MagaMerlina

The Origin Of The Images

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:03:00 +0000

This illustration came from my inner world. I just saw it on my mind and painted it.

Most of what I paint and the colors I use come to me like that, as weird as it may sound, an less I'm sketching something from the outer world. They appear in my mind's screen when I'm falling asleep, waking up or making love.

It's not always easy to put them on paper, many times it doesn't work and the image I paint doesn't look anything like the one I saw. It would be great to be able to take a photo of my "visual thoughts" to use as reference after the image is gone!!!

First I make a pencil sketch, when I'm happy with it I transfer the image to the watercolor paper.

Then I color it with watercolors, when it is completely dry I add the white ink details.

Pebbles I Painted Today

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:45:00 +0000

I haven't been to productive this week but today I painted these pebbles using a very fine round brush and Daler-Rowney FW Artists' Acrylic Ink.

My Studio Today

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 03:18:00 +0000

It's been a while since I took photos of my studio or "my room" as we call it here at home.

Somethings have changed, I've rearranged it many times in four years. This is how it looks today.

I'm still waiting to get nice new curtains and replace the plastic drawers for wooden ones but I love it. It is my happy place and my refuge.

Entrance

Meditation table, my plants, painting table, desk mainly for computer work, printer trunk.

Reading and stitching corner, some times snoozing corner ;)

Exit corner, you can see my bag collection some of them made by me.

Painting table close up

Desk close up.

Doodle Pages: Tools and Supplies

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 +0000

For these pages I used my favorite tools and supplies.

Winsor and Newton Watercolor Bijou Box, modified to fit 15 half pans instead or the original 12, filled with Winsor and Newton Artists' WC and some Daniel Smith.

Sailor Sapporo fountain pen EF nib with Platinum Carbon ink which is waterproof.

Water brush and some red Kolinsky sable brushes.

The little book is a Daler-Rowney Artists' Sketchbook.

You can find a visual evolution of my sketching tool here.

Here is a photo with a list of the paints in my watercolor Bijou Box.

MagaMerlina's New Image

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:51:00 +0000

MagaMerlina has a new image, as some of you may have noticed.

It had remained the same since she was born almost two years ago, so I thought it was time for a change.

My style has change, it has become more personal, it has evolved.

I painted MagaMerlina's butterfly again, this time in the style of my Nature-Mandala-Pattern series that I love so much and many of you have admired.

First I painted the butterfly with watercolors. When it was dry I applyed all the white details with white acrylic ink.
I scanned it and made new banners for MagaMerlina on Etsy, Etsy Wearable, Facebook, Flickr, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

I'm very happy with the end result and I hope you like it as much as I do.

PS. I was inspired by the very talented Kathleen from Trowel and Paintbrush.

My New Wearable Art Shop!

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:11:00 +0000

I'm thrilled to announce I just open my new shop.

There you'll find small pieces of art you can wear.

My Felted Pebble Brooches, my Embroidered Mandala Brooches and my See-Through Felted Pebble Brooches are already listed and there are plenty more to come.

I hope to see you all there!!!!

Embroidered Mandala Brooches

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Sat, 04 May 2013 05:43:00 +0000

I've been thinking for a while now about opening a new shop for little wearable art pieces. May be I will sell some of the Embroidered Felted Pebble brooches I showed you here and here, Embroidered Felted Pebble necklaces and these little Embroidered Mandala Brooches.

Any thoughts out there?

Three Little Embroidered Mandalas

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:48:00 +0000

I'm having so much fun stitching these little mandalas. They are embroidered on 100% Pure Wool felt I bought from Cloud Craft Shop, using DMC stranded cotton and glass beads.

Blue Dart Frog: Painting Today

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 05:38:00 +0000

Today I painted a blue frog.

These were my models:
Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobatidae Azureus) from Central and South America.

FROGS IN THE FOREST: BLUE FROGS
Photo Credits Valdosta State Univertity

Emboidered Bags

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:13:00 +0000

Casalguidi Bag
(Effie Mitrofanis' Design)

Ruskin Lace Bag
(Kath Cain's Design)

Casalguidi Bag
(my design)

Wessex Bag
(my design)

Elizabethan Bag (front)
(Shirley Holdaway's Design)

Elizabethan Bag (back)
(Shirley Holdaway's Design)

Wessex Bag (front)
(my design)

Wessex Bag (back)
(my design)

Needlepoint Bag
(Diana Parkes' Design)

Free-Style Embroidery Bag
(my design)

Now that my interest in embroidery is alive again, I decided to take photos of these bags.

I made them between 1999 and 2004. Then I stopped stitching for a long time.

As I mentioned before, my creative journey started in Embroidery.

Thread Mandala in the Making: How to

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:40:00 +0000

I choose a color combination and then I start stitching in the center working outwards.

No thinking, no plan, no pattern.

I just go round and around having fun.

My New Painted Pebbles

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:11:00 +0000

When I saw these pebbles by Elspeth McLean I was instantly in love.

