The Benefits of Art Journaling

When I was younger, one of my favorite creative activities was to create collages out of various magazine images. As I transitioned into adulthood, I discovered the wonderful practice of art journaling, which uniquely combined my love for crafting collages with paint, various textures, and other artistic materials. Today, it is one of my favorite pastimes and has greatly contributed to my overall mental health and well-being!

What are some of the benefits of art journaling?

Emotional Release: Art journaling provides a safe outlet to express feelings that might be difficult to put into words. This can be especially helpful for processing intense emotions like sadness, anxiety, or anger, leading to emotional relief and healing.

In this layout I journaled first and then placed my images on top.

Reduces Stress and Anxiety: The creative process itself can be calming and meditative. As you focus on the act of drawing, painting, or writing, your mind becomes focused in the present moment, which can reduce stress and anxiety. The flow of creativity often allows for a natural escape from worries and overthinking. This is true for me and I find art journaling a great escape. It’s scientifically proven that the act of creating reduces stress!

In this layout I illustrated a favorite quote.

Boosts Self-awareness: Art journaling promotes self-reflection, helping you understand your thoughts and feelings. Journaling regularly lets you spot patterns in your mental health, offering insights into your emotions and stress triggers, which is important for stress management and overall well-being.

Here I used color from the magazine pages to create the background for this layout. I love to look for messages and insights from articles and include them in my pages.

Boosts Self-esteem: Creating art without the need for perfection allows for personal growth and boosts confidence. The more you engage with your journal, the more you build a positive relationship with your creative abilities and self-expression, which fosters a sense of accomplishment and self-worth.

This layout explored my personal mantra, or some aspects of it. This was a prompt I did with my students. I have them work in their art journals every Friday!

Encourages Positive Thinking: Art journaling can also be a space to celebrate achievements, gratitude, or happy memories. This positive aspect can counterbalance negative thought patterns, enhancing mental well-being.

This layout was just a fun magazine collage!

Promotes Relaxation: Art journaling provides a form of relaxation that doesn’t require a specific outcome. It’s an open-ended activity that encourages exploration and play, allowing you to unwind and disconnect from everyday pressures.

This layout was inspired by the magazine image on the right.

In summary, art journaling supports mental health by offering a creative, reflective, and healing practice that nurtures emotional well-being, reduces stress, enhances mindfulness, and builds resilience.

Have you art journaled? If not would you like to start? In my next post I’ll have some tips on how to get started!!

The Benefits of Art Journaling

When I was younger, one of my favorite creative activities was to create collages out of various magazine images. As I transitioned into adulthood, I discovered the wonderful practice of art journaling, which uniquely combined my love for crafting collages with paint, various textures, and other artistic materials. Today, it is one of my favorite pastimes and has greatly contributed to my overall mental health and well-being!

What are some of the benefits of art journaling?

Emotional Release: Art journaling provides a safe outlet to express feelings that might be difficult to put into words. This can be especially helpful for processing intense emotions like sadness, anxiety, or anger, leading to emotional relief and healing.

In this layout I journaled first and then placed my images on top.

Reduces Stress and Anxiety: The creative process itself can be calming and meditative. As you focus on the act of drawing, painting, or writing, your mind becomes focused in the present moment, which can reduce stress and anxiety. The flow of creativity often allows for a natural escape from worries and overthinking. This is true for me and I find art journaling a great escape. It’s scientifically proven that the act of creating reduces stress!

In this layout I illustrated a favorite quote.

Boosts Self-awareness: Art journaling promotes self-reflection, helping you understand your thoughts and feelings. Journaling regularly lets you spot patterns in your mental health, offering insights into your emotions and stress triggers, which is important for stress management and overall well-being.

Here I used color from the magazine pages to create the background for this layout. I love to look for messages and insights from articles and include them in my pages.

Boosts Self-esteem: Creating art without the need for perfection allows for personal growth and boosts confidence. The more you engage with your journal, the more you build a positive relationship with your creative abilities and self-expression, which fosters a sense of accomplishment and self-worth.

