Adirondack Chairs by the Falls by Guest Designer Dawn Wagner

 Celebration Hi!

I return for another round of painting fun!

 


America has its 250th Anniversary this 4th of July. I decided to create a celebration scene with the June Throwback. I used the following sets: 6234-Woodland Falls Throwback, 6236-Rocky Falls, 6225- Adirondack Chairs, 5009-Mini Flowers, 5373-Lg Tree Set(leaves only), 4051-Foliage and 5476- Foliage 5. I used Canson watercolor paper, #4 and #0 brushes, Tombow colors 969, 565, 177, 158, 133, 856, 990, 992, 526 and N35. TwinTone colors chocolate, Prussian blue, emerald green, blue and navy. I also used KingArt 132-Blue, and Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White. I inked the woodland falls stamp with 969 and 565 in the areas I was going to use for my scene. I did not use the entire scene because I wanted to add the lower falls to make the waterfall cascade longer. I used a stamp positioner to add the lower falls to the scene. I penciled in rocks on the left by the tree to complete the picture. Using the #4 brush with only water, I started pulling color from where I thought the darkest shadows of the rocks would be. I used N35 fine tip to deepen the darkest shadows and then used multiple color and many layers to the rocks to give them a more realistic look. I pulled color from the lines of the tree and went back in with the chocolate TwinTone to darken certain areas. I used the leaves from the tree set to make the background leaves and the leaves from 6234 for the darker foreground areas. I added the Adirondack chairs to the bottom of the waterfall using 969 and 565. I did stamp off once to lighten them up a bit. I added the American Flag to them for a patriotic look. I added some grasses and mini flowers under the tree and around some of the rocks. I used multiple blue colors in the waterfall to create some depth and flow appearance. I used Ph Martin’s to add some “churning” of the water at the bottom of each cascade, and some running down the waterfall. I was thinking the scene looked incomplete with the chasers just sort of floating in space there, so I added a shoreline and some sand to ground them into the scene. Sometimes I have a hard time trying to figure out just how to include and ground things into the project. That’s when I thought I needed to add some foliage and flowers by the chairs to complete the look. Okay, to be honest, I really wanted fireworks above the waterfall, that was my intent, but I was not confident enough to add them without messing up the rest of the scene. I will practice those at a later time. Thank you for following along and hope you had a great 4th of July!

Petals & Blooms with Pencils and Watercolor by Janet

There's something so therapeutic about sitting down with a fresh stamp and a palette of colors. Today’s project features a charming garden scene using stamps from Art Impressions, brought to life with a mix of watercolors and colored pencils for a rich, textured look.

I started by stamping the image from 6193-Petals and Blooms. It's a lovely cabinet that I stamped onto watercolor paper. I started by coloring the cabinet itself with colored pencils. I love the depth and deep color achieved with them. The oranges and blues work nicely together and they are a great backdrop to the flowers and fauna I added into the pots. I stamped those in with Tombo Duel Brush Pens and softened and blended the Art Impression way! I used three flower sets: 5009-WC Mini Flower Set, 5476-Foliage Set 5, and 5825-Geranium Set. 

After coloring the image, I added a watercolor blue and lavender halo around the entire cabinet. Adding a background wash is a personal decision by each crafter. To me it elevates the image and makes it look finished.

To finish the look, I added white gel pen to add highlights on the pots and to draw in the drawer pulls. It's a small detail but can make a big difference in the final result.

To frame the floral scene, I used a multi-layered approach. I used 5062-Rounded Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies to cut a soft rectangle shape with a charming stitched border all around. Behind that, I cut a piece of pink vellum with lavender metallic polka dots. The dots add just the right of shine to the card. The two stacked pieces were then centered on a preprinted A2 card base with a fun, geometric hexagon pattern. All the patterns and colors add a modern touch to a classic floral theme.

What are your favorite colors to use for spring cards? I’m currently leaning heavily into these purples and pinks! Happy spring!

Thanks for joining me on the blog today. As always, find your favorite stamps, dies, papers, and accessories at the Ai Store!

Happy Crafting!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest