This week as I searched for inspiration, I do what I always do and ask myself what do I need right now and the word “grace” just kept coming.
Not really being able to understand what I’m feeling or why, I just let it percolate a bit and went on to other tasks.
I was working on a couple of other projects when I looked up at my bulletin board in front of my desk and two tiny little words were peeking out at me behind all kinds of tacked up items. Those two words were “amazing grace”
I pushed the other papers, photos, and color chips aside to get to those two words and found a cutout piece of cardboard that I had clipped from a fragrance bottle from Philosophy, probably 7 years ago. And this is what it said:
“how you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain. and, so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one big gigantic test followed by one big gigantic lesson. in the end, it all comes down to one word, grace. it’s how you accept winning and losing, good luck and back luck, the darkness and the light”……. grace…. amazing grace!
Those words shot through me, made me cry and it said something that I wasn’t able to say myself…. there was my inspiration.
I found a magazine page that had a mountain scene and used it as a reference and went to town, creating this landscape with vintage papers, acrylics, and soft pastels.
I included the bird’s nest because that’s the safety zone, the grace space, the soft place to land after climbing, learning, growing battling…. grace is my rest. I share more about it in the video.
The original is available HERE and the print on wood or to be framed HERE
Supplies used: 12 x 12 mdf board, Liquitex matte medium, vintage papers from collage peaks, Lukas acrylic paint, Golden’s paynes gray Americana acrylic paint in celery, Soho soft pastels, Krylon fixative and clear sealer, charcoal pencil
Stencils used for this project: scribble marks 1, trees 2, birds nest, pine cones – THESE WILL BE ON SALE THIS WEEK
Collage paks used in this project: instant download version – Vintage maps, vintage wallpaper 6 and vintage journal
printed version – vintage maps, vintage wallpaper 6, vintage ledger journal
This week I finished up the coloring pages series. Below titled courage.
You can see all the pages at these links:
5-8-20 Courage: https://youtu.be/7c_Z8Ac4VvQ – 5-1-20 Grace: https://youtu.be/7c_Z8Ac4VvQ – 4-24-20 Joy: https://youtu.be/vqruL1pEquY – 4-19-20 Find the beauty: https://www.shawnpetite.com/?p=12178
Calm Journaling series
In case you missed the calm journaling series:
Week 1 day 1 Calm journaling (3-17-20) https://youtu.be/LTqS1Q5g2xA
Week 1 day 2 Calm journaling (3-20-20) https://youtu.be/5XoejATMUkY
Week 2 day 1 Calm journaling (3-24-20) https://youtu.be/W-VyBCJrUnw
Week 2 day 2 Calm journaling (3-27-20) https://youtu.be/r7UGyVqnVfo
Week 3 day 1Calm journaling (3-31-20) https://youtu.be/9ZTO4FVpdLM
Week 3 day 2 Calm journaling (4-2-20) https://youtu.be/UPD-4Savc5Q
week 4 day 1calm jouraling (4-7-20} – https://youtu.be/Tc8eVkvpi-g
Week 4 day 2 Calm journaling (4-10-20} – https://youtu.be/GDGVpO40da0
Week 5 finishing the journal (4-14-20) – https://youtu.be/X10i34wjd9g
Art Bundle for Good 4 is back for an encore… If you missed it in November of last year now is your chance to get over 96 art courses and resources. Including two of my workshops – Transparent layers and The magic of tissue paper.
This is a perfect time to learn new mediums, styles and techniques from some of my favorite artists!
Get all the details and sign up HERE
Have a great week …. be inspired, create and know that you are loved!
Hi, Shawn,
Thank you so much for your inspiration, heart and authenticity. You are a joy to watch and have inspired me so much! I have a question: on your piece on 5/10/20, you were able to make your celery and Payne’s gray look so well blended on the mountain papers and I’m wondering – do you use a glaze to accomplish this look or is it done with a type of brush and blended well with perhaps water added? If you have a moment, that would be so helpful to me. Again, thank you wish much appreciation for your positivity, your hope and joy during these trying times.
Debbie Gentry, Fort Collins, Colorado
Hi Debbie,
It’s just water added to the paint a bit. I use Simply Simmons brushes, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the brush. It’s just practice…. and doing this for a lifetime. But start with a darker color and and lighter to it helps.
Thanks for watching and your kind words. We are doing better everyday here in Ohio. I’m grateful that the staff is back and we’re slowly returning to normal. Hugs to you… stay safe!
Thank you for your reply. In this time of great uncertainty, you are a bright light in my life and I know in so many other’s lives. Safe wishes for you, your staff and family.
🙂