This layout explored my personal mantra, or some aspects of it. This was a prompt I did with my students. I have them work in their art journals every Friday!

Encourages Positive Thinking: Art journaling can also be a space to celebrate achievements, gratitude, or happy memories. This positive aspect can counterbalance negative thought patterns, enhancing mental well-being.

This layout was just a fun magazine collage!

Promotes Relaxation: Art journaling provides a form of relaxation that doesn’t require a specific outcome. It’s an open-ended activity that encourages exploration and play, allowing you to unwind and disconnect from everyday pressures.

This layout was inspired by the magazine image on the right.

In summary, art journaling supports mental health by offering a creative, reflective, and healing practice that nurtures emotional well-being, reduces stress, enhances mindfulness, and builds resilience.

Have you art journaled? If not would you like to start? In my next post I’ll have some tips on how to get started!!

Happy Fall!

I’m so excited! It is back to school, football, apples and pumpkins, and while it doesn’t feel like fall, at least the time has finally arrived! With back to school that of course means me back in the classroom. While it was hard to say goodbye to summer, and my extra time, I am excited to be back with my students!

It has been a super busy few weeks with setting up my classroom and welcoming my Artists back. I have another very sweet group this year which I’m so thankful for! Here is a peak into my classroom…

I love my room and I’m so blessed with a ton of storage (every art teacher’s dream) and an amazing view out to our stadium! I spend a lot of time here so I’m thankful it is a place I love to be!

I haven’t had much time to do art myself with all that goes into back to school prep, but I did create a first project for my students! This is an All About Me page that we each created about ourselves and I’m putting them into an Altered Book. An Altered Book is an old hardback that is repurposed into a book of art! I need to add some more to it, but here is my example!

I had them each bring in a selfie (or I took one for them) and they created a 2 page spread about themselves. Our Class Book is the perfect way to get to know each other, and most importantly helps me put their names and faces together! :)

Now that fall is here I’m in the mood to create pumpkins, fall trees, black kitties and spooky things! Be on the lookout for some new fall art to see soon!

Sunflower Family

I’m so excited to share my newest commission! I had the privilege of creating this piece for a dear friend, who gave it to a family very special to her. This couple was celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary and she wanted to honor their relationship in a unique and special way. The first step was to collage papers and family photos onto the canvas to create the start of the background.

Next, I began adding the layers. I started with more collage elements including paper and fabric. Then I added textures with acrylic paint and continued building up layers with stenciling, paint pens and cheese cloth.

After building up several layers, I started constructing the sunflowers with colors from magazine pages. I added depth to the flowers to make them stand out more. Then I included words that describe family within the flower petals.

How do you like how it turned out? It was such a privilege to create this piece for this special couple! If you have a dear person in your life that you’d like to have a unique keepsake created for, let me know! I’d be happy to chat about what you are looking for! I currently have openings for 2 commissions!

In an Instant, Everything Changed...

I've always loved to read! When I was a child I would treasure the trips to the library with my mom during the summers!  I would check out towers of books, bring them home and devour each one!  So, when the Women's Ministry at my church announced a book study I was so in!

We began reading Pathway to Purpose for Women, by Katie Brazelton.  At the time, I was a stay at home mom with two young kids (this was about 15 years ago).  I was involved in church but other than that my life revolved around my family and kids. I didn't realize it at first, but I had lost a bit of myself.  On the very first page of the book, Katie wrote:

“We each have purposes to fulfill, many of which are linked to our relationships, passions, talents, experiences, dreams, hopes, and longings.  Living a larger, more fulfilling and dynamic life than you may currently be living is possible when you catch God's vision for you life.”  

