How to turn your dream into a color scheme - Week 5

HOLY FRIDAY I've been slacking on the blogs! Everyday I think about the blogs but I have been struggling to make time and for that I am sorry. But some good news is that it's DREAM SCHEME FRIDAY! My favorite day of the blogs. For those of you who are new, Friday's I take a dream that I have had either recently or from one of my past dream journals and turn it into a color scheme!

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We are on the 5th week of Dream Scheme Friday's and since I began them, I haven't had one usable dream! That is very shocking to me because I have always been someone to have many dreams and very vivid ones. So that fact that I haven't had any really bummed me out! Thankfully I have loads of dreams to refer to from my past that I have taken detailed notes about since I was a young girl.

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Guess what! I had a dream last night and it was so different. I am very excited to share a recent dream and it might not make much sense as I felt the dream skipped around a lot and randomly kept showing me different images but I am thrilled to share it with you and turn it into a wonderful color scheme! Here we go!

 This dream was from last night

Thursday October 22nd, 2015

The dream started out in a subway and I felt depressed behind the counter where it was very slow. I went into the back room and my mother was working there too. She was on the phone and seemed very busy. I realized I was at a second job that I picked up for extra money and she probably helped get me in. It felt right seeing as I could spend time with her even if I didn't want to be working there, at all. 

I went back in front to check if anyone come in and it was packed. There was an old man that had come behind the counter and started making his own sandwich. He had his hands completely submerged in a green vegetable and was scooping it out for his meal. I was panicking and gently told the man he couldn't be behind the counter and that he needed to go over by the tables. I rushed back to my mother, who was still on the phone, hoping for help. She signaled for me to go and so I did.

I was walking down side streets and seemed to have a far walk. Next thing I remember I was entering a building that was a mix between I large open office, a Barnes and Nobles, and a Game Stop. I knew everyone that was working there and I realized this was my main job. I felt content with my position there. I was treated equally and paid decently but wanted better for myself at the same time. I did feel relief when I walked in and we all sat down for a meeting. 

It was a laid back meeting and my boss was a woman that I seemed to have a good relationship with. She was talking to everyone about how some people had yet to come and pick up there diamond car decals. Then I saw sheets with random works in different fonts that were comprised of little studded diamonds. 

I spaced out and spun my chair around to see a big glass window  and there was a family with two small children walking by. One of the toddlers came up to the window and put his face against the glass and was looking at us. His face from our side looked hilarious and I interrupted the meeting so everyone could see him. Everyone laughed and waved to the kid and that's all I can remember.

              This dream had many different visuals but when remembering it to record for the blog I got the sense of a few colors!  Each color represents a certain part of the dream or feeling the dream gave me. The color scheme works backwards through the dream.

Color 1 - The blue/grey is for the comfort & stability the main job gave me and also the feeling of wanting more. 

Color 2 - The lighter shade of the first color represents the pause in meeting to laugh at the child through the glass.

Color 3 - The blue jean blue is the overall color that I felt the main job's wall and desks were when I entered.

Color 4 - The brown in for the in between state I felt when walking from one place to the other down the side streets.

Color 5 - The pale mustard yellow is the color that represents the subway job. Behind the counter and the lighting.

Color 6 - The final green is for when the older man has his hands in the food behind the glass. It was something like green peppers or pea pods. 

There you have it! I was so excited when I woke up this morning. At first I knew I had a dream and could remember if I just relaxed and didn't try too hard. Then after I got out of the shower, the image of the child through the glass appear in my head and the entire dream came flooding back! It was amazing. What great timing!

(Check out the cute blog this image came from!)

This is something anyone can do! Write down your dream and create a color scheme from it. Use it to make a meaningful painting for your bedroom or to pick out your outfit for the day. I believe we have dreams to guide us and show us things that are hiding in our subconscious. This is just one way to use the wonderful information your mind has given to you while asleep. 

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That's all for today!   Has anyone had any dreams that they have written down lately? Have you tried this yourself? Let me know in the comments below and maybe I can make a color scheme of one of your dreams! Don't forget to subscribe and everyone have a wonderfully inspiring day!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Candyland Tote bag - printed heavyweight canvas tote bag - by Mab Graves

Song of the Day:

One Direction - Drag Me Down

Color of the Day:

BENJAMIN MOORE COLONY GREEN 694

The Wonderful World of Wood Burning - Pyrography

Hello Again! Today I thought we could talk about a type of art that I have gotten into within the past year and I am OBSESSED! Wood Burning or "Pyrography". I really enjoy experimenting with new mediums and different materials to create on. On a whim near Christmas of last year I decided to buy a starter kit just to play with......Well, I ended up making up practically all of my Christmas gifts to friends and family using it! I couldn't get enough and I was jam packed with different ideas.

