
You flourish beneath my wings And your beauty shines. I call you my greatest treasure And I name you wonderful, For you are my beloved And your worth knows no bounds. ~ Janna Vanderveen This 16″x20″ painting was completed using Golden Acrylic paint, FW acrylic inks, Caran D’ache Neocolor II and Luminance Pencils, Derwent Inks, Tombow Markers, Ephemera, and Alcohol Inks.
As I was placing the final details on this painting, I had tears leaking down my cheeks. I’d been listening to a song on repeat for several hours and its words touched my heart, awakening a new vision of love in a powerful way. “No lie, no fear, no tragedy, could keep you from loving me. From the mountain, to the earth below, your mercy won’t let me go. How great, how… Read More
We are star walker’s, each and every one of us, wading through light and darkness, while awakening to goodness and love. In the darkness we feel alone, yet God entered our darkness so we would never be alone, and thus darkness is but an illusion. In the light, we see the truth of God’s goodness and we no longer fear the shadows, for we see that they also are illusions which dissipate… Read More
I followed a YouTube tutorial by Lucy Brydon, a Gel Printing master, to create this abstract-type, midnight landscape. It consists of many different layers of transparent colors. I used golden open paints, a Gelli plate, brayer, and Posca pens.
I recently completed an Ivy Newport class on abstract painting, which I loved!!! There I learned a whole new way of expression through art. I am drawn to the mystery of it all, with its implied stories and unique interpretations. In this mixed media painting, I first used charcoal, inks, ephemera, Inktense pencils, acrylics, and then Procreate. #GirlatDusk #IvyNewport #AcrylicPainting #CreateWonder
I almost…almost threw away this painting. It’s ugly stage lasted way too long, and I thought it was not salvageable, especially since I was trying out some new art supplies to go along with an art course, She blooms in Ink, by Tamara Laporte. Refusing to give in, I doggedly persisted. I have to admit, I like how she finally turned out. For this painting, I used Tombow watercolor markers, Jane Davenport… Read More
I recently completed a Fancy Lassies art class by Kate Thompson. This is my first attempt at painting a fancy lassies whimsical girl. It was fun to lay down paint in an impressionistic style.
I cannot begin to tell you how much fun it is to paint freely and forget all the rules. This abstract painting was a study of Juliette Crane’s, “Wild and Free” course. It makes me think of winter, traveling, and the colors of Christmas.
When starlight dances, It bequeaths pure light, Empowering fireflies, And princesses alike. It whispers of magic, It resonates might, It sings in the darkness, And transforms the night. ~ Janna Vanderveen
This painting captivates me. I find myself contemplating the untold story within its layers, only to grapple with the feelings it evokes, ones of sadness, intrigue, and wonder. The forest looms, yet is beautiful. The princess appears to be lost and alone, yet is accompanied by her faithful friend (the bunny). Her bunny seems trapped, unless it climbed onto the branch to nestle in the crook of the tree’s arms, to better… Read More
I tried my hand at creating something a little different this week, compared to my usual splashy, color-filled paintings. Having recently learned some new skills from the great Lucy Brydon, a master Gelli print artist, I decided to experiment with my supplies to create an image which has been floating around in my mind. Using muted tones, I created a landscape scene using a Gelli plate and open acrylic paints. Drawing into… Read More
I had a vision of a girl standing between the trees with her bunny, staring out at the world. She was neither happy nor sad. Accepting, I think. Maybe somewhat lost and alone. But ultimately, I knew that she belonged in this forest of light, where peace, love, and beauty abound. Girl in Forest, Janna Vanderveen 2017
I recently stumbled across Canadian painter, Melissa Mckinnon’s artwork. I have long-loved incorporating finger-painting into my artwork, as evidenced by my previous paintings, and felt inspired to try and paint my own birch/aspen tree. I completed this painting on an 8 x 10″ piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper and used a variety of acrylic paints as well as modeling paste for texture.
One of my favorite on-line art teachers is Tamara Laporte from willowing.org in South England. An accomplished artist and soon to be author, she has mastered the craft of creating whimsical characters on paper. She recently completed a series of paintings using only a few Tombow markers and some Caran d’ache neocolor crayons. I was intrigued by the simplicity of her supplies and the complexity of her pieces, and thought that I’d try to emulate her work. I had to… Read More
This is the second, in a series of three watercolor thank-you cards, featuring my whimsical princess with her bunny. I love painting sunsets and valleys reflecting the beauty of life all around. I used a combination of artist grade MaimeriBlu and professional grade Winsor Newton watercolor paints on this 5×7 card.
This is the first, in a series of three watercolor thank-you cards, featuring my whimsical princess with her bunny. I love how it turned out. I used a combination of artist grade MaimeriBlu and professional grade Winsor Newton watercolor paints on this 5×7 cards.