Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #26 ~ April Showers Decorated Envie

Here's an envelope I decorated for a recent mail art swap. The envelope is a big bubble mailer which I used to house an art journal and a piece of art. The theme was "April Showers." 

This little boy was from a vintage Childcraft book full of stories and poems. I loved the 1970's illustrations and photos. I couldn't resist his little scrunched up face under that raincoat. Inspired by the Wizard of Oz, I wanted to turn his "black and white" humdrum world into a world of color and rainbows. So I added details with acrylic paints and also did some stamping. I think it conveys his youth and optimism. It certainly makes me happy! 

Rain, Rain go away.

Come again another day.

Little Johnny wants to play.

OLD RHYME

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #22 ~ Birthday Throwback

It's been a while since I updated my blog. Wanted to get back in the groove and share my latest creation.

 Here's the full spread above. I spent time cleaning my studio and went through a box of keepsakes. Lots of smiles...and tears. I loved this picture from my 2nd birthday. I've been so wrapped up in business research lately that I haven't had time to really sit down and create. 

It felt so good to work on this little mixed media project. It's not meant to look like a picture perfect scrapbook...more like art journaling...just for me. I blasted the Gospel music and was jammin'. Rocking my head, clapping my hands, tapping my feet. 

 Not sure if I liked my hat or I was trying to take it off! I also adored that Snow White cake topper. My dad kept it in a cabinet of treasures for many years. I would see it during my visits with him in the summer.

 I hung on to some foil wrappers from Dove chocolates (mmmm) that hubby bought around Valentine's Day. They had cute messages on them. This one resonated with me...."Smile more." I thought it went well with my party hat in the picture. So I cut the blue foil into fringes to mimic the super cool sparkly stuff on my retro hat. 

 I found a large number two in a magazine which I carefully used as a stencil. I actually preferred the pattern on the back of the two, so after tracing, I flipped it over and glued it down to the left, creating a mirror image. It's kind of funny that this project ended up being #22 for Happy Thoughts. I guess I'm right on time after all! (Just another little moment of serendipity).

Here's a closeup. I used a combination of stickers, scrapbook paper, markers, and colored pencils on these journal pages. 

Here's another shot from the same party. I added a funny crown on a photo app. 

Bye for now! Have a super day. 

~Sandra Lee

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #21 ~ It's Only a Paper Moon

I shared in the last post about my video experiments via Animoto. Today I'm sharing another montage featuring "It's Only a Paper Moon" by Ella Fitzgerald and the Delta Rhythm Boys. I have a great love of vintage photos, and the funny paper moon pictures are no exception. I first learned about them through a video I watched with my Dad called Paper Moon (1973) starring Ryan and Tatum O'Neal. The quirky photo postcards were popular souvenirs at carnivals, fairs, and picnics around the early 1900's. Some scholars speculate that this motif became popular due to the popular silent French film, A Trip to the Moon (1902). The memorable ending shows the man in the moon with a rocket landing in his eye.

Bullseye!

Putting this together put me in such a good mood. I don't know if it was Ella Fitzgerald's catchy tune, or just the whimsical images themselves, but I proudly present Happy Thought #21. On a side note, I discovered that paper moons may be making a comeback. I hope so! I'd much rather see people posing with the paper moon than those awful mustaches that somehow still infest weddings and parties of every kind. It was cute for a minute, but pul-lease stop the insanity. (I think my breaking point was when I saw mustache invitations for a 1 year old's birthday party). OK, rant over.

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #20 ~ Growing Old Gracefully

It's been a while since I've updated my Happy Thoughts project. I've still been behind-the-scenes creating and learning some new skills.

Since I love to dabble in different media, once in a while I try to create little films or video montages. I don't yet possess the editing skills to start from scratch, but I recently fell in love with the templates provided by Animoto. I have several projects in the works including short portfolio videos and memory montages of family, travel, etc.

I'm also having fun pairing the Animoto templates with my other great love, Pinterest.  I have tons of boards on, well, everything. Lately I'm obsessed with organizing by colors which evoke certain moods and emotions. 

