Your vlog is phenomenal! I love hearing about the intricacies of your creative process. You also strike a wonderful balance with the tone, music, and visuals. Please keep making this beautiful work for us. 😊
I’ve enjoyed the videos on this series! I’m an art therapist, mixed media painter and sometimes I have an intention, but often I have no clue (usually I have no clue) what I’m going to do. It’s like dreaming on canvas, which can be interesting, but I would like to be more intentional and I think adding a consistent structure to my process and setting some limits would be helpful since I can get overwhelmed by too many creative ideas. Thank you for sharing your process! Beautiful work too! I love your colors and visual language. ❤️
that's really interesting - I love the dreaming analogy, that's exactly it! and still a really important element - for me I think it's maintaining that dream like state, but with a little direction to keep my worrying tendencies at bay ☀️
@@OrlaStevens yes! And I would think it does add a layer of meaning and consistency that leads to a coherent body of work. I actually did develop a process that helped create a particular look and feel to my work-I typically began each large scale mixed media painting with a spontaneous scribble and followed whatever images appeared, and I also used similar materials and format-but without that intention behind the expression, often I would end up with something that felt too personal and private and I wouldn’t want to share it or let it go! That research and intention does inform the unconscious and makes a difference! Just saying a word or phrase even if you have no other thoughts about how to go about expressing it would help guide and focus the expression I think. Very cool!
Watching you work, hearing your thoughts on your creative process and the final collection was very interesting and inspiring. Thank you for the extra work you put into this video!
I love working on the floor when I do abstract because I have the drop cloth down and can get as messy as I want! It's very freeing. It also allows you more room to move around.
Congratulations, Orla! The result is a beautiful body of work 👍🏼😁. I love watching your videos, thank you for showing us your process and explaining how you got there. I studied a visual arts degree years ago, but stopped painting to have my children and raise and homeschool them. Watching your videos has inspired me to start painting and drawing again, now that my kids are a bit older and I have the luxury of some ‘me’ time. I had forgotten how much I loved creating art; it’s the only thing I’ve ever done where time seems to stand still, and hours can pass by without my thinking of a single thing other than the task in front of me. So, thank you for your inspirational channel! 💖
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. That's brilliant, it's such a soul food activity I always think, and I hope you get that time and space to create 💫
I have really been enjoying the creation of your recent works, was just blown away to see them all displayed on the wall. Absolutely stunning!! I also love being in the outdoors and you have inspired me to convert some of my pencil sketches into some natural colour pieces. Can you tell me what paper you use as all your works seem not to cockle or warp. Thank you!
Ooooh that sounds lovely, will you translate them into colour pencils or paints? Of course! I use all sorts of papers, generally sticking to a 200gsm and up weight. This one in this series is a recycled watercolour paper at 300gsm, and a mixed media paper at 300gsm, and both work great. I've found 300gsm cartridge to work lovely for mixed media too!
wow Orla! The algorithm introduced you to me today, and wow! I am such a sucker for both abstract illustrations and series work, and this was a fantastic and inspiring video. Great work, and I can't wait to see more from you!
It has been really inspirering to follow you doing this Series of work. And the result is lovely, colourful and full of interesting shapes and textures. 😍❤️
Thanks so much :) Well spotted! The 26th painting (Escapism, which I painted in the first video of this series) sold a few weeks back, so it’s in its new home now :)
Orla, this collection is absolutely beautiful. Listening to your process and then seeing it come to life on paper is really lovely. I love how loose you are able to work and how it all comes together in the end to create a perfectly harmonious mix of color, texture and marks to represent exactly what you are feeling and seeing. I have learned so many different ways of holding onto brushes, pens, mark making tools, that help to keep it all so loose just by watching your videos. Often, I find I am just focusing on your hand and arm and how it moves across the paper and don't even really see the whole piece until the end. Learning to work loose is very hard for me but you make it seem much more obtainable. Thank you for the time you put into these videos and for all of the explanation you give.
That's lovely, thank you 😊 And amazing - so much of it must be held in subconscious body language. It's that tricky quieting of the brain to just focus on one thing - the movement of the brush, the colour selection etc I think that really helps with the looseness. Best of luck!
I'm only seven minutes in and I'm already ZINGING with inspiration! I love your methodical approach to structuring the environment and set up of your studio session, and leaving more room for experimentation and play. I especially resonated with what you said about the urge to reinvent every step that goes into a painting. I think this is exactly why I don't paint as often as I'd like: because I think every single element of a painting session has to be brand new. This is going to change how I approach my work, thank you so much!
