Hello dear friends, today I love to share with you something for me very exciting!
I was invited to be interviewed by VoyageLA Magazine I am very thankful for the wonderful opportunity to be included in this publication in their Local Inspiring Stories for Los Angeles and surrounding areas. VoyageLA is a local publication with a nice mission: “Our mission is to build a platform that fosters collaboration and support for small businesses, independent artists and entrepreneurs, local institutions and those that make our city interesting. We also think artists rock”.
The interview I took part is now published!
The article title is Daily Inspirations: Meet Carolina Russo you can read it Here
I answered to quite few interesting questions about my artist life and my evolving artistic journey.
A special Thank You goes to my lovely friend Janell Mithani that surprised me suggesting my name to them! 💖Immense gratitude to you 🥰
I hope you enjoy the Interview!
I wish you a wonderful week and if you do thank you for sharing!
H.A.P.P.Y. H.A.L.L.O.W.E.E.N! ❤
I wish you all a wonderful and safe evening have fun and today don’t forget to turn on a candle to symbolizes illumination of the spirit within! ❤
InkTober 2022 is coming soon!
And it means that artists around the world will participate to this great and inspiring drawing challenge. I have participated to InkTober Challenge for the past 6 years Usually I have followed the Official prompt lists combined with another of my favorite October challenges working on the two challenges in one, combining the prompts! Indeed very challenging to do it grows and test your skills. This year I am not sure I will participate I have several projects in mind! Maybe I will draw some of the prompts here and there!
Jake Parker the illustrator and creator of InkTober released the new “Official Prompt List 2022” I am happy to post it here so that you have some time until October 1st to plan your challenge and get ready!
Here is the INKTOBER Story and Rrules: Illustrator Jake Parker is the creator of this great challenge and initiative started in October 2009. Jake created InkTober as a challenge to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavor with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year. Here are the Official Rules:
1) Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil under-drawing if you want).
2) Post it*
3) Hashtag it with #inktober and #inktober2022
4) Repeat
That’s it! Now go make something beautiful. Visit Jake Parker websitefor more details, videos, inspiration and lots to learn about InkTober. If you like to join these challenges don’t forget when you post your drawing online always add the hashtags #INKTOBER2022 #INKTOBER post your ink drawing online on your Blog and/or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter…add all the tags to any place you share your drawings online!
Some of my Favorite Supplies: I use French Artists Watercolors Sennelier l’Aguarelle, Pentel Aqua Brush – Bee Paper for Watercolor 140lb, 100% cotton, cold pressed, size 6×9 inches . Micron or COPIC pens Black, Brown, Dark Red inks #01, #005, White SAKURA Gelly Roll pen, Pentel Pocket Brush blak ink, ALVIN Mab Graves Draft/Matic Pencils , Winsor & Newton Drawing Inks.
(FYI This is not a sponsored post I have no affiliation with any of these brands. I purchase all my supplies and I am only sharing what I like and use)
Good luck to everyone joining InkTober 2022
There is plenty of time to prepare yourself! I honestly during the past 6 years I never planned or worked any sketch in advance it didn’t resonated with me because the goal of this challenge for me was to improvise and get creative and inspired day by day! I only got my supplies ready in advance! But that’s just me! Do what is the best and resonates for you and most importantly have fun and create!
Please if you do participate share your plans or ideas I would love to read! If you’re a beginner or not and have any questions leave it in the comment section I would be happy to respond!
Since 2009 in October, artists all over the world take on the InkTober drawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month.
InkTober 2020
October is coming soon! And it means that artists around the world will participate to this great and inspiring drawing challenge. This is my 5th year of InkTober, I will do all my best to create as much as possible and I hope to be able to complete the 31 days. This year honestly I have no idea how I will approach the two challenges! Usually in the past few years I have followed the Official prompt lists and to make it more challenging and intriguing I combined the two challenges in one, combining the prompts! Not easy to do. Sometimes the two prompts aren’t a good match but that’s were creativity do the magic! Right now, I am navigating ideas trying to make plans, not sure I want to combine the two challenges together. If not, I need to pick one, or not follow the official prompts and make my own list….lots to think for me! Your suggestions are welcome! ❤
Jake Parker the illustrator and creator of Inktober released the new “Official Prompt List 2020” and I love to post it here so that you have some time until October 1st to plan and get ready!
