KVV Mixed Media Art: Artistic Community

Showing posts with label Artistic Community. Show all posts

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Win A FREE Spot on Life Book 2015!

"In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love."

- Marc Chagall

Hellllooooo & Welcome . . . .

I can't tell you how happy I am that you're here! And, thanks to the generosity of our lovely host Tam, how excited I am to be able to offer ONE FREE SPOT on Life Book 2015!

What is Life Book? Um, only the most amazing, year-long online course featuring Tamara Laporte & 25 mixed media artists who'll share their tips and tricks with YOU beginning January 1st, 2015.

Wanna know more? Here's what you'll receive when you win:

◙ 10 In depth Mixed Media Art Lessons by Tam of Willowing Arts

◙ 22 In depth Mixed Media Art Lessons by Spectacular Guest Teachers (see below who the 2015 guest teachers are)

◙ 20 (Smaller) Bonus Activities like: extra PDF prompts & step by steps/ artist interviews/ ATC swaps/ give aways/ audio meditations/ writing prompts etc by Tam & Guest Teachers

Speaking of Spectacular Guest Teachers, check out this line up!

Pretty amazing, right?! (I'm incredibly honored to be among them). For more information about all of the teachers, just pop over here. I think you'll agree that this is one opportunity not to be missed . . . .

NOW, to the business at hand! How do you win that ONE FREE SPOT from here? Well, as the host of The Summer of Color, I thought it would be fun to talk color.

So, here goes: simply leave a comment below & tell us your favorite color combination to play with. That's it! You have until next Saturday, September 27th (10:00 PM Pacific Standard Time) to do so. One winner will be chosen at random and announced here the following day.

Of course you have many more chances to win by following the blog hop. Here's where we are now:

8th September 2014 – Tamara Laporte - http://www.willowing.org

9th September 2014 – Jane Davenport – http://janedavenport.com

10th September 2014 – Joanne Sharpe – http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.co.uk

11th September 2014 - Jenny Lee Wentworth – http://jennyleewentworth.blogspot.co.uk

12th September 2014 - Violette Clark – http://www.violette.ca

13th September 2014 - Chris Zydel – http://creativejuicesarts.com

14th September 2014 - Danielle Donaldson – http://danielledonaldson.com

15th September 2014 - Effy Wild – http://effywild.com

16th September 2014 - Flora Bowley – http://braveintuitiveyou.com

17th September 2014 - Alisa Burke – http://alisaburke.blogspot.co.uk

18th September 2014 - Rachael Rice – http://rachaelrice.com

19th September 2014 - Jeanne Oliver – http://www.jeanneoliverdesigns.com

20th September 2014 - Andrea Gomoll – http://andrea-gomoll.de

21st September 2014 - Kristin Van Valkenburgh – http://www.kristinvanvalkenburgh.com

22nd September 2014 - Jill K. Berry – http://jillberrydesign.com

23rd September 2014 - Alena Hennessy – http://www.alenahennessy.com

24th September 2014 - Juliette Crane – http://www.juliettecrane.com

25th September 2014 - Jenny Doh – http://blog.crescendoh.com/crescendoh

26th September 2014 - Mati Rose McDonough – http://www.matirose.com

27th September 2014 - Patti Ballard – http://www.pbsartstudio.com

28th September 2014 - Lynzee Lynx – http://lynzeelynx.com

29th September 2014 - Roben Marie Smith – http://www.robenmarie.com

30th September 2014 - Andrea Schroeder – http://www.creativedreamincubator.com

1st October 2014 - Lynn Whipple – http://www.lynnwhipple.com

2nd October 2014 - Donna Downey – http://www.donnadowney.com

Have fun and Good luck! I look forward to playing with you now and in the year to come!

To Love & Art,

Kristin xo

Monday, September 8, 2014

Life Book 2015! Blog Hop & Giveaways . . . .

"Contained exhilaration is not nearly as exciting as its release. . . . accept challenge!

What excitement do you have to share with the world?"

