Do you ever get stuck with your art? I do (all the time).

For this new painting, I think I covered up her face and wings at least ten times (the original painting has sold, but click HERE for prints).

But then, after a beautiful mistake, she finally started to come together.

I tried all sorts of different wings (some with paper, some etched into the oil paintstick, some more like butterfly wings).

Nothing felt right until I accidentally scraped off some paint which created a new squiggly line for these wings to come out of all of the layers.

She’s inspired by a sense of transition between the seasons, storytelling and new life and called ‘Reflect the Magic’ (*sold*).

While mistakes can be crazy frustrating, oftentimes it’s these happy accidents that lead me to new techniques or my favorite painting. It all reminds me to let go and have faith in the creative process.

You’ll see how I use more beautiful mistakes as inspiration in the Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style video below (it’s all about play which helps me keep my paintings loose and free).

In this 19 minute video I share some of my favorite mixed media techniques and supplies for creating a lusciously layered background.

Having fun, learning to let go and not being afraid to cover up my paintings have become essential to my creative process. I’ve fallen in love with mixed media painting and out of all of the painting techniques I’ve ever tried, the one thing I always return to is remembering to have fun with whatever it is I’m creating.

This brings joy into the process, which inevitably gets infused into your artwork and always makes anyone who sees it smile.

Being loose in your art and developing your own style is totally do-able… you’ll learn how in my Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style online class (registration closes soon).

Click here for more details on Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style.

Happy painting!
xo Juliette

P.S. Click HERE to join me for a Free Painting Workshop and learn more of my favorite supplies and colors.