creativityUNLEASHED by traci bautista

inspiration: love nature

As earth month comes to a close, here's a collection of snapshots + colors inspired by nature around the Bay Area. A couple weekends ago, we spent the day in Half Moon Bay and Berkeley, as we walked above Moss Beach {there are no doggies allowed on the beach} and then explored around town I captured these images...

flowers in bloom.

sunlight sparkling through the Japanese maple leaves.

colorful foliage in the gardens.

textures in the tree trunks.

HOW I use these photos----> The images above are intertwined with a few of my colorful canvases that were painted with Tulip Soft Fabric paints, Fabric Sprays and Tulip Slick Dimensional paints. The photos inspire the marks that I make and shapes that I paint to share stories of my adventures in an abstract way. I also created color palette cards with tidbits of papers, fabrics and embellishments in my studio. Hanging on my wall is a Spring color inspiration clipboard with a few fabrics dyed with Tulip One Step Fashion Dyes, a handmade crocheted flower and fiber rughooked piece.

be inspired by the nature that surrounds YOU. explore. take a walk & capture snapshots of the colors and textures that inspire you.

a quote from my favorite architect---->

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you." ~Frank Lloyd Wright

Happy creating! xoxo~Traci

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TODAY'S POST SPONSORED BY  ILoveTo Create

artJOURNALING fridays: trees + sky

It's been a busy week and quiet on my blog, I've been buried in designing and final testing of my NEW website {www.treicdesignsdigitals}, which officially launches on Monday!! For artJOURNALING fridays, this week I'm sharing a peek through my lens during our trail walks with Indie.

The weather turned a little chilly and the rain came in for a couple days but it left beauty behind. The sun tried to peek through yesterday and here's a snippet of the bare oak trees against the cloudy sky. I am in awe of the magnificent sky and the images that I capture when pointing the camera lens up..so much beauty to soak in!

My art journal is a collection...a collection of inspirations which sometimes include photos. I love taking photos of trees and the sky. These images grace the page so I can remember a magical place and time.

a few creative ideas...

• take a walk and capture pictures of the trees and sky
• look at the patterns in the branches, they tell stories, what do they say to you? write a few words
• draw the patterns of trees in your journal
• create a tree stencil and use it to paint a background
• paint with fallen branches or leaves
• print photos and collage them into your art journal
• write a poem about the trees and sky
• add a quote about trees

Take a break and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds you. Enjoy soaking in the inspiration...breathe and smile.

happy art journaling...xoxo~treiC

>>>>>>>>>>>>>SHARE YOUR WORK>>>>>>>>>>>>

I'd love to see what you are up to in your own art journals, please share links to your photos or blog posts in the comments. what did you journal about this week?

*be inspired by the lovely pool of photos & share your artwork in the artJOURNALING daily flickr group

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p.s. my NEW digitalCANVAS {digital art journaling} e-course starts March 25! details here

{exploring} fort funston

My #onelittleword for 2013 is NEW, so every month my intention is to visit a NEW place and to experience NEW things.

WE LOVE to explore...you might remember that I've shared previous adventures here and here. We make it a point to take weekend getaways and day trips whenever we can.  On Sunday, Tyler and I took a drive to the coast to visit Fort Funston, south of San Francisco, and spent the afternoon exploring the beach with Indie. It's was a beautiful day, this was our first visit and it's one of the best places to take your puppy for off-leash play. It's an easy hike through the trees and down to the beach. It was a bit chilly but the sun shined brightly...a gorgeous day! Indie loved roaming about the sand and chasing the other pups by the water.

here are snapshots of inspiration I discovered...

amazing textures and patterns in the sand & rocks...

a chilly day.         sun shining.

puppies PLAY.             enjoying the fresh air.            birds soar above.

                            sand glistens

    waves crash.                        taking in the glorious day.              caught in the breeze.   

                        indulge in the NEW.                ideas. textures. experiences.

>>------------------------------>>>                                    

                                        BREATHE deeply.

                                                                                   and APPRECIATE the MOMENT.

----->>> I discovered the mantra above in the lululemon manifesto. It is a great reminder to stop, take it all in and appreciate whatever is going on in your life this moment. You can see more of my travel & exploring adventures here.

                                                                                                        xoxo~treiC

lil indie all tuckered out after running around the beach...

a fun little vine video of our day at the beach...

artJOURNALING fridays: RIGHT NOW

Lots goin on over here...I've been packing and getting ready to leave for CHA Anaheim. So much to do!! It's Friday and here's a fun digital journal page using one of my NEW digital journaling kits. I've been LOVING my new iPad mini and Noteshelf app, it's FAB for adding layers of collage, my decorative digitapes and photos onto the page. Explore the theme RIGHT now in your journal this week.

art journaling prompt: RIGHT NOW

{i am loving...}

listening to...

on my desk...

i want to travel to----->

taking photos of...

my FAVE color is...

i am eating...