- Lorii Myers

It's here! It's here! The day has finally come when I can share the secret I've been teasing you about for a while now. I'm absolutely over-the-moon, tickled pink, ecstatic to announce my participation in Life Book 2015! That's right, I'm honored to report that I will be among the 25 teachers that will share their mixed media techniques, tips and tricks with YOU in a year-long online course that begins January 1st, 2015.

Not familiar with Life Book? Oh darlin', you want to know about this!

Life Book is themed around around self-development and healing; you'll be creating several loose mixed media art journal pages per month which by the end of the year you will bind into a gorgeous journal (a Life Book!) that you'll be able to keep and treasure the rest of your life.

How do you get the lessons? Via weekly videos, PDF's and engaging bonus activities. As a matter of fact, you'll get new materials every Monday for the entire year when you sign up. It will look something like this:

◙ 10 In depth Mixed Media Art Lessons by our lovely host Tam of Willowing Arts.
◙ 22 In depth Mixed Media Art Lessons by Spectacular Guest Teachers (see below who the 2015 guest teachers are)
◙ 20 (Smaller) Bonus Activities like: extra PDF prompts & step by steps/ artist interviews/ ATC swaps/ give aways/ audio meditations/ writing prompts etc by Tam & Guest Teachers

Fabulous, right?! And to celebrate the new event & teacher lineup, Tam is offering several (as in 28!) FREE SPACES on the year-long course!

Wanna know more? The blog hop begins today starting with our lovely host Tam. Pop over there
for your chance to win one of 3 spaces she is giving away. Then be sure to follow the blog hop if you want more chances to win a spot as each teacher can give away 1 space on Life Book 2015!

Here is the blog hop schedule. Be sure to play along daily and then come back here on September 21st for your chance to win a FREE SPACE from me! Here we go . . . .

8th September 2014 – Tamara Laporte -  http://www.willowing.org/
9th September 2014 – Jane Davenport – http://janedavenport.com/
10th September 2014 – Joanne Sharpe – http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.co.uk/
11th September 2014 -  Jenny Lee Wentworth – http://jennyleewentworth.blogspot.co.uk/
12th September 2014 -  Violette Clark – http://www.violette.ca/
13th September 2014 -  Chris Zydel – http://creativejuicesarts.com/
14th September 2014 -  Danielle Donaldson – http://danielledonaldson.com/
15th September 2014 -  Effy Wild – http://effywild.com/
16th September 2014 -  Flora Bowley – http://braveintuitiveyou.com/
17th September 2014 -  Alisa Burke – http://alisaburke.blogspot.co.uk/
18th September 2014 -  Rachael Rice – http://rachaelrice.com/
19th September 2014 -  Jeanne Oliver – http://www.jeanneoliverdesigns.com/
20th September 2014 -  Andrea Gomoll – http://andrea-gomoll.de/
21st September 2014 -  Kristin van Valkenburgh – http://www.kristinvanvalkenburgh.com/
22nd September 2014 -  Jill K. Berry – http://jillberrydesign.com/
23rd September 2014 -  Alena Hennessy – http://www.alenahennessy.com/
24th September 2014 -  Juliette Crane – http://www.juliettecrane.com/
25th September 2014 -  Jenny Doh – http://blog.crescendoh.com/crescendoh/
26th September 2014 -  Mati Rose McDonough – http://www.matirose.com/
27th September 2014 -  Patti Ballard – http://www.pbsartstudio.com
28th September 2014 -  Lynzee Lynx – http://lynzeelynx.com/
29th September 2014 -  Roben Marie Smith – http://www.robenmarie.com/
30th September 2014 -  Andrea Schroeder – http://www.creativedreamincubator.com/
1st October 2014 -  Lynn Whipple – http://www.lynnwhipple.com/
2nd October 2014 -  Donna Downey – http://www.donnadowney.com/

Have fun hopping and good luck! My fingers and toes are crossed for you! And of course, you can always sign up the old-fashioned way when registration officially opens on October 6th, 2014.

For further details about the lessons, teachers and what-nots, pop over here.

