Saturday, March 7, 2015

New website

Hello everyone!
I guess probably many of you have noticed that I haven't posted anything for a while. The thing is, I made a new website for myself and I would like to invite you to visit my new website. It took me about 2 weeks to make it. From now on I will post only on my new website

www.artliis.com


Monday, February 16, 2015

Painting #25

Sunset beach
Oil on canvas paper
50x65cm

I can't believe its already 25th painting of my "50 paintings in 1 year" challenge. So far it has been such a fun and exciting experience for me.

This time I wanted to paint something with warmer colors. That's why I decided to paint sunset beach. I haven't painted clouds very often so I had to look different pictures so that I could paint them.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed painting the waves. It was exciting and risky at the same time. Why risky? Because I was afraid that waves might not look so realistic as I want them to look. But I'm quite satisfied with the way the painting turned out.

I'm planning to make more beach/sea paintings as I want to learn some new things. What kind of paintings would you like to see? Sunset beaches, stormy sea, tropical beach with some palm trees? I would love to know your opinion.

I will post some work in progress shots so you could see how this painting came together. You can also see the work in progress shots on my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram page.






You can also follow my blog on Bloglovin:

https://www.bloglovin.com/people/liisi6-11139073

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Painting #24


The beach
Oil on canvas
50x100cm

Inspiration is something that keeps me going. As I I'm planning new paintings, I'm constantly searching for new ideas to paint. 

The story behind this painting is.. I came across a website called stumbleupon.com. Maybe some of you don't know what this stumbleupon is all about. Basically its a discovery engine that finds and recommends web content to its users. It didn't take me long time to get addicted to it. I chose all the things that I was interested in and photography and art were some of those things that I wanted to find. I saw so many beautiful pictures of beaches and seascapes. I was so excited. And it all got me thinking.

I have been painting dolphins and I thought to myself " "Why not paint a beautiful tropical beach" You know these kind of beaches you see in the movies or the places where you have dreamed to go. The places which are on your "To do" list. And the water is beautiful light blue.

I have to admit I haven't visited places like this. At least not so tropical places. Right now I have 3 places where I want to travel. 
  • Zansibar
  • Bora Bora
  • Thailand- Koh Phi Phi
Sometimes I just like to look the pictures of these places. And this time I also got some inspiration and ideas for my painting. I also watched some Youtube videos to learn how to paint the clouds and the waves.

Finally I got into the action. I started to paint the sky and when it had dried, then I painted the clouds. And after that I painted the sand and the water with some waves. I'm quite happy with the way this painting turned out.
I will post some work in progress shots so you could see how this painting came together. You can also see the work in progress shots on my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram page.




I think there is nothing as relaxing as the sound of the waves. I could listen it for hours.

"It's hard for me to put into words why I like beach so much. Everything about it is renewing for me, almost like therapy, beach therapy"- Amy Dykens

I would like to know what you think about my painting.

You can also follow my blog on Bloglovin:

https://www.bloglovin.com/people/liisi6-11139073

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Painting #23

Bliss
Oil on canvas paper
50x65cm

Today I finished this painting. It's a third dolphin painting that I've done so far. I guess right now I won't do more dolphin paintings, although I would like to. I feel like its time to start painting something new.
I also started a new painting. This will be an ocean painting. I realized like its something that I'm not good enough and its time to improve my skills. Recently I have been watching many artist's videos on Youtube where they paint ocean and waves. And now I feel like I'm ready for it. So stay tuned.

Painting the background

Painting the shadows so that it would look more realistic
Painting the underwater plants.

Painting fish.


You can also follow me on Bloglovin:

http://www.bloglovin.com/people/liisi6-11139073


Thursday, February 5, 2015

Art groups

As an artist I have learned in time the importance of being a member of art groups. As though most of the artists tend to like more solitude, they still need the community. A feeling that you are a part of something bigger in this world. A place where you can meet people who have same interests and share the same passions as you.

It was 2013 December. I remember it very clearly,I was drawing and painting. I was happy. Yet I felt like there was something missing. By that time I  had found some art groups on Facebook where people could share their artwork and give feedback about other artist's artwork but mostly people just posted their artwork and that was about it. They didn't much care about giving feedback about other artist's artwork or just a simple "Like" which sometimes could brighten up somebody's day. There was something missing in those groups.

