DIY project for your coloring book pages

Here's a great DIY project for your finished coloring book pages: 

1. Go to your local thrift shop/Goodwill, and buy old framed pictures or empty frames. 

2. Buy some fun colored spray paint (I used regular outdoor enamel spray paint). I picked colors that would make my pictures pop. 

3. Take the back and glass out of the frame (or tape up with painters tape)

4.  Spray the frame (you might need a couple of coats) and let dry. 

Added bonus tip: use a pearly top coat spray after the normal paint has dried. It will give it a lite shimmer effect. 

5.  When done, put your picture inside the frame and you now have beautiful art to hang or give as a gift!

**post your finished projects for me to see!

New Doodle Alphabet Series Sneak Peek!

I started a new art series. Doodle Alphabet. I'm currently making my way thru the letters but wanted to give you a sneak peek. Once I am done, I will have the black and white prints made and then will be finishing them to also offer in color. It's a slow process but fun!

To keep up to date on my progress and future purchasing opportunities, please follow my blog or one of the others below ~

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Julesbakerartstudio

Instagram: @thejulesbaker - https://instagram.com/thejulesbaker/

Enjoy!

Instagram, Art and Me

I've been totally lax on my blog for the past year.  But I am going to rectify that.  I am linking my pinterest, deviantart and instagram accounts to this page.  I want to be able to share my art with everyone as well as my journey from sometimes artist, to full-fledged art professional.

Follow me on Instagram at: @thejulesbaker

My Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/thejulesbaker/

Deviantart: http://julesbaker.deviantart.com/

And here is some art to make you smile!

So I got Married! .......

Actually, I got married last year on 12-12-12.  But it was random and we did it last minute on a dare.  We were already engaged and had set our original wedding date for 4-20-2013.

Me and my son on my wedding day

Me and my new husband on our 12-12-12 wedding day.  Not bad for a wedding planned in 24 hours huh?

We decided to keep the April wedding date and use it to throw a reception/party instead.  We wanted it to have that Rock-a-Billy/Tattoo feel so I designed some artwork for the invitations as well as some banners that we had around.

Here is the original top to our invite:

Here is our invite (my lettering was a bit off but it was a last minute rush job):

And then I also did this sugar skull drawing for the banners:

Everyone had an amazing time, we loved every minute of it.

Me and my girls on my 4-20-2013 reception day.

Cheers!  We had a crazy fun time!

First Art Show!

February 1st thru March 22nd, 2014, I will be have 2 of my paintings in the Huntington Beach Art Center's "Centered on the Center" Art Show.  I am super excited since this is the first time I have allowed my work to be publicized.

I have entered the following paintings:

This piece will be on sale for $120.00

This piece is on loan from Joan Flynn and will not be for sale.

If you would like to come see the talented artists at this show, please stop by the Huntington Beach Art Center on Main Street in Huntington Beach, CA.

Thanks!

New Painting - My Largest to Date

My mother has really eclectic taste in art. She acquired three fairly large, colorful paintings from a local artist and although they are really fun to look at, they don't really go with the rest of the decor in her house.

 

About 6 months ago she asked me to make her a painting for her newly remodeled diningroom, but I never got around to it until now. I chose to make her 2 ft x 3 ft painting in a 4 part canvas series, different sizes but put together they make one large painting. She can eventually hang them together as a series, or hang them separately throughout her house.

 

I asked her what palatte she wanted (I like to work in a color theme), and she asked me to match the colors in her funky paintings, which is pretty much every primary color and every other bright color under the rainbow). I did the best I could, I think it will match well and will tie all of her paintings in every room, together.

 

I used acrylic paint on gessoed canvas. This took me from sketch stage, to paint stage, to lining stage, to the end about 2 weeks (1 full weekend and a couple of hours every night).

 

I haven't given it to her yet, but I know she will love it. It's very detaailed and there is something to look at in every part of the painting.

 

Enjoy!

Step-By-Step Sketching

I love making patterns.  I am very symetrical, I have a hard time not balancing things out when I draw.  (I really need to learn to let go of that!)

 

I drew this mandala with the help of my 9 year-old son who directed me on where to place the lines in my picture as I drew.

 

The first step I took was to sketch it out in pencil (sorry, I don't have that picture to show you!).

 

The next step was to line it all in pen, then erase the pencil lines.  I used the Micron pens for this step.

Looks nice but kind of boring with all the same size lines.

 

Step three, I made some lines thicker and added the fine details, again with my Micron pens.

It's looking way better!  My son loves this last step.  I colored everything in using my Copics, Sharpies and Bic Mark-Its.  My son picked the colors to use.  Then my final touch was with my white paint pens. 

Turned out pretty nice for a mommy and me project (he says "mommy and me" sounds to baby-ish - hahaha).

Doodling with new pens

I got a new set of the Faber-Castell Pitt Pens the other day.  They are the smaller brush tips.  I really like them. 

 

I've been testing them out with a few quick doodles here for your pleasure:

 

 

Let me know what you think!

My Birthday

Today is my birthday!  Yay for me. 

It doesn't really bother me that I'm getting older, I don't feel as old as my age.  I try to live my life the way that I want to, not how society feels that someone my age should be living it.  I have friends of many different ages and I try to surround myself with happy, fun people that enjoy life.

I am posting this picture that I drew for my friend for her birthday, but I'll use it to celebrate my day too.

Enjoy your day everyone!

xoxo Jules xoxo

Don't Think Too Hard

After much coaxing by all my friends and family, I’ve created this blog to post all of my little sketchbook doodles and drawings and all my other whimsical crafty projects. 

I’ll also be posting links to some of my favorite artists’ blogs as well as to some fun craft project ideas.  Please check back once in a while for more!

This first post is for a random drawing I did with one of my favorite quotes that I’m constantly telling myself, “Don’t Think Too Hard”.

I wanted to try the zentangles but I didn’t want the wording to get lost in the doodles so I made a line around the letters.  I doodled some zentangles and some organic-y looking scribbles.  I wanted to play with all of my new pens, colored pencils and gel pens so I colored it in as well.  Enjoy!

I’m looking forward to sharing my many doodles, drawings and many crafty projects with everyone.   I hope you all enjoy!