You know how when you read something...and then a few days pass and then what you read comes out completely different? That's me.

I let my GPP Street Team Crusader membership lapse last month..but I am back this month to participate..and hey...lol I seem to have made it my own. No gesso...no tissue...what I did was paint a piece of sandwich wrap and attach it to my journal. I painted the wrap once the glue was dry.. Golden's Micaceous Iron Oxide (heavy body) brings out the texture in the wrap.

Go to the Street Team blog now. Anyone can participate and Michelle offers you excellent prompts every month....for freeeeeeeeee. Plus- some of the most supportive artists around are members..you'll feel the love no matter what.

Thanks for stopping by..and thank you for all of your comments on my last painting. I really appreciate your visits.

Acrylic on canvas

This is my departure.. from the usual...from art journaling..finding my palette..finding my voice. It's here.

Tired of being labeled....I am Julie.

My growth period is here....finally. I recognize it.

When you can apply every technique and medium you have studied for the past few years and comfortably, confidently apply it to a painting that makes your heart stop for a minute..that is how you know...

I'm happy at this place.

Golden Working Artist Chris Cozen and Mixed Media Artist Julie Prichard have teamed up once again to offer you another great online painting workshop! “Pretty Papers” will teach students numerous easy to follow techniques for using Golden Interference and Iridescent paints to create a variety of decorative papers. Use these “pretty papers” for collage, art journaling, mail art, greeting cards, wall art, tags…anything your paper crafting needs desire!

Interference and Iridescent paints create unusual beautiful effects on paper or any other substrate when combined with acrylic paint. After you finish our class, you will have learned how to incorporate these products into your painting repertoire.

This mini-workshop will teach students how to create 15 different paper looks via HD video and a glorious PDF. The video is subtitled which makes this class friendly to hearing impaired students. The PDF follows the video schedule making it a ready reference while you are working.

Within 24 hours of receipt of your class payment, students will be emailed a link to our teaching network. The entire class will be available to you at that time. Paint the day away!

Once you are finished with class, you do not have to leave. Students will continue to have access to the class with no foreseeable end date….you can paint at your own speed and come back and paint over and over again too!

We encourage your participation in our network. Students will have access to both Chris and Julie daily. We will answer all of your questions in a very timely manner. We also encourage all students to share their artwork in the picture galleries.  We believe that artists need an opportunity to dialogue with each other and we have set up the network to support this interaction between artists no matter where they live in the world.

Chris Cozen and Julie Prichard have learned and painted together for  several years and are thrilled to be able to bring this class to the online community.

Chris Cozen is a member of the Working Artist Program for Golden Artist Colors, Inc.  She lectures and teaches throughout her Southern California territory.  She is the author of three highly popular books on Acrylic techniques:  ALTERED SURFACES, TRANSFERS & ALTERED IMAGES, and MIXED MEDIA & COLOR.  She and her husband live in Pasadena, CA. Chris has a background in Education which she brings into play with every workshop and class she teaches.

Julie Prichard lives with her family in San Diego, CA. She is the author of several successful online teaching workshops including the wildly popular Layer Love online workshop and the Super Nova art journaling program.

Please note: Since you will be given almost immediate access to all of the course materials in this class, there are NO REFUNDS available.

Supply List:

The Pretty Papers Online Workshop works specifically with special effect paints made by Golden Artist Colors. For this class we recommend:

Fluid Acrylic Paint (Your choice of colors)

Iridescent Fluid Acrylic Paint (Your choice of colors)

Interference Fluid Acrylic Paint (Your choice of colors)

Acrylic Glazing Liquid (Gloss)

To complete all of the exercises, you will need at least 2 colors of interference paint and 2 colors of iridescent paint.

All “Michael’s” store locations in the USA will soon be stocking Golden Paints. We have heard form several students throughout the country that the displays are going up in the stores. You can also order the paints online at www.dickblick.com.

An assortment of pattern making supplies such as foam stamps, bold graphic rubber stamps or any other stencil plus foam cosmetic wedges.

Wide palette knife or old credit card.

Strathmore Student Series Black Art Paper

If you do not have black paper, you can create a dark surface on white paper by covering it with black gesso and allowing it to dry completely before class.

Once I receive your payment, you will receive the class invitation within 24 hours. If you do not hear from me within 24 hours, please contact me by using the link at the top of this blog.

$24.95

Enter your class email address

We hope to see you in class!

Springtime in San Diego..although we are expecting rain today. With our recent rains, the plants have totally taken off...I see many hours of pruning and clean up in my future..

There are also a ton of little birds visiting the yard these days. One bird in particular has been trying to get into the house for the past 2 days. He tries every window, sun up to sun down. So much so in fact, that if I don't hear him pecking away, I worry a little. We're new friends.

Isn't spring great?

EDIT: My sincere apologies! Gmail has been holding all of my web comments and contact emails hostage. I will be answering as many as I can today. Please email me again if you do not hear form me. How embarrassing..

I am working feverishly this week to wrap up a new class that will start on Saturday..

You'll like this one...

Once you sign up you get all the instruction at once..

Including a fantastic download to accompany the videos..

