Uncategorized

September Jenni Bowlin Studios kit…awesomeness.

I was beginning to feel kind of disenchanted with scrapbooking. Then I got the September Jenni Bowlin Studios kit, and it fixed everything. Click here to see the full DT gallery!

Another obsession: sumi ink and chopsticks.

Lately I'm loving mark making of all types, and I especially love to draw with a chopstick dipped into sumi ink. So organic and unpredictable.

Sharing a bit more feedback from my new online class…

I love to hear from artists who are enjoying my class!

I just started watching the videos to FACING THE FACTS.I am at work and I
watched the intro and I finally didwhat I intended to do, I did my first face before watchinganything else.  Then I
did the first video and did my firstDina face, OH MY GOSH! Can you see me here in El Paso,jumping up and down? I swear I had tears in my eyes! I am so excited I stopped the video and did this email! I can't even type I am so excited! I scanned in my faces on the computer to show you but I don't see how to…not that you need to see them, but I can't stand myself right now!I am so happy and exited! You did it! I swore I couldn't even draw a darn stick figure!  Can you feel the hug…oh what you can't breath? Sorry! ; ) Can you tell I am excited?  I did it with a #09
regular lead pencil….I am at work right now but can I just say that you did what NO ONE else could do! I swore I would never be able to draw
anything! And I swore I could not be creative and come up with ideas, and you just told me how to get ideas….I did a
class with Donna Downey when she had Christy Tomlinson up there and it was my first time doing mixed media and I made a she art girl and just about came out of my skin, but time is crazy and I have not really tried to do much, and I would get  discouraged and think, well I can paint like Donna (course look I pick to compare myself to!!)  I just can't believe I did it! 
I will commit to draw 100 faces! And  I will get my journal
going! I can thank you enough! Did I say THANK YOU? No huh? Well thank you thank  you  thank you! I know you
probably think I am crazy, and well I am but I just had to say thank you!

Laura Emmett

And this one from Su:

Dina you are a genius!
I am amazed that you, through the 'facing the facts' class, have got me to meet my nemesis and even to like what I am creating.
THANK YOU!
Here is a huge recommendation to take this class – to anyone who may be thinking about it – Do It!

Read all about my new class here.

Join the Facebook Group to share your work here.

Acceptance…a pen drawing.

This one is a pen drawing, "Acceptance."

I drew it over lots of painted layers & gesso (I had painted over a page in my journal several times, finally just drew on it since nothing else was working.)

New obsession: painted deli paper

I've had fun with a few new art obsessions lately. One is painted deli paper. I've used deli paper for years, it's a great substrate. You can paint on it, print on it, stamp on it, and then incorporate your papers into your mixed media pieces. I taught a class this past weekend on painted deli papers and we had TONS  of fun.

Deli paper is just dry waxed paper. I buy it at Costco, but this link from Amazon will show you what it looks like: Dixie Kabnet Wax Dry Wax Paper Deli Wrap 12" x 10.75" – 2/500 ct.

This page has painted deli papers as well as some hand cut masks:

This silhouette has a painted deli paper dress:

Inspired by a quote from Pinterest…

This page is inspired by this quote that I pinned on Pinterest.

Done in my Dylusions journal.

Background is gesso, Dylusions ink sprays, and water.

Alpha stamps by Stampotique, ink is Archival by Ranger.

Pencil is a Sharpie Peel-Off China Markers, 2 Black Markers (2173PP)

Dots are painted deli papers.

See all my Pinterest boards here.

Is it a face?

Drew this crazy thing for the "drawing with unusual implements" section of my new online class, Facing the Facts. I love how it turned out…kinda monster-like!

Just wanted to share this lovely comment….

Robyn posted this comment here on the blog last night, and I wanted to share it. She says:

"I'm fully immersed in the class and sketched two faces on binder paper
I'm quite proud of while waiting for dinner tonight. I plan to watch
these videos over and over again. I have to admit, I had doubts going
into the clas, because I can not draw. But in one day, I have an
amazing amount of confidence after starting this class. I'm so pumped.
Thanks for making this available!"

Robyn, thank you for sharing your experience. I love it when I see people excited about the art they can create, about the possiblities!!

The face below is one I drew…from my 100 faces book. (Scroll down for the post below about my new online face drawing class.)

My new online class, Facing the Facts, is now available!

Yay, it's finally ready!

Finally, my new online class, Facing the Facts, is available NOW!

I always say I don’t know how to draw, yet I have taught myself how to
draw faces. Guess what, you can draw faces, too! Join me in this online
version of my popular in-person face drawing class.

In Facing the Facts, I will teach you how to draw a "Dina style" face by
showing you the drawing "formula". We’ll go over common mistakes people
make and I will show you how I like to draw the features. Then we’ll
paint the faces with artistic, fun colors and brushstrokes. We’ll talk
about drawing the ¾ view, too. Finally we’ll cover some fun techniques
you can try to make your faces even more dynamic and organic, like blind
contour drawing and drawing with unusual implements. All of the lessons
are fully illustrated with printable PDFs. In the accompanying videos,
you watch me draw and paint and demonstrate all of the techniques
covered.

Even if you can’t draw, you can learn to draw faces. If I can do it, you can do it!

Class is $65 and includes:

• Supply List PDF
• Introductory Video (11 minutes)
• Part 1: Drawing (26-page PDF and 33 minutes of video)
• Part 2: Painting (14-page PDF and 14 minute video)
• Part 3: Fun Techniques (10-page PDF and 20-minute video)
• Lifetime access!
• Facebook group where you can share your work and interact with others taking the class. Click here to go to the group (click Join to add yourself).

Click here to go to the class page.

A page from ink blots…

I had some strong ink blots on a page. I could see figures in the ink blots, so I took some pencils and crayons and created the figures. I call this page, "A Mother's Worry." It's certainly not a "pretty" page, especially because of the strong black lines. But it is expressive and meaningful. I don't really do "pretty," anyway, do I?