This is when it hit me…I had been missing my purpose! Of course I love taking care of my family and find great purpose and reward in doing that but I realized there was something more… We all have a unique purpose, something that our soul burns to do, that stirs within us, that no one else can do like we do!  It is something that cries out to us and we miss greatly when we aren’t pursuing it! As I was pondering what I was reading, it dawned on me; I need to make art! This wasn’t an option, it was a calling. An unshakable feeling down to the very last cell in my body that I had to begin creating again! I missed my art, my creative outlet! Aside from the scrapbooks I was creating for my kids, I hadn’t made anything in so long!

So, I gathered art supplies and started painting again! Online I stumbled upon the world of Mixed Media Art and it was life changing! I was learning and creating and loving it! I was a much happier person, because I saw God’s vision for me, the undeniable passion he had put in my heart! Later in her book, Katie talked about God’s unique vision for us that:

“can be described as a desire that steals your heart - either immediately or eventually - and shouts to you “This is your sacred commission, far beyond your everyday purposes in life.” It is the exclusive, heart-engaging work God prearranged for you before you were born!”

I realized this passion I had for making art was what filled me up and recharged me so I could be the best wife, mother, friend etc. that I could be! This was the beginning of my creative adventure as an adult and I’ve never looked back! It was also the planting of the small seeds that would begin to grow into my creative business! Now, dozens of commissions later, I still can’t believe I have the privilege of creating for others!

Now, I try to make it a priority to always carve out time for my creative process. I’m a better person when I do! How about you? What is your passion that you know you were created to pursue? I’d love to hear all about it!

Becoming Me, an Artist

Not surprisingly, Art was my favorite subject in High School. It was fun, an escape and a way to express myself. It’s been over 30 years but I still love art for the same reasons; as a creative way to express who I am and who I am becoming, a visual manifestation of my feelings and emotions, a stress reliever and benefit to my mental health and as a way to remember important parts of my life.

My senior year, my Dad died. It was sudden and unexpected and really hard. For the following years, death became a reoccurring subject in my art. But that year, when things were so raw and fresh, I wanted to remember. I ended up creating a watercolor portrait of my dad when he was a sailor in the Navy and added the nickname of the aircraft carrier he was on, a navel emblem and his signature in the piece. It actually still hangs in my home!

This was the beginning of my love for using art to memorialize. There is something about taking the pieces and mementos that represent someone and creating rich layers that tell their story that is so inspiring to me!

Over the years my artistic style has grown and changed and about 15 years ago I discovered mixed media art. There was a big movement at that time from scrapbooking to mixed media that I easily transitioned into. I began taking my love for pretty papers, vintage letters and photos and other artifacts and infusing them into my artwork. It was the perfect marriage of my love of collage and paint and the boxes of keepsakes I’d been saving for years!

So, that is a little about my background and the beginning of my journey as an artist! I hope you’ll stay tuned! Soon I’ll share how my work is continuing to evolve and change as I learn and discover more about myself and my art process!

Finding My Way

As I continue on my journey as a Mixed Media Artist, I try to always pursue opportunities to learn, grow and discover new ways to create! I love taking classes from other artists and this summer I’ve been busy learning from several! I recently had the privilege of working with one of my favorite new artists, Delight Rogers. She uses more dimensional objects in her artwork and I really wanted to learn how she does this.

This led to my new found passion for using textiles in my work. I am loving the texture and feeling fabric adds to my pieces. It is a whole new element that creates volume, rhythm, and even movement within my art!

This has brought me to a new point of desiring to create personal portraits for people memorializing their loved ones using not only letters and photos but also scraps of fabric and other mementos that are meaningful to that person. That could be a bit of a baby blanket that Grammy knitted, a snippet of a flannel shirt worn by Granddad, service tags from your uncle or even an old watch face that was your Dad’s. Instead of hiding those treasures away, I want to showcase them and bring them back to life!

If you or anyone you know is looking for a unique gift or is wondering what to do with all those treasures your love one left you, or grew out of, I’d love to share my vision for turning them into a treasured work of art!

Soon, I’ll be sharing more of my new artwork with you, including more pieces using fabric and these other dimensional elements I’ve been exploring! I can’t wait for you to see them! Thank you again for being a part of my creative world!

Art Retrospective 2016

I wrapped up the school year recently with an end of the year Art Retrospective of my Studio Art I students' artwork!  This year I had the privilege of teaching a great group of 6th-12th graders who worked so hard and learned so much!  They studied the Elements of Art and Principles of Design and how artists use these core components in their work.  They also explored the mediums of pencil and charcoal, pen and ink, watercolor, oil pastels, colored pencils, sculpture, acrylic painting and mixed media as they created their work.  Before diving into our projects, we studied several artists, including Romare Bearden, Henri Matisse, Albrecht Duer, Andre Derain, Alexander Calder, Georgia O'Keeffe, Wassily Kandinsky and Susan Krieg among others. It was great to discuss these Master Artists and how we could learn from them.  All of my students' artwork turned out amazingly and I could not be more proud of what they accomplished!  Here are a few photos from the exciting night!

It was so fun to see everyone interacting with the art and to see my students proudly discussing their creations!  It was such a great night and I look forward to hopefully working with these talented young people again next year!  

Whitewashed Flowers

I recently created this original painting for the Painting With a Twist Franchise Gallery.  It is always fun to have the opportunity to teach one of the paintings I've created and see how my classes' versions turn out!  I had the privilege of teaching it last week and I was thrilled with how amazing the paintings looked!  

Painting in progress!

Awesome progress!!

Amazing results!!  

Gorgeous!

Just lovely!!

My class did so beautifully!  I just loved their paintings!  My favorite part of the PWAT process is that even though we are all painting the same painting, everyone's turns out a bit differently due to each person having their own individual artistic style.  I love how everyone puts their own unique "twist" on their artwork!  Such a fun class!  I can't wait to teach it again!

Black Friday is Fine Arts Friday!!!

Now that our tummies are full of that amazing Thanksgiving yumminess, we can start thinking about Holiday Shopping!!  I know some of you out there live for this...amazing Black Friday deals, beat the crowds, enjoy the festive decorations!  This year I humbly ask you to consider doing at least some of your shopping through the vast array of Artisans out there!  Black Friday is also Fine Arts Friday and artists everywhere are encouraging you to support the arts by doing some of your holiday gift giving with handmade treasures!

My studio is open for business as well and I still have room for a few more commissioned pieces for this upcoming holiday season!  Here are a few ideas of special handmade gifts to give that special someone!

A Name Canvas

Mixed media artwork by Jennifer Snellings

Pick a special symbol and verse or quote that represents your loved one and have a custom name canvas created just for them!

A Legacy Tree

Mixed Media Legacy Tree by Jennifer Snellings

The Legacy Tree is my unique take on the Family Tree!  A tree with your family members' names on a layered mixed media background makes a very special gift!  Add in a special quote or verse to make it even more personal!

Legacy Cross

Mixed Media Legacy Cross by Jennifer Snellings 

Similar to the Legacy Tree, the Legacy Cross can be customized to represent your loved one. I can include handwritten notes, letters, etc. in the piece as well.  Any symbol can be used, not only the cross!  Feel free to browse my work to see other examples!!

i would love and be honored to create a unique custom piece of art for someone special in your life for the holidays!! All paintings are handmade, original pieces created on gallery stretched canvas with finished sides ready to be framed or hung as is. Prices are determined by the size of the canvas selected as follows:

• 8"x 10" - $ + tax

• 10"x 10" - $ + tax

• 12"x 12" - $ + tax

• 11"x 14" - $ + tax

• 12"x 16" - $ + tax

• 12"x 24" - $ + tax

• 16"x 20" - $ + tax

Please contact me for more information or with any questions at tatteredartstudio@gmail.com.  Once you place your order I will email you a questionnaire to complete to help with the personalization of your piece.

Thanks so much for supporting the Arts and happy shopping!!