I was lucky enough to be able to buy them since I saw all her art on her shop go as she was uploading.

They are the perfect companion to Pedro the Chameleon.

Pedro the Chameleon is finished.

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:26:00 +0000

Meet Pedro the Chameleon.
I had this cute chameleon dancing in my mind for a while. It finally came out yesterday.

Another Embroidered Mandala

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 05:54:00 +0000

I'm still on embroidery mode.
It's funny, I feel like I've been unfaithful to my journals, my watercolors and to painting... I can't help it but I am hooked again.
I laugh because many times people who knew me as an embroiderer would always ask me "are you ever going to embroider again? I didn't know for sure but didn't think it would happen.
...and here I am!
I think I'm enjoying it so much because I do it with freedom. The freedom I get from not knowing what I'm going to do or what I'm going to make. I don't follow any pattern or a plan.
I just think of colors and color combination, I start stitching and it grows, like this mandala.

For those of you who are more onto journaling I will post some pages next week and will probably be painting a couple of thing I have in mind.

Happy weekend!

PS. Look at my new coral butterflies bucket from Cozy Memories.

Three Embroidered Felted Pebble Booches

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 07:09:00 +0000

I'm loving these brooches where I can see the pebbles.

...and I'm having a blast making them!

Another "see-through" Pebble Brooch.

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:15:00 +0000

I Can See The Pebble!

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 03:14:00 +0000

New Brooch. I miss seeing the actual pebbles so on this one I cut a hole in the middle of the felt to be able to see it. It was in a dream I had last night.

Embroidery Felted Pebbles: Brooches

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:06:00 +0000

Brooches made with Embroidered Felted Pebbles by MagaMerlina.

Gauze Scarf by Cozy Memories.

Embroidered Felted Pebbles: I'm Embroidering Again!

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 04:13:00 +0000

Last week I started making these felted pebbles following a wonderful tutorial I fund on Lisa Jordan's blog. She makes the most beautiful embroidered felted pebbles and I wanted to give it a try. She explains the whole process step-by-step with great photos. After the felting is done and the pebbles are completely dry you do the embroidery.

I think I've never mentioned that my creative journey in arts and crafts started with embroidery.

I hadn't done it for a long time and a couple of weeks ago I had this urge to stitch again. So for my 10 day vacation I took what I needed and this pebbles are the result.

I almost forgot! I worked on this mandala too.

Little Painted Pebbles

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 07:31:00 +0000

Today's work, using a dip pen with a Hunt 512 nib and Dr.Ph.Martin's Bombay white India ink

...and it's a print! Just on time for spring

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:57:00 +0000

A new spring print available at my shop. Yay!!

Butterfly Journal Page

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 05:20:00 +0000

After a light pencil drawing I apply a watercolor wash on the butterflies.

When the watercolor is dry I make all the black details with a mixture of French Ultramarine (WN) and Quinacridone Burnt Orange (DS) watercolors.

After it's dry again I apply the white ink details.

Finished page.

It could be a new print!

The Calling...

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:24:00 +0000

Well, it seems that my spirit-soul is calling me. I haven't paid much attention to it lately and I think it's about time. I know it because I have everything I need, pretty much everything I want but there is still an empty space which is not filled up...

So... I started meditating again, I've been in and out meditation several times, I think it is a hard discipline, not meditating but doing it every day.

I also started something completely new for me, kind of a dream I had as a child... I started doing Karate, yes...KARATE!!! I did my first class yesterday. I was a little bit intimidated since the only exercise I do is walking, but I did it and I loved it! (a little sore today but survived)

I'm committed again, lets see for how long...I hope it's for a long time.
It feels good!!!

I'm Back

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 02:47:00 +0000

Well, I'm finally back!

After a great long holiday trip to the USA and Colombia I'm back to my usual days.

I started doing some pages on my journal and I started posting again on my Flickr and Facebook Page ...my shop is now open too!

It's nice to be back ;)

Stillman and Birn Beta Series Hardbound Sketchbook a Very Short Review

noreply@blogger.com (MagaMerlina) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 06:06:00 +0000

After reading Brenda Swenson's review of the Stillman & Birn Sketchbooks, I wanted to try the Beta Series Hardbound Sketchbook.

Because I can't find it in New Zealand I ordered one from gouletpens.com.

What I like about this sketchbook is:

- Its size, mine is 5.5 x 8.5 in. (it also comes in 8.5 x 11 in)

- The fact that opens flat.

- Its paper: archival, natural white, 180 lbs/ 270 grs, cold press, suitable for mixed media.

- It comes in Portrait Format!!!!

In the photos above you can see what I've done until now.

I have tried it with watercolor, ink and a little bit of paper collage which are my favorite media. Dip pens and fountain pens with nibs of different kind and sizes.

So far so good I'm loving it.

The things I would change:

-Slightly thinner cover with round corners, nothing else.