Cool Tape Creations

Cool Tape Creations

We got tape for Christmas................. lots and lots of cool tape!

Cool Tape Creations

Draw a shape on a paper, cover it with tape and cut it out. It's amazing what you can create.  Flowers, trees, triangles, and hearts!

Cool Tape Creations

You can even make a cyclops-robot-guy!

Cool Tape Creations


Blue & Gold Wildflowers

It's winter, but I still have flowers on the brain.......

Original Watercolor Wildflowers in Blue and Gold by Elise Engh: growcreative

I discovered this awesome color palette with this painting kind of by accident.  It's hard to describe how I choose colors for my paintings, except to say that lots of the time they are totally arbitrary.  I wasn't looking at blue and gold flowers as I painted this, I just felt like going with cool colors so this is what happened!

Original Watercolor Wildflowers in Blue and Gold by Elise Engh: growcreative
Original Watercolor Wildflowers in Blue and Gold by Elise Engh: growcreative

Snowflake Art Tutorial

DIY Watercolor Snowflake Kids Art Project

Snowflake Art Tutorial

Materials:
watercolor paper
white crayon
watercolor paints
paint brushes
salt

Step 1:  Use the white crayon to draw snowflakes on the watercolor paper.  It's hard to see what you are drawing but you can check your work by holding your paper next to the window. 

If you are stuck as to how to draw the snowflake shapes, think pinwheels or flowers.  It's easiest to start from a central point and draw lines coming out from the center.

Step 2:  Paint watercolors in all kinds of pretty colors over the crayon on the paper.  The wax from the crayon resists the watercolor- magically exposing the snowflakes you drew! This part is fun to watch!

Step 3: While the paint is still wet, sprinkle salt on the painting and let it dry.  This creates some fun spots and texture, plus leave a slight amount of glitter behind.  Bigger salts like Epsom salt, leave bigger more noticeable spots, but you can use table salt too.  

Once the paint is dry, brush the salt off and you're done.


Watercolor Snowflake Art: growcreative

Custom Watercolors

Commissions are always good and it's more fun when people ask me to paint a portrait for them! 
These cute couples' portraits will make some awesome Christmas gifts this year :)

easy watercolor portraits by Elise Engh: GrowCreative

If you want to try your hand at one of these, I have an Easy Watercolor Portrait Tutorial that you can try.  Watercolors take some practice, but aren't as intimidating as they are cracked up to be.  Just give it a try!

And here's a fun custom elephant painting I just finished yesterday.......
I keep discovering new ways to combine elephants and hearts

watercolor elephants