A NEW Video- How To Create Whimsical Animals

Here's a little video snip-it of DREAMERS WILL SAVE THE WORLD... one of the paintings I demonstrate from start to finish in my online course HOW TO CREATE WHIMSICAL ANIMALS.

For this painting, I played with all sorts of my favorite art supplies: water-soluble oil pastels, vintage postcards, book pages, and acrylic paints. 

Whimsical animals are some of my go-to characters whenever I'm feeling stuck. 

I hope you enjoy this video!

Prints available here

Happy Painting!

xo,

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If you'd like to paint together, find details on my online courses here.

A NEW Painting Video & A GIVEAWAY!

SERENDIPITY. Prints available in my shop.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined". – Henry David Thoreau

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Thank YOU so very much for all of your kind words and enthusiasm about my newest online course, SERENDIPITY - A Year In Mixed Media. 

I cannot wait to paint with all of you for the entire year!

Your support means more than I can ever express, and I can't even say how excited I am for class to begin on September 16! This is the first time I'm teaching a class throughout the entire year and after hearing from so many of you that you just don't ever get enough time to create, it seemed like the perfect thing to do. And the classroom will be open for 2 years.

Find all of the class details and register right here.

And to celebrate it all, I'm having a GIVEAWAY! 

*update: the giveaway has ended. thank you to everyone who entered.*

The winner will receive a spot in SERENDIPITY. Just leave a comment to this post and include your email address by September 10, 2013 11:59 EST and I'll randomly choose the winner and announce it here on Wednesday before class begins. If you've already registered, no worries, you can still enter and either choose to be refunded or pass your free spot onto a friend.

And now for a little video inspiration...

I hope you enjoy this video. It's a snip-it from the first project we'll be painting in SERENDIPITY - A Year In Mixed Media. 

In class, I slow down most of the video from start to finish and talk you through each step, so you can see just how every layer got there and know why I create the way I do to make it easiest for you to paint too. 

I can't wait to see the gorgeous artwork you create!

*Update: The sale spots are nearly sold out. Payment plans are always welcome. 

Find all of the class details and register right here.

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ps. A HUGE Thank you to my husband Brian of Humanity. He's not only in the process of developing my new website, but also edits my painting videos and builds the platform for my online courses. 

You can see what Brian's been working on here.

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pps. Did you catch the fabulous song in the video by my amazing song-writing friends the wiggly tendrils? I just can't even say how grateful I am to them for letting me use their music in all of my painting videos. 

Check out more of their songs here.

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ppps. I'm sending out my monthly newsletter soon-ish. if you'd like to hear all of the latest and be the first to see new paintings and get coupons. 

Sign up here.

Have a wonderful and inspirational weekend!!!

A NEW VIDEO- Spray Paint & Stencils

One of my favorite things to do is play with spray paint and stencils. I just purchased a few of the liquitex acrylic spray paints and love them since they are low-odor and water-based.

I adore the various looks you can get with spray paints. It's so fun (and quick) to create multiple backgrounds at once too.

This is one of the techniques I use to get unstuck and whenever I need to start having fun with my paintings again.

I hope you enjoy this video!

Having lots of backgrounds started and ready to go helps me not get so attached to just one. So I'm never afraid to add a character and "mess everything up."

Do you have any techniques you use to get unstuck with your artwork?

Happy painting!

xoxo,

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ps. A huge thank you to my lovely husband Brian who is my video editor and technical guru. He's currently putting the finishing touches on my new website... I can't wait to share it with you soon!

If you're looking for an easy-to update website, blog or e-course website, check out Brian's website here. He's lovely to work with.

A NEW VIDEO: Mixed Media Backgrounds

Lately, I’ve been spending as much time as possible painting in the sunshine on my backyard patio. 

I’m slowing down after spending a week of teaching, connecting and painting in Port Townsend, Washington with my dear friends Mindy Lacefield and Danielle Daniel. The experience reminded me of the importance of connecting with others and feeling like a kid again. So I’m scheduling lots of local art dates with friends, building forts out of the sofa cushions and watching classic movies like Back to the Future and Indiana Jones with my husband.    

So much of this light-hearted-ness has been channeled into a very special online course I have coming up… I’ll share the details with you very soon! 

In the meantime, I'm so excited that How To Paint An Owl 2 is now available as a self-paced course. Find the details here.

And to celebrate all of this creativity, I have a new VIDEO for you...

I always have 5-6 paintings going at once. That way, there is always one that is dry and ready for second layers.

I recorded the process of making multiple backgrounds...I hope you enjoy the video!

With music by my friends' the wiggly tendrils 

I'm kind of in love with the intro and outro for my videos that my lovely husband Brian put together... with stunning video footage shot by our good friend and photographer Dave Kreisman. 

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

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ps. I share more of these backgrounds, loosening up techniques and how I play with layering art supplies in my newest online workshop, HOW TO PAINT AN OWL 2... now available as a self paced class, so you can skip ahead and go at your own pace.

Find details and Register Here.

pps. I've added lots of new prints and original paintings to my etsy shop here.

a NEW Painting Video & a GIVEAWAY!

“There are never enough 'I love you's.” ― Lenny Bruce

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i am SO incredibly grateful for all of your kind words and excitement about my newest online workshop, HOW TO PAINT AN OWL 2. THANK YOU! 

your support means more than i can ever express, and i can't even say how excited i am for class to begin on april 15! find all of the class details and register right here.

and to celebrate it all, i'm having a GIVEAWAY! 

the winner will receive a spot in HOW TO PAINT AN OWL 2... head over to the LUCKY STAR art retreat blog to enter.