2017 I have Joined the two challenges InkTober and MabsDrawlloweenClub this one is a little more spoocky – Halloween theme prompts are created by Pop Surrealist artist Mab Graves! My daily drawings were inspired by the combination of the two challenges daily prompt words creating my own hybrid challenge “DrawllooweenTober” yes this was my idea to enable me to join both challenges daily creating one drawing. And well it was pretty challenging, not easy but I wanted to make it harder to stimulate creativity in a different way and I made it! The outcome was a lovely collection of dark themed spooky drawings which I am very pleased!
My drawing “Frankenstein Bride” of this series become my first Die Cut Sticker
2018 I have joined again the two challenges, I really love both and the community of artists around these two challenges. I didn’t want to miss them so I’ve participated with my hybrid mixing the prompts and my own hashtag is #drawlloweentober you can see my Gallery Inktober+ MabsDrawlloweenClub 2018
2019 Once again last year I have combined the prompts of the two challenges here you can see some of my drawings! To see all the drawings visit my Drawlloweentober 2019 Gallery
InKtober – Mabsdrawlloween club 2019
Settember 1st 2020 both challenges Official Prompt Lists were released on September 1st. Here there is also the MadsDrawlloweenClub2020 Prompt List artist Mab Graves list is always inspired and dedicated to the Halloween theme.
Mabsdrawlloween 2020 Official Prompt List
My Favorite Supplies: I use French Artists Watercolors Sennelier l’Aguarelle, Pentel Aqua Brush – Bee Paper for Watercolor 140lb, 100% cotton, cold pressed, size 6×9 inches . Micron or COPIC pens Black, Brown, Dark Red inks #01, #005, White SAKURA Gelly Roll pen, Pentel Pocket Brush blak ink, ALVIN Mab Graves Draft/Matic Pencils , Winsor & Newton Drawing Inks.
(FYI This is not a sponsored post I purchase all my supplies and I am sharing what I like and use)
My Supplies!
Join us: these Challenges are open to anyone that love sketching with ink pens and if you’re member of the #worldwatercolorgroup you’re free to add a dash of watercolor. I hope that some of you will try this and join me and thousands of other artists around the world. You don’t have to be drawing every day if you don’t have time. You can drawing every other day, or every few days, or one entry a week! Doesn’t has to be a complicate drawing, it can be a small sketch, it will help you to develop a habit and refine your skills. Btw if you’re not crazy like me you don’t have to participate to both challenges just pick one! 😉 Good luck everyone hope to see you in October!
Here is the INKTOBER Story and Rrules: Illustrator Jake Parker is the creator of this great challenge and initiative started in October 2009. Jake created InkTober as a challenge to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavor with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year. Here are the Official Rules:
1) Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil under-drawing if you want).
2) Post it*
3) Hashtag it with #inktober and #inktober2019
4) Repeat That’s it! Now go make something beautiful.
I am very excited to join once again and participate to the challenges! I would be sharing my progress here on the Blog and daily on Instagram @carolinarussoart Visit Jake Parker websitefor more details, videos, inspiration and lots to learn about Inktober. If you like to join these challenges don’t forget when you post your drawing online always add the hashtags #INKTOBER2020 #INKTOBER if you choose Mab Graves challenge add #mabsdrawlloweenclub2020 and if you add watercolor hashtag #worldwatercolorgroup2020 post your ink drawing online on your Blog and/or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter…add all the tags to any place you share your drawings online! Phew….I made it to the end of this long post! ❤
You can find some of my past Inktober drawings available as Open Edition Signed Prints in my ETSY Shop
#carolinarussoart
I hope that artists here on WordPress will join this challenge with me,
There is time to get organized and prepare yourself for for October! Please share your plans or ideas I would love to know!
Today I am excited to share with you one of my latest watercolor painting having the title ” Queen Flower”.
I painted in my traditional signature style in watercolor and ink but this time not on the usual watercolor paper. I came across this 10 inches diameter paper lace doily at home and my first thought was to make a ink drawing on it! I love to explore new artistic and creative ways to paint, testing papers or surfaces and see how watercolor works especially on unusual ones! I am always driven to try new techniques and materials. I have to say that the combination of watercolor and ink pen did work really well without any bleeding through the paper! I am happy and pleased with the outcome! The watercolor looks great on this paper doily, the original painting is lovely and would look great with a floating frame. I will sure create more paintings on paper doilies in the future.