I'm challenging myself to do this fun prompt at least once a week to remind me of what's been going on in my daily life. Use this idea to record your day or week, add your own prompts and have fun! Collage photos of your week, stamp the date or add your favorite washi tape.

enjoy the RIGHT NOW.  happy art journaling...xoxo~Traci

>>>>>>>>>>>>>SHARE YOUR WORK>>>>>>>>>>>>

I'd love to see what you are up to in your own art journals, please share links to your photos or blog posts in the comments. what did you journal about this week? what's happening in your life RIGHT NOW?

*be inspired by the lovely pool of photos & share your artwork in the artJOURNALING daily flickr group

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

p.s. I've designed journaling cards and a digital art journal kit using this theme, which will be available in my new shoppe soon. I've been working long hours everyday to get the new shoppe ready for a VIP preview launch at CHA...it's almost ready...I'm soooo excited! I'll share more on that in an upcoming post. have a great weekend!!

artJOURNALING fridays

{01.03.13} let go...MOVE forward

this year I have decided to explore NEW ideas...new techniques...new ways of extending my artwork. I've been working on a lot doodling, drawing, collage and creating mixed media digital art journaling pages on my iPad mini. It's a great way to explore new directions and also allows me to journal and brainstorm visually when I don't have access to my paints and supplies. This page was created with Paper53 & Bamboo Stylus. I've been pushing myself to explore creating layers like I would in my actual art journal...lots of fun..experimentation! I've also been working with a few other apps to create mixed media layers using collage and my photos. I'll share peeks of those soon!

a few creative prompts/thoughts...use these to jumpstart your art journal pages.

what do you want to let go of?

MOVE forward------> arrows, up, NEW, go

what symbols or ideas represent movement?

what are you hoping 2013 brings into your life?

find a quote using MOVE

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

introducing artJOURNALING fridays...

In 2010, I launched a blog series called artJOURNALING daily, with the hopes of encouraging myself to spend more time inside the pages of my art journals everyday and inspire others with prompts. But work, daily life and travel got in the way of continuing the series daily...plus I just plain overextended myself with online workshops, writing my book, creating products, designing new art journals, etc.

My goal this year is to create a few art journal pages each week. I was going to say daily, but I know that won't be the case. So I'll be sharing some of the pages in my digital journals, sketchbooks, mixed media supplies and creative prompts with you each week ...so join me for Art Journaling FRIDAYS!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>SHARE YOUR WORK>>>>>>>>>>>>

I'd love to see what you are up to in your own art journals, please share links to your photos or blog posts in the comments? what did you journal about this week? what's your focus for 2013?

*be inspired by the lovely pool of photos in the artJOURNALING daily flickr group

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

TEACHING/workshop update: I've decided to take a break from teaching most of this year. I will have a few special workshops at my studio, a couple events to launch my new art stamps and I'm only planning 2 NEW online workshops {as of now} this year. I really want to focus on NEW things and NEW directions with the launch of my digital boutique.  I'm working on an e-course about digital art journaling which I'm planning to launch in March. I'll announce details next week!! stay tuned...looking forward to a creative 2013 with OPEN arms, mind & heart.

happy art journaling...xoxo~treiC

after the storm

artJOURNALING daily {holiday LOVE}

photo inspirations: natural beauty

some days my creative inspiration comes from the beautiful colors, textures and vignettes that I encounter in nature. I take snapshots with my iPhone to document my day, then print or digitally alter them then collage them nto my journal pages. A big part of the holiday season is the weather, find a creative way to document it.

in California, we've had a week of down pouring rain, grey skies and chilly weather. finally the sun peeked through the clouds today. this season I've had a love affair with the gorgeous natural beauty in AUTUMN leaves and they have made their way into my art.

>>>>>>>>creative prompt: today I encourage you to take a walk outside and record your day with a few pictures or quick sketches then incorporate them into your journal

look up. look down. look all around. you never know where you'll find beauty.

what thoughts and ideas come to mind?

what colors do you see? what textures appear?

write a poem about your adventure

scribble a 5 minute sketch in your art journal

gather a bunch of fallen leaves and photocopy them. collage into your journal.

how do you convey a feeling in a photo?

>>>>>>>>>>more AUTUMN inspiration

paint leaves in your journal

be inspired by my AUTUMN leaves color palette and *flair tray

more of my AUTUMN leaves inspiration here, here and here

after the storm.

bare branches. birds quietly perch.

grey skies. puddles of water. crisp air.

leaves. leaves. EVERYWHERE.

beautiful patterns. vibrant hues of AUTUMN.

discovering the {natural beauty}

in the calm grey sky.