*update: the giveaway has ended. thank you to everyone who entered.*

whenever i get stuck or frustrated with my paintings, i return to painting owls. 

my hope for you in HOW TO PAINT AN OWL 2 is that you have fun and learn techniques to easily paint and play in a style that is unique and original to YOU! it's all about adding color and whimsy to your every day, so that when you come to a blank canvas it's easy to create. 

and i know if you're enjoying your art and having fun, then that joy and enthusiasm will flow into all of the other areas of your life too. 

……….

 

i hope you enjoy this little video. it's a snip-it from one of the DREAM OWLS we'll be painting in HOW TO PAINT AN OWL 2. i can't wait to see the gorgeous owls you create.

find all of the class details and register right here.

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ps. did you catch the fabulous song in the video, HOW TO PAINT AN OWL, by the wiggly tendrils? i just can't even say how grateful i am to them for letting me use their music in all of my painting videos.

pps. i'm sending out my monthly newsletter soon-ish. if you'd like to hear all of the latest and be the first to see new paintings, sign up here.

have a wonderful and inspirational weekend!!!

xoxo,

a NEW VIDEO: Mixed Media Backgrounds

whenever i get stuck with my paintings, i create backgrounds. i usually have four or five going at one time. and i'm never afraid to cover them up. 

i think that's the reason why i love creating my backgrounds so much...because the process feels incredibly free-ing. 

i try and apply that same freedom to all of my paintings. but sometimes i get too attached to one of my characters and tense up before covering the parts i don't like. 

if i get frozen and don't want to try anything new, then i just go back to starting a new background again!

it's all part of my creative process and i've been having so much fun creating all of these backgrounds and layers, i thought i'd share a few with you...

i happened to record the process of some of these backgrounds from start to finish...i hope you enjoy the video!

with music by my friends' the wiggly tendrils

i'm super proud of the new intro and outro for my videos that my lovely husband brian put together... with stunning video footage shot by our good friend and photographer dave kreisman. 

we spent two days shooting around my studio and home in madison, wisconsin, so i can't wait to share more of the gorgeous videos with you soon!

happy painting!

i'll share more of these new backgrounds, loosening up techniques and how i play with layering art supplies in my newest online workshop, HOW TO PAINT AN OWL 2. 

registration opens march 15 and class starts april 15. 

sign up for my newsletter if you'd like a little reminder (and an early bird discount too). 

a NEW Video & my Mini Course Starts Today!

i'm so excited that my newest online course BACKGROUNDS & LAYERS starts today!

and i couldn't resist sharing a new painting video with you! i always have so much fun sharing my process with everyone! 

find details and register for BACKGROUNDS & LAYERS (a mini course) right here.

enjoy the video!

watch the video here or use this direct link.

and if you fancy seeing more, watch other painting videos here. and listen to more music by the incredibly talented collective the wiggly tendrils here.

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ps. HOW TO CREATE WHIMSICAL ANIMALS is now available as an instant-access course, which means all of my online classes are now available as self-paced courses with access to the classroom until august 2013. 

find details and register here. 

pps. i'm so excited to be one of the teachers for christy tomlinson's 12 Artsy Ornaments of Christmas online class. 

find details and register here.

a NEW Mini Course & a VIDEO!

i've been so excited by all of the paintings i've been creating in my art journal that i've decided to turn the process into a new mini course to get your creativity flowing too! 

the mini course is called Backgrounds & Layers and will be self-paced from the beginning. class starts november 16! 

creating these pages helps me let go and loosen up. it's not so much that i get stuck with my paintings as much as i find i get stagnant. it's so easy to keep creating whatever is comfortable or easy. well, these paintings have pushed me to experiment even more! 

click here to find all of the details and register for Backgrounds & Layers. 

in the meantime, i have a fun new video to share with you... i hope you enjoy it!

Online Art Courses with Juliette Crane from Juliette Crane on Vimeo.

this is a page i created using all sorts of art supplies from my studio...acrylics, water soluble oil pastels and crayons, india ink, glitter and pencils.

i had so much fun experimenting with lots of layers and neon paints and colors.

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ps. HOW TO CREATE WHIMSICAL ANIMALS is now available as an instant-access course, which means all of my online classes are now available as self-paced courses with access to the classroom until august 2013. 

find details and register here! 

Art Journaling With Mixed Media & A VIDEO!

i am having so much fun art journaling! 

i purchased my first art journal ever a few weeks ago. people mentioned i might get addicted to art journaling, but i never thought i'd love it quite so much!

for years i've taken to writing morning pages (via Julia Cameron and the Artist's Way). and when i ran out of pages and needed a new journal, i figured i'd just pick up something i always love with a gorgeous cover and graph or recycled paper inside.

but when i saw this journal, the thought jumped in that it would be a perfect art journal. 

and slowly, i've been filling it's pages with doodles, collages and mixed media.

after taking mindy lacefield's paint your story online class, i was inspired to start taking drawings from my sketchbook and layering them in my journal with all sorts of supplies. 

i don't often feel pressure when i create, but there's something about working right on these pages that keeps things spontaneous. it's so free-ing!

and since i've convinced myself it's a journal rather than a sketchbook, my mind goes straight to including words too. 

for these pages, i used water soluble oil pastels, white gesso, a silver graffiti paint marker, painted background pages from my sketchbook, and tissue paper.

i happened to record the process of this art journal page from start to finish...i hope you enjoy the video!

Art Journaling from Juliette Crane on Vimeo.

happy painting!

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ps. my hubby Brian has a FALL SPECIAL going on... receive 15% OFF website, blog and e-course design and development until Oct 31, 2012 (more than a $100 value). 

click here to contact him about the special and read testimonials here (he's lovely to work with).