It's All In a Name

Mixed Media, 16" x 20", by Jennifer Snellings

I recently had the fun challenge of creating a name canvas to display while I am teaching at the Painting With a Twist Studio where I work.  I wanted to create something that not only represented my personal artistic style, but also conveyed a little bit about who I am.  I used colors, symbols and words to get my ideas across.  I chose the butterfly symbol because to me it represents new life and new beginnings.  I always love the idea that we can start fresh; we don't have to be "stuck" in a place where we aren't happy, whether it is a physical place or an emotional one.  The butterfly is also is an illustration of my faith.  As for my name, I decided to use my own handwriting rather than a certain font, again this adding a unique part of who I am to the canvas.  

Close up, Mixed Media, by Jennifer Snellings

I spent quite a bit of time deciding on the right quote to include.  Ultimately I went with the above quote by Van Gogh because I knew my classes would be looking at it and I wanted something that would encourage them.  Especially since many people are battling nerves when they come to paint!  It is also a great reminder to me to not let the negative voices in when it comes to my own personal artwork!

Process pictures, Mixed Media, by Jennifer Snellings

As far as my process for this piece, I began with the back ground, layering paint, papers, stamps and visual textures.  Once I was happy with the amount of layering, I created the butterfly.  I drew a quick template and attached it with painters tape to the canvas.  Next, I used white acrylic paint to create a border around the shape.  I feathered the paint out away from the template with my fingers to create the soft, fading look.  After the paint was dry, I removed the template revealing the untouched background behind it.

Butterfly close up, Mixed Media, by Jennifer Snellings

I love this masking technique and use it in my work often!  Finally, I used white paint to sketch out the letters of my name and then filled them in with my favorite color.  To finish it up, I added the ribbon and lace accent, some outlining around the butterfly and some highlighting around the letters.  I feel like it turned out very "me"!!

As always, I take commissions and can create a similar work for someone special in your life using a few of their favorite things and of course their name!!  Contact me if you are interested at tatteredartstudio@gmail.com!

On My Nightstand

May's books I'm reading/have read!

I love to read!  The library, bookstores (especially Half Price Books) and the Kindle shop are a few of my favorite places!  Even as a young girl I can remember the true bliss I felt walking out of the library with a huge stack of books, feeling excitement and anticipation.  I couldn't wait to get home and dig in!  I still feel that way! I don't get nearly as much time as I would like to read these days, but it is a very rare night that I don't fall asleep reading a good book.  Many times I stay up way too late because I can't tear myself away from a great chapter!  I love several kinds of books... contemporary and historical fiction, Christian nonfiction, biography, young adult and creative business books.   

Now that the summer is shortly upon us, I'm looking forward to long lazy days of reading!  We will see if that happens, but I am committed to having a scheduled reading time most days with my kiddos!  It has always been so important to me to instill a love for reading in them.   The summer is a bit less chaotic and allows for a little more down time.  We also participate in the fun reading programs through the local library and bookstores.   

Here are a few books I've been working through this month so far.  I hope to finish a least a few before the month is up.  

Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist

By Lisa Congdon

I picked up Art, Inc. because I felt it would be an awesome resource for my creative business and it did not disappoint!  Lisa Congdon is an artist and creative business woman herself and speaks from great experience.  She not only shares her story, but also has several interviews with other creatives throughout the book.  She gives great advice covering all areas of creative business including getting organized, selling your work, involvement in shows, licensing, working with galleries and marketing using social media, just to name a few!  This is a book I highlighted a lot and will stay on my shelf as a helpful resource for years to come!  

The Language of Flowers: A Novel

By Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Oh, this was a beautiful book!  I truly loved this story and couldn't put it down.  The book follows Victoria as she is emancipated from the foster care system at age 18.  At times heart-wrenching, and at others heartwarming, this is Victoria's story of survival.  As a coping mechanism she becomes fluent in the language of flowers and you see how this carries her throughout the ups and downs of life. Diffenbaugh tells her story with such realism, jumping between Victoria's past and present.  This one has a sure place on my list of favorite books!

