Painted Doodles or How I Relax...

I do create everyday...something, even if it's only 15 min. It's one way I relax and at the same time quiet those inner thoughts of "do I have creative talent or not". I'm sure everyone can relate to that inner dialogue...this is a way for me to banish them...doodling & zentangles.  These are what I lovingly call EXPERIMENTS...new techniques, new product, new color...no pressure...no stress!

The 1st EXPERIMENT is this finished doodle. After the drawing was completed using Faber-Castell Artist Pitt Pens I painted the circles with Dylusions Spray Inks.  I have the ink sprays in the fabulous Tim Holtz Detail Water Brushes and they are perfect to paint with. I love the look of the dryed Dylusions...a very rich, matte look. With that in mind I pulled out my Luminarte Acrylic Silk Glazes and created the background, wanting the contrast of the different product finishes. I loved seeing how the different colors worked on 9x12" Strathmore Watercolor Paper, series 400. The backgrounds of each circle were also painted with the silks.

The more I looked at my finished EXPERIMENT I realized that I really loved the smaller circle and what looks like peacock feathers. That wasn't my intention but I do agree that it does. So onto the next EXPERIMENT. I enlarged that one circle, offset from center and created the same image. I wasn't sure about the background but when I saw this Marrakech stencil designed by Michelle Ward, Stencil Girl Products, I knew I had to use it...lately I have been drawn to anything using a quatrefoil shape as evidence in my work.

Painted with several colors of Dylusions Ink Spray

Background painted with Luminarte Acrylic Silks in Spiced Pumpkin

 The next question in my creative process was what colors to use for the background and whether I wanted just one of the 2 shapes painted of the background. I have this vision in my head...I don't think it is quite this but I will save that idea for another EXPERIMENT. The background was painted with African Jade and Olive Vine Acrylic Silks. I wish you could really see the contrast from the Dylusions & the Acrylic Silks...very dramatic. 

I'm not sure I am done...I will let it percolate in my mind's eye...again NO STRESS, NO PRESSURE...it is my EXPERIMENT!

Thanks for stopping by...what do you do for creative relaxation?