Instant gratification + Julie + Chris Cozen...

That should perk your Monday up.

See you soon!

Golden Working Artist Chris Cozen and I will help you understand everything you need to know about your acrylic paints...and MUCH MUCH more! Click here for all of the details.

Come and see why Layer Love has over 300 members and is continuing strong! Click here for all of the details.

Want to make a beautiful journal? Need help getting your art journal started? These two workshops are FILLED with techniques...I would go so far as to say they are a technique-o-rama! Click here for the details.

Want instant gratification? Chris Cozen and I have a new class opening on 3/6! You will get all of the class video and a beautiful PDF within 24 hours of signing up...and then you can paint the entire class. Take it slow or on the go...the choice is yours! This workshop is only $24.95. Stay tuned for the promo video and registration information.

it's my original painting, photography, thought and writing

I was driving down the street and saw a girl holding her head in her hands..looking helpless and waiting for her shirtless boyfriend to fill her car with gas... There was a second car, he was disheveled..so I can only think that she had to call him to come help her.

I am so not that girl.

DO something today.

Thank you for your comments. I appreciate them all.

First stop on the way to the desert was the small town of Julian.. a lovely town at about 5000 feet...Any idea what the temperature is at 5000 feet at about 6:15am? I'll tell you...it was a brisk 34 degrees...and I don't have a coat. Nope... I was prancing around in a short sleeved blouse. I have to tell you.... I was a little nervous when my shutter finger started to tingle..

But the shots where worth it...pretty, foggy shots you can only get that early. I am inspired to get on the road very early in the future too..with a coat next time.

Our map (yes..paper map) tempted us with names like, "Pumpkin Patch", "Oh-my-god Hotspring", "Alcoholic Pass" and "Hellhole".. My car has navigation, but we were in route to places that were small dotted lines on the map...no pavement...hardly a road that I could see..

The car was a little bit fancy...not a manly car for sure...never been in low gear 4x4 before...but my husband assured me it got great offroading reviews... So we drove.. we drove through rushing creeks, deep sand, over rocks...this trip was not for the weak stomached. We came up to a man in a Jeep 4x4 with monster tires and asked him if he knew where the "Pumpkin Patch" was...he said, "You can't get out that way, can ya" pointing in the direction we just came from..and I said "OH YAH..that's how we got in!" He says..and the surprise on his face was hilarious, "In that?!" Yes indeed. The car performed like a champ.

We were the only ladies we saw traveling alone. Talk about finding yourself and your strength? Put your car in 4 wheel drive and let 'er rip!

When we could focus for a second that there was no one following along to kill us, there were spectacular views and beautiful landscapes. The "Borrego Badlands" are shown above..an amazing view off a very steep cliff.

When you're out in the middle of nowhere....where it is so quiet all you hear is the wind whistle in your sunglasses..it's easy to let the imagination wander. There were several times when I looked at Kelly and could have sworn she was a ham sandwich..

Of course there were a few little roadside oddities that were worth stopping for...but I have to tell you..weather in the mountains was ugly..high winds and rainy...we were soaked and cold...but wouldn't you stop for this display?

I feel great. We were in the car for several hours and we talked the entire trip....good...thought provoking (well...most parts) conversation and a map.. I highly recommend getting out and letting yourself just GO. Kelly, I am looking forward to our next destination.. And now I present you with my new favorite song from our road trip soundtrack:

Thanks for stopping in today, friends!

my original painting + photography all mashed up

I have a creative bonanza of a weekend coming up here...

I'll be back Monday to tell you about it..

In the meantime don't you wish every weekend could be this great?

edit: I gave a lecture on photography yesterday...the ladies and gentlemen loved the lecture so much that I have decided to offer the class PDF to all of the students in my network for FREE. No complicated Photoshop tutorials, just information on how to take great pictures by getting to know your surroundings and camera better. Students can look for the PDF sarting today. Thank you!!

We live in San Diego...close to everything. Sometimes I take the tourist attractions for granted....but I am happy we decided to visit the USS Midway on Monday. The Midway is a retired aircraft carrier that was commissioned in 1945. Museum patrons have access to a self guided audio tour and if you're nimble, you can hike all the way up to the bridge. I took the Lensbaby and my "Superwide"... as much as I love the Lensbaby, I have to remember to capture some "regular" shots for the family archives. Working on the balance between creativity and proper family photos is sometimes difficult.

I wonder what my favorite photography instructor would say about these shots...and a lot of the shots in Bloglandia these days...the color is off, the focus is atrocious....but it's fun to look at, right?

So I wonder what they are teaching the kids in college and high school these days photography-wise.. Still the basics? Do they even develop their own film anymore? At a recent high school function here I noticed tons of kids walking around with really nice looking DSLR's..A student told me that the school loans those cameras to their students.. Sweet....but is the smell of developer no more? The smell in the Midway mess halls certainly was still there....

I remember all of my photography instruction fondly...and I would not pass it up for a youtube or online tutorial anywhere...and as much as I fought the technical lessons year after year, I realize now that they were invaluable. But who could have imagined in 1989 the possibilities of Photoshop and the Lensbaby?

Thank you for stopping in...watch your step.