Women Living Well: Find Your Joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids, and Your Home

By Courtney Joseph

I've really enjoyed Courtney's blog, Women Living Well, and her online bible studies through Good Morning Girls.  She offers great insight into the role of a Christian wife, mother and homemaker and her book takes these topics and expands upon them.  I'm always looking for ways to grow in my roles as a woman and I really enjoyed Courtney's wisdom.  She had some especially great ideas on personal growth and teaching spiritual truths to our children.  This is another book I highlighted throughout!

Write It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It

By Henriette Anne Klauser

I just dug into this book this past week and so far I love it!  It is all about making your dreams and vision for your life happen.  Klauser claims there is great power in writing down your goals, dreams, desires and hopes.  When we write these important ideas down it plants the seeds to begin the growth and development of these ideas, taking them out of our mind and thoughts alone and putting them into reality.  It is full of stories from other people, artists, actors, and business men and women, who share their experiences with what happened once they wrote their ideas down.  I may write more on this book next month as I read further.

Finally, I'm diving into two fiction books this month, Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham, and Reconstructing Amelia, by Kimberly McCreight.  I look forward to sharing more about them next month!

I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit this month!  I love her website for all things reading!  Check it out when you have a chance!

So, what is on your nightstand these days?  Any recommendations?

Mini Art

Now that the holidays are over and the the gifts have been received, I wanted to share some of the art I created for some of the special people in my life.  For the past two years I have created handmade ornaments for my team at Painting With a Twist.  It's always so fun to create on this tiny scale!  The ornaments are mixed media paintings, much like my larger work, only these are created to be little treasures to hang on a Christmas Tree!

Last year I had an angel theme.

Mixed media on canvas board, 2" x 2" by Jennifer Snellings

Mixed media on canvas board, 2" x 2" by Jennifer Snellings

I also decided to throw in a cute little snowman for fun!

Mixed media on canvas board, 2" x 2" by Jennifer Snellings

I also decided to throw in a cute little snowman for fun!

This year I decided on a Christmas Tree theme.

Mixed media, 2"x 2" canvas, by Jennifer Snellings

Here is a look into my process:

First steps: paint and collage elements, old sheet music and worn bible pages.

A little help from art-kitty, Paisley!  Additional texture added with paint and unique stamped surfaces.

Now for the trees, created from collaged strips of patterned paper and the sentiments which are some of my favorite Christmas quotes, sayings, etc. Many of these come from favorite Christmas Carols.

Finally, I add the tree topper and some shading to help everything stand out.

They are finished off with a cute Christmas ribbon to make hanging on the tree easy!

It will be fun to see if this tradition continues over the next years to come, (I'm hoping it will) and how the little mini paintings will continue to develop with each new collection!  

Holiday Commissions

Happy Holidays!  With the hustle and bustle of the season well underway I wanted to give you a creative and unique gift option!  I still have space for a few more commissions before the holiday deadline arrives!

Examples of completed past commissions and original work.

I am happy to create an original, personalized mixed media painting for your loved one.  We will work together and gather words, imagery, and anything else unique and special about your gift recipient to create a truly original gift.  A few options are:

• A Legacy Tree - a unique spin on the family tree with personalized family names
• A Symbol of Love - a large symbol unique to the gift recipient, personalized with meaningful words, phrases, quotes
• A Stylized Portrait - a portrait painting personalized for your loved one in my original artistic style
• Open Interpretation - any other idea you may have for a special painting for your loved one that I can create and personalize for you

All paintings are handmade, original pieces created on gallery stretched canvas with finished sides ready to be framed or hung as is. Prices are determined by the size of the canvas selected as follows:

• 8"x 10" - $75.00 + tax
• 10"x 10" - $95.00 + tax
• 11"x 14" - $115.00 + tax
• 10"x 20" - $130.00 + tax
• 12"x 24" - $150.00 + tax
• 16"x 20" - $175.00 + tax

Please contact me for more information or with any questions at tatteredartstudio@gmail.com.  Once you place your order I will email you a questionnaire to complete to help with the personalization of your piece.

