The 100 Day Project 2024 is underway! I had so much fun last year hiding art in Brookfield, I’m doing it again. This year I decided on a different approach. I will create and hide 10 series with 10 pieces of art each. Since I will be creating 10 pieces in each series, if someone misses a piece they really love, there will be a similar piece to look forward to in the coming days.

How My Project Works

Each day I will create a piece of art and hide it somewhere in Brookfield. I will take photos that will help you find the art and post them to my Instagram and Facebook with an additional clue. You follow the clues, find my art, and take it home to enjoy it! I created the unique hashtag #100DaysOfArtInBrookfield to make my posts easier for Brookfielders to find. I will hide my art at varied times to allow for folks on different schedules to find it.

My 2024 100 Day Project: Series 1 of 10

For the first series, I created a digital illustration. Each day for the first 10 days of the 100 Day Project I will experiment with a different color palette. Then I’ll print the updated design on photo paper and use paint pens to embellish each one in a unique way. Here are the first two designs that were hidden Sunday and Monday (I’ll be creating today’s and hiding it right after I publish this post.

What Is the 100 Day Project?

The 100 Day Project is an inclusive, worldwide art project. Thousands of people participate each year and share their daily project entries online using the hashtag #DoThe100DayProject. A 100 Day Project can involve any medium or form creative expression, and anyone can participate. The idea is to commit to creativity every day for 100 days. A participant can also start their 100 Day project at any time during the year, but there is a global start date each year for those who enjoy the community building that takes place when they do their 100 Day Project along with others worldwide. The start date for the 2024 100 Day Project was February 18th, so if you’re interested in joining in the fun, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the community experience.

Wrapping It Up

I hope you’ll join me in this year’s hidden art adventure. Tune in to my Facebook and Instagram accounts and keep an eye out for hidden art around Brookfield over the next 98 days – you never know what magic you might find!

Also, whether you’re an artist yourself or simply appreciate the joy that creating brings, I encourage you to participate in the 100 Day Project. Freedom to express yourself creatively is a beautiful gift to give yourself.

The post The 100 Day Project 2024: 100 Days of Art in Brookfield appeared first on Thunder Moon Studio.

I have some dreamy news, friends! Brookfield will be participating in its first ever summer art exhibit, Growing with Brookfield! The project will feature painted rain barrels that will be placed in front of sponsoring Brookfield businesses and yours truly will be one of the artists who will paint one!

How It Will Work

Ten artists will participate in Brookfield’s summer art exhibit this year. Businesses can sponsor a rain barrel and artist for $350. Each artist will be connected with a sponsoring business and they’ll collaborate with their sponsor on the rain barrel design. The goal here is to promote public art in Brookfield and highlight our many wonderful small businesses all summer long.

The rain barrels will be on display during the summer in front of the sponsoring businesses throughout Brookfield with information about each rain barrel’s artist and sponsor. There will also be town maps of the exhibit with artist and sponsor information, so the rain barrels and their sponsoring businesses will have plenty of visibility over the summer.

The rain barrels will be auctioned off at the end of summer at the Brookfield Fine Arts Festival in Kiwanis Park on September 28th. The proceeds from the auction will go toward the advancement the arts in Brookfield (there is more specific information on this coming soon).

What’s Next?

Which wonderful Brookfield business will I be matched with? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out! I’ll be sharing updates here and on my Instagram account and my Facebook account, so stay tuned! Are you a local business that would like to sponsor a painted rain barrel and artist? Reach out to the Brookfield Artists Collective!

Big thank-yous to the Brookfield Artists Collective, Brookfield IL Chamber of Commerce, the Village of Brookfield Government and Douglas Auto Body Inc. for making this project possible! I am so grateful for your support of public art in Brookfield!

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Wanna make some watercolor Valentine’s Day cards with me? Whether you’re celebrating your love for someone special, your bestie, or yourself, I’ve got you covered.

My class Watercolor Wonderland: Easy Watercolor Holiday Cards for Beginners teaches two easy ways to make your own Valentine’s Day cards, and the supplies are simple. I have some suggestions below, but use whatever you have on hand–let nothing stop you! Create! Create! Create!