To Love & Art,

Kristin xo

KristinVanValkenburgh.com

Monday, July 7, 2014

The Summer of Color: Week Five . . .

"My Mother warned me to avoid things coloured red"

- Claes Oldenburg

Where has the time gone?! I can hardly believe that we're heading into Week Five of The Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop! I know a lot of us are already dreading the end, but not to fear! There are still two weeks left of challenging color prompts, colorful giveaways and time together in our amazingly creative community. And as far as fun things are concerned, two weeks left is quite a lot indeed. So keep the creativity flowing and the love going 'cause we're headed towards another color conundrum. . .

This Week:

We'll be working on our fifth - of six - color palettes. Your prompt will include two main colors along with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of a third. Feel free to create anything at all that you'd like, as long as it's based upon the colors of the week. And if you've just found us, welcome! You can read all about the party here, check out our Facebook page here and see all SOC photos in one place over here. Oh, and if you're into social media, please use the hashtag #TheSummerofColorFour so we can all find each other out there.

Yeah, Yeah. We Wanna See the Colors!

I gotcha. Although I know it looks as if this week's palette was influenced by last week's holiday in the States, I promise this has been in the kitty for a while. Having said that, it is a cool combination, one which I hope you'll love. Ready? Here we go:

Red & Royal Blue

with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of Light Blue

To see examples of the color Red, click here.

To see examples of the color Royal Blue, click here.

To see examples of the combination of the two, click here.

Okay, Cool. Now What?
Now you create! When you're done, you may link your Red & Royal Blue (with that Smudge, Splash or Pop of Light Blue) to the widget below. To qualify for the Red & Royal Blue drawing, please copy and paste your direct blog link or direct Pinterest, Facebook or Flickr feed by this Sunday, (10:00 am Pacific Standard Time), July 13th. Only one link per person, pretty please.

Ready? Okay, Link:

Oh! And What About the New Giveaway?

Right! I think it's another pretty cool one, yes?

Two Craft Smart ink pads in Red and Blue, one set of 10 (adorable) red notecards, one large Recollections stamp in a lattice pattern, three PanPastel Artists' Pastels in Permanent Red, Phthalo Blue and Turquoise, one gorgeous Fabriano 5.8 x 8.25 red journal, two Martha Stewart high gloss multi-surface craft paints in Habanero and Indigo and, for the vintage fans among us, two child's toy blocks (from my personal stash) in the colors and, naturally, a sprinkling of both clear and light blue Swarovski Crystals.

And Who Won Last Week's Giveaway?

I hear tell that it's a birthday girl! That Random Number Generator really knew what it was doing this week. Happy Birthday and Congratulations to:

Ariel

Please email your address to Kdvanvalkenburgh@msn.com and I'll get your goods right out.

And Now?

Ah, you know! I'm looking forward to seeing what your creative minds do with this one. Have fun!

Colorful Kisses,

Kristin xo

Monday, June 16, 2014

The Summer of Color: Week Two . . .

"Sunset is still my favorite color, and rainbow is second."

- Mattie Stepanek

Welllllll now, I don't know about you, but I think we've got something pretty special here with The Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop!

Isn't it ever so much fun? The creativity and connection you've fostered in our first week alone is nothing less than spectacular. Thank you for your kindness, genuine support of one another and for sharing your colorful work with us here, on our Facebook page (which, as I'm sure you've already noticed, is where a lot of the real action takes place) and in our Flickr pool. Your work is beautiful, incredibly varied and an inspiration to see. As far as I'm concerned, we're off to a colorful summer indeed!

This Week:

We'll be working with our second - of six - color palettes. Your prompt will include two main colors with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of a third. As always, feel free to create anything your little heart desires, as long as it's based upon the colors of the week. And if you've just found us, please do jump in. Each week stands on it's own so feel free to come and go as your schedule permits.

Okay, Okay. So the Colors?

Oh yes, that! The color palette for Week Two of the SOC is. . . .

Coral & Teal

with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of Bright White

To see examples of the color Coral, click here.