Artist’s details about the painting: .I used a Draft/Matic Pencil 0.5mm by ALVIN for my sketch. I painted on a 10 inch Paper Doily, I used French Artists Watercolor by Sennelier l’Aguarelle. Ink pen COPIC Multiliner #01 and a SAKURA White Gelly Roll pen.
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You can see more of my Paintings visiting my GALLERYthere are several Galleries here on my Blog you find them in the drop down menu under Watercolors.
All my collections of watercolors paintings and illustrations are always available for Pre-Order in Limited Edition Art Prints here on my Blog!
❤ Please follow me on my Instagram dedicated to my Art! @carolinarussoart
The month of May is almost over and so the #mermay Art Challenge. I love painting mermaids and sadly this year I had no time, I was only able to create one new mermaid to include in my existing Mermaids Collection. I painted only one but I am very happy with my painting and who said that time is over for creating Mermaids? Yes the challenge is over but I can create new Mermaids whenever I want! 😉
Today I am excited to share with you my “New Release” of my Mermaid painting having the title “Exploring The Abyss” I painted in my traditional and signature style watercolor and ink. If you followed my recent posts on Instagram you remember this mermaid because I was showing my work in progress with some sneak peek, from the pencil sketch to the begin stage of watercolor, if you missed you can visit @carolinarussoart and see how this painting become alive. This watercolor mermaid had a quite long process, lots of details and layers for me to be able to obtain all the shades of colors.
A Limited Edition of #20 Fine Art Prints is now Available made to order! If you would like to order one of the beautiful twenty numbered, signed and hand embellished Prints you can they are available only in size 8×10 inches and I Offer a 10% Off discount to my Bloggers friends and anyone that place an Order here on the Blog if you like to reserve a print just read the details and fill in the order form linked in this page. I do ship Worldwide. If you have any question contact me.
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Details about my painting: .I used a Draft/Matic Pencil 0.5mm by ALVIN for my sketch. I painted on BEE Paper 140lb 100% Cotton Cold Press, I used French Artists Watercolor by Sennelier l’Aguarelle. Ink pen COPIC Multiliner #01 and a SAKURA White Gelly Roll pen.
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You can see more of my Paintings visiting my GALLERYthere are several Galleries here on my Blog! You find them in the drop down menu under Watercolors.
All my collections of watercolors paintings and illustrations are always available for Pre-Order in Limited Edition Art Prints here on my Blog!
Please follow me on my Instagram dedicated to my Art! @carolinarussoart
#mermay2019 #CarolinaRussoArt
Have a wonderful week dear friends and happy Mermaids!
I am wonder which home will adopt her?
The submission of my new poem “Magic” has been accepted and Published!
Is a long time that I haven’t posted here my new writings, I have been focusing primary on my Art, watercolor paintings and illustrations but I did write once in a while when words suddenly appeared in my mind.
I am so happy to have my poem “Magic ” first Published on Spillwords.com one of my favorite online platform and Literary Press, sorry I haven’t submitted much lately. I am honored to be listed as one of their collaborative Authors for the English Literature category. I always love to submit my poetry there!
Spillwords.com is an online Press home for all that live and breathe words, spilled or inspired, through literature of every genre, from writers and poets of every walk of life”.
The poem is Illustrated with a combination of my watercolor paintings, you will recognize my image since is used as the header of my Blog and I think fit my poem greatly. I love to see them both published together. My illustration is now available as Limited Edition Print in my Shop.
I want to thank the editor for accepting my submission and publish my work. Thank you so much!
Please If you have the time head over Spillwords.com check it out is a very interesting press where a variety of authors share their work you can have some good reading and the opportunity to submit your work too!
Thank you for reading,
let me know if you like my poem, does it speaks to you in any way?
Your comments are loved!
I have created a New Page for this Blog and it is dedicated to my motivational and inspiring “Manifesto” Do’s I personally use to inspire and prepare myself for my daily Creativity, Art and Life….I hope my motivational list will inspire you…
MANIFESTO
I hope that my creativity and Art shared on this Blog will motivate and inspire you during your artistic journey. Share it with me here if you’re a beginner or not. Art is a wonderful and powerful form of expression that allow me to express myself through colors, shapes and forms while freely painting nature or faces that express feelings without words in hope to reach out many hearts and deepest souls. I love what I do, is my passion and is my life. I have discovered my artistic talent when I was a child and it never left me only improved over time. I love to share all my creations in all the mediums I work with I enjoy to share it with you and the rest of the world… let’s be inspired! ❤
These Are My Motivational Do’s:
Make time for your work daily
Enjoy the process fully
Allow yourself to explore techniques and styles
Allow yourself to do mistakes, you learn from them they are valuable to your artistic growth
Have an open mind
Be Perseverance
Be Patient
Be Positive
Be Inspired
Be Fearless
Be YOU
Where your focus goes energy flows like the colors that bleeds in the water
Set your Intentions before painting
Practice I AM Affirmations
Listen within you and shine your light
Smile when you’re stressed and leave your painting alone for awhile
Look around you for inspiration
Let the Universe and Nature inspire you there is not a greater Masterpiece for you to get inspired from
Share your work and creativity in any medium you express yourself
Connect with other Artists
Help to inspire others especially beginners
Celebrate always when you’re happy! When your creations turn out as you wanted Be Happy!
Love every painting good or bad
Love your Art because it is YOU!
Never Give Up!
When you need encouraging and inspiring words you can always find this Page on my Blog! No matter if you’re an artist or not. I wrote this to be applied to anyone in need….
Hello dear friends today I love to share with you something for me very exciting!
I was kindly invited to be interviewed by one of my most inspiring Artist friends Magny Tjelta a Norwegian artist, designer, blogger at http://www.magicofcreativity.com and art teacher. She has done amazing art exhibits and big art installations in Norway. We follow each other from years I love her art. In this interview she has great questions for me and I am honored to be one of her featured artists!
These days here in Southern California we have so many beautiful small “Painted Lady Butterflies” flying everywhere!
It is so wonderful to watch, they are everywhere flying fast, I heard that they are millions and are migrating coming from Mexico passing here going to their destination in Northern California.
This year we had lots of rain in the past weeks more than our usual and this is the cause while the butterflies are here they had more food in this location and slowed their pace for their migration. It is the first time that I see something like this and so many joyful little beauties! In my photo above you can see all the lovely colors isn’t she wonderful? A nature masterpiece and she seems big, but actually these butterflies are very small like one inch tall while close wings and a two inches wings span. At first I thought that they were baby Monarch because the similarity in the orange color and design when the wings are open but actually they are “Painted Lady” I love butterflies of any kind they are magical creatures so precious and beautiful! I also have one tattooed on my foot. They have wonderful symbolic meanings of change and transformation, beauty, joy and cycle changes in life.
Today I wanted to paint one to remember this magical event and special moment witnessing the 2019 butterflies migration. I also wanted to honor the little one you see standing on the rock in my photos, she is not alive anymore ♥️ late last night I found her inside the house on a screen door and gently I had her grip to my finger so that I could bring her outside and let her free, she did walked on my finger and walked in my palm where she decided to spread her wings wide open like to show me all her beauty. I was fascinated to see her color and she closed her wings while standing in my hand…I didn’t know but that was her last breath 😥 I found her this morning like this standing still like when I left her in the garden. I guess if they are migrating she must’ve been exhausted so I kept it and I will treasure her! I hope to find a good way to preserve her ♥️
My mini painting is a little Tribute in appreciation of the universal love and wonderful wildlife and to this lovely Painted Lady that decided to rest and stay in peace forever with me ❤
❤ Details about my painting: My Ink drawing is outlined with ink pens.. Ink pens used COPIC Multiliner Black ink #03. Fountain Pen Pilot Prera Fine Nib. A Alvin Draft/Matic #03 Limited Edition Pink Mab Graves Pencil. A dash of watercolor, I used French Artists Watercolors Sennelier l’Aguarelle, Pentel Aqua Brush – I painted on BeePaper for watercolor 150lb, cold pressed, size 4.5×6 inches .
❤ All my watercolor paintings and drawings are available as Limited Edition Signed Prints you can order them anytime in my SHOP!
My drawing “Frankenstein Bride” of this series become my first Die Cut 
Hello dear friends today I love to share with you something for me very exciting!
Carolina Russo Art 
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