View Into The Creative Process

I find I like to take the familiar, exaggerate it, and throw in bunches of color to come up with new ideas for painting series'. My latest series obsession is a Fantasy Tree idea born out of my art journal sketch books. Read on to check out my Creative Process...

Doodling with charcoal in one of my many sketchbooks.

Refining the Fantasy Tree concept with graphite on Bristol paper.

Experimenting with the concept using Pebeo Cerne Relief dimensional paint and Pebeo Fantasy paints in my Moleskin mixed media painting ideas book. 

Working out the Pebeo paints over gessoed watercolor paper for a test run.

Luvin' it!!!

"Purple Snow", 14in x 17in, fine art painting on paper, 

Pebeo cerne relief dimensional and liquid alkyd Fantasy paints over acrylic. 

And...must remember the GLITTER!

Hope this inspires you to grab a sketchbook (or 2 or 3 - I have MANY) and get to messing around. The lovely thing about a personal sketchbook is it is a place to get loose and BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF, letting crazy ideas percolate and surface for surprising results.

Now, grab a sketch pad and pencil, and get CREATING! 

Happy Arting! :D Tristina

Submitted to The Sketchbook Project Today!

Front Cover

I finally submitted my sketchbook (and my 13 year old daughter's too) for The Sketchbook Project Limited Edition...they were due to be postmarked today and Devon and I just squeeked them in under the wire at FedEx at 7pm tonight! They will be scanned and we will be able to see them online in another month or so! Also, the Brooklyn Art Library, that sponsors the project, will be putting one picture or 2 page spread from everyone's sketchbooks that participated in a compendium book that they will be publishing later this year. Cool! To find out more about the project, go to www.thesketchbookproject.com.

It has been a challenge to work on my sketchbook these past few months because I'm working with a friend on designing a website for a new start-up company, but I took the weekend off and worked like a fiend all the way through till this afternoon to "make it work!" It's almost dry; had to send it with some butcher paper between a few pages to be sure they weren't stuck together when they arrive in NY in a few days. :)

Ended up that my sketchbook has 24 pages plus the cover. I used lots of different techniques that I have learned over the years from Cloth Paper Scissors and Somerset Studios magazines. Here are some of my favorite pics:

One of my Favorite Pages

My Favorite Spread

Before Journaling

After Journaling