loved Lady Sybil, she was so kind, generous and so ahead of her time. While I don’t think I was able to capture Tom’s likeness here (I will try again another time), I love how the 2 figures are intertwined. I got this photo reference from this blogger on tumblr (downton-is-life-tumblr.com).

 Sometimes (and often) when I approach a drawing or painting, I doubt myself. Can i actually make something beautiful? Is this too hard for me? With more practice, I have learned that sometimes, the only way to do it is to take a leap of faith. And just do it. This is what I did with this drawing. I took a leap of faith and I love what turned up! I love her! I was so proud of this that I went around showing my family what I did. Is that conceited? I don’t think so… What do you think?

It’s Sunday again… which means Downton Abbey time! This week, I decided to paint Lady Edith. Poor Lady Edith, she is often ignored and has such bad luck with love. I did not even notice her during the earlier seasons. It was really after she became a single mother and a business woman that I began to take notice of her and see something strong in her. One of my favorite quote of hers is “I can’t just lead one of those purposeless lives”. Bravo! What a novel idea, especially for rich ladies of that time. A good reminder to live a purposeful life! Painted with watercolor and lots of glitter:)