Grand Parent's Gift from DAKRI Sinclair with Mixed Media Photo Frames

Hey everybody, Merry Christmas! Today we're featuring the art of DAKRI Sinclair.  It's her first post as a Creative Team member and I know you are going to love what she's created. 

DAKRI specializes in hand-painted gifts that include piggy banks, wall plaques, Easter baskets, and Christmas ornaments...lots of Christmas ornaments.  At this time of year, she literally hand-paints and personalizes 1000's of ornaments.  She's internationally known,  her work has been featured in publications and department stores like Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Carson Pririe Scot and others...she is a powerhouse and a true inspiration for anyone who aspires to turn their art into a career.  

This Christmas season, DAKRI has received requests for personalized frames...and she's been using my 11"x14" Mixed Media Photo Frames.  The frames are perfect for her art, the board itself is a high density, archival quality board, it doesn't warp with wet media, and the front surface is covered with watercolor paper.

 Today DAKRI is sharing frames that were created as personalized gifts for grandparents.  Each frame has the name of all the grandparent's grandchildren and the frame has a pre-cut beveled 4x6 cut out that will hold a photo of all of the kids!  It's a wonderful gift that is really personal.

DAKRI is known for her whimsical illustrative style...these frames are just too cute!  She uses inks, pens, and a water brush to create her distinctive look. The ultra amooth surface of the Mixed Media Frame is perfect for her art!

I would love to see the look on the faces of the grandparents when they open these on Christmas day! If you'd like to see more of DAKRI's work, please visit her Facebook gallery...I think once you see her art you're going to be a fan too! Leave a comment below as I am sure DAKRI would love to hear what you think. 

Thank you for stopping by today and I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! 

Ken   

Color Burst: Painted Butterfly

I sat down to work on some projects for upcoming classes...and I accidentally painted this. it was just a simple butterfly that I was watercolor doodling.  

I added some Speedball Ink with a fine detail brush and it really started to come alive for me.  I literally just "scribbled" with the ink and the brush around my watercolored butterfly.

I have to be honest, I completely and totally "lifted" the technique from my artist friend Dakri Sinclair. She's my neighbor and we had a little paint date recently.  I picked up a few tricks. 

Dakri and I go way back...when I was just out of high school, I worked for her mother, Angie Sinclair, who was also an artist, a creator, a writer, a dreamer and a genius...in fact my experience with Dakri's mom, Angie, has in many ways been my inspiration as I've started on my own "solo-preneur" journey this year. I am over the moon that Dakri and I have been able to reconnect after all these years.   

I was completely mesmerized as I watched her paint this piece.

Dakri's finished piece is just amazing!  If you'd like to see a little more of what she does, click on the link here to visit her etsy shop.  Her style is magical!

As I scribbled with the ink and fine detailed brush, I realized that my little 5"x5" butterfly painting would make a great card.  

I added a layer of cardstock behind it, popped on a couple of sequins, and called it done! To me, this card is fresh, simple, and if you've used Color Burst, you are gonna want to try this! 

Thank you for stopping by today, I hope you've found some inspiration that will help you along on your creative journey! 

Ken

Watercolor Cards with Color Burst

This year, I've been traveling across the USA, Canada and the UK teaching workshops with a new watercolor medium called Color Burst! I am so happy that it's a product that's easy to use and that everybody  likes it.  For the most part, I've been teaching watercolor technique classes... 

So, today I wanted to take a few minutes to show you some projects using the techniques I teach in my workshops.  I've created a few handmade watercolor cards to illustrate the techniques.  These are simple cards, without a lot of embellishments or sentiments. I prefer "blank" cards, a handwritten note is much more personal.  

If you've taken a class with me, no doubt, you'll recognize some of the techniques. To get started, I whipped up some stitched card bases by sewing pieces of canvas, burlap, Kraft*Tex and watercolor paper to kraft paper cardstock. This cardbase is simple, and conveys an authentic "handmade" look.  

This first technique is easy, a stamped image, colored with Color Burst, and a simple watercolor landscape painted behind it. The landscape doesn't have to be overly complicated. It's basically a few blobs of paint blended with water. Since it's the background, it doesn't have to be perfectly in focus and overladen with details. If you've taken my workshops, you have all the "tools" to do this.     

This next technique is really dramatic...it's a watercolor resist created with Versamark ink and white embossing powder. Simply stamp, and emboss with a heat tool, then randomly wash a Color Burst (I used Indigo and Ultrmarine Blue) background over the embossed area. The water and Color Burst won't stick to the embossed stamped area. It's simple and elegant. When you give this handmade watercolor note card to someone, they will think you're an accomplished watercolor painter. 
 

I've taught this little watercolor painting about 1,000 times this summer, it's wet on wet watercolor painting.  The trick to this is making sure that your paper is wet enough to let the Color Burst blend easily, but not wet enough that the pigment bloom. Who wouldn't love to receive a tiny painting on a note card? This little painting only takes about 10 minutes to paint. It's very artsy...let the paint and the water do the blending work for you. The paint will always "find the edge" of the water.     

The next two cards could not be any easier, simply stamp an image on watercolor paper with permanent ink, then "color" with Color Burst.  Coloring for adults is so popular now, take your coloring to your cards. You'll get the same "therapeutic" benifit, and make some lovely cards in the process.  
 

For me, simple is best, don't worry about adding a lot of embellishment to this type of card.  Let the color and the stamped image stand front and center.  

I've even slipped in a Christmas card, I am not pushing the season, but it never hurts to get an early start. And, again, simple is best...I used 2 colors, Terre Verte Green and Alizarin Crimson; I used muddy water for the shadows. 
 

I hope you're inspired to create some watercolor cards...the techniques are simple and the "handmade" look is very elegant. When you give these cards to friends, they'll think you're a master watercolor painter, and you should not tell them any differently. 

Thank you for stopping by today, I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.  If you create some watercolor cards, I'd love to see them, post them on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, and make sure to tag @kenolivercrafts so I'll see them. 

until next time,

Ken