>>>>>>>>>>

 

gratitude

yesterday during a quick morning walk this is the beauty I encountered.

rich. deep. colorful AUTUMN leaves.

covered with morning dew.

light. presence. thankful.       

so thankful for....     my family.     my LOVE.     our INDIE.

for my health.     living my dreams.   

beautiful nature. {falling leaves}

rich. deep. AUTUMN leaves.

the sun shining brightly.

beauty surrounds.

i hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving

....wishing you & yours a beautiful holiday season

~xoxo..treiC

 

 

artJOURNALING daily: instagram roundup

I've been having fun posting #artJOURNALINGdaily prompts on Instagram everyday. In case you haven't been able to follow, I'm sharing a round up of some of the creative prompts here on my blog with a detailed explanation of the artwork. The prompts range from painting, color palettes, handmade stamps, photography, doodling and creative exploration. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>{above image} #artjournalingdaily prompt: story. 
-my story...
-tell a story
-->her story
---a funny story
-->a make believe story
--today's story 
--->write a story in your journal.
The page above was created on Strathmore 400 series Mixed Media paper. I attached various chevron papers, rub-ons & washi tape by Hambly Studios. Cut a printed inkjet photo of my artwork, then free motion stitched flowers and doodles using my Janome sewing machine. The word story is stitched onto a piece of drill cloth fabric.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>#artjournalingdaily prompt: white correction pen
-experiment with painting on fabric. add a piece of fabric to your journal by gluing it with Collage Pauge. my FAVE fabric to paint is drill cloth or unbleached muslin works nice too.
-this piece reads...BE FREE..take chances. write about something you've taken a chance doing. what was the outcome? how did you feel?
-scrape paint over fabric with an old hotel room key/gift card
-the red marks were created by stamping with the bottom of paint bottle
-use the edge of a plastic hotel room key/gift card, dip it in paint then press onto surface to create lines
-add white over dry paint
-draw and write with a white correction pen.
-TIP: use the correction pen over painted fabric the lines will show better.
-read more about my FAVE white pens for art journaling here

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>#artjournalingdaily prompt: found tool printing plates
-create stamps from found objects
-these stamps were made with toothpicks & rubber bands
-the center stamp is foam hair curlers cut into pieces
-attach found objects to self adhesive craft foam or glue to cardboard.
-what are some of your fave found tools?
-head to the dollar store or hardware store and look around your house, garage, kitchen for tools with interesting textures.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>#artjournalingdaily prompt: love. heart. passion
-draw or paint a heart
-write about your passions
-what do you love?
-how can you turn your passion into your career?
-cut out heart shapes & stitch them to a page
-cut a heart stencil then spray Radiant Rain shimmering mists
-write the word LOVE

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>#artjournalingdaily prompt: layered words
-create a page of abstract storytelling with lines
-paint a page with 2-3 colors. Let dry.
-spill your thoughts, feelings, ideas on the page in a continuous steam of consciousness
-let the words flow naturally. Write whatever comes to mind without stopping for five minutes
-start writing with markers similar to the background for a "ghost effect"
-as you wrote alternate using various pens & markers
-add contrast colors with permanent paint pens or Copic markers
-use highlighters for transparent looking letters
-experiment with adding black pen
-write with a white correction pen
-add marks with Tulip Slick dimensional paint
-learn this video tutorial and more in my new TYPE + letters online workhop

To see all the #artjournalingdaily creative prompts plus art posted by others visit here. Follow me on IG @treicdesigns for daily art journal inspiration during September! Join in the creative journey by sharing your art journal pages using hashtag #artjournalingdaily. I'll be sharing some of the FABULOUS artwork that is posted.

happy art journaling...xoxo~treiC

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

p.s. my new TYPE + letter online worskhop starts October 1!! I'm giving away two spots, there is still time to enter the giveaway! details, video preview & to register visit here.

artJOURNALING daily on instagram

Looking for new ideas and creative prompts for your art journal? I'm continuing my popular artJOURNALING daily series on IG {Instagram} this month! Follow me on IG @treicdesigns for daily art journal prompts, creative ideas, photography tips, color inspiration, art materials discussion and sketching ideas. Get involved...share your art journal pages and tips by adding #artjournalingdaily to your IG post. For those of you not on Intstagram, you can find my dailly posts here. join in the creative journey....happy art journaling!

enjoy the inspiration...xoxo~treiC

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

p.s. There are only a couple more spots in Art Journal PLAY date, the first workshop at my new {studio 323*7} on Saturday, September 8! details & register here

artJOURNALING daily: AUGUST journal pages

a peek inside my early AUGUST art journal pages.

hand painted & dyed papers towels. washi tape. color studies. sketching faces. collage. paint. scribbles. my place to play and work out ideas.

what's inside your AUGUST pages? how do you use your art journal? share a link to a photo of one of your art journal pages in the comments...i'd love to see what you are working on.

#artjournalingdaily on IG>>>>>>>>>>>>>>join me in September for #artjounalingdaily on Instagram. a month of daily peeks into my art journal, colorful prompts, ideas and mini tutorials all delivered via Instagram. connect with me @treicdesigns on IG and get ready for a creative art journaling journey!! i'll post more details soon.

happy art journaling!! xoxo~treiC