Ambassadors Spotlight - Monika Huculak

Hello Friends!
I'm here today with a brand new inspirational series I called: Ambassadors Spotlight.

This idea was born out of a simple fact that I... well, that I just can't get enough of art made by these superbly talented Artists and that I love seeing them here on my blog as often as possible. :)

Today, I'd like to have a one-on-one chat with Monika Huculak whose feeling for vintage is pure magic and you can always get beautifully lost among all the delicious layers of paint, paper
and meanings in her stunning artworks.

Monika Huculak (a.k.a. Kolorowy Ptak - which means 'A Colorful Bird' in Polish) is a 33 year old ex-history teacher from the south of Poland.

Right now she works with special needs youth, she loves history and art and is a happy owner of a recently adopted shelter dog. :)

Please, enjoy today's post and make sure to leave some love for Monika! :)

Don't forget to follow her art on her {blog} and {instagram}.

1. How and when did you start your art adventure?

I started my blog in 2010 but even before that I would be creating pieces out of magazine cutouts not knowing that I could be calling it collaging or art journaling. :)

When I was browsing the internet looking for gift ideas for a friend, I came across scrapbooking blogs and I thought to myself that I would like to try making such pretty things myself. After trying out different kinds of art, I discovered that my favorite outlets are: altered art, large layouts and the closest to my heart - art journaling. I fell in love with the creative possibility to express myself and unwind at the same time.

I also discovered the wonderful art community of like-minded people and made some friendships that last to this day.

2. What do you like the most about your style?

The answer's simple: layers! I think they are my signature trait. Just like splashing and dyeing with coffee and all the vintage, 'time-worn' elements.

3. What are your art dreams/plans/wishes?

I've always wanted to try soldering. I get the feeling that I would have a lot of fun altering and creating with metal.

4. What is your must have Finnabair product?

I absolutely love Impasto paints and all the Mechanicals! They just perfectly match my style and the character of my artworks.

5. Share a quote that you find particularly inspiring.

The only limit is your imagination.

6. Share a word of of advice for all those who want to be creative and maybe are stuck in a creative rut or feel too shy or insecure to make and/or share their art.

Look for inspirations everywhere around you - in music or nature. Stay open.

Don't waste your time wondering what other people will say. Just listen to what your heart is telling you.

Keep experimenting, trying out new ideas and techniques. That's how you'll find your style.

7. Show us your favorite artworks.

All these pieces happened spontaneously, out of the need of my heart. Each of them makes me think of a special moment in my life and the people I love.

The first one is the one on which I had a blast painting with Impasto acrylics and my watercolors. I surprised myself when the piece turned out quite flat, I usually build up countless layers so it felt different but very exciting. :)

This tag was a a lot of fun to make as I wanted to create a special kind of work with my favorite quotations that could be hidden among the layers.

And finally, a very special frame with a photo of little me on my mom's lap. It goes without saying why I love it so much. :)

We hope you enjoyed today's interview and that you're already looking forward
to the next Artist Spotlight in May! :)

Finn & The Team

Ambassadors' Words & Wishes

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Two days before Christmas I gathered my wonderful Ambassadors and asked each of them to pick one word that will express their wishes for all of you, Dear Readers. :)

As always - they have simply outdone themselves!

Please enjoy these unique projects and make sure to hit all the links to see these fabulous projects!

I’ve had many different 'mantras' for the New Year, usually a word or maybe a short and simple phrase that keeps me going through the good, the bad, and everything in between. For 2018, I’ve chosen to use BELIEVE as my mantra, my word to inspire and comfort me.

BELIEVE holds such a universal meaning - BELIEVE in myself that I have the strength and courage to conquer anything that may come my way. BELIEVE in others to give others love, respect, and a hand when needed. BELIEVE in the beauty of each new day and the endless possibilities that it offers.

