Whimspirations

Sunday, July 22, 2012

...well, that was fun!!!

Home from a 6 hour drive from Somerset, NJ. Create, New Jersey is now just a memory, and what a creative flurry it was! I taught four, full classes in 48 hours. Exhausted? Can't be, i am always so grateful that this is my "job". Art is my living, and my living is art! What could be better than an art retreat? Making art, teaching art, making art and meeting the best art friends for life. I am in awe when my students are empowered to be fearless in their creativity. It's incredibly rewarding.

Here are some of my fabulous students with their works in progress. I missed getting photos in every class because my iphone was in my music speaker playing my eclectic assortment of tunes while everyone was working. Dancing to the beat of the iphone, paintbrush and spray inks, it was magical!

So now it's time to pack back up for Art Unraveled in Phoenix in just 10 days! Looking forward to that steamy good art retreat, my first time in Arizona!

We made One Page Wonder art journals and art friends forever!!!

A deep thought....
What is more important to you when taking a class and making art?
Is it the process or the finished art piece??
What do you do with all your art when it's finished?
Share your thoughts with a comment below...

Friday, July 6, 2012

..."art frosting" anyone?

I must say that i am completely obsessed with color, color, color and my twinkling paints. You know them, Twinkling H20's? "Twinks", those little pots of creamy sparkle goodness. If they're not on your art table, they are in your stash, or in the "Land of Misfit Art Supplies". You know, the ones you just don't play with any more? Well raid that stash, get out your Twinks and meet "Silks", her baby sister!

Here's a little video tutorial i made with the

Twinks and Silks from Luminarte.

How about a 10% off coupon to purchase your own colorful palette and paint with stars? Visit the Lumniarte website and use this
coupon code for your purchase: sharpeblog10

OFFER VALID July 5-15, 2102

Stock up or give the paints a test drive!

..look at the incredible shine and light on fabric!

...stamp and stencil making vibrant backgrounds...

...my journaling pens work like a dream over the Silks and Twinks!...

Are you taking my online "Color Love" class?

If not, join us! This is what we're talking about. We are completely immersed in everything color! And my online classes are open to join anytime, are self paced, with forever access and a live, kooky, chatty Facebook group full of the best friends you never met!

...sparkle doodle pages painted with the"starlight" and that comes from a pot of Twinks or a jar of "Silks"...

These paints "art frosting" for your journal pages, crafts and artwork! The perfect touch. They're creamy, like buttah!

It's "paint candy"! It's just delicious.

...a whole journal of bling and brightness!

Learn more about Luminarte products on their website:

You were born to shine and paint with stars! Thanks for visiting.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

...soar and share...

...Feel free to share and give someone wings....

©joanne sharpe 2102

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

....the BIG NEWS #3!!

Finally i can spill! I'll be teaching in

Orvieto, Italy in September 2013!

This is a dream come true. I will be hosting a trip with

"Adventures in Italy" with Kristi and Bill Steiner, September 15-21, 2013.

I have planned the art adventure of a lifetime to create, inspire, eat, explore and celebrate!

Find the details for my trip here: "Whimsical Wanderings in Orvieto, Italy",

These images of Orvieto take back to my college days, and four years of art history. I have never been to Italy and this will be a enlightening experience for me as will as the others who will join me. We'll capture our travels with art journaling, hand lettering and mixed media art. No experience required!

...I cannot wait to stand in the presence of these breathtaking images. These are the images i have only known in books, when pulling those "all nighters" in college for my art history exams. True story!

...I cannot wait to touch these ancient art treasures....

...I cannot wait to devour this color palette and paint the the gorgeous countryside...

...I cannot wait to share this with YOU!

Doesn't this sound incredible?

All the details can be found here on the Adventures in Italy website.

Won't you join me for the art adventure of a lifetime?

Monday, June 18, 2012

...creative diversion...

I love to sew. I have since i was in junior high school. Made clothes, "smock tops", pillows, fun stuff. My very first sewing machine was a Sears Kenmore i got as a wedding gift, and i still have it. Just can't find the foot pedal! When my daughter was born i was up to my elbows in piles of fabric making the nursery ensemble and little girly dresses. Well, having 4 kids in three years pushed my sewing machine farther and farther back in closet.

Fast forward 20 years and i had been thinking about sewing again, pricing machines and doing research. Thank heaven for Bernina at Create in Irvine earlier this month! I was drawn to the classrooms with the rows of Bernina sewing machines..........be still my sewing heart! Long story short, i was lucky enough to come home with one. And i must say, there is quite a "Bernina groupie" following out there! I was so encouraged by other passionate quilters and seamstresses who said again and again, "YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE IT"!! They were correct. I. LOVE. THIS. MACHINE.!

While i am constantly learning and seeking new creative experiences, i have never done any quilting. However, i love the discipline and the artistic potential of it. Free motion stitching and mixed media fabric wall art hold such an appeal for me. In addition to learning about the machine, i've decided to take the plunge into quilting and free motion sewing.

I've been practicing with piles of fabric samples i have from a collection i designed for Springs Creative last year. Lots of messy free motion stitching! In my mind it is "perfectly imperfect"! Even going all out on the mixed media thing, and sewing some paper onto the fabric scrap.

My new machine has 85 decorative stitches! That will be fun.

More messy, "perfectly imperfect", free motion practice on my fabric samples.

Got brave with some simple white muslin/batting "fabric sandwiches", drawing and doodling with thread and quilting! Trying new threads, stitches, the possibilities are absolutely endless in this craft. My first attempts...

But i have to say, adding painted color to the fabric, then stitching has to be my favorite thing of the moment.

There is such gratification in experimenting and trying new things.

...my practice hearts painted with watercolor then free motion stitched...

Thanks for visiting! I'll keep you all posted on my sewing and quilting adventures. Create with all your heart....

Thursday, June 7, 2012

…it's almost COLOR LOVIN' time!….

….and there's still time to register!

Join us for some summer color lovin' fun at my new online class,

COLOR LOVE 101: WHIMSICAL ART JOURNALS.

It's the he perfect tonic for your creative summer days and vacation bliss.

Like all me classes, this will take place in real time, but then is open forever for you to come and go as you please. Join us now or later, either way you're going to be lovin' some color!

Sign up below and we'll see you soon!

...a new artful adventure???

I'm happy to invite you to my new online class…

"COLOR LOVE 101:

Whimsical Art Journaling"

with joanne sharpe

Here's the perfect "lazy days of summer" class to embrace and capture bold, bright palettes in a color saturated art journal.

This class is all about big, bodacious, vivid COLOR techniques using watercolors, inktense and colored pencils, pan pastels, markers and inks. With 25 dynamic video lessons and pdfs, you'll paint, letter, doodle, draw, blend, spritz and sketch to create 25 color saturated journal pages.
It's summer color lovin'!
Class samples in this video: