Making Your Weakness a Strength

In February 2013, I set myself a goal of becoming comfortable with adding faces to my artwork.  I joined Ayala Art's Face a Day challenge, and set about educating myself through YouTube videos.  I took in-person classes with Jodi Ohl, Pam Carriker, and Cindy Wunsch.  I practiced and practiced, often posting my process on my YouTube channel.

Practicing my weakness turned it into a strength!  At the start of 2016, Mindy Lacefield started an Instagram challenge called #365faces.  While I haven't been able to create #afaceaday - like some of the participants, I have been creating a lot of faces!   Here are some of them.

To see more, look under the hashtag #365faces on Instagram.  You'll see amazing work!  

Are you interested in learning more about creating faces?  I've decided to share what I've learned in an online class!

My class, Facing Faces, debuts on April 4.  I will have a special pre-sign up for newsletter subscribers with a discounted price - so make sure you're a subscriber!

If you haven't already - please connect with me here:

InLinkz.com

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

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A Week With Basquiat via Creative Jumpstart 2016

As you know from last week's post, I signed up for the Documented Life Project 2016 and Creative Jumpstart 2016.   I still haven't jumped into  DLP 2016 yet (soon - I promise!), but Nathalie Kalbach's Creative Jumpstart is rocking my world! 

Here's what I created in the second week, inspired by Jean Michel Basquiat.   You can see two process videos below!

(In the middle piece on the right, I used my Blessings and Whimsy Turret stamps from Rubbermoon.  I love how that turret, on its side, looks like an arrow!)

Diana Trout inspired me to carve my own stamps and use them in some spirited mark-making! 



You can also watch Owl Art Journal Fast Forward on YouTube.

And somehow, and I'm not sure how, Jodi Ohl's lesson led to more owls!



You can also watch Jodi Ohl Inspired Mixed Media Painting on YouTube .

These are all in a gelli plate print journal that I created and bound using lots of Stencil Girl stencils.  (To see a video on how to create your own gelli plate journal, visit "Another Pamphlet Stitched Journal on YouTube here.) 

It was challenging to try and translate Basquiat's influence into my own work.  I discovered that I have a need to make my art "pretty."  Basquiat is very raw, and at times purposefully harsh.  So what I took away was mark making, urban buildings, words, and color.

We've been inspired by Frida Kahlo this week!  So next week, I'll share those pieces and a video as well!  All the CJS videos are downloadable through November 2016, so there's time to enroll if you haven't done so.  It's well worth it! 

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

If you haven't already - please connect with me here:

InLinkz.com

If you are entering a GIVEAWAY, please add your email address in the event I need to contact you.

To avoid SPAM, please write it like this: jessicasporndesigns (at) gmail (dot) com

Thank You!