Artist Renee Mak

Happy Thursday Bloggers!  About this time  two years ago I had just begun my painting adventure with artist   Flora Bowley   and her  Bloom True Workshop .   I absolutely love the experience I had and still use it for inspiration today!  If you have a chance to take this workshop or get her book, Brave Intuitive Painting , (available in my Awesome Books bookshop to the right--->) I highly recommend it.  Now, in the tradition of #throwbackthursday,  here is my post from the second week of  the Bloom True Workshop (originally posted 2/11/12)...  with the addition of my finished paintings! I had a fabulous paint day in the studio today!  I began my second assignment (first lesson  here ) in the  Bloom True Workshop  by Flora Bowley  and love what happened. The colors really pop!  The lesson was about getting to know my tools... the brushes... and whatever e...

As an artist, I dream of someday having  an agent represent my work internationally.  So when I heard of a design contest sponsored  by one of the industries top agents, Lilla Rogers... I just had to give it a try! Through the process, I created a dream-like playground filled with magical chalk drawings and hopscotch! It's called, Hopscotch Memories. I've always loved good design and mixing traditional elements right along side of whimsical styles. Bright colors and textures are also a must  for anything I create.  Below is an original pattern created in my studio from acrylic paint and a hand made foam stamp. This became my color palette! To get started, I created "inspiration boards" in photoshop filled with fun, whimsical elements I might want  to use in my journal cover design. I also played with patterns and colors... putting things together that I normally wouldn't think of... this really gets the cre...

Happy Friday to all! It's been a while since I shared my works in progress  so today is the day! The flowers are still in full bloom at my studio... as are the bright colors! I'm dreaming bigger then ever... and am discovering new and exciting things each day.  I'm working towards a show to be called "Indian Summer : In Full Bloom" that will be finished next month. Old paintings are getting new life again... just like the blossoms of an  "Indian Summer" take the place of the scorched fields of July and August! I've started reading a fabulously philosophical classic  called "In Tune with the Infinite"   by Ralph Waldo Trine. This has been said to be "one of the best motivational books ever written." And who doesn't like to be motivated on to greater things, right?!? I love it and hope you will too... I'm hopping back onto the PAINT PARTY FRIDAY blog hop fille...

"...their houses were tucked neatly beneath the brightest colored flowers... allowing only shimmering light to pass through... and dazzle their days with  magical color..." xoxo {all words and artwork  protected under copyright... renee mak 2012}

"Let go of your sadness, give up the fight, follow your madness and take flight... take flight." ~lyric by Seal, musician~ ~all artwork by artist Renee Mak... doodles over prints of original mixed media collage~

Bloom True Workshop... Happy Paint Party Friday and  Friday Sneak Peek Can I just say again... I LOVE  the BLOOM TRUE workshop I am blessed to be  a part of! Week four is all about being BRAVE. I really appreciate the fact that many artists hold on to this mantra...and teach about it...  because creating from inner passion always requires a great amount of bravery! I feel like I became a little stuck in my paintings for the class and didn't quite know how to get unstuck!  The painting above, while I like it, just isn't me. It's too tight!  So I was thrilled when our new lesson demonstrated doing something totally brave with a painting and just pouring paint over it! That was all I needed to dive in head first... Pouring, dripping, wiping and smearing... the result is exactly what I needed to get back to that place of freedom in my work!  Many times, art imitates life. This week was no exception.  There are things from my pa...