That was the time when I was browsing artwork on one of these art groups. There was a lot of nudity in this group and I was doing my best to still see the good sides of the group which were beautiful artworks of artists. And then it happened. I came across a post by Inaa Häggström Foose who invited all the girls to join her new art group Women's International Creative Group.

Women's International Group was created for girls and women only which means that nobody else can post to this group. It's a group where people can post all kinds of creative work and share it with other artists. Which include photography, craftings, artworks, music, writing and share tips and ideas.

In the beginning I decided to keep a low profile and observe to see what this group is all about and to understand the spirit of the group. It didn't took me a lot of time to realize that this group is full of beautiful, talented and friendly people. They appreciate each and every single member of the group. I felt the joy of recognition. Why? Because I felt like I had found a right group. A group that I had always wanted to be a part of.

And what I also love about this group. People actually give feedback about each other's artwork and they encourage and support each other on hard times. For sometimes some artists might get artist blocks or they might have some problems in life and feel like they want to give up. To quit art, for ever. But in this group everybody are always so positive and they encourage each other to not give up and try harder.

I'm so happy that I found this group. Thanks to this group I have been able to meet so many beautiful and talented people.
Here is a picture where you can see the admins of this group.



Another group that I recently found on Facebook is Lachri - Youtube art group. I found it because I had been following Lachri fine art page on Facebook for a while and then Lisa ( an artist behind Lahcri fine art) decided to make a group for artists. And of course I wanted to be a part of this group because I love Lisa's artwork and her Youtube videos.

This group was created so that people from Lisa's Youtube channel could have a place to share their artwork and ask advice from other artists. I can always learn something new by reading all these posts that discuss about a technique, medium and social media . People are really friendly and nice. There are also challenges for group members in every month.

Plus every week Lisa posts new videos on her Youtube channel and also shares them in the group with members. Those videos include painting critiques, speed paintings, speed drawings, tutorials, artist vlogs, tips, tricks and art advice.

I'm so happy that I found that artist and that group. I have learned so many new things and I have seen so many beautiful artwork.

You can see Lisa's Youtube channel here: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/Lachri

So these are my favorite art groups on Facebook. What do you think about art groups? Do you follow any?

You can also follow me on Bloglovin:

http://www.bloglovin.com/people/liisi6-11139073

Sunday, February 1, 2015

How Linky parties can help you grow your blog




Maybe there are many people who haven't heard anything about the Linky Parties. So in this article I will tell you what it is and what its used for.

What are Linky parties?
Link parties are the opportunity for you to grow your blog and get some new followers. Basically what it does for you, it allows you to share your content on other websites. When you visit a site on the day of their weekly link party then there is a link to " link up" and you can share the URL of your blog/site and write a title and crop a photo from the post. It will create a hyperlink thumbnail that other bloggers can see and visit.
It is recommended to read the rules before you put your own link. Because every day there is a different theme and some Link Parties don't allow to post selling stuff and giveaways. So its better to read before you act.

How can I host my own link party?
Before you start there are few things you should keep in mind.
First of all. Like always with parties, you should think about the reason why you are hosting a link party. Are you celebrating the birth of your first baby? Are you looking for a new recipes to try? Or you want to find some new DIY ideas to try out?

  • Choose a date and time. Link parties are held weekly, monthly, seasonal.
  • Plan your budget. Unfortunately Link Parties like any other parties require some cash. In order to  host a party you can use a service like Inlinkz or LinkyTools. They both have a subscription fee.
  • Invite quests. Market it on your social platforms.
  • Design a button for your Link Party, There are many tutorials about it on internet.
  • Be a good host. Try to comment on every linked post. Make your guests feel special!
  • Keep an eye on posts. If somebody posts anything inappropriate, then you have to make sure that it will be deleted.
  • Make a new connections. Just like you would on a real life party. You can also introduce some of your friends to some new guests.
  • And at last, don't forget to send out Thank you's.
What do you think? Will you give it any try? Are you willing to take the time and money to make a Link Party and make some new connections?

