Tag Archives: mixed media

Learn to Paint a Simple Monstrance

In today’s video, I walk you through how to draw and paint a simple monstrance. I use gold watercolor paint on black paper, but you could also use gold acrylics, gold sharpies, crayons, pastels, etc.

Suggested Supplies:

Black Paper

White Colored Pencil

QoR Watercolor Iridescent Gold https://amzn.to/3x1jw5r

Trekell Synthetic Watercolor Paintbrush Set https://amzn.to/3TKBYsV

Water

(Note: Amy Heyse Art is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.)

Becca

It just kind of worked out that I finished my portrait of Becca the week leading up to her birthday. It’s a little crazy realizing we’ve been friends for almost two decades. We met in the lunch line the first day of sixth grade but didn’t see each other again until 7th grade. She has always had a great and offbeat sense of humor, a listening ear, and a generous heart.

Years later, I can still depend on her to make me laugh and offer an encouraging word. A lot of great memories come to mind: hot man lists, writing stories together, making mix CDs, hanging out in the basement making or watching movies, hours long conversations at sleepovers, learning that we’re “soulmates,” rooming together in college, hilarious postcards in the mail, escape room outings… I could go on and on.

The photo reference for this painting is from one of her many hiking adventures. As of late, she’s been tackling many 14ers, taking beautiful photographs from her adventures, and offering that great listening ear and empathy to the students she works with. I wanted to capture a sense of her adventurous spirit and optimism.

Watercolor and acrylic, 8×10”

Becca was painted using watercolors and white ink was used for some of the hair and highlights. The background originally was watercolor, but I ended up painting over it with acrylics. You can see a time lapse video of my process below.

2018 Masks Exhibition

Today is the opening of the 2018 Masks Exhibition at the Museum of Art in Fort Collins. The masks are auctioned off as a fundraiser for the museum and this is my 5th year participating!

This is a popular exhibition in Fort Collins because it features a whole spectrum of artists and art styles. Every artist has to use a mask form that’s provided to them to create a work of artwork, but they have freedom on how they interpret the project. Artists use a variety of mediums and subject matters. The show features work by high school students, rising artists, art hobbyists, and professionals. It’s great seeing a full representation of Fort Collins artists.

My mask that I created for this year’s exhibition is inspired by my daughter Holly. She’s currently three years old and said she was a fan of my mask when I showed it to her. The idea behind the mask is that toddlers are like bees… they can be temperamental, but they can also bring a lot of beauty to the world.

The mask form is painted with acrylics, the portrait of Holly is done in watercolors, the bees are shrinky dinks, and the honeycomb is painted hot glue.

The Portrait Project

Back in December, I was wanting to start a new series of artwork. The goal was to create a consistent body of work to build up my portfolio with the intent to eventually apply for a local gallery opportunity. I had a couple of ideas for potential themes to explore, but wasn’t sure which idea to follow. I brought it to prayer, and the word “ordinary” kept banging around in my head.

I was in need of models for my artwork and asked my friends and family on Facebook if any of them would be willing to let me use their photos or likenesses for future artwork. I honestly thought that I would be lucky if five people volunteered, but I ended up with over thirty people who were interested. As I went through the list, I thought about the different ways each person came into my life and how they are all unique, albeit ordinary, women. I knew I wanted to create a series of portraits featuring ordinary (but extraordinary) women.

I’ll admit that I always get an urge to add something to the portraits to make them more surreal or like a fantasy illustration. Though this wouldn’t be uncommon, especially in my previous portrait work, I knew I wanted to be true to the spirit of the subject. I don’t need to add anything to their portraits to make the individual more unique or interesting.

So far, I have done five portraits (Raven, Sarah, Lauren, Rachael, and Chelsea) and there are many more to come. As I work on the portrait, I try to use the process of painting as a form of prayer. I try to pray for their intentions and thank God for the way he has brought these individuals into my life and how they have influenced me. It’s been very special for me to hear the feedback from the people who I’ve painted. I always hope that I do them justice.

All of the portraits are done primarily with watercolors, though occasionally I use acrylic or other mixed media to finish the pieces. You’ll be seeing many more portraits to come over the next few months!

: “Lauren.” Watercolor and mixed media, 8×10″.

: “Rachael.” Watercolor, 5×7″.

: “Chelsea.” Watercolor and gouache, 8×10″.

: “Sarah.” Watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media, 8×10”.

: “Raven.” Watercolor and mixed media 8×10”

Sarah

My new piece, “Sarah,” is an acrylic and watercolor painting I made as part of a new series of portraits I’m developing. Sarah and I first met our freshman year of high school while working on the school musical, “Singin’ in the Rain.” She is extremely generous and has a heart for adventure and being out in nature. We’ve been friends ever since.