Woohooooo! That's brilliant! It's hard not to fall into that trap eh? I think learning from past work and bringing forward elements of myself into future paintings is what I'm going to focus on from now on. Hope it helps in your painting session! 🌞
I love your work and video's, also your soothing voice, 😊 i listen to your words while working on my own paintings...thank you for your inspiration every time again.❤
So exciting to see the project completed! I have gained so much inspiration from watching you work and listening to your process. Hearing you talk about working in your sketchbooks while waiting for layers to dry etc was a moment lol...I mean I never waste any paint, but I sort of 'throw' it on sketchbook pages without much thought or intention, just thinking of it as background for some future thing. I'm going to shift that and put a bit more process intention into doing that. And I love the 'squish' moments in your sketchbooks...reminds me of the earlier works where you painted on another paper and stamped the paint. I am going to play with that idea for sure...the textures! Love it. Thanks again, Orla, looking forward to see where this takes you. 😎
Thanks so much! ☀️ Hahaha gotta make the most of the time and materials 😅 I love doing that too, page prepping is one of my favourite quiet switch off the brain exercises :) ooo yeah, the diy mono printing is one of my favourites too! Such good textures 😊
This was super helpful and interesting!!!! If you don’t mind me asking what brand of paper acrylic paper are you using? I really liked how well it held up to the multiple layers!
For sure! I love using papers around 300gsm - for this series I used recycled watercolour paper, and also a mixed media paper at 250gsm. I look more for weight, texture and matte feel in paper over a medium specific paper :) I find most papers that are thick can take a fair amount of working! Prepping the bases with one layer first also really helped I think :)
The system 3 daler rowney florescent pink is my go-to for this colour, but this one is by a local to me art store, boesner as they didn't have the system 3 in stock 😊
Hey! Thanks for your feedback :) I often share transcripts of my videos on my substack blog which are free to read - my personal learning style is to listen, read and note take. I like to share a written version of some of my videos, incase there are folk like me that would like to read too, to help things percolate - I know there’s lots of info covered in these films. Hope it helps! ☀️
Your vlog is phenomenal! I love hearing about the intricacies of your creative process. You also strike a wonderful balance with the tone, music, and visuals. Please keep making this beautiful work for us. 😊
Thank you for your lovely comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed! ☀️
I’ve enjoyed the videos on this series! I’m an art therapist, mixed media painter and sometimes I have an intention, but often I have no clue (usually I have no clue) what I’m going to do. It’s like dreaming on canvas, which can be interesting, but I would like to be more intentional and I think adding a consistent structure to my process and setting some limits would be helpful since I can get overwhelmed by too many creative ideas. Thank you for sharing your process! Beautiful work too! I love your colors and visual language. ❤️
that's really interesting - I love the dreaming analogy, that's exactly it! and still a really important element - for me I think it's maintaining that dream like state, but with a little direction to keep my worrying tendencies at bay ☀️
@@OrlaStevens yes! And I would think it does add a layer of meaning and consistency that leads to a coherent body of work. I actually did develop a process that helped create a particular look and feel to my work-I typically began each large scale mixed media painting with a spontaneous scribble and followed whatever images appeared, and I also used similar materials and format-but without that intention behind the expression, often I would end up with something that felt too personal and private and I wouldn’t want to share it or let it go! That research and intention does inform the unconscious and makes a difference! Just saying a word or phrase even if you have no other thoughts about how to go about expressing it would help guide and focus the expression I think. Very cool!
I love hearing you talk ;}
Me too, I love these chatty videos. Orla its so nice to hear about your process and inspiration ❤x
thank you! embracing the busy mind :) x
Watching you work, hearing your thoughts on your creative process and the final collection was very interesting and inspiring. Thank you for the extra work you put into this video!
Thanks so much! ♥️
I also love your colour palette. The entire grouping has a lovely ethereal vibe. Congratulations.
❤💯🎨👩🎨your artworks are phenomenal!!! And your form of teaching is extraordinary! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and tips
💙 thank you so much!!
Love your artwork philosophy and thoughts expressed beautifully with a beautiful voice ❤
thank you so much ☺️
It's so funny to watch your flow🎉
All are so beautiful 🤗 - so inspiring to have followed you, thanks so much 🙏🖍😊
thank you! loved sharing the process of this series :)
Abstract brings me into your channel. ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉. I want to see your discovery. 🎉🎉. I do abstract drawing too. Both digital and traditional media.
Aw thanks so much, great to have you here! Awesome - it’s so fun when you can work between two mediums like that!
Awesome!!!