Happy linking!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Painting #22


Ocean of love
Oil on canvas paper
50x65cm

As you can see here is the next dolphin painting. Last time when I had painted the dolphins, I asked some critique and feedback about my painting. With this painting, I was trying to do everything right.
First of all, I tried to add some shadows in the background so that it would look more realistic. And this time I was trying to make fish look a little bit more realistic. In my opinion they look better than on the first painting.
It was my first time to paint turtles. Aren't they lovely? I made many layers before I finished them. I'm thinking about doing some more dolphin underwater paintings. I really enjoy painting them! Maybe I will paint some whales next, who knows.







What do you think? Should I do more dolphin paintings? Or should I paint whales?

If you are curious to see what I will create next, then follow me. You can also follow me on Bloglovin:
http://www.bloglovin.com/people/liisi6-11139073

Monday, January 26, 2015

Workspace

The other day when I was on Facebook, I got a really good idea that I should make a post about my workspace. I have seen so many beautiful and inspiring pictures of other artist's workspaces and that kind of inspired me to write that post.
I had a pretty good light in my room, so I decided to pick up my camera and make some photos to share with you.

You might think that most of the time artists have this huge art studio but its not always true. Leonardo da Vinci once said: "An artist's studio should be a small space because small rooms discipline the mind and the large one distracts it".
I totally agree. I personally work in my room. And so far I'm totally satisfied with the room that I have. Yes, sometimes I feel like I don't have enough room for all of my art supplies but it just requires organizing the things, you know?  I'm sure that most of the artists are facing the same problem.


Most of the time I draw at the table. Well, when I feel really comfortable then on my couch. I also have a molbert but I don't use it very often. Why? I have learned that when I paint about 3-4 hours in a day, then my lower back starts hurting me. And believe me, that's not a good feeling! So I prefer to sit and paint on the table.




Right now most of my art supplies don't have a really good place so I'm planning to buy some rolling shelves so that I would have more storage space for my supplies. I guess I should think what are those things in my room that are working and what are not working. Maybe I can even throw something out. I have learned that I tend to be more inspired when I can see all my art supplies.

So this is my workspace. Where do you work? Do you have your own studio?

Friday, January 23, 2015

7 reason why you should use Bloglovin to promote your blog




If you are a blog owner and you are looking for a new ways to promote your blog and get some extra traffic to your blog then Bloglovin is a good place to do that. Maybe you haven't heard about it before, believe me few months ago I also didn't know anything about it but I'm glad that I found it. In this article I will tell you all the benefits of Bloglovin.

It's one of the newest social platforms which was created for bloggers and also readers. It allows readers to read, organize and discover their favorite blogs. It's really easy and comfortable to use. I personally haven't used it very long time but I have realized some of the benefits that it offers.

  • First of all, it allows you to link your blog to Bloglovin. This way your followers will easily see your new posts on their feed. I personally like to follow people more on Bloglovin than on blogger. It's more organised.
  • It has some really attractive " Follow this blog on bloglovin" buttons that you can use to post on your blog and this way your readers will see that you are using Bloglovin and can follow you there.
  • And of course you can build connections in the blog world. Commenting and following other blogs can have some really good impact to your blog. It will get you more traffic and you will even find some new friends.
  • Bloglovin has different blog categories. This way you can follow the similar blogs to your own or you can just search for the topic that interests you the most.
  • You can link not only your blogs, but your social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and it will help you to get more traffic from their users.
  • It's easy to use with your blog. You just have to "claim" your blog.
  • Bloglovin is free, It also has a mobile app which is available for Iphone, Android and Ipad.
So these are the benefits that Bloglovin offers. I hope that this article was useful for you and that you can go and claim your blog and rock the traffic world with Bloglovin!

And here is a link to my Bloglovin profile:
http://www.bloglovin.com/people/liisi6-11139073

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

What I like to listen while drawing/ painting

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Just like art is a huge part of my life, the same way is music. Certain type of music inspired me a lot. It's a really huge part of my painting process. Music is the light that switches me on in my work. I will share some most common songs that I love to listen when I work on my art:

























I also love to listen:



'













If you are working or you are doing something that you love,  do you like to listen to the music? If yes, then what kind of songs do you listen to?

Monday, January 19, 2015

Painting #21


We belong to the sea
Oil on canvas paper
50x65cm

I have always wanted to paint the most intelligent animals and besides that I felt like I needed a little change from painting tigers and leopards. So here it is! My first dolphins painting

In the past I have seen many articles and videos about dolphins. There was one video where one dolphin was holding a brush with his mouth, He made different lines and curves and created his own painting. I think its awesome, isn't it? I am so impressed.

Sadly I haven't swum with them yet. Actually I can't swim. So I guess now I have something which motivates me to learn.

Painting the underwater turned out to be quite complicated. I wanted it to look like the light is shining down on the dolphins. At first I thought that I would paint only dolphins but then I thought that they would get bored and decided to paint some little fish to give them some company.

First of all I painted the water. It took me a while because I had to use darker blues and lighter blues to get the wanted effect.When that was done, I started painting the dolphins and after that I started to paint all the underwater plants and fish. I never would have guessed that painting the plants and fish could take so long time.
This is also probably because I paint in oils and this requires a lot of drying time. 

The most rewarding part of the painting process was painting the dolphins. While I was painting the dolphins I decided to get myself in the right mood and listened to some songs which are about the sea and I even listened Dolphins relaxation music. It was really relaxing! 

And here is a link to this relaxation music:



And some work in progress shots:















Linking up to: Serenity now

Friday, January 16, 2015

How I manage my time and structure my day



These days, time management seems to be very important part in people's lives and also it seems to be a problem for many of us. So today I tell you how I do it.
  • First of all, every night/evening I make a list for my next day. Why? Because this way its easier for me. Every morning when I wake up and I already have a list of all the things that needs to be done during the day. And I can start doing them.
  • Another things that I like very much is Editorial calender. I found it recently on Pinterest when I was going through many time management pins. So since I have my blog, then its a really good way to keep my blog organized.
  • I also love to make a schedule and plan for my Social Network sites because they are a huge part of my life. I promote my artwork there. So I better do it the right way, you know? Every night I think about next day posting- what and when. For there are certain period of times when it's most effective.
  • I focus on the most productive time of the day. Because when it comes to painting then I'm best at it in the morning. There are things that I'm good at doing in the evenings and some of the things I'm best at doing in the mornings. This way I can be sure that I'm using my abilities in a maximum way.
  • I keep track of my progress. This will help me see what is still needed to be done and it will motivate me as well.
So these are some of the ways I use to manage my time. How do you manage your time and structure your day?

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

This is the book that changed my life

I believe many of us have read a book that have changed the way we see things. Well, I have read too.

I think it was on 2009 when one of my friend visited me and told me about " The secret". At first I was thinking that this is some kind of boring book but many months later, when I was in the library, I saw this book. I instantly remembered that my friend had recommended it and I decided to read it eventually. I thought to myself: "I won't lose anything, so I might as well read it".

The book was written by Rhonda Byrne. She did a huge research and that's how this book was born.

According to this book you can have, be or do whatever you want. You just have to think the right way. You have to choose your thoughts carefully.

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought"- Buddha

There are many people who have decided to concentrate on the problems and negative things and they get everything according to the frequency that they offer. So instead of focusing to the bad things, people should start focusing on things that they want to achieve. I remember when on 2010 I got my anxiety and depression. Most of the time I was focusing on the bad things. And the fact that I couldn't even go to school, made me even more depressed. Back then I didn't concentrate on good things. Actually there were many good things in my life, but I just couldn't see them. So eventually I started reading a lot of books and I watched many movies and I started seeing things differently.

If something you want is slow to come to you, it can be for only one reason. You are spending more time focused upon its absence than you are about its presence"- Esther Hicks

You can get to where you want to be from wherever you are- but you must stop spending so much time noticing and talking about what you do not like about where you are"- Esther Hicks

I learned that the key is to feel good. So every day I  have to make sure that I'm in a good mood. This way good things can come to me.

Also I learned that when it comes to the dreams, then its important to do a little bit every day so that you will achieve your dreams. So every day when I wake up, I have a list of things that I need to do during the day. Sometimes there are just tiny things but eventually big things grow from little things.

You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step"- Martin Luther King

So now, on 2015, I can honestly tell you that I won't be in the place I am today if I hadn't read that book. Yes, there are days when its hard but most of the time I am in a good mood and I'm focused on good things and on my goals.

Is there a book that changed your life somehow? What is the name of the book? I would love to add some new books to my read list.



I got my idea for this blog topic from:
www.marketyourcreativity.com

Check out this amazing page!