So....as part of my Happy Thoughts project, I will share some of the videos here. Today's happy thought is a montage of beautiful souls from around the world. It celebrates the wisdom of the aged and elderly, and the stories written in every line of their faces.


Since it's close to Valentine's Day, I've also added a few photos of older couples who are growing old together, and still enjoying life and each other. The song I selected is You Are so Beautiful by the legendary Joe Cocker. I also added this to my YouTube Channel, which I also hope to update with fresh content soon.

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #20 ~ Heartfelt Helen Keller

Blue Tulips by Sandra Martin ~ #HappyThoughts365

"The best and most beautiful things

in the world cannot be seen or even touched,

 but must be felt with the heart." 

~ Helen Keller

I created this graphic using one of my photographs of tulips. I manipulated the color in Photoshop. I also added a water ripple to the image, which looks like a pool of water. By using unexpected colors, I think it captures that feeling Helen is talking about in the quote...that we need to learn to see things with our heart.

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #19 ~ Don't Stop Believin'

Don't Stop Believin' ~ Polyvore Collage by Sandra Martin #happythoughts365

This collage is a bit surreal, with a touch of Alice in Wonderland, and a nod to the 80's band Journey. 

It seems that every so often I am engaged in the same old battle....unable to believe in myself or my talent. I think all artists deal with this. One minute we're in love with our work and the next minute we want to throw it in the garbage. Or we feel pretty good about ourselves until we start comparing our work with a fellow artist and then our work suddenly feels crummy. 

So if life seems stacked against you, or someone tries to rain on your parade (even your own negativity), remember to keep the faith. Fight to maintain your position in that realm of wonder. 

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #18 ~ Dance in the Rain

Dance in the Rain ~ Polyvore Collage by Sandra Martin #happythoughts365

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain."

Be sure to check out my Pinterest board "Singin' in the Rain." 

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #17 ~ Dreamer Never Sleep

Dreamer Never Sleep ~ Polyvore Collage by Sandra Martin ~ #happythoughts365

Lately I've been playing on Polyvore again, mainly playing with images found on Pinterest. I enjoy making these mashups, especially pulling together pictures with the same color palette. I think the ballet shoes are exquisite, but I cringe when I think of all the hard work that goes into ballet. Ballerinas performing at the top levels probably do lose sleep as they endure grueling practice and do all they can to make sure they keep their positions. And yet they make their graceful movements look so easy. I think it's the same with art. If you do your job well, it will look effortless to your audience. They may never know the blood, sweat and tears you put into a piece, and really...that's OK. Sometimes hard work is its own reward...and that can even make one happy and satisfied for a job well done. 

You can view more images of my Cotton Candy world on Pinterest. 

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #16 ~ Life is Better with Rainbows

Life is Better with Rainbows ~ Polyvore Collage by Sandra Martin ~ #happythoughts365

If life has you down, just pull out your rainbow tutu! Or draw with crayons...or eat gummi bears. Celebrate your life in living color! 

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #15 ~ Simple Life

Simple Life collage ~ Created on Polyvore by Sandra Martin ~ #happythoughts365

The older I get, the more I realize I'm happier with LESS. This is especially true when backpacking. Your whole life consists of what you can carry on your back, and where your feet can take you. It doesn't get much simpler than that.

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #14 ~ Take Time

Take Time to Do what makes your Soul Happy ~ Wallpaper ~ #happythoughts365

Write a letter. Draw a picture. Dance in the Rain. Take time each day to do something that makes you HAPPY!

This collage was created using favorite photos from my Bright and Happy board on Pinterest. I created the graphic, but do not own the original photos. You can view the images here. 

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #13 ~ Find the Kingdom

It is the Childlike Mind that finds the Kingdom ~ Charles Fillmore ~ #happythoughts365

Here's another photo collage of some of my favorite pastel images from Pinterest. You can view my Cotton Candy board here. 