I always love seeing what new adventures she’s on whether it’s snowshoeing with her adorable husky Mochi, climbing 14ers, paddling down the Amazon, swimming with sharks, or running races in Utah. I really liked this photo reference of Sarah because I felt like it was a good representation of her in her element. She also likes Elsa from Frozen, so y’know… snow ❄️

Sarah’s face is painted with acrylics, but everything else is watercolor. While working on this portrait, I struggled with the background. I ended up painting over the entire background with white acrylic and starting over. I recently started using a new product called Daniel Smith watercolor ground. You can paint it on any surface to make it watercolor friendly. I’ve used it a lot on Bible pages when Bible journaling. It’s not as great as real watercolor paper, but it definitely did the trick in this painting!

“Sarah.” Watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media, 8×10”.

Liturgical and Sacred Art Festival

I’m excited to announce that my piece “Psalm 91:4” was accepted to the Springfield Liturgical and Sacred Art Festival coming up soon!

My piece “Psalm 91:4” that was recently accepted at the Springfield Liturgical and Sacred Art Festival.

During the last few weeks, I had been working on finishing up two pieces to submit to a call for entries for a Liturgical and Sacred Art Festival in Springfield, Illinois. I personally have not heard of that many contemporary artists creating religious themed artwork, so I was excited to hear about the chance to exhibit religious work. I had a Joan of a Arc bible journaling sketch and a sketch I had done as a Pentecost mass reflection that I decided to revisit to create as larger scale paintings to submit for the exhibition.

Though my “Courage Under Fire” piece inspired by Joan of Arc was not accepted, I still am very proud of the time I spent creating the piece.

“Courage Under Fire.” A watercolor, acrylic and mixed media piece inspired by Joan of Arc.

My “Psalm 91:4” piece was based on a personal mass reflection sketch I created during Pentecost, but the title is from Psalms:

“He will shelter you with his pinions, anded under his wings you may take refuge; his faithfulness is a protecting shield.”

In my original sketch, I was reflecting on how we all have vulnerabilities or fragility, but we also all have an inner strength burning within us. I was drawing inspiration from the Holy Spirit and how it reveals itself in many different forms (feathers, flames, tongues, etc).

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit… To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13

My original sketch that “Psalm 91:4” is inspired by.

My “Courage Under Fire” piece was originally a sketch and Bible reflection I did for All Saint’s Day. The reflection had been inspired by Beth Davis of Blessed Is She’s Teachable Tuesday talk. 1 John 4:18 was the verse she talked about.

“There is no fear in love…”

Joan of Arc had a great quote that I felt paired nicely:

“I am not afraid. I was born to do this.”

My original Joan of Arc “Courage Under Fire” bible journaling sketch.

It’s super special that these were the two pieces I created to represent me for this call for entries. Fear had been telling me to scale back, to keep it small, to keep it comfortable… Taking a step and risk sharing a vulnerable part of me, to put my art “out there,” and to celebrate the small sketches and baby steps that brought me to where I am at this moment has been very rewarding.

My piece will be at the Liturgical Arts Festival of Springfield at the Springfield Art Association in Illinois starting on April 28, 2018.

Raven

Right before the beginning of the new year, I was watching a Blessed is She talk that recommended that you pick a word to reflect on for the new year. The word that was whispered to my heart was “ordinary.”

Shortly after, I was brainstorming ideas for a collective body of artwork to produce. I wanted to build up a new portfolio and though I had a couple ideas of directions I was interested in, I wasn’t sure what I would ultimately create. I do a lot of portrait work which means I need lots of human references. I thought it might be fun to use friends and family for portrait practice or references for future paintings.

I sent out a “model call” on Facebook asking if anyone would be willing to let me use their photos for practice. I was only expecting maybe 5 people would volunteer. I ended up getting over 30 (and counting) interested friends and family members. Inspiration struck and that word “ordinary” went through my mind. I wanted to create a series of portraits of ordinary women using mixed media processes.

The first of these portraits is Raven, a talented photographer I met through a mom’s group at church. When I saw this self portrait of her, I knew this was the image I would use for the piece I wanted to create. She had some beautiful photographs of her children that had a really lovely purple and blue lighting that I wanted to draw into this piece as an underpainting.

The majority of the painting was created with watercolors. I used pens for the linework in the hair, varnished the piece, and added thin layers of acrylics on top.

In progress shots of my portrait of Raven.

The finished portrait of Raven. Watercolor and mixed media 8×10”

Sunday Sketches

I had been struggling to find time to put time aside for art. Being a full-time mom as well as a painting instructor for Pinot’s Palette, it was a struggle finding time and motivation to work on art.

