playing with paint

anatomical heart handpainted notebook

gold-dipped feather

Just playing with some new supplies this week.

xo marisa

feathers and stones

Bodhi Feathers 

Taos Stones

Although I was busy this past week, I did manage to finish this set of feathers, and a couple little stones. I got some new supplies in the mail, including new paints and gouache. The new colors are inspiring, can't wait to work with them. I also got a new sketchbook, and it must be the nicest I've ever had! It was on sale on blick online and the pages are gorgeous compared to my last one. I got all my orders out yesterday, so I'm looking forward to painting and sketching all day today.

xo marisa

sunshiny day

Meet my 4 year old sunshine! River has been loving the rug I got for my office. He says it's 'fudgy' (meaning fuzzy) and has been lounging around on it all day. We've spent the last few days in the garden, and filled our home with roses so the air is sweet.

~*~ marisa

Easter In Locke

My teenage brother in law, making a romantic gesture for his girlfriend.  

The best Chinese food we ever had, this is the back of the restaurant. 

 

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My family came to town for Easter, and it was such a nice visit. We spent the day having a delicious brunch (my sister-in-law rocks in the kitchen), and watched the kids play and search for eggs. It was a perfect day. On our drive home we stopped by Locke, a historic 99 year old Chinese town. It's beautiful there, and was quiet and empty. We walked around, took pictures and had the best Chinese food ever.

I finished a few little paintings this week. I just love woodgrain. It's so meditative to paint those lines, without a plan, or knowing where they'll go. They're in the shop, and I'll be adding prints soon. 

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep I had a fun idea for a new series. Ideas always come to me when I'm just getting to sleep, so I usually say them out loud in hopes I'll remember them the next day. I'm really excited about it, and already sketched it out this morning. I have to get some orders out today, but once I'm done I'm sure it'll turn into a 2am painting night! Better get a good audiobook...

~marisa~

morning hymns

Today the house is silent, and the trees are whispering their hymn.

A few new paintings were finished this week. I love bright colors paired with soft neutrals, so I'm bringing some softer colors to my collection.

xo marisa

Etsy Favorites

It's a rainy day in my neck of the woods. Riv is watching Peter Pan, and pretending to fly off the couch. The pup is snoring loudly, and the kitten just stole my seat. I'm enjoying this slow day. What better time to share some of my very favorite handmade items, found on Etsy.

Beautiful work by Paulina Varregn - Emerald Snow

Paulina is an incredibly talented artist, who works in several mediums. I'm a huge fan of her work which I discovered just the day after she opened shop on Etsy. I was lucky enough to be her first sale, and now have this beautiful piece gracing my studio.

 It's even more stunning in person. I absolutely love it.

Wild Woman Awakening 

Her originals are going quick, I suggest you drop in before they're all sold!

Here are a couple others I hope to have one day...

La Loba - The Bone Woman

La Mariposa 

Such a great print and color combo on this bag from bookhou at home (a favorite shop).

Amy Komar, of artist in the arctic has such a positive vision behind her work.

I love everything Amy creates, all her pieces are full of joy and inspiration. 

I've had my eye on this one for some time. 

I love how each dot looks like a little jewel. Beautiful.

Initiation

Globe Series No. 1

Cloud Cover

If you forgot to get a 2012 planner, here's my very favorite - on sale for just $7. You can find yours here at juliakostreva.

This is the design I have. The pages are really nice and it even has a section in the front for planning projects, which I've found very useful.

 

happy wednesday!

~ marisa ~

neon in nature

luna feathers

lemon tree feather

neon rainbow stones

spring stones

spring stones

Some new things in shop this week; all spring inspired. 

I've never been into neon - at all - but I think it looks fun and playful (and very toned down) on stones. I'm really enjoying these on my desk.

More to come.

~ marisa ~

Fresh Supplies - oh yeah!!!

layout of this weeks feathers

new art supplies makes a very happy desk!

spring stones will be in shop tomorrow!

Probably one of the most exciting things for me is getting new art supplies. I used to go to Blick, my favorite art supply store in San Diego. I've gone there since I was 10, back then it was called The Art Store. My mother owned a Salon just blocks from there, so any money I ever earned was spent at that store. Even if it was just a new pencil, I was thrilled to work with something new. Well, I don't know WHY in the world I didn't think to buy my supplies from Blick online! Since moving from San Diego, there are no real art supply stores in my area - other than Michaels and the extremely overpriced Aaron Bros. which carry the bare minimum. For the past two years (since the move) I've felt a bit restricted with painting since I didn't have a lot of the supply I'd like to work with and was buying overpriced paints. I went to Blick and found so many gorgeous papers and paints - and everything was 70% off with free shipping. I stocked up on paper and got all the acrylic inks I've been wanting.  When the package arrive on my doorstep it was more exciting than Christmas morning!

The only thing is I've never purchased paint online, so I didn't entirely know what to expect. I ended up with a few colors that I'd probably never purchase in person (talking neon), but they've inspired me to give the whole neon spring trend a chance, so I'll be using them on some spring stones. There's a peek at one of them above. They'll all be listed in my shop tomorrow. I'm trying to decide if I should list them in singles, or sets...hmm

I'm also ecstatic about my new paper! It makes such a difference in the painting. I've already tried a couple feathers on the two smaller blocks. One is hot pressed paper, which I've never used. It's really smooth and the paint seems to dry/absorb into it more quickly than the cold pressed paper I nomally use. I'm thinking of using the hot pressed paper for some playful feathers with neon lining. We'll see how it turns out.

Aside from that I've just been kept busy this week with a few custom and wholesale orders. I've been really wanting to get back to this new pair of feathers. I'll have time to paint today - yay!

xo marisa