Laura E. Thykeson's Page

I think I have spring fever...or "springitis", or maybe even the dreaded "springingitis"...I'm not real sure. I just know I don't feel like doing anything except napping in the sun, walking down our country road and eating fresh veggies and fruit...but I DID feel like drawing you a picture today, and I made it just for YOU! I thought some bright red flowers might just be the trick to getting you to feel a little "spring in your step"! OK! I'll stop it, lol!

This is watercolor pencil and water soluble oil pastels on gesso background on watercolor paper.

Enjoy the day and Happy Creating!

Laura Thykeson
Art From Your Heart

I love reviewing new playthings when it comes to art supplies and creating! So, when I came across these lovely colors at such a reasonable price, I couldn't pass them up. As we know, the other chalks I have seen  out there in the scrapbooking aisles and the art supply sections are rather pricey, so at $5.00+ for the set of 9, and around $12.00+ for the set of 24, I thought this was a pretty good deal. Since receiving them, I have applied them with Q-tips, eye shadow applicators, the applicators that came with them, gauze pads and cotton balls...They just work great without costing a fortune. I would definitely buy them again.

Below are a selection of the applicators I have picked up to use to apply these chalks to my artwork:


All of the things you see here look like the "real" applicators, but they all came from a chain drug store, and are cotton swabs, eye shadow applicators, gauze pads, cotton pads, just anything I can find to get the color put down on the paper and blended.  Below is a page before the chalk highlights:
and then finally, the same picture after adding some shading with the chalk:

I like it much better after adding some distressing look from the chalk to the paper. And finally, a picture of the front of the book, making it look nothing like the original book, but looking just right for my  purposes!
Thanks for looking, and Happy Creating!

altered book spread

There are few things that make me happier than playing with my art supplies, or getting new ones to test...The radiant Rains and Twinkling H20's have been in constant use the last week, and once I got used to using stencils again, I was "off to the races" as they say in Texas...!Above is an altered book spread i did with stencils and shimmery acrylic paint, Radiant Rains, and Twinkling H20's. I added a border around each page using strips of some of the beach printed scrapbook paper, and a few of the die-cut shells and wording. I just wish you could see this well and see how they shine and sparkle! The colors are just beautiful, and the pigmentation of the Twinks is very concentrated and they are going to last a long time, I can already tell!

under the sea painting

Here is another piece I made, using some more of the stencils with the acrylic paint, and then misted with a combination of gold, green and blue Radiant Rains. It looks gorgeous in the light!

poppies and daisies painting

Here is a simple watercolor I had painted, that needed something "more" to really make it pop. I went over the flowers with the Twinks, added some color with the green twinks in lights and darks, and made a multi-colored border around the edges of the painting. I like the bordered look, and have been using it alot on my latest art pieces. I make the borders by collaging bright papers onto plain cardstock, then cutting into strips when it is dry. I also make other smaller collage bits from "Twinchies" and "inchies", which can really add a lot to the overall look.

All in all, I believe that you can't go wrong with any of these products. Let me know how they work out for you! Happy creating!

postcard-mixed media

P.S. Try out the Princeton brushes that the company offers for sale also...they are very good quality and a nice, comfortable feel in your hand!