This was one of the first pieces a made from an old TV tray. My mother and pops are moving to Oregon so I burned the state on the tray with their "clan name". I stained the outside and sealed it with varnish. They loved it! It was a fun, simple, and thoughtful gift. Homemade gifts are definitely better than bought!

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I have continued to adventure away with my wood burner and was lucky enough to get a ton of really great tips for my burner that allow me to create some unique lines and shapes. Also it came in a great organized container with different sections that I can separate however I want. If it keeps easily tidy I am already in love! 

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What is so appealing about burning wood? I grew up in a very "rustic family' which is odd because I grew up in a normal suburban town in Michigan just outside of Detroit. Not the most rustic places in the world but that's just how my family was. My mother grew up in Colorado and most of our love for wood and nature was probably brought on by her. So even the idea of working with wood I was drawn too and had been painting on wood for a while and it feels much more organic. 

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I have a love / hate relationship with the fact that it's pretty much permanent so if you mess up it is almost impossible to fix. I am use to oil painting which is easy to work with since it stays wet for so much longer and you are fix your mistakes much easier than say watercolor or even acrylic. I have learned this great "scraping" technique with a small razor to eliminate light burns in areas you don't want. But I tend to use the burner on the higher settings and it burns rather deep, quickly which tends to not scrape well. I end up with big divots in those areas.

(This video is a really great example on how to scrape some mistakes away from your burning.)

I had sketchbooks filled with these great doodles I came up with for fun a while back. I never thought I would end up doing anything with them but when I decided to make small wood burned paintings out of them I was pleasantly surprised at how CUTE they turned out! 

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Mixing paint on a wood burned area is so much fun because it can almost feel like you are coloring. you have to be very careful not to get too close to the burn or the paint tends to run down in the burn and it's very hard to "wipe away" but it is fixable for the most part and I think the finished look is really stunning! 

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Mixing paint on a wood burned area is so much fun because it can almost feel like you are coloring. you have to be very careful not to get too close to the burn or the paint tends to run down in the burn and it's very hard to "wipe away" but it is fixable for the most part and I think the finished look is really stunning! 

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Well that's it for today everyone! Thanks for stopping by and if you are even slightly interested in trying out wood burning after reading this I ABSOLUTELY recommend it! For more on pieces like "The Owl" below, be sure to check out my Etsy Shop! Or follow me in Instagram where I frequently post these step by step pictures of my process through a piece! Thanks again!

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Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Custom Made To Order Wood Burned Sign With Pressed Flowers by - EarthenAllure

Song of the Day:

Ellie Goulding - Burn

Color of the Day:

Ben Moore Tuscan Red 1300

10 Ways To Make More Time For Art.

  Finding time for art can be hard. Here is a list of 10 ways you can find more time for art!

1. Set Deadlines and Due Dates

     Setting goals and deadlines is crucial for making sure you set aside even a small amount of time dedicated to art. It could be a goal of everyday do something whether it's working on that pencil drawing you've been trying to finish for weeks or doing a small doodle on a napkin while out at the bar with friends. Whatever your goals are make sure you stick to them!! 

2. Cut out watching T.V.

Ever since I cut TV out of my life I have been so much more productive and in turn, HAPPY! I feel more accomplished and I couldn't believe how much time I wasted getting sucked into brainwashing shows. If you can't seem to completely ditch the screen, set limits on how long you can watch or only turn on the TV to watch the shows you actually like. NO MORE CHANNEL SURFING! How much art time would you have if you cut TV out of your to do list?

3. Get OFF your phone!

Similar to cutting our TV is the ever more important....getting off you phone. Today's society is so motivated by social media and using phones to communicate. Using your phone while in a waiting office or as a passenger in a long car ride is one thing; Laying in bed or on the couch for hours just mindlessly on your phone is something that happens much too often. Just being aware of the amount of time you are on our phone can help. If you plan to be on your phone to play a game look a the time you start and end and realizing how much time you wasted might help so next time you choose to use that time better.

