End of the Year Creative Team Blog Hop | Get Messy Art Journal

In some (most) ways this was a very long year.  But in a few ways, it really flew.  I really loved my year on the Get Messy Art Journal Creative Team and will miss my time with this incredible group of women.  We are closing out the year as we started it, with a blog hop.   

I barely shared any artwork here during 2017, mostly because my usual painting time was spent on the phone with my senators instead (or like, trying to prevent my children from doing dangerous things like scaling the kitchen cabinets).  But the Get Messy community and Creative Team kept me accountable for creating when I could, with what I had– and I am infinitely grateful for that.  We all need outlets, dude.  

If you follow the links at the bottom of each of our posts, you’ll get a chance to get to know each of the talented, generous, spirited artists I’ve had a chance to work with this year.  And please check out the Get Messy Art Journal Community if you’re interested in learning more and/or exploring creativity in the new year.

END OF THE YEAR CREATIVE TEAM BLOG HOP | GET MESSY ART JOURNAL 

get messy art journal creative team

get messy art journal creative team

get messy art journal creative team

Materials used: Gouache travel set, v. random (and v. inexpensive) set of acrylic paint I found in the “crafternoon kit” I made for Grace and me, mixed media sketch book

This page was inspired by Katie Smith and her vibrant, expressive (often nature-inspired) art journal spreads. The quote is from astronaut Jim Lovell and reads:

We got to the moon on Christmas Eve 1968, at the end of a poor year for this country. We had Vietnam. We had civil unrest. We had the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. But we went around the moon and saw the far side for the first time. A script writer couldn’t have done a better job of raising people’s hope.

Such an encouraging message for the yearend.  We can do amazing things despite our current set of circumstances.  We can find moments of wonder and joy and hope and peace in the face of all kinds of darkness.  

Katie’s Painting Galaxies class was one of my favorites of the year — it’s where I learned to paint the moon in the above spread.  You can purchase GM classes even if you’re not member of the community — and this one is well worth checking out.  In addition to being wildly talented, Katie is just a really, really lovely person.  Please check out her Instagram accounts (see a bit of inspiration below): @studio.katie + @katie_smith_art.  I’m especially excited to see that she’s recently gotten into oil painting…

Happy Saturday y’all! Here’s one of my most recent galaxy paintings!

A post shared by Katie Smith (@studio.katie) on

It’s finished & on its way to its new home! 🙌🏻🐧

A post shared by Katie Smith (@katie_smith_art) on

To see more of Katie’s beautiful artwork and continue on with our Get Messy Creative Team Blog Hop, please head over to Katie’s blog, Punk Projects

Also On Tap for Today:

  • For more art related posts, check out the Get Messy Instagram account (@getmessyartjournal) — I’ll be doing a takeover the week of January 1st #woot
  • Wearing 9,012 layers
  • Starting my 2018 reading list (and maybe thinking over some other goals too)

What sort of end of the year things are you getting into this week?

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