Paint yourself Calm with a Senic stamp

For me, June is all about creating cards that have a more masculine undertone. (anyone else feels that way too?) I know in my college Graphic Desing classes we were always told to be two seasons ahead of everything, which I always seem to have a hard time doing that. I want to be in the moment when I paint. So...  I say make cards in the season you are in. Right? Right now I am in the mindset to celebrate the men in my life that love and support me!

This card is a simple Watercolor wash, I used Qorr watercolor (I love the vibrancy of those watercolors) and a Blue Knight Rubber Stamp called the Scenic Overlook. 

So why paint scenes? I enjoy painting clouds and water, and this is a great stamp to play with a cloudscape without it being too dramatic! I love that the stamp does most of the work, but gives you some open-ended ideas to help you color/or paint this scene. 

I also love this as an art journal piece. 

I think that when we take the time to paint, to really feel good about just showing up to your work, and doing the "work" we can come up with some really neat ideas on how to paint a subject differently.  The art Journal piece was a way for me to play with how I would paint a stormy sky without losing my value's. I just love how it turned out! 

For me, Art Journaling, or my sketchbook is a place for me to play and express myself. When I find something that really works, I then usually make it into a card, but I "tone" down the mood. 

Do you ever paint because it relaxes you? Do you have a mixed media sketchbook that your art journal in? if so I would love to know what you do to calm down? 

I paint to feel peace and to calm down or to feel joy at the moment, how about you do you paint for a reason? I also call this intuitive Art Journaling. (I have no idea if it's a thing, but that is what I am calling painting to share my mood, and to feel joy!)