Art

Abstract Mandalas I and II

One of my favorite things to paint is mandalas. The repetition of shapes and patterns is freeing and calming to create. You simply start with a center and add on one row at a time. As mandalas change and evolve they help you to see how one thing leads to the next. They are a good tool for trusting and working through your intuition. I fall into a blissful meditative state whenever I draw or paint one. Today I want to share with you two different but, similar styled abstract mandala paintings I have created. You’ll also find a link to watch a work in progress painting video. Super vulnerable moment as I’m not very confident on camera but, you have to start somewhere. xo

Abstract Mandalas I, 30″x 48″, 2013

Abstract Mandalas II, 24 x 36, 2015
See a work in process video of this painting on YouTube

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Believe in You Affirmation Artwork

I enjoy making art that speaks. In this case it is a positive affirmation and reminder to believe in yourself. An affirmation is a personal statement that can be used to boost self-esteem, reduce stress, and manifest the life of your dreams by retraining your subconscious mind. The playful colors and mandala design along with the affirmation in this artwork will infuse your space with positive vibes and gently remind you that you are worth believing in.

Shop original paintings in my Etsy shop.

Shop for prints and printed products in my RedBubble shop.

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Painting & Pajama Party Wrap Up

Photos above courtesy of Rowen Tree Photos

This life is yours to CREATE! I had the privilege of leading a painting experience to my largest group yet during a private painting party with My Sister’s Keeper AZ. 16 fabulous women and friends from the women’s empowerment group My Sisters Keeper AZ came together for an evening of painting, sisterhood and fun in their pjs!

My favorite part was meeting so many beautiful woman and witnessing them release their inner artist onto a canvas. Everyone was so open and willing to enjoy the process! They had a fun bonding experience while creating unique works of art. It never ceases to amaze me how different they all turn out when each person is presented with the same mix of tools and colors. This group of women came together and we had a night full of laughter, positive energy and each tapped into their individual creativity.

Listen to what a couple attendees had to say!

I have always hoped I could create something this beautiful and thanks to Kristen I did! I had such an amazing experience at the Pajama & Painting Party put on by My Sisters Keeper AZ last Saturday night. I laughed, I cried, I created and I made at least 5 new friends. If I ever tell you about one of their events you must go! They are all about supporting women, holding space for them and having fun. Also, go check out Kristen Fagan Art & Design – she is an amazing artist with a big heart. I am forever changed! ~ Kerry Burki

Such an inspiring and fun painting party with one of the most fantastic and supportive group of women I have ever met! I had such a blast and felt at home instantly. Kristen, you were such a wonderful teacher and I love how you set up the class. iamLensKitchen, the food was so nourishing, just like the whole group of ladies and the time we spent together last night. Thank you! I’m so happy with what I created with the help of Kristen Fagan Art & Design … this one is going in my studio to remind me that I’m always exactly where I need to be … don’t worry be happy! ~Kimberly Kling of Joyful Roots

I could not have pulled this event off with the help of these lovely ladies! My sweet friend Meg helped with setup, keeping everyone’s water clean, replenishing paint, and so much more! I am so grateful for her generous and helpful spirit. Small bites menu of healthy goodness provided by Len’s Kitchen (@iamlenskitchen), we were lucky to have such good eats! Jennifer of Rowen Tree Photos graciously took a ton of pictures to capture the event. And lastly, I cannot thank the co-founders of My Sister’s Keeper AZ enough for their support and for putting their faith in me to lead this event for their members. In addition to the painting fun, the ladies of My Sisters Keeper AZ collected donations of clothes, bras, and toiletries for women who live in homeless shelters right here in our communities. These ladies have such big hearts!

My Sisters Keeper AZ Mission Statement: “Our mission is to be a source of positive change by locking arms with women in our surrounding communities and inspiring them to support each other in a global shift to better overall health. We will do this by helping women achieve a holistic and happier balance in all areas of their lives; while setting an example of self development, growth and personal expansion. United we stand!” Learn more about My Sisters Keeper AZ here.

My paint parties are a safe, judgement-free zone to create! I guide you through a multi-layer painting process with lots of room for self expression. Embrace the opportunity to play and give yourself permission to paint with abandon.

Want to attend a painting party and be notified of future dates? Click here sign up for email. If you would like to host a private painting party, email me at kristenjfagan@gmail.com to discuss your event. I look forward to painting with you!

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Birthday Paint Party

The painting parties continue! I had the pleasure of guiding an amazing group of girls for a birthday party! We had a blast building up layers with lots of texture techniques and then painted a dreamcatcher focal design.

