Alice Hendon, Artangleology

A galactic explosion, you ask? Yes! This past weekend I had the opportunity to teach a class in Tracy's Art Party Weekend.  My session was all about creating this piece of art.  I encouraged the artists to imagine the galaxy exploding, expelling bits and pieces. And the bits and pieces were created with tangles. We watercolored first, then added the tangle patterns. I am really enjoying seeing all the variations and spins people put on their pieces of art. I have seen and commented on around forty galactic explosions so far. The one above is the piece I created for the video session. The galaxy to the right is one I created for the time lapse 29 second video I posted on Instagram.  Below is the actual class video showing step by step how to create a galactic explosion of your own. I hope you will give it a go! If you have not subscribed to receive these posts in your email yet, there is a block in the left sidebar where you can. If you would like. YouTube class above and ...

Alebrijes is something my friend Sandra Strait turned us onto. According to Mr. Google they are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures (or drawings) of fantastical creatures. Sandra combines two animals into one. A kind of animal mashup so to speak. And the Frankles loves them!  The Frankles is my 8 year old granddaughter who just happens to be autistic. She never forgets a thing. And a couple months ago I showed her one of Sandra's Penguilephants and the Frankles right away wanted to make an alebrijes of her own. (She also made her own chop that weekend.)  A couple weeks ago she was back at our house and the first thing she asked to do was make one of those animals like my friend Sandra makes. This particular one is a combination of some characters from a Nintendo game she likes. And she watercolored it! The gray lines in the background are her version of shading. I think she does an excellent job! She enjoyed it so much - she made a second one!  This one the Frank...

  We are just two short days away from the start of the Goodbye To Summer Art Party Weekend!  And I am so excited to announce I am one of the artist instructors, along with all the smiling faces you see above. Can not wait to get started!!! The party goes on for two days and each instructor will be teaching lessons that you can paint and create at the same time! Forgive me but I want to keep my class a surprise until it happens at 3 PM Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, the 8th. It will include watercolors and tangling in a project I think you will love!  And there is still time to sign up so you can be ready to join us. Registration and more information is right here . Hope to see you there! 

  Last month we worked on ICAD - index card a day. Each day we made a piece of art on an index card. I still wanted to work on my daily journal, so I incorporated two days' cards onto one page. And added elements, my final touches. Let's look at how I did this and check out some beautiful watercolors along the way!  This is a gorgeous set of paints from Kuretake! One day I need to learn how to pronounce that, but that is not today. I took a 4" x 6" piece of Hahnemühle's Harmony Hot Pressed watercolor paper, stitched around the edges with my craft machine, then painted on all this beautiful color! Yes, they really are this bright.  Once it was dry, I drew the flower with an ultra fine Sharpie. Really, any waterproof permanent pen will do.  For the center, I brought out my FINETEC Premium Pearlescent watercolors and added a couple  colors. I was thinking how the gem stones we see so often in tangling have two or more colors in their makeup. With FINETEC I get t...

Let's talk Ecoline Brush Pens. Part of the Royal Talens family, I know many of you have them and use them. Today I want to walk you through the making of a beautiful piece of watercolor art created totally with these brush pens and a Sharpie.  My supplies were minimal. I began with these five shades in the Ecoline . . . line and a brush. For paper I worked on the Ecoline Watercolor Paper, but any watercolor or mixed media paper would work.  Colors: spring green, light yellow, fuchsia, sky blue and ultramarine violet.  The pages are 9" x 12" which is fairly large. I usually tape off the edges and center line with painter's tape. That way I can make two paintings on this one sheet.  I started with the lighter colors and just started scribbling on my page. Just randomly.  And I kept scribbling till the page was completed. Ugly. Yes? Hahaha! Keep reading. Looks like a mad face sticking his tongue out at me.  I took a spray bottle of water and spritzed water al...

  Daily journaling has now turned into a semi weekly journaling event for me. I would like to do it more often but honestly, who has time. Hahaha! So each day I at least try to work on some element, even if it is small, that can then be used to make a page in my book.  I was working on a page this week and I began by adhering my painter's tape strips before I watercolored a couple blocks. When it came time to remove the tape, I had some problems. I used my heat source but it did not help.  When all the tape had been removed this was what I had left. Not happy. And honestly, if I had not already had a page of art on the other side, I would have thrown this sheet in the trash and kept going. But the front side was already filled and completed. What to do, what to do? My dad always told me 'nothing is so broken that it can't be fixed.' So I knew there was a solution.  It just so happened that Sandra and I were talking. Her advice was this - since I was the Washi Queen w...

  Shenanigans! Did I spell that right? Hahahahaha! I love working in my journal every day. Well, at least most days. Some days I have too many other obligations and not enough me-time. But on June 24th and July 2nd - I had time to make art and then make a page in my Harmony hot pressed watercolor journal from Hahnemühle . Most of the critters on my pages - like this little bird - are the drawings of Chris Ryniak that I add color to and use.  Usually you can enlarge these photos by clicking on them. You need to see that top left piece. Those colors are from FINETEC and they shimmer and shine like crazy! Shenanigans I tell you! The flower was also painted with their colors. And the background. FINETEC Premium Rainbow Colors.  My ICAD cards turned into painting pieces. Not following the prompts closely,  but loosely. The background is a piece of alcohol ink art I made many years ago. This is an excellent place to 'save' it. Flowers are painted with FINETEC Rainbow Col...

Wanna party all weekend? You're invited to the FREE "Goodbye to Summer" Art Party Weekend happening August 7 and 8 ! Say "Goodbye to Summer" in style by celebrating all weekend long submersing yourself in all things art! The weekend includes a line up of fabulous artists and crafters (including myself!) who will teach you some of their favorite projects. You can attend LIVE or watch the replays! Either way, you'll have access to all the lessons for 60 days! So, come say goodbye to summer in style! And party with us all weekend long! Registration is happening right here!  

Are you looking for some beautiful, antique watercolor tones? How about color that works on both black and white substrates and even changes color depending on the direction you turn it? Today I am excited to be able to share information with you about some beautiful watercolor paints over on the Doodlewash site !  July is World Watercolor Month!  As part of the festivities I have made a review of the FINETEC Pearlescent Antique Tones and Flip - Flop Watercolour sets. Both are gorgeous and a joy to work with! Such yummy colors! You can read my review by clicking here . And get your wallet ready because you are going to want to grab up both sets! You can purchase the Antique Tones set by clicking here .  You can purchase the Flip - Flop Set by clicking here .   

  Hahnemühle recently released a couple new books with toned watercolor paper. The books come in grey and beige and are suitable for all wet media. When I read that on their cover band I knew I had to try it out for myself!  I started with the grey toned watercolor book and some Aquafine watercolors from Daler Rowney. As usual I began by taping the edges of my page with painters tape. I knew there would be plenty of water involved and the tape securely placed on the page keeps the water and color from flowing out onto the entire page. And into the seam of the book. You just have to be sure it is stuck down tight.  I used a flat brush and painted water all over the page. A good thick layer. Then I started adding watercolor. I had no idea how the colors would look on top of grey but I was liking it so far. And you know since it is a Hahnemühle book it is going to work just right. I kept adding colors and letting them run into each other and blend. I did get a bit of a pr...