Thanks so much for considering Tattered Art Studio for your holiday shopping!

Leaving A Legacy

Legacy Tree for David, Mixed Media by Jennifer Snellngs, SOLD

I had the privilege of creating a few more Legacy Paintings for clients and have thouroughly enjoyed seeing their love for the special person in their life come together with my vision to create a truly unique piece.  It is so exciting to work with someone and take what they see and feel about a person and put it into a visual representation!  The above painting, Legacy Tree for David, was a gift for a Dad.  In it I did my best to convey mascuinity with the honoring of family, including a special furry family member!  Here is a look behind the scenes at a few of my steps:

First layer of background.

Layering collage elements and more paint.

Adding the tree and leaves.  The tree was created with recycled magazine pages.  The leaves hold family member names.

The verse was a unique sentiment chosen for the recipient by my client.  The dog was created with watercolor and collaged onto the painting.  

Wrapped and ready for it's new home!!

It was such a joy to create this unique piece for a special person in my client's life!  Stay tuned; I have a few more commissioned Legacy Tree paintings I did for other clients that I will be sharing here soon.

The holidays are shortly upon us and I am beginning to take on commissions for the season.  If you are looking for a unique gift for a special person in you life, consider the Legacy Tree!  Or if you have a different idea or theme in mind we can work together to bring it to life!  Contact me for more details if you are interested in a commissioned piece!  tatteredartstudio@gmail.com

Every Summer Has a Story...

Welcome to all my visitors from The Artful Tribe's Summer Blog Hop!  I'm so happy you are here!  What a fitting way to finish off the summer; a creative adventure that will hopefully inspire you well into the fall!

Photo Credit

Every summer has a story....   For me that story was chaos!!  We were blindsided in early June that the owners of the home we were renting wanted to move back in.  They were asking us to vacate before our lease was up in August, so we jumped into action.  In less than two months, we house hunted, found a house, ventured through the very long and drawn out loan process and finally got the keys to our new home.  We also had to move out and move in.  There is a reason they say moving is one of the most stressful life experiences!!  What a chaotic whirlwind!

The good news is we are finally settling into our new home and loving it!  God provided everything we needed and this home is truly a blessing!  The bad news is not much creating happened over the summer because I was packing up my studio (as well as the rest of our lives)!   I've been working hard on unpacking and organizing my new studio space and I'm super excited to get in and start working again.  I'll show you pictures of the new studio soon!

In the meantime, here is a little peak into a new piece I'm working on.

Beginning background layers with paint and texture.

Additional layering with paper, bible pages, tissue paper and paint.

This piece will follow along the same theme as my Indian Paintbrush painting.  I'm planning on bluebonnets this time, but we will have to see how the painting progresses and if my initial plans change!

Again, a warm welcome to any new visitors from The Artful Tribe!  Here are a few questions we are all answering as part of the blog hop!

1. My story so far...   If you'd like to know more about me and my story, feel free to check out my "About" page here on the blog.  In a nutshell, I've always been drawn to art and felt the need to create.  I studied art throughout my school years and went on to get my art degree in college.  I taught art for several years in the public school system and  now teach painting classes part time as well as create mixed media original art that I sell.

2. My goals for the future...  I hope to continue to take on commissioned work as well as create and sell my own inspired pieces.  I would love to see a Visual Arts ministry develop at my church.  I also have been feeling the calling to take on some private art students, perhaps at the high school level.  I love the idea of a mentoring relationship built through creating together!  

3.  My biggest influences...  Oh, how I love to follow other artists!  One of my favorite things to do to stay inspired and continue to grow is to take classes from other creatives!  We can learn so much from each other!  Some of my biggest influences are Kelly Rae Roberts, Jeanne Oliver, Christy Tomlinson, and Wyanne Thompson.  They are amazingly talented and are willing to share their passions, techniques and stories with the world!