4.  Meditate - Take 5

             Meditation is very important to me and I it is one of my best tools for finding time for things. That might seem backwards...."How can I find time for things by spending time doing something else?" Well here is the secret: Meditating and allowing your mind and body to take a breath or two from all the overwhelming thoughts and stimulus that it receives each day allows you to "slow down time". Meditating for even five minutes can help center you and by ridding yourself of pointless thoughts...I PROMISE it will be easier to find time for more art.

5. Dress like an artist - Feel like an artist

Now this doesn't mean you have to shave the side of your head or wear crazy vintage clothing. Dressing like an artist is helpful because if you feel inspired by your confidence you will have a higher WANT to make time instead of guilt yourself into making time. This can also help with the quality of work you produce. Feel Good Art Good. So if you have a certain sweater that makes so you to write or a favorite pair of sneakers that remind you of learning watercolors.....Flaunt it!

6. Carry a notebook or sketchbook

I have always carried some sort of notepad or mini sketchbook with me. you never know when you get 15 minutes and can create a sketch that inspires a new piece! By making sure you always have something to write or draw on you will be so surprised at all the extra time you have in a day for some art making!

7. Make Lists

I am an avid list maker. I make lists for my lists! But what is really great about making lists for your art ideas is that sometimes you might get into your art space and have been successful at creating time for art but can't think of what to make! If you can refer to a list you will ensure that no precious art time be wasted!

8. Surround yourself with people who support you.

This is a harder one to achieve instantly. But take a look at the people who you surround yourself with. Do they encourage your art? If you told them you wanted to take time away from them to do art how would they react? If the answer involves you making time for art (which I assume is something you love) then CONGRATS! If the answer is anything else you might want to reevaluate why they are in your life. Surround yourself with those who help you be the best you can be and the happiest you can be!

9. Wake up and Before Sleep.

If I step back and look at the times in my day where I waste the most time it is in the morning and right before bed. This is ironic because those are also the times when I feel I can produce my best work or even ideas. Do you agree with this for your own life? I think most people would agree. With that said try and pick either the morning or night where you specifically set aside time for art. Try to fit extra time in your day for things then verses in the middle of the day might be easier and more consistent in reaching goals!

10. HAVE FUN

Make sure that whatever you are doing or creating that you are enjoying it as well. What is so awesome about being an artist is that creating is such a fulfilling task. We are so lucky to be able to do something we love and enjoy and if what you are making ever takes away from that then you will not WANT to make time. Making sure you have fun with art is one of the best ways to motivate you to make time!

Well there you have it, 10 ways to make more time for art! 

What are some of the ways you make more time for art and is there anything in my list that you already use?

Let me hear some of your thoughts!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

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Apologies and studio session sneak peaks.

       How do I even begin this blog.  I am sorry sounds like a good start.  I really tried my best to blog while I was away but the area I was in did not allow me to keep my commitment and I feel deeply guilty for breaking a promise so quickly.  All I can say is that I am back and ready to make this the most amazing blog I can! The good thing is there probably isn't even anyone actually reading this yet so hopefully I have only disappointed myself. 

 

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     Anyways I got to get into my studio today after what felt like an eternity. I knocked out a larger oil painting that is abstract.  I needed to feel the paint and hear whatever colors I wanted to on my canvas without too much thought.  It was really freeing and a great warm up to finish another littler piece I've been working on the is below. The Michigan piece is now available on my Etsy shop just click this link to see more. 

      This piece was painted with oil paint around do the border first and then I let it dry. I sketched the Michigan and the tree. I then took a wood burner and burned the design with three different tips. I have only been working with wood burning for around a year now but I really love give g pieces another depth. Also the feel of burner wood, not to mention the smell, is amazing! If you have always wanted to try it but never knew how I highly recommend it. It is very affordable and you can get a starter kit from your local craft store for most likely under 20 dollars. 

   I would really love to hear from someone and know what I can  blogging about is relevant or interesting  to you or not. I would even love to hear suggestions on how to make it better and topics you might like to hear me discuss.  ANYONE OUT THERE!?! well if there is I appreciate you taking the time out to read this. You get a gold star today!  

        Tomorrow I will be more in depth about a topic but I just wanted today to be quick and to the point. I'm sorry I did not blog while I was away and check out some work from today's studio session. 

    Until tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios