Artist Renee Mak

Happy Valentine's Day art lovers!  Hope you enjoy this digital art...  created from one of my own original painted backgrounds, photographed papers and flowers,  and a vintage photo of my mom.   Feel free to share with your  own special Valentine or  on social media.  Be sure and check out more fabulous art today... I'm linking up to Paint Party Friday ... so enjoy!  xoxo Commission requests warmly welcomed! Copyright protected... artist Renee Mak & Fuss It Up! Designs

Dreaming...  always one of my favorite things to do! I recently had the chance to put a show together  and I decided this piece was to be my  inspiration piece for the whole show. Interestingly enough, it was not finished at the time.   If you remember, I've been working on this and showing bits  and pieces of this for quite some time...  unfinished as it was. I've sold cards and prints, even had offers for the painting.   But deep down inside, like only an artist knows, it wasn't yet  time for us to part ways.   Something told me I still had work to do! This is the way it's looked for a little over a year.  I loved it... but still wanted it to say more. So while planning the show, it made perfect sense  to end with and build the show around this painting.    The name of my show is called "Evolution of a Dream", and it takes the viewer along a 5 year journe...

Happy Friday!  After what seems like and eternity, I'm once again linking up with the fabulous group of artists over at Paint Party Friday !    xoxo I  discovered long ago that the process is what's so amazing about painting. All of it... together.  It's the choosing of the palette. The choice of tools. And the blurred idea  of what the outcome may be. Changing directions during the process is part of it... although that's sometimes very frustrating. Even in a small mixed media collage project,  in preparation  for a larger painting, the end result is often nothing  like the painting began...  which is part of what makes the process  so amazing! Although this painting is not finished, the process  has taken me far from how it began. Here are some amazing links to see more posts about the process! http://fussitup.blogspot.com/2012/04/paint-party-friday_20.h...

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...

T.G.I.F! Ladies and gentlemen... once again it's Friday  and for the first time ever...  I'm having an actual Paint Party at my studio! There will be paint... lots of paint! Stenciling... bright colors... stamps.... and mixed media creations!!! And maybe even some temporary tatoos, haha!!! If you're local... stop by from 1-4pm and say hello! Otherwise, check out all the fabulous art over at Paint Party Friday ... the talented group of artists I'm linking up with today! xoxo

This week has been a busy one... with three classes including one fabulous 5 hour mixed media painting workshop! In most of my classes I do a live demo to help those total visual learners.  This workshop is no exception and these details are just parts of a new 36" x 36" painting I started. I'm finishing it either today or tomorrow and am so excited to see how it turns out! Of course the biggest perk of teaching is the budding artists  I get to meet and create with.  This course is being shared with the lovely Miss Lynn of "When Depressed, Apply Wet Paint" . Her work is fabulous and I hope she'll share her finished  piece on her blog or allow me to share it on mine! I'm also linking up today with the lovely and talented ladies over at Paint Party Friday ! Check out the link and discover talent you never knew existed!!! I'll be painting today... hope you'll do the same. Have a fabulous Fr...

Celebrating  my daughter...  Monet . For today's Paint Party Friday post I'm privileged to share a fabulous work in progress by my oldest daughter Monet and a little but about her!   Monet is a self taught painter and is currently a student of life...  studying fashion design at FIDM in L.A. She surprised us all by flying in for my son's graduation after telling us she couldn't make it! She's one of my top three favorite people in the world and never ceases to amaze me with her talents and ability to make the world  break into a colorful song and dance everywhere she goes! Although her visit was too short, we did as many of  our favorite things as we could. One of which is always finding a new place to eat lunch and try new foods.    We also discovered the cutest little boutique in downtown Des Moines owned by a former FIDM student... which Monet knew from L.A!  It's called Mint L.A. Bo...

Happy Friday Bloggers! Last week came and went without me even knowing what day it was!   With the start of the fabulous Valley Junction Farmer's Market on Thursday nights and the planning of my son's graduation party... I missed Paint Party Friday ... But not today! So this week I went back to my love of nature, music and collage.  I've done very large mixed media collage paintings with this little page of music from an old hymnal... but today it finds it's home on two hand made bird houses! I simply began by tearing the paper and applying it with a glue medium.  I imagine two little love birds moving in and starting a family here! Wouldn't it be great if our houses could be infused with music the way these are! For my next step I add white and some marks...  As sweet as the white looks, I always go for color... lots of color!  Stenciled dots... and flowers... and bright fluorescent pink and green!...