Monday, January 12, 2015

Painting #20


Lion cubs
Oil on canvas paper
Reference photo: kridah-stock on deviantart.com
50x65cm

Maybe you've noticed that I haven't posted anything new for a while. The truth is, my laptop stopped working so I had to buy a new laptop,

Since I haven't drawn lion cubs before, I decided to give it a try. They look so lovely so I just had to paint them.
I started the painting with the background. First of all I painted the sky and then I painted the stone. After that I started painting the fur. I painted many layers so that it would look as realistic as possible. In the end I painted the trees.

I'm not very happy with the proportions so I'm planning on painting some more lions.

Many thanks to Krida-stock for reference photo.

And here are some work in progress shots:








Thursday, January 8, 2015

My birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. I'm sure that everybody loves their birthdays because its so amazing day in person's life.

When I woke up then I got a big surprise. My mom had made me a cake and there were even candles. I felt like a little girl again.





Later we cooked together. I have always wanted to cook a Jollof Rice. It's an African food and it tastes so good. I think it might be my new favorite.

I'm so grateful for all  those lovely birthday wishes that I got. It was amazing day.

So this is how I celebrated my birthday. How do you celebrate your birthday?



Sunday, January 4, 2015

Why I decided to become an artist


Since my birthday is not so far away, I decided to reflect on this question. Obviously I have been loving drawing since I was a little girl. Sometimes I was drawing even for hours. Oh yes, in drawing I feel like I'm in my own element.

My grandmother was usually drawing and painting with me. I can still remember clearly how we used to sit in the kitchen and paint with watercolors. That was so much fun!

Later on when I was about 8 years old and went to school, I also took some art classes. I was always very excited to go there. I think I was attended at these classes for few years. After that I had to concentrate more on my studies because it turned out that I wasn't good at math. Sometimes I felt quite sad because I missed those art classes.

When I was a teenager I went to a model school. At first it seemed so interesting and perfect but as the time passed, I realised that it wasn't for me. That because I got an opportunity to represent one brand's clothes and that required me to stand on the stage and walk on the podium. But I was and still am a really shy person and I knew that I can't do anything like that. So I decided to quit the model school.

During the high school I didn't draw very much. We had an art history class and sometimes teacher gave us some homework to do which included drawing. Everytime when I drew something, I felt like my soul was singing because of the happiness. And sometimes when I was at home and doing my other homework, I used to take some breaks from studying and during those breaks I used to sketch something. I think it was my way to relax because I was having a lot of tension because of the school. Many times I was having troubles with mathematics, physic and chemistry. I even had private teachers who helped me to stay on track. Looking back, this was my body's way to tell me : " Liisi, mathematics, physic and chemistry is not for you.You are meant to draw, you are meant to be creative"

After high school when most of my classmates went to study something in the university, I had no idea what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. Sometimes its just hard to figure out so important things in life, you know?
Going to the university immediately after high school didn't seem right for me. Especially when I didn't know what I wanted to study. I took some time off. I went to work. I worked in the cafe and sport shop. It didn't take me long to realize that customer service isn't the thing that I want to do for the rest of my life. Because not all the customers were nice and I found it emotionally really exhausting taking other people's negative energy inside of me and in the end of the day when I finished work and went home, I felt so tired and sad.
I understood that most of the people are doing the 9 to 5 work just to survive and they were so sad and angry inside- they didn't like what they were doing.


Finally I got an idea. I wanted to study business and marketing. So I went to the university. Most of the time I was happy with my choice but then I started to get some doubts. I had to do some presentations and that meant public speaking. My legs were trembling and I was having real difficulties by remembering what to even say. And again there was a lot of tension in my life. I tell you a secret. There were days when I got my panic attacks and depression so I wasn't even able to go to school. I was so depressed and sad. I started to draw and paint again. Slowly I started to feel good again. My mood wasn't so bad anymore and life didn't seem to be so hursh. Eventually I quit university and started to concentrate on art again. I can't even tell you how happy I was making that decision. I just felt refreshed.
Looking back I now understand that all those things that I experienced were there for a reason. To show me what I should do and to learn some life lessons. Thanks to all this knowledge I can start my own art company.

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive"- Howard Thurman


Have you ever experienced something similar? 


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