• Watercolor paint: This can be an entry-level set you order on Amazon, your kids’ watercolor set, a set from Five Below–for this class specifically, you do not need to use professional or even student grade watercolor paint to get beautiful results.
• A “thirsty” round paint brush with a nice point (I like this brush for beginners), two water cups/jars
• Shape making tools like cookie cutters. You can even make a heart shape making tool using a paper towel or toilet paper roll.

The best part? You can take my watercolor card class for free and get a free month of Skillshare, so you can explore all the classes on the platform and make art to your heart’s content!

I made winter holiday cards in the videos for the class videos, but the techniques I teach in this class can be applied to any season or occasion. If you tried my class and showed me what you made, I would LOVE it, so show me your valentines!

Fancy Something a Little Darker?

If the one you love loves all things spooky, I teach a class on how to make a haunted mansion using Elegant Writer ink. In this class, we use a calligraphy pen called the Elegant Writer to make the larger shapes in the mansion. The magical thing about Elegant Writer ink is that it produces mesmerizing swirls of teal, pink and blue when you activate it with water. I show you how to get optimal results when you use this technique in my class, Master Elegant Writer Ink: Make a Spooky Haunted Mansion. Below are some examples of art I made with Elegant Writer ink. Read this post if you’d like to learn more about my Elegant Writer ink class.

I hope you’ll get creative with me–whether it’s this Valentine’s Day, or another day. It really does brighten my day to see what folks make after taking my classes. Right now all of the classes I teach are on Skillshare. If you’ve taken a class with me and have any questions about the techniques I teach, you can always reach out to me here on the blog, on Facebook or Instagram, or via Skillshare. I’m always happy to hear from you!

The post Make Easy Watercolor Valentine’s Day Cards with Me, Loves! appeared first on Thunder Moon Studio.

I had to think long and hard about my word for 2024. It was difficult because as my intentions began to take form it seemed like there wasn’t a common thread that wove them together, but I eventually found the word at the heart of all my intentions for 2024: Release. What I am envisioning for myself in 2024 is radical liberation.

My 2024 Intentions

1. I will be releasing thoughts, practices and things that no longer serve me and I will embrace my authentic self.
2. I will favor natural rhythm over routine.
3. I will cast off societal expectations and definitions of what it takes to be worthy and I will embrace my inherent worthiness.
4. I will make space for myself and cultivate surroundings and activities that adapt to my personal needs and prioritize my well-being.
5. I will let go of fear and conditioning that has held me back artistically and empower myself to explore uncharted territories in art and personal growth, walking boldly into my potential.
6. The space I create for myself will allow me to show up even bigger for my family, friends, and community and allow me to make deeper connections with all beings in my life.
7. With my newfound space and freedom, I will deepen my spiritual practices and be able to forge a stronger bond with the universe and its inhabitants.
8. Letting go of past incarnations of me will allow me to become the person, mother, partner, friend, community member, teacher, and artist I am meant to be.
9. I will pursue personal goals independent of external influence and I will focus on personal fulfillment and growth.
10. And finally, I will cultivate a profound relationship with myself, prioritizing self-care, kindness, and a deeper sense of self-love and appreciation.

I am sharing this with you for two reasons. First, as a way of putting my intentions out into the universe as a very real possibility; and second in case they may inspire you or help you home in on your intentions for this calendar year.

Your Free 2024 Planner

And speaking of this calendar year, I have a little something for you. After I designed my 2024 planner, I decided to make it available to my email subscribers as a download. I’ve set it up in a way that works for me, a human with ADHD, so it helps me stay organized by breaking larger goals and periods of time into small ones. I hope it helps you stay organized and focused on your goals too. You can access the download below.

Get Your Free 2024 Planner

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Get My 2024 Planner

The post A Word for Me and a Free 2024 Planner for You appeared first on Thunder Moon Studio.

On Christmas Eve I popped some flameless tea light candles in them and left them under my town’s tree for my neighbors to find and keep. I live to spread joy and light, so this was one of the highlights of my December.

I’m excited to continue my hidden art activities in 2024, so keep your eyes peeled on my Facebook page and Instagram account–you never know what I’ll get up to.

The post Hidden Holiday Art appeared first on Thunder Moon Studio.