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #12 ~ Celebrate Life's Moments

Celebrate Life's Moments ~ Pinterest collage ~ #happythoughts365

Lately I've been spending an obsessive amount of time on Pinterest, focusing on creating color boards. My board featuring pastels is called Cotton Candy. I created a couple collages for Happy Thoughts 365 using a few pins from this board. This is a bit of a departure from the usual bright colors I use in my art and collages. But it still makes me very HAPPY!

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #11 ~ Imagination is Everything

And She Flew ~ Digital Collage by Sandra Martin  ~ #happythoughts365

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.” ~ Albert Einstein

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #10 ~ Hope is a thing with Feathers

Hope is a Thing with Feathers by Sandra Martin - Prints Available through Fine Art America

Hope is a thing with feathers, 

that perches in the soul, 

and sings the tune without the words, 

and never stops at all.

~Emily Dickinson

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #9 ~ Picasso Quote

To draw, you must close your eyes and sing. Pablo Picasso - Prints and cards available

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #8 ~ Let your Light Burn Bright

Let Your Light Burn Bright - Digital art by Sandra Martin - prints and cards available at Fine Art America

Transcription: Do not be afraid to use your light - Let your light burn full and bright so that everybody can see it, and be made happier by it. ~ Rev. Billy Sunday (1914)

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #7 ~ Happy Songs

Songs of Innocence No. 1 ~ Available in print or canvas through Fine Art America

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #6 ~ Beautiful Things

You Make Beautiful Things ~ available as print or canvas through Fine Art America

I heard this song first thing this morning when I began my art. This song always fills me with hope, and I was inspired to create this hand painted quote. I enjoyed creating the Klimt-like background and painting with teal, coral, and gold. I added a little definition with Prismacolors.

Check out this video of the song that also has a hand-written ethic. :-)

Happy Thoughts 365~ #5 ~ Challenging the Inner Critic & Tapping into Creative Glee

#happythoughts365
"My best IDEAS have always been HAPPY accidents"

When I decided to start my Happy Thoughts 365 project, I had no idea how difficult the first couple weeks of 2014 would be! I've experienced a lot of sickness and dark moods, and I can honestly say my heart isn't bursting forth with Happy Thoughts in a semi-depressed state. The cynical, critical part of my nature which believes it is so wise whispers, "Why would you waste your time engaging in such a fluffy topic? Get your head out of the clouds in the real world, which is full of pain, problems and suffering."  But the more I engage in adding the "happy thoughts" to my blog, the more I feel the cloud of depression lifting, and the "inner critic" is silenced.

Besides a hard-nosed cynicism, the "inner critic" has a secret weapon of choice: cold perfectionism that squelches the happy inner creative child. Julia Cameron once said:

“Perfectionism doesn't believe in practice shots. It doesn't believe in improvement. Perfectionism has never heard that anything worth doing is worth doing badly--and that if we allow ourselves to do something badly we might in time become quite good at it. Perfectionism measures our beginner's work against the finished work of masters. Perfectionism thrives on comparison and competition. It doesn't know how to say, "Good try," or "Job well done." The critic does not believe in creative glee--or any glee at all, for that matter. No, perfectionism is a serious matter.” ~from Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance

This reminds me of the evil White Queen in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She creates a frozen world where it is "always winter, and never Christmas." Essentially she has removed the lighthearted joy and feasting from Narnia, making her subjects conform to rigid standards of her cold ideology. Perfectionism is the same cruel master that tries to freeze the warm, creative impulse flowing inside of us. 

In order to overcome perfectionism, we have to be willing to not only do terrible art, but also embrace some of the "happy accidents" that happen along the way. If you start to hear the inner critic raise its ugly voice, remember the words of Bob Ross:

 "We don't make mistakes; we just have happy accidents."

Let the ideas flow. Sketch your ideas, and don't try to edit them immediately or toss them in the trash can. Give yourself room to BREATHE and experiment. And allow yourself to feel creative glee. :-)

Enjoy this video featuring Bob Ross. I pray it opens up your childlike faith and imagination. 


"Let's build a happy little cloud. Let's build some happy little trees. There are no limits here. Start out by believing here (your heart). "

Blessings,
Sandra