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🙏🏻Thankyou Reb. It was a lovely session. I hope to do more like this in the future sometime. Thankyou so much for joining in. I loved seeing your beautiful drawing/s. Much love, Sam xxx💗🌻

🙏🏻Thankyou so much Penny 💗🌻xxx

Thankyou so, so much Reb 🙏🏻 I absolutely love making handmade sketchbooks. There's a lot of creative freedom in the making of them. 💗🌻🤗xxx

🙏🏻 Thankyou Penny 🤗💗🌻xxx

🙏🏻💗Thankyou so, so much Reb. Wallpaper - Wow, what a great idea. I never thought about making designs for wallpaper. Hmmm - more creative possibilities for future art projects perhaps? 😂 👩🏻‍🎨xxx

🙏Thankyou Aleks🩷🌻xxx

🩷Thankyou so much Jules 🙏🏻. That is so great to hear - (both that I have a calming voice 🙏🏻and how the paintings work as a cohesive body of work). When I was painting the coloured panels, I was mostly just thinking about giving the pages more grit and strength to paint on - like priming canvas (those Talen's Art Creations work best with dry mediums, not watercolours etc.), but it totally makes sense how the coloured ground unifies the different paintings. I love being on this art - life journey, every artwork has something to tell you huh? So glad we met through painting. Love you lots my dear friend 💗🌻xxx

🙏🏻Thankyou Hippo 🩷🤣, Oh yes, 2.30am was hard! It really is a beautiful time for being creative though. I am loving making and using hand made sketchbooks at the moment - I think this was the start (or renewal) of a hand made sketchbook obsession 🤣💗🌻xxx

@@samashleyart 😄 Thank you for sharing it, I enjoyed watching 💙

@@hippofaitdestrucs 😍🙏🏻😍xxx

@@samashleyart 💖

🙏🏻Thanks Reb. I'm glad you like the yellow over that background colour - Yellow is hard for me to use for some reason 🤣. I love doing quick, timed paintings in sketchbooks because it feels like a great place to experiment with colours and material combinations you wouldn't normally use - always something to learn💗🌻xxx

🙏Thankyou Louise. The zoom drawing sessions are lots of fun aren't they? 💗🎨✏xxx

Oh that is so exciting! 😍I wondered how far away from Humber Bay you were. WOW!! So cool. I love this internet 'art friends connection' thing ❤🎨 What a beautiful place for you to visit and paint. I am definitely coming to visit and paint with you one day! 💗🌻xxx

🙏🏻Thankyou Teresa - I was a bit surprised by how bright the backgrounds look 🤣 - but bright / warm colours are great for underpainting skies. I love Gingko trees too - I've always been fascinated by them. I think Gingko is good for circulation and memory too (?). 💗🌻xxx

Yes, i believe it's antioxidant ​@@samashleyart👍 Nature is purely amazing!

🙏🏻 Thankyou dear Hippo, September blessings for you also. 🌷Spring has started off very hot and windy here in Australia - almost like we just went straight into to summer. Hoping it rains soon. 💗🌻xxx

​@@samashleyart 🤞 That is what we had here 6 months ago: the impression that we went from winter directly to summer without transition. Hard for the body and the vegetation 🌺💓

@@hippofaitdestrucs Yikes. I worry about our planet. The vegetation is suffering so much - and changing rapidly. You really notice the changes when you stay in one place for a while. 🙏🏻🤞🏻💗xxx

@@samashleyart ​ @samashleyart I worry too. fruit trees have budded too early and then been surprised by frost. Which means there are few fruits and vegetables this summer. Some insects came too early too. Nature is upside down and this is just the beginning. 😞Have a nice day my friend 💚

@@hippofaitdestrucs It's a bit the same here - some of my fruit trees went into early flowering, then heavy frost and then next day heatwave of 30 degrees Celsius! All over the place. The earth needs a lot of love. ❤🙏xxx

🙏 Thankyou. I am really happy that you like it. Hope you make a journal too💗🌻xxx

🙏 Thankyou Orla. I love using old books - they are both budget & environmentally friendly (or at least not wasted / thrown out) 🥰. They are also really personal - each one unique, with multiple layers of stories & adventure. I'd love to know if you make one - hope you do. Enjoy, 🩷Sam🌻xxx

@@samashleyart if you ever run/sell an online workshop on how to make them, I'd love to join!