In the spring, I read a book called Resisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly. I read a chapter a day during Lent and it inspired me to make the time to create. One of the things Kelly suggested in the book was to keep something called a Mass Journal. The idea is that you bring a journal to mass every Sunday and write down one thing that connects to you during the service. This could be a line from a reading, a song, or something the priest says during the homily.

I liked the idea, but instead of using a journal I chose to do sketches. A friend had gifted me a set of artist tiles, like the kind used for zentangles, so I decided to use these to write and draw my mass reflections. Because the artist tile cards are small, they fit nicely in a small pouch with a couple of pens and pencils I bring along. I listen during mass, write down my connection, and illustrate my reflection.

I like doing these Sunday sketches because it not only because it makes me dedicate time every week to sketching, but it also has helped me connect during church and learn more about myself as well.

A Peek in the New Sketchbook

When I was in middle and high school, I used to draw in my sketchbook daily. My sketchbook went with me everywhere I went. It was a good icebreaker for meeting new friends, a good way to pass the time during class (don’t worry, I was a good student 98% of the time), and a good way to practice and create. I was constantly making up my own characters and stories. My sketchbook was almost like a diary or creative journal.

Sometime during college, I stopped keeping sketchbooks. Yes, we often had to have a designated sketchbook for each individual art course we took, but I didn’t really use them in the same way that I had before.

For my birthday, I asked my husband to get me a sketchbook for my birthday. He got me two different mixed media sketchbooks. The one I started to use is a Strathmore multimedia sketchbook that has a cover similar to a Moleskin sketchbook. I love it and have been trying to get back into the habit of working on art in the studio every night. Having a nice sketchbook definitely helps!

A couple months ago, and before I got my new sketchbook, I started trying to branch out and try new things with watercolor. For some reason, having a wash of color helps me figure out what I want to draw. Doing art this way kind of reminds me of doing a charcoal or conte drawing on toned paper.

I recently have been trying to get more portrait practice in. I do a lot of portraits in my personal work as well as commissions, so I wanted to make sure that I was staying in practice. I decided to get back into gouache and add it on top of watercolor washes to see what would happen. This was my first practice:

I remember finishing it and thinking, “This was a ‘practice’ piece? It’s better than some of the finished pieces I’ve done lately.” But maybe that’s the thing… When you work in a sketchbook, you take more chances and you allow yourself to experiment more. I think sometimes the pressure gets to you when you’re trying to do a finished “final” piece of art.

So right now, I’m going to continue sketching and practicing. Hopefully more of my sketches will turn out as nice as this piece. I’m hoping that over time, my new theme and style will start to show itself in my sketchbook pages.

I Love You to the Moon — and Back

When Holly was a little bit younger, before she could really sit by herself or play with toys, her favorite thing to do with me was read children’s books. One of her favorite books to read with me was, “Guess How Much I Love You” written by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram. It’s about two rabbits who are trying to explain how much they love each other. At the end of the book, Nutbrown Hare says, “I love you right up to the moon — and back.”

The phrase is written on nursery walls, jewelry, and has maybe been used so much that it’s now a cliche, but it’s a simple way of expressing how much I love my daughter. I would describe my love for Holly as being infinite.

I wanted to create a piece of artwork that showed the loved I have for my daughter. It had been on my mind for months, but it wasn’t until last weekend that inspiration struck. I went to visit my mentor student’s high school IB art show and got to see some student projects. High school students experiment and are unpretentious about the way they use art to show their emotions. Seeing their work helped inspire me.

A couple years ago, my husband and I had created a watercolor “tunnel book” as a wedding gift for our dear friends. I was interested in re-visiting that style of painting. Though my finished piece didn’t end up being a tunnel book, the layered pieces help give it a sense of space and set a scene.

My first tunnel book project: a wedding present for our friends.

My dad loves going to garage sales and over the years he has picked up a large variety of frames for me to use for my artwork. I finally had to tell him to stop picking up frames because I couldn’t keep up! One of the frames he picked up was perfect for this project, so I gessoed it and painted over it with silver acrylic paint.

The painted garage sale frame with the watercolor background.

On three separate pieces of watercolor paper, I used wet-on-wet watercolor techniques to add color throughout the pages. I added salt, dots of alcohol, and used saran wrap to create the texture and effects. I drew out all of the pieces using pencil and touched them up with extra watercolor washes, pencil, and gel pen. After I finished the pieces, I cut everything out with an x-acto knife and scissors.

The stars were made out of strips of origami paper. I threaded a needle with metallic thread and added a string to each star. The stars were taped to the backs of the different cut-out pieces. I also cut out a piece of the silver paper and glued it into Holly’s hands so it would look like she was holding a star.

I folded small pieces of watercolor paper to different sizes and glued them to the back of my pieces to help them “pop” out.

The finished piece is now hanging up in the hallway outside of Holly’s room. I’m looking forward to creating another piece done in a similar style. Any suggestions for future projects?