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My one word for December is “Connection”. We lead such busy lives and the world has become so complicated that I think we loose “connection” with some very important aspects of our lives.

Of course connection to our loved ones and the people we really care about is not so difficult and comes automatically, but connection with friends and the communities in which we live is often neglected, and communities make up countries and countries make up the world.

I feel if we all were more mindful of others and made stronger, more sincere connections, perhaps greater understanding of “differences” would result with acceptance, tolerance and respect being the prize.

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This star can represent so many things to so many people.

For Jewish people it can be the Star of David a symbol of courage and strength. For those who celebrate Christmas it can be an ornament star or the star on top of the tree. For others it can be the star of HOPE.

This last one is really important for everyone. The world needs HOPE, PEACE AND LOVE.

Wishing everyone HOPE, may you always find a light to guide you through the toughest moments, love to embrace you and peace in your heart and soul.

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May all those wishes come true! :)

Happy Holidays, Everyone...

Finn & The Team

Meet the Ambassadors {Part 2}

Hello Dear Friends!

I'd like to make sure you that didn't miss the announcement of my Brand Ambassadors Team. :)

Please help me say hello (and 'great to see you again!' :) ) to another 5 brilliant Artists who agreed to support my brand.

Most of all, check if you've seen the first part of our 'Take 5' project!

I asked these beautifully creative Artists to choose 5 objects that always accompany them in their creative process and I find their answers incredibly inspiring. Please, enjoy the 'confessions' of another 5 Ambassadors!

DOROTA

It is nearly impossible to choose only 5 objects that are always with me as I always make a lot of mess when I start creating a project. :)

1. As long as I can remember, I’ve always been reading a lot of books and it’s the books that shaped my personality and my imagination.

I don’t have them on my studio desk but when I think about things I can’t live without – it's definitely books. You might never guess that my favorites are the dark ones, that is why as often as I can, I escape into this world and use a black album base. ;)

2. I can’t imagine my studio without scissors and a precise knife. When I can’t find these two, I get goosebumps.  ;)

3. I love all kinds of stamps and stencils and I have loads of them. Sometimes one little stamp can inspire me to make a whole album.
4. I have been cooperating with Scrapiniec brand for a long time so in my works chipboards are an indispensable element.

5. I can’t think of working without different media, but If I had to choose one, it would definitely be gel medium.

You can find Dorota's stunning creations and all her social media links on her blog.

KASSA

How happy to be here and keep sharing my 'haPPy art' with you all as Finnabair Ambassador - feeling very blessed...

So I will have to let you all into a little secret about my fave 5 - because I am crazy & capricious my 5 faves constantly change with my moods. :)

1. Vivid colours always feature largely in my art especially all the Art Alchemy paints.

2. Texture Powder! Just a dab mixed into the paints creates a custom coloured texture powder that I love to pull through the prettiest and most delicate of 3. stencils.

4. My addiction for various doodle pens, crayons, pencils and chalks never wanes as they as so lush for tiny details, scribbles and splatters!

5. But I will leave you with the constant that's always around me when I'm creating - it's my cheeky cute Pug Sammy. Somehow he just knows when it's time for a tea break, a stretch of the legs and a Puggle snuggle... :)

You can follow Kassa's happy art adventures on her blog.

ELENA

Here are the top 5 inspirational things for me:

1. Brushes. I love the feeling of a brush in my hand. I then feel like a magician with a wand. :)

2. Art Alchemy Waxes. I love the tangible part of my art and I enjoy working with my fingers.

3. My own projects and projects of other artists. It's my source of inspiration every time I want to surprise not only others, but myself in the first place.

4. Small embellishments like Micro Beads, Glass Glitter, Mica Flakes and other wonderful Art Ingredients.

5. Photos of my family.

Follow Elena's art and find her social media links on her blog.

LOUISE

So like the other Ambassadors I have 'those things' that I like to surround myself with when I create and my must have/go to products. It is pretty hard picking out just 5 but here they are 😊

1. A source of natural light over my desk is a 'Must Have'! It sets the mood for me and helps to create the relaxed atmosphere that I like for creating.

2. I also need to have a television close by and on whilst I am creating. It isn't about wanting to watch favourite shows but more the 'noise' from the TV.

So those 2 set the mood for me; now some must have/go to products!
3. Finnabair's Art Basics: Heavy Gesso (Black and White) and the Soft Matte Gel! You need these you your life people!!!

4. My Gelli Printing Plates! Siiiiiiiigh! Essential kit for me and my style of creating. I so so love creating my own patterned backgrounds for paper projects.

5. My hand carved stamps! I so love carving them and I love using them! There is nothing quite like being able to use a stamped image that is unique and your own design.

So that is it. 😊 If you would like to catch a little more about me and my creative life please check out my Instagram account.

MONIKA

There are always some constant elements both in my artworks and in the reality around me.

I have my favorite things that always inspire me and help to escape the ordinary.

1. Vintage books. Not just for reading. :) I love using books (mostly flea market finds) as bases of my artworks. I love their smell and textures, the beautiful old paper, vintage illustrations and that poetic old-fashioned language they're written in. They are brilliant when used as art journals!

2. Another flea market must for me are differrent kinds of metal bits and trinkets. I equally love all the "new" metal embellishements like Mechanicals.

3. I simply cannot create without stamps, especially those with writing and different kinds of sentiments.

4. In my life I like to surround myself with monochrome tones, I choose black, white and greys in my apartment and wardrobe but in my art I love reaching for the energy of vivid bright colors of inks and paints.

5. Finally, one more element that is always present and that is coffee. :) Nothing works better to age paper, make beautiful stains and splashes and create a unique vintage feel.

Don't miss any of Monika's beautiful creations following her blog.

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So here they are - my whole wonderful Team of Brand Ambassadors!

Keep an eye on my blog, this bunch of talented Artists will be sharing their creative ideas very soon! :)

And if you're feeling inspired by our posts, we'd love to know what are your own 5 objects that are always near you while you create?

 

Do you always have fresh flowers on your work table because of their color and beauty, because they bring you a sense of calm?

Do you have any go to medium you can’t imagine creating a piece of work without?

Can you only create with some heavy metal music playing in the background? Do you light a candle every time you are about to start a piece of work?

Feel most welcome to go right ahead to our Finnabair & Friends Open Studio facebook group where you can share your Take 5 photo and tell us about those special little things that make you feel good when you create.

See you there!

xx

Finn & The Team

 

Ambassadors' Comfort Zones

Hi dear Friends!

My talented Brand Ambassadors are back with fresh inspirations, stunning art and some interesting stories to tell - as always! :)

This month I asked them to share what are the recurring themes in their art world - their favorite techniques, objects, colors, symbols etc.

Because who said that a comfort zone is such a bad place after all? ;)

I know you'll love this post!

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Riikka

We all have our favorite colors, techniques and go to supplies. But I bet that we also have a re-occurring theme in our crafts, something we try to capture and create over and over again. I actually have several.

Naturally in my scrapbook layouts my two girls are a constant theme, but I also have a theme in my mixed media work. In large it's music. In more specific, it's my favorite band Turisas. 

I do make crafts about other music as well, for example about Finnish national anthem "Finlandia" or of Astor Piazzola's "Libertango", but the band that keeps surfing in my projects is Turisas. I think the first project was a heart canvas that I also turned into a workshop.

But this project is actually a part of a series I'm doing for the band members. I'm not sure if they are thrilled or not, but as I started with two band members, I think it's only fair that they all have a gift. This particular piece is done for their drummer, that's why the cymbal and the drumstick. 

The project doesn't follow my usual go to color scheme of blue, green and turquoise but it inspired by a poster of their latest album and the red and black face paint they use.