To see examples of the color Teal, click here.

To see examples of the combination of the two, click here.

Now What?

Now you create! You may link your Coral & Teal artwork (with that Smudge, Splash or Pop of Bright White) to the widget below. To qualify for the Coral & Teal drawing, simply copy and paste your direct blog link or direct Flickr, Pinterest or Facebook feed by this Sunday (10:00 am Pacific Standard Time), June 22nd. Only one link per person, please.

Ready. Set. Link!

Now What's Up for Grabs This Week?

Um, you're gonna like this one:

Iridescent beads in both Teal and Coral, A package of 4 Loew Cornell white nylon brushes, Heidi Swapp Color Shine sprays in Coral and Teal, 2 yards of Recollections burlap ribbon, 1 yard of Recollections fabric ribbon, a set of General's drawing pencils in HB, 3B, 5B and 6B, Tim Holtz idea-ology Fractured Dolls, 3 large Liquitex (8-15 mm) Paint Markers (and let me tell you, I sooooo want these! They're brand new on the market and you'll be one of the first to try them) in Cadmium Red, Cobalt and Titanium White and, naturally, a sprinkling of large iridescent Swarovski crystals.

But, But. . . . Who Won Last Week's Giveaway?

Oh, yes! The winner of Last Week's giveaway including all those lovely Aqua & Yellow goodies is:

Gina Sismilich of Bellefrogworks

Congratulations Gina! Please email me your address and I'll get your goods right out.

Now, Get Your Art On!

I can't wait to see what this week brings us . . . .

Coral Kisses,

Kristin xo

Monday, June 2, 2014

The Summer of Color 2014!

"Just Play. Have fun. Enjoy the game." - Michael Jordan

And. Play. We. Will.

Hellooooooooo and welcome to The Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop! Whether you're an SOC veteran or if you're joining in for the first time, I promise this will be a summer event to remember. So get your party supplies out and your creativity caps on: it's gonna be a colorful ride. . . .

What. What?

That's right: we're gonna have a party. Think of it as a blog block party featuring six weeks of luscious color prompts, weekly linking opportunities, beautiful giveaways, creative inspirations and an amazing artistic community. (It's the kind of thing we arty people dream of).

Oh, Fun! How does it work?

So glad you asked. From next Monday on, there will be a color palette announced here on this blog. As you may have guessed from the name, this year, our color prompts will have a little twist. Or perhaps I should say a little smudge, splash or pop:

That's right, in addition to a two-color combination that I know you'll love, there will also be a third color thrown in for fun. Your goal will be to create whatever you'd like using the combination of 2 main colors and 1 accent color that I assign. And whether you smudge, splash or have a pop of that third color on your piece is up to you. As always, you'll work in your preferred mediums - creating anything your little heart desires - with color being the only stipulation.

What do you mean by our "preferred mediums"?

There are so many ways to participate in The Summer of Color. You can create anything that you want, as long as it's based upon the colors of the week. You may choose to develop a body of work using the same materials each week or mix it up and create something new each time. The sky's the limit.

Ok! But what kinds of things will we be seeing?

Oh my. There's so much. In years past, we've seen jewelry to journals pages and everything in between. If you're not sure of what you want to do, check out the following links for inspiration:

Did I miss anything? Surprise me! The thing is, if you have an art form you love, play with it. If there's something new that you've always wanted to try, perhaps now's the time.

I've got it. Now, how does it all go down?

Good question. Every Monday from next week on, I will provide a color prompt here on this blog. You will then have until Sunday of the same week to complete your piece based upon that prompt. You can share your work through your blog or via Flickr and then copy and paste that direct post or flickr feed here. Mister Linky will be up as of next week. There will also be a rather fabulous giveaway each week for those who participate. The winner will be selected at random (via a Random Number Generator) from the link list and announced the following week.

Is there a time limit?

Kinda. You're welcome to share your work at any time, however in order to qualify for the weekly drawing, you must link your pretty little things to this blog by Sunday, 10:00 am (Pacific Daylight Time). Also, this is meant to be fun. If you're away or can't participate every week, please don't worry about it. Each week stands on its own, so like any other party, just come when you can.