@@OrlaStevens 🙏That would be lovely Orla - I am planning on hosting a Zoom workshop in the Australian school holidays (most likely Christmas holidays as my school teaching job is about to get very busy). I will make sure to let you know - (apologies for late reply - I didn't actually see your 2nd message until today). 💗🌻xxx

👏🏻Yay!!! Well done, so glad you are sketching now (& maybe reading this later? 🤣). 🥰🙏💗Sam🌻xxx

🙏Thankyou Marcy. They really are a lot of fun to make - and more meaningful than a store bought one, I think. Will you make one too? 💗 Sam🌻xxx

@@samashleyart I'm tempted -- I've only ever used purchased 8x8-inch ones. I like the idea of the inserts, though, and of having different types of paper.

Hi Jess, Thankyou so much 🙏. That is so exciting - I would love to see your handmade journal when you have made it. I just had a look at your Instagram and subscribed. Your paintings are beautiful. 🥰I love your recent quarry painting💗🌻xxx

Yes!! I am just getting ready to go on an Op Shop (thrift store) adventure today. We have a power outage soon so its perfect timing 🤣🧡xxx

🙏Thankyou Hippo, it is rather a lovely colour isn't it? It's also great to be using this paint I have had for way too many years 🤣 💗🌻xxx

​@@samashleyart Gorgeous color, yes. And congratulations for thinking of using this paint 😁🤭💖

💗Aaah Yemaya, Thankyou 🙏🏻 so lovely to see you here. Happy full moon 🌕 🧡🌻xxx

💗Thanks Jules - we have done so much art on our Zoom sessions haven't we? 🌻xxx

The birds are beautiful aren't they - Bell Miners mostly (Manorina melanophrys - a type of honey eater). So many of them here on the coast 💗xxx

🙏🏻Thankyou Martine - yes, I think the watercolour adheres well due to the 'grittiness' and absorbability of the gesso that's mixed in with the acrylic. The more gesso, the better the watercolour effect. 🎨💗🌻xxx

🙏🏻Thanks Teresa. I am rather fond of a peachy tone 🤩 and fun to play with materials over the top of paint 💗🌻xxx

🙏🏻Thanks Jules. It's always lovely to see little pops of complementary colour peaking out through the painting - especially orange behind blue skies / clouds.... gives the feeling of light. 🎨🧡xxx

🙏🏻Thankyou Louise. Something we could do for our next 'Open Studio' perhaps? 💗🌻xxx

🙏Thankyou Nic - I love your TH-cam user name 🤩 💗Sam🌻xxx

🙏Thankyou Julie 🥰. I really love making handmade sketchbooks - and exploring the possibilities of doing so on a budget is always a bonus 🤣. I was planning a series of workshops in my head this morning on my daily bush walk. Coming from a teaching background is certainly going to be helpful. I will post all the details on my Substack when I have something ready. (Its all very exciting) 🥰💗Sam🌻xxx

💗Thankyou Teresa🙏 I agree, watching other artists' paint is such a great way to learn. I love art process videos. The colour palette I chose almost happened by accident actually. I had all bright materials out and ready to use, but in the heat of the moment - this is what happened 🤣. I wondered if you were a morning person (I was looking at time zone differences and thinking when I could do an extra pop up 'Open Studio' - hmmmm - will have to re-think as I am not much of an evening / night person). 💗Sam🌻xxx

@@samashleyart I'm not a evening/night person either 🙈 we have that in common Sam 🤗

🙏🏻Thanks Xan🧡Yes, and it was a truly beautiful way to begin the morning (however - by about lunch time I wasn't particularly functional anymore 🤣). Honestly, the more art I do, the more art I want to do - it's like that, isn't it?.... also I am rather grateful I started drinking coffee again ☕(after a 6 month break) 🤣💗🌻xxx

@@samashleyart no doubt. Have you recovered? 😌

@@XanBlackburn Almost - I can't stop painting - or thinking about painting... Which is great... but not at 4am!! I'm all topsy turvy. 🤣🎨xxx

@@samashleyart oh no! 🙃 I hope you get realigned soon!

@@XanBlackburn Me too 🥰- the wellbeing Journal Prompts in this weeks Substack blog are all about getting grounded. Very helpful 💗xxx

🙏Thankyou Melissa 🧡I honestly thought I would use more materials than I actually did 🤣 💗🌻xxx

💗You are so welcome Jules. Thankyou so much for coming to 'Open Studio' - your support and creative company are gratefully appreciated. I love sketching and painting with friends - and always get excited and inspired when I see how different all of our drawings are. 💗Sam🌻xxx

💗Thankyou Julie 🙏🏻. That is really helpful feedback. I love talking about art materials and how I work with them so I may do this more on future video's. I am so glad you enjoyed it. 💗Sam🌻xxx