Want to attend one of my painting parties in Arizona and would like to be notified of future dates? Click here sign up for email. If you would like to host a private painting party with me as your guide, send me an email at kristenjfagan@gmail.com to discuss your event. I look forward to painting with you!

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“Create Magic” Painting Parties

I’m really excited about this new path! I began hosting small in-home paint parties this summer and decided to call these events “Create Magic” painting parties. My passion is process painting which I define as letting go, playing with color, mark making and enjoying the process without a clear end in mind. I believe like this is where the “magic” of my creative source shows up. After each painting party I have had someone reach out to say they created something on their own or with their kids using the simple techniques I shared. Wow! That just makes my heart smile. It brings me such joy to hear that they had the confidence to jump in on their own and create. Just read what those who have attended are saying!

I purposefully keep my paint parties loosely guided and have gone back and forth in my mind about choosing not to do a “step by step” specific painting and instead have a guideline of techniques and ideas that leaves the creator open to interpret it in their own way. I faced some unique challenges with my decision to open up the process and keep it loose but, it’s totally worth it if one person feels comfortable enough to paint on their own. Expressing yourself is incredibly healing and good for your soul. Sharing this way of creating with others has been rewarding in so many ways. I am confident that I’m on the right path with this and need to trust the magic!

Progress, not perfection – that has been my mantra during this journey. Most of all, I don’t want to compromise my vision and let my passion get lost in the process because it’s that passion that makes the event so much fun. I want everyone to walk away feeling like something special transpired when we created together.

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Lively Flower Artwork

Still life flowers transformed into lively flower artwork! I began a three canvas journey with these still life’s below a couple months back. The feeling I got creating the still life’s was one of stiffness, restraint, questioning. I knew I needed to free up my process and start again so, I painted over the paintings. I am so much happier with these flower paintings. I know how much joy I poured into painting them and I think it shows.

Shop original paintings in my Etsy shop.

Shop for prints and printed products in my RedBubble shop.

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Paint Like You

The desire to paint a flower still life has been in the back of my mind for awhile. I had a vision for how I thought it would turn out. After getting some tulips from my sweet husband it inspired me to get started. I began these 3 paintings below – sunflowers, peonies and tulips. They started with good intentions and vision but fell flat on execution for me. I was getting so frustrated and I think it shows in the tight, unnatural feeling I got from this work so, I let them sit for a few days.

I picked up the sunflower painting and added pattern, deeper colors and was feeling better about it. I slept on it and the next day I realized it just didn’t feel right and I asked myself – would I hang this art proudly in my home? The answer was no. It didn’t feel like me. At that moment, I reminded myself of something that I had read recently … paint like you. I needed to forget about what I wanted it to be, stop comparing my work to other still life art on Pinterest and just paint like me.

So, I got to work covering up the sunflower still life and this happened instead!

I love looking at the collage and seeing that I could have stopped at frame 5 or 6 or 8 and be really happy with it. Stopping before I “go to far” is something I continue to work towards feeling more confident about. Taking many pictures as I work is helping me see when to let go, call it done and remember to just paint like me.

I encourage you to do things your way too! It is truly freeing to give yourself permission to just be you.

Art / Soul Musings / Work in Process / 2 comments

2014: A Year of Painting

It’s been one year since I embarked on a fresh start in my little corner of the internet. In keeping with the season of celebrating the past year, I wanted to take a look back at the artwork I created in 2014. It’s been a beautifully colorful journey in a variety of painting styles, subjects and a much larger mix of commissions then years past. I am still feeling my way through what feels right and what’s my authentic self. Just keep painting, that’s my plan for 2015!

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31 Days. 31 Drawings.

Every October artists all over the world take on the INKtober drawing challenge and do one ink drawing a day the entire month. I found out about this great challenge from my Instragram friend @aisforanika – thanks Anika! I was in a little of a creative slump and had just bought a cute little pocket journal with 32 pages from Bonnie from Going Home to Roost when I saw Anika’s INKtober post – it was kismet!

I decided to give it go, use my little journal and start a daily drawing practice for the month of October. I shared my drawings on my Instagram feed daily (of course, Instaluv!) and Facebook weekly. Since it was the first time I used a sketchbook for a specific purpose I thought it was a great time to create my first sketchbook flip video, yay!

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Mesa Street Art Love: Upcycled Planter Project

I can’t believe I never shared the final planter piece on my blog. I shared on Instagram and Facebook and then forgot all about my very important blog, so silly of me. To see the inspiration pictures and planning for my planter, click here.