Who can participate?

Anyone who has a blog, Facebook or Flickr account can play along. You may even want to include the kiddies. Also, this is an international event. Should your name be selected for a drawing, I will happily mail it to you, no matter where you live.

Um, what about the cost?

Silly you! There is no cost. Just a lotta fun.

What about social media?

Oh yes, glad you mentioned that. There is a Facebook group and a Flickr pool created especially for our event. I've also created a hashtag that you can use for all other social media outlets. Just tag #TheSummerofColorFour to keep us all on the same page. And if you're as addicted to Instagram as I am, you can check out my page for colorful quotes, giveaway hints and basically all things related to the SOC.

So what do I do now?

For this, the introductory week, I'd be so grateful if you'd help us spread the word about The Summer of Color. Since the whole idea is to foster creativity, community and connection, the more of us who come out to play, the better. And guess what? This year I've created a little You Tube video that can be shared! Check it out:

I know, right? (Gets me excited every time I see it)! I know some of you have already started to share the news, but I want to thank you formally for doing so. Soooooo, please let me know how you've helped spread the word (either by posting the SOC button on your blog, mentioning it in a blog post, by letting your Facebook friends know or discussing it on Instagram, Twitter, You Tube or whatever social media that you love) in the comment section below (only one comment per person, please) and you will be in the running for our first (of seven) giveaways:

Eeeeee! My favorite new obsession: Montana Paint Pens!

Up for grabs: a complete starter set in extra fine as well as three other colors in the line (Shock Brown, Shock Pink Light and Shock Lilac) so that you don't miss a thing. Also included is an art mug of mine, based upon the following painting, so you have something cute and quirky to put them in.

The winner will be announced here next Monday, June 9th.

Speaking of next Monday, June 9th:

We'll see you here for our first color prompt! Until then, I wish you luck with the giveaway, fun deciding on your projects and camaraderie within our colorful community. It's gonna be a hot summer indeed . . . .

Kristin xo

Monday, May 26, 2014

The Summer of Color 4: One Week To Go!

"But I can hardly sit still. I keep fidgeting, crossing one leg and then the other.

I feel like I could throw off sparks, or break a window -- maybe rearrange all the furniture."

- Raymond Carver

One. Tiny. Week. Left.

And the anticipation is killing me. I can't wait to share all the messy details of this year's Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop with you.

If you've always wanted to play along, consider making this your year. I promise, you don't want to miss all of the creativity, connection and fun during the lazy days of Summer. Wanna know more? Check out our Flickr pool, Facebook page or all of the SOC details here.

And remember, there will be no art the opening week. Just a lotta beans spilled. Oh, and our first of seven pretty fabulous giveaways (but I bet you already knew that ;).

So get your thinking cap on and your supplies out: it's gonna be a colorful ride . . . .

But before you go, we must play what has become an SOC tradition. Check out this updated version of what has to be my favorite video for color inspiration:

Until Next Week . . .

Eeeeee,

Kristin xo

Week 1: Artist's Choice . . .
	Hot Pink & Navy Blue
	Citron Green & Turquoise
	Red & White
	Charcoal Grey & Pale Pink
	Lavender & Bright Yellow
	Bright Orange & Cobalt Blue
	Lime Green & Purple
	Light Grey & Salmon
	Tiffany Blue & Red
	Kelly Green & Pink
	Teal & Brown
	Tangerine & Watermelon

pollcode.com free polls

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Win A FREE Spot on Life Book 2015!

Monday, September 8, 2014

Life Book 2015! Blog Hop & Giveaways . . . .

Monday, July 7, 2014

The Summer of Color: Week Five . . .

Monday, June 16, 2014

The Summer of Color: Week Two . . .

Monday, June 2, 2014

The Summer of Color 2014!

Monday, May 26, 2014

The Summer of Color 4: One Week To Go!

Monday, June 3, 2013

The Summer of Color 2013!