🙏Thanks Mel 💗 I had such a lovely time (thankyou both 🙏🏻) and am feeling very inspired now (after a big catch up of sleep 🤣). I'm thinking of painting some Australian wildflowers (from the bush here on the South coast of New South Wales) on the other side of the Concertina sketchbook. A collaboration between countries (of sorts). I will send you and Kriksis a photo whenever I finish it 💗Sam🌻xxx

It was so beautiful Louise 💗 (mind you, I am still recovering from lack of sleep. I keep forgetting I can't do things the same way I did when I was 30 🤣). xxx

🙏Thankyou 💙💚🤍xxx

😍Yay! that is great to hear. Have fun making your new journal 🥰 and thankyou - there are always so many books being thrown away these days it seems. Its great to be able to re-purpose some of them💗🌻xxx

🙏🏻 Thankyou so much Teresa 🥰 I am planning to teach a Zoom workshop in the next school holidays (I have a series of workshops in mind actually). I will post all the details etc. on my Substack (& in the Discord) closer to the time 💗xxx

🙏🏻I am so glad you enjoyed the replay Teresa, and how beautiful to see your drawings in the Discord & on Substack✏. What a lovely art space we get to share together, despite oceans in between 💗Sam 🌊🎨xxx

How lucky we are to live in a time with Internet and be able to connect with art friends over all the world @@samashleyart 🤗💕

@@oficinacaracolinho Absolutely 💗🙏🏻 I am so grateful for technology (even with all the outages, steep learning curves and tech challenges it sometimes has 🤣) 💗🌻xxx

Hi Louise 🥰Thankyou. Good questions. There are definitely certain things I do look for when choosing pre loved books. I am planning on doing a Zoom workshop for my free Substack subscribers in the NSW School Holiday break and will go through everything in that. I will post details about the workshop, materials required / Luma link etc. in the 'Studio Diaries' Substack a little closer to the time. samashleyart.substack.com/ Post Zoom workshop we can have a more informal Q&A in the 'Studio Diaries' Discord - in the workshop channel. Hope you can make it 🙏🏻💗Sam🌻xxx

@@samashleyartoh wonderful! Roster pending, I’ll be there 😊

@@louisealchin7435 🤩Yay! I will try and give you plenty of notice so you can come 💗🥰🌻xxx

🙏🏻Thankyou so much Jules. It really was so much fun to make as well (and that colour palette is my all time favourite) 💗🌻xxx

🩷 I'm so happy you enjoyed the replay. Can't wait to see your drawings (in the Discord?)🥰🎨xxx

The elastic band journal

Hi Clarice, Thankyou so much 🙏. Yes, I will do that - actually, I have been thinking about doing a Zoom workshop soon for my Free Substack subscribers. We also have a Discord with a workshop / stage channel where I do things like that. I will put something up on TH-cam, but I can't say exactly when at this stage. 💗Sam🌻xxx

🙏Thankyou so much Hippo. Aren't they amazing? I created a Radiolarian Pinterest folder for inspiration (I love Pinterest too 🤣) 🩷🌻xxx

🙏Thankyou Janina, such a beautiful comment 🥰. I love the idea of just choosing random words on the page that appeal to you (honestly, the book could be about literally anything and there will always be a few words that stand out - and can be taken out of the original context of the book). Its a great thing to do when you only have a couple of minutes - use a watercolour pencil to outline the word so when you are ready to gesso, you already have the word/s chosen. It always surprises me how the words reflect something I seem to be thinking of anyway (serendipity at its best). Its a form of 'Black out poetry' I suppose. To get the grommets (eyelets) in, I use an 'Eyelet Tool set' from the sewing shop (or supermarket). I also use an awl and a hammer. I don't have the packet any more so I cant tell you the brand I'm afraid. They come in different sizes (get slightly bigger than you think). I am planning on doing a free Zoom 'Handmade Journals' workshop in the near future for my Substack subscribers - maybe I can include this too (or maybe I need a few workshops 🤣)? Happy art journal making my friend 🩷Sam🌻xxx

🩷🙏🌻xxx

🙏 Thankyou 🥰 They are lots of fun to make 🩷 xxx

🙏 Thankyou Hippo 🥰. I really love Zines. I didn't know July was International Zine month though. I make a lot of Zines with students at school, they are great for presenting information in a fun way. I just read your incredible Substack post and subscribed 🩷 Yay! 🧡 xxx

​@@samashleyart My pleasure Sam! Zines are a really interesting and versatile form of expression, I really love them in all shapes and about anything. The superpower of zines is that anyone can do a zine, you don't need expensive supplies, you don't need a lot of time, nor special skills. Thank you so much for subscribing ☺💙