I had originally planned to release a Skillshare class on December 1st, but some pesky health issues in the fall followed by two hospital stays in December put me a bit behind, though I did eventually get to launch Easy Watercolor Holiday Cards for Beginners on December 20th. ​

As the name would suggest, Watercolor Wonderland: Easy Watercolor Holiday Cards for Beginners is beginner-friendly, and it shows students an easy way to make beautiful handmade cards. In addition to coming away with beautiful handmade cards, students in this class will also gain the skills and knowledge they need to create hard and soft edges in all their future paintings.

Valentine’s Day is Coming…

The demonstration in the class shows how to make winter holiday cards, but the class can be adapted to make cards for any holiday or occasion. In fact, if you are looking for a fun and easy way to make a Valentine’s Day card that will really stand out, you can take my new class for free and get a free month of Skillshare so you can try some of the other great Skillshare classes.​

And there’s more to come–I just wrapped up my 2024 planning, and I have six new Skillshare classes slated for 2024. Stay tuned for more info! If you’re interested in a spooktacular Skillshare art class, read all about my first ever Skillshare class, Master Elegant Writer Ink: Make a Spooky Haunted Mansion.

Holiday Cards Incoming in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

The same hospital adventures that kept me from releasing my Skillshare class on time (and now caring for my 5th grader who just had her tonsils out) have also caused a delay in getting my holiday cards out on time. If you signed up to receive a hand painted winter holiday card from me, I haven’t forgotten you! You’ll be receiving a hand-painted New Year card from me very soon!

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I want to invite you to join me on an adventure that’s been brewing in my heart for quite some time. I am so excited to finally be able to share with you that I’ve launched my first Skillshare class–Master Elegant Writer Ink: Make a Spooky Haunted Mansion! I’ve been hard at work for weeks getting this ready for you and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Why I Created It

I’ve always been fascinated by the ethereal effects of water-activated Elegant Writer ink and I wanted to learn more about it, so I watched a few YouTube tutorials. Okay, I watched A LOT of YouTube tutorials. And while they were helpful, they just didn’t go deep enough. They were missing key pieces of information on how to achieve the varied value levels that give artwork depth, dimension, and visual interest. They showed me that I could make beautiful art with water-activated Elegant Writer ink, but they didn’t show me how I could do it.

So, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. I spent countless hours tirelessly practicing, experimenting, pushing boundaries, and seeking answers to all the questions the tutorials didn’t answer.

And guess what? Through persistence and dedication, I cracked the code, and I poured everything I learned into a class that leaves no stone unturned.

What You’ll Learn

In this class, we’ll immerse ourselves in a magical world, and together we’ll conjure up something truly spine-tingling—a spooky haunted mansion!

I’ll share all the secrets, techniques, and tips I’ve unearthed through extensive hours of practice. You’ll learn the art of achieving those elusive varied value levels and breathe life into your very own haunted mansion.

What You’ll Make

The final project will be a haunted mansion in Elegant Writer ink with mixed media embellishments like this piece here.

Before we make the haunted mansion together, we’ll work on smaller, simpler practice pieces like these so we can become familiar with how the Elegant Writer ink behaves.

Here’s the best part – you can take my class absolutely free!

How to Take Master Elegant Writer Ink: Make a Spooky Haunted Mansion for Free

Just use my Skillshare referral link to claim your free month of Skillshare—a month to explore, learn, and expand your creative horizons with unlimited access to thousands of Skillshare classes.

So, let’s get started! Enroll in Master Elegant Writer Ink: Make a Spooky Haunted Mansion, and we’ll embark on this spooktacular creative journey together.

I can’t wait to see your work in my class and watch your water-activated Elegant Writer ink masterpieces come to life!

The post Master Elegant Writer Ink: Make a Spooky Haunted Mansion! appeared first on Thunder Moon Studio.

Hello, and welcome! I’m Carla Riseman–a mixed media artist and night-and-day dreamer. I’m excited to connect with you and I hope you’ll stay tuned for dreamy art tutorials, honest art supply reviews and general updates.

The post Hello, I’m Carla Riseman, Mixed Media Artist! appeared first on Thunder Moon Studio.