Here’s a little background on the project – Downtown Mesa has teamed with local artists and businesses to build “Main Street Art Love,” a series of unique planters along Main Street. The up-cycled planters, which will bring additional desert foliage to the main drag. (New Times Culture blog wrote about the project and I am very excited to have my name mentioned! Click to read this article.)

Pictures of the work in process.

I took the cart apart, sanded it and spray painted it with a fresh color. I decided to give the second tier some artwork with an abstract desert scene. I painted the bottom wicker compartment with a matte silver spray paint and then let loose and had fun with the small suitcase. I loved adding the quote on the inside to give it a little extra whimsy. I fastened the suitcase with some hardware to keep it upright and used gorilla glue to keep both the wicker compartment and suitcase affixed to the cart.

This is my finished upcycled planter for Desert Blossom Salon & Boutique in Downtown Mesa!

Just needs desert plants added to bring it to life. The planters will be out until forever, so you can stop by Desert Blossom Salon & Boutique in Downtown Mesa anytime to take a peek at my planter as well as the other artists work on Main Street.

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Work in Process: Mesa Planter Project

I’m very excited to be involved in a great community art project – The Mesa Planter Project! This project pairs local artists with businesses on Main Street to design artsy, unique, upcycled planters in which to plant heat tolerant plants. I was paired with Desert Blossom, an awesome salon & boutique. Here are some snapshots from their instagram feed to see the eclectic, colorful vibe of the items items they sell.

(P.S. Desert Blossom is having a 50% off Labor Day Weekend SALE and are located 146 W. Main St Mesa, AZ 85201).

I picked up this metal cart beauty for the base of the shop planter! One of the requirements was to have the planter on wheels. My friend Amanda is an amazing treasure hunter and found this sweet cart and I snatched it right up.h Tank you Amanda! You can check out more of Amanda’s finds at A Flippin’ Disaster on Facebook.

I’m excited to get down to work on the base. The colors I am thinking of incorporating are yellow, white, turquoise and green. Those seem like they work well with the style and colors of their boutique. Here are some idea sketches I’ve been working on to help me figure out how I want to develop the planter.

Save the date September 19th for the reveal in Downtown Mesa during Flash Park Friday! I’m really excited to see all the amazing, creative planters the other artists in the project make. Check out the details below.

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Nursery Artwork for Joseph Liam

Bert, the boys and I traveled to New York this month to visit our families and celebrate my sister Kelly’s baby shower. She decided on a white and gray color scheme for her baby boy, Joseph Liam’s nursery. A sweet little elephant bedding set from Pottery Barn was chosen and that was my starting point for creating the artwork for my nephew’s nursery.

Below are my pencil sketches and the first layers of paint through the final artwork.

I glued patterned scrapbook paper for the elephants ears and the balloons. The colors and outlines of the elephants were pretty heavy handed at first.

I knew I needed to go lighter so, I painted the elephants white and lightened the outlines as well as began lightening up the blue background. For Joseph Liam’s name banner I picked up wooden letters at the hobby store, glued them to the canvas and painted everything white. I have to thank Pinterest for this beauty of an idea. I pinned a similar letter piece a couple years ago and that was the perfect inspiration for this project! I first painted with acrylic paint but, after a few coats of white it wasn’t feeling bright white enough for me. I decided to try white spray paint instead. The paint covered the surface much quicker, easier and brighter with the spray paint.

Final three pieces of artwork. The colors and outlines are much softer overall. The little stitching detail on the ears and balloons adds the right amount of handmade sweetness to these little guys. I worked to match the Pottery Barn pattern as best I could with a little of me thrown in (mostly in the addition of a little color).

My sister opening her gift from me. It was one of the few surprises I was able to get by her as she was “in the know” about everything! The second shower picture is of me, my sisters Kelly and Katie and my Mom. Kelly definitely got my mother’s gift of creating beautiful spaces. She has done a fabulous job of turning the baby’s room into a beautiful nursery and I’m so happy to be able to create artwork for her little boy. I can’t wait to meet my nephew!

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« Previous

Art

Abstract Mandalas I and II

Believe in You Affirmation Artwork

Painting & Pajama Party Wrap Up

Birthday Paint Party

“Create Magic” Painting Parties

Lively Flower Artwork

Paint Like You

2014: A Year of Painting

31 Days. 31 Drawings.

Mesa Street Art Love: Upcycled Planter Project

Work in Process: Mesa Planter Project

Nursery Artwork for Joseph Liam

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