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You know I love sharing art supplies I use and might remember I used to make project videos for ColourArte, a company I have known (and used) since around 2009.

I am now part of their Design Team again, and will be making projects using their amazing products (that I never stopped using in my art, I will just have videos focused on them several time a month).

I will be sharing tricks and tips about how to use their nice range of pigments and paints to incorporate into your paintings, especially my new obsession: abstract art (and pouring paintings).

It is really excited to be back and to officially be sharing my love for this brand again <3

In the meantime, you can check all the videos I have already shared in my Youtube channel using their products.

When in doubt, start with what you know.

This is the mantra I have been repeating to myself lately. When my hands get all itchy because they want to move paint around, because they want to create texture that tells stories and add colors but that fear of the unknown starts creeping it, this is what I tell myself.

I am a never ending explorer when it comes to my creativity. However, I am also very much my worst saboteur. It’s been a wild ride in the past year, and I almost stopped doing anything in my Studio. But I am not a quitter, and I guess painting is in my veins because even though I do not paint, ideas and stories and faces invade my mental space. A texture I see, a name I hear, whispers of stories to be told… it’s always there.

This is why I decided to stop fighting against all this, and to give in to it, to go with the flow. But what to do when it’s been months without creation ?

I live in colors, texture and emotions. This is the fuel to my Soul.

And by being well aware of this Truth, it helps me when I am doubting everything else. I astonish myself to find inspiration everywhere because of it (life is made of textures and colors, and ruled by our emotions and reactions to events).

I believe life is what we make of it. And decided to stop bitching about what I lack of, and instead I decided to focus on what brings me true joy and pleasure. What makes me feel like I am home. This is when I said to myself “F*uck it, just go and do something. Play around with what you know works well, and see what happens“. To my surprise, I was hit with a huge crashing wave of happiness, that giddy feeling you get once you are in your comfort zone and didn’t remember what it looked like. And to top it, a Nixie decided to show up (you might remember I took a break from painting Nixies).

It’s okay to get back to your comfort zone.

It truly is no big deal. If it is what you need to go away from giving your (he)art up. As long as you are aware that it is to get back in the swing of things and that you continue to be adventurous, to explore the edges of that comforting and beautiful zone so you can push them.

So yea…. Nolwenn is back ! *hooray*

Hello Loves !
This week, I wanted to do a quick video sharing my current favorite method when it comes to creating abstract painting: swiping. I need to put a disclaimer out there: I did not invent this but was inspired by Casey Kempter and Quinton Brunner in the Let It Flow group I belong to in Facebook.

One of the key to create a beautiful pour is the consistency of your paint. In this case, I added some silicone oil into the colors but left the white alone (just added some water to the acrylic paint to get said desired consistency). I bought mine at the auto section of our Walmart; you can find some at Home Depot or Amazon as well.
I did not share the mixing process because it can be long, therefore pretty boring to watch. BUT if you’re interested in that, please let me know in the comments so I can make it a separate video for you.

It is a really simple technique. If you try it, please share some pictures with me 🙂 There are so many possibilities with it..!

Knock knock… is there still someone coming in my corner of the blogosphere ? I know my latest blogpost was, well, forever ago. If you know me, you know I try to be as transparent as possible, to keep it real with you guys, as much as possible. But sometimes, talking (or in this case, writing), is not easy. Because it means facing a difficult truth (or several). And that truth is…

I have not been myself. I am not recognizing the face looking back at me in the mirror. Most days, I feel lost and empty. This is not depression per se, I don’t think so, but my meds dosage has been changed and I see how it affects me right now.

I have been exploring abstract painting but still in that exploration phase I can’t wait to get out of. To know how to create what I have in mind with ease, to let go of the struggle I feel everytime I start a new project. This is what I am craving right now: ease.

A post shared by Nolwenn Petitbois (@nolwennp) on Apr 22, 2017 at 12:29pm PDT

I have to drag myself to the Art Cave (pss: Studio video tour coming soon !), some of the simplest tasks ask a lot of me because my body hurts (my hands for example) so my mind is overflowing with all these things I want to be doing and creating but when actually comes the moment to DO it, I can’t or won’t.

Plus, there is this feeling of being forgotten and transparent. It just fucking ego talk there, I am well aware of that. But it is one of these things that knowing unfortunately does not change anything about it.

I have been editing videos for a company I love the products from. Sketching Nixies (but not painting them). Playing with abstract paintings and the pouring method (you can check the first videos I made about it clicking right here) with no goal other than discovering and playing with colors. I believe I need to get lost to find my way again, often a way that was hidden or blurry.

A post shared by Nolwenn Petitbois (@nolwennp) on Apr 12, 2017 at 3:14pm PDT

I am slowly coming back, hopefully everything will get better and easier <3

If you follow me on Instagram (if not, what are you waiting for ? ;)), you know that this year is the year I decided to explore abstraction in my paintings. I am still deeply in love with my Nixies, but felt the need to do something else and see where this would take me.

Abstract art as many many forms, and I knew when thinking about it at the end of 2016, that I would not be bored by picking it as my main focus for the year.

Right now, I am binge watching videos, and even asked a local artist to mentor me on the pouring technique. There are several ways to achieve a specific visual, and I have done a lot of paintings, not getting it as I desire. They are not bad paintings, just not what I am striving for.

If you would like more videos about this type of art, let me know in the comments. I would happily execute 😉

This year, my Soul Whisper (my guiding word) is PERSEVERANCE. I keep it close because I could give up and try something else. But I know I won’t. I can’t. I owe myself that, to persist and continue until I am finally 100% pleased with what is coming out of my hands.

Painting everyday, just for me, is creating a shift. I can feel it in my bones. Find the joy and stick to it. That is my new mantra in the Studio. My fingers are itchy to create new Nixies, but in a different way. I am open to them, never closed that door.