4.  My favorite media....  When I discovered mixed media several years ago, I was in love!  It is the perfect marriage of paint, collage, texture, and any other wonderful art supplies my heart desires to use!  Along with mixed media, I love watercolor.  I studied watercolor in college and continue to explore it as time allows.  I hope to make time for more of it in the future!

Thanks again for stopping by and visiting my blog today!  I hope you enjoyed yourself!!  Check out these other amazing artists sharing a bit of their creativity through the blog hop today:

lovingrd.wordpress.com

mycreativelifestyle.blogspot.co.uk

uneekart.blogspot.com

nicci.ca

Happy hopping!! :)

Indian Paintbrush

Recently, I was invited to donate a piece of my work to a silent auction benefiting the art program of a local high school.  It was such an honor to be asked to be involved in this as it is a cause very close to my heart!  As a former art teacher in the public school system, I know first hand how quickly the budget money disappears, often before the year is even close to being over!  I was so happy to contribute to such a good cause!  

We now live in the Hill Country area of Texas and it's beauty of full trees, rolling hills, rocky cliffs and of course breathtaking wildflowers has truly been inspiring me!  I chose to create a mixed media piece illustrating the beauty of one of our gorgeous wildflowers, the Indian Paintbrush!

The Indian Paintbrush

I just love the vibrancy of this flower!  It also always reminds me of a favorite childhood book, The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush, by Tomie dePaolo.    I of course love the Texas Bluebonnet as well, but this time decided to create inspired by this orange, fiery beauty!  Here is my interpretation:

Indian Paintbrush by Jennifer Snellings, Mixed media, 11"x14"

I was so excited with how this turned out!  I love that I was able to capture the vibrant color of the flowers against the turquoise and aqua blues in the background.  They complement each other very nicely!  Here is a look into my process:

Beginning stages

Here you see the beginning layers of the painting, the paint, paper, more paint textures and stamps all combining to form several layers of goodness!  Once the foundation was created, I began to focus on the focal point, the flowers themselves.  They were created with torn paper from magazines.  

Flower close up

Once the flowers were pieced together, the painting was ready for its finishing touches.  I added the verse and brought everything together with some additional paint here and there.  I'm so thrilled to share that this piece was successfully auctioned and is now hanging in its new home!

Thanks so much for stopping by and viewing my new work! 

Emily's Anchor

One of the most significant parts of creating my art is to make something that is truly personal and meaningful for my clients.  Recently I had the privilege of creating a new painting for a special High School  Senior's graduation gift!  I worked closely with the recipient's Mom and she gathered special letters and notes of encouragement from dear family and friends. I also learned that one of her favorite symbols is the anchor. Taking all of this information, I incorporated it, along with my artistic vision, and came up with a unique keepsake that will hopefully always be a reminder of this special time in her life!

 I began the background of the painting with a collage of the letters (using copies of course) and layered them on the canvas sealing them with gel medium.  On a side note, all of the original letters were safely saved in a special scrapbook, not only allowing each to be read in full, but also creating another meaningful element of the gift!

Collage of written notes.

Once the collage dried, I added layers of paint and stamps creating a richly textured surface.  

First layers of acrylic paint.

Layering of stamps and other textures.

Next, I sketched the anchor and transferred the design onto the canvas.  I filled the shape of the anchor in with pre-selected parts of the letters that for the most part included the signatures of loved ones and special phrases or sentiments; all parts that I wanted to highlight.

Collaged anchor shape.

Once the anchor was complete, it was time for the  verse and a few other sentimental collage pieces to be added.  Then everything was tied together with a final layer of texture created with paint and stamps.

Completed painting!

It was such a joy and privilege to create this meaningful piece for this special Graduate!  If you are looking for a unique, personal gift for a special person in your life, I'd love to help!  If you are interested in my commissioned paintings, please contact me at tatteredartstudio@gmail.com!