The golden disk has one of my all time favorite Finnabair embellishment - the Mechanicals Bottle Cap. They are so handy and go with every project!

The little Stars are also really versatile and go both with sweet, romantic crafts and more masculine and grungier things.

For more of Riikka's amazing art and info about her workshops go to her blog! 

Linda

I always reach for certain products to create my projects. It seems that bright and metallic are my color choices lately. 

You can use several products to work with, but here I used the Metallique Paints to add color and shine.

I had a plain wooden box that I base-coated with a wonderful sage colored paint.

Using the Iron Orchid Design Mould and paper clay, I added several pieces to the box. Then I added a watered-down glaze I made with Pitch Black Impasto Paint.

The final step is the light layers of Metallique paints applied in a dry-brush method.

The cracks in the paper clay and the rough box make for some delightful contrasting elements to this piece.

I originally bought this box to hold some of my ink pads. They did fit perfectly into the opening and take up little room on my desk. Space is at a premium on the work area right now it seems. 

I must admit I've always loved Linda's blog name. :)

Don't forget to follow it and check out this post in which Linda explains in detail

how she created this stunning box.

Monika

I actually have a whole list of different elements and products I most often use in my artworks:

layered pages from vintage books, old photos (both authentic ones and images from Ephemera sets), stamps, Gesso and metal embellishments.

All of these things constantly inspire me with their textures, shapes, scents and stories they tell.

This art journal cover is a perfect example of an artwork that is so very 'me'. :) I used all of my beloved elements and had a blast putting them together into one unique whole. You can see my creative process in this video.

I like to surround myself with objects that have their own history and soul, a little bit dusty, stained and maybe a little bit forgotten. I just love giving them a brand new life and save them from oblivion while telling stories of my own.

Make sure you go for more beautiful art by Monika to her blog!

Louise

For many years Louise's art journaling favourites included: a monochromatic colour scheme, mono-printing and stamp carving for techniques, and cute or slightly weird looking peeps.

However a few months ago she was starting to be bored by her own creativity so she decided it was time to change it up! Develop some new 'got to' techniques and themes!

So Louise joined in with an online Instagram challenge #the100daychallenge to focus on broadening her creative range by using more colour and starting to hand draw people and faces, instead of using a hand carved stamp of her own design.

Paint just casually slapped onto a white background without thinking too much about it to create a background for the drawings. No overthinking or getting caught up on ensuring that colours and shading/tones were correct.

Then using a black gel pen Louise just stated to draw her faces letting the paint shapes guide her! She let the painted backgrounds 'speak to her' and guide her on how to draw her faces.

As you can see they aren't realistic, they are abstract and just a little weird; so totally Louise style. Louise enjoyed this challenge so much that she now is more confident in using colour and just letting go and drawing her faces and people instinctively! This creative approach is now her new favourite! 

It went without saying that Louise would reach for her favourite water based paints: Finnabair Art Alchemy Impasto Paints! These paints are absolutely lush and the pigment depth is to 'die for'!

The best way to follow Louise's talent and creative adventures

is to keep an eye on her Instagram and blog!

Elena

My comfort zone is a multi-layered one. :)

I always reach for dozens of pieces of paper, die cuts, stencils and lately for circles. I really love circles.

This mini album cover is a perfect example of the things I love. Some of the layers are covered with Vintage Gold Metallique Wax and it gives an interesting metal look to the project.

I also always make sure to add small decorative accents before finishing the work: crystals and delicate paint splatters in this case.

Keep an eye on Elena's Instagram to be up to date with her classes all the gorgeous art!

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Aren't these Ladies crazy talented?!
We're very curious what your comfort zones consist of? Maybe you will find new favorite ideas after today's post? :)

psst psst... Keep an eye on the blog, there is more news coming your way. :) This very special group of my Brand Ambassadors is about to grow and I can't wait to introduce its new members!

Have a great creative weekend!
Finn & The Team