I never cared much for abstract art until I found your channel. Such beautiful work!
that's amazing! welcome, it's such an exciting area of art to explore and get stuck into! 🎨
woooow just wooo!!! very beautiful
thanks so much 💙
gorgeous. i would love to buy them all as a group and display them as a group. stunning.
thanks so much - I'm really happy with how they have turned out as a body of work :)
Lovely❤
I'm learning a lot from this! Like how to use a fork, for example.
all cutlery make great paint tools! 🍽️
I love working on the floor when I do abstract because I have the drop cloth down and can get as messy as I want! It's very freeing. It also allows you more room to move around.
It’s great right! Fab for pouring and getting larger gestural marks 😊
You are amazing! I love your works!❤
thanks so much! 💙
wow I clicked because of all the beautiful colorful paintings in the thumbnail 😍 and enjoyed the video
thanks so much! 😊
Congratulations, Orla! The result is a beautiful body of work 👍🏼😁. I love watching your videos, thank you for showing us your process and explaining how you got there. I studied a visual arts degree years ago, but stopped painting to have my children and raise and homeschool them. Watching your videos has inspired me to start painting and drawing again, now that my kids are a bit older and I have the luxury of some ‘me’ time. I had forgotten how much I loved creating art; it’s the only thing I’ve ever done where time seems to stand still, and hours can pass by without my thinking of a single thing other than the task in front of me. So, thank you for your inspirational channel! 💖
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. That's brilliant, it's such a soul food activity I always think, and I hope you get that time and space to create 💫
I have really been enjoying the creation of your recent works, was just blown away to see them all displayed on the wall. Absolutely stunning!! I also love being in the outdoors and you have inspired me to convert some of my pencil sketches into some natural colour pieces. Can you tell me what paper you use as all your works seem not to cockle or warp. Thank you!
Ooooh that sounds lovely, will you translate them into colour pencils or paints? Of course! I use all sorts of papers, generally sticking to a 200gsm and up weight. This one in this series is a recycled watercolour paper at 300gsm, and a mixed media paper at 300gsm, and both work great. I've found 300gsm cartridge to work lovely for mixed media too!
Fantastic. Love the grouping as a whole. Wonderful!
Thanks so much!
wow Orla! The algorithm introduced you to me today, and wow! I am such a sucker for both abstract illustrations and series work, and this was a fantastic and inspiring video. Great work, and I can't wait to see more from you!
thank you, and welcome! thanks for your lovely comment, really glad you enjoyed the video! 💫
It has been really inspirering to follow you doing this Series of work. And the result is lovely, colourful and full of interesting shapes and textures. 😍❤️
Thanks so much for following the series! It’s been so much fun and learning for me to share them and record my thoughts 🌻
Great body of work, love the colour palette and the semi abstract quality, a joy to look at!
these are all fantastic, such a great video ❤❤
thank you! :)
Lovely and inspiring!!
This is a real learning inspirering adventure for me 😍😍😍😍😍Thank you !!! 26 paintings, I only see 25 on the wall
Thanks so much :) Well spotted! The 26th painting (Escapism, which I painted in the first video of this series) sold a few weeks back, so it’s in its new home now :)
Очень красиво, интересно❤ спасибо за ваше видео, прекрасная работа, продолжайте творить😇🥰😍
I absolutely love your work! It makes me happy and feels so inspiring to create myself.... and to embrace the beauty of imperfection ❤
Thanks so much! 🩵 absolutely, imperfections are very beautiful 💫
you need to do something to celebrate 5k subscribers when you get there! it's been so cool seeing how fast the channel has taken off. well done! :)
Brilliant, I love waking up to an inspiring video to start my day. Thank you for sharing!
woohoo! thank you 🌞
They are such a beautiful collection. Very inspiring.
Thanks so much! 💙
Wow, I LOVE these, thank you for sharing them and your process this way!!!
No worries, it’s been really fun to capture, glad you enjoyed!
Beautiful 💖☺️🤗
woww! so beautiful... thanks for the inspiration!!
Orla, this collection is absolutely beautiful. Listening to your process and then seeing it come to life on paper is really lovely. I love how loose you are able to work and how it all comes together in the end to create a perfectly harmonious mix of color, texture and marks to represent exactly what you are feeling and seeing. I have learned so many different ways of holding onto brushes, pens, mark making tools, that help to keep it all so loose just by watching your videos. Often, I find I am just focusing on your hand and arm and how it moves across the paper and don't even really see the whole piece until the end. Learning to work loose is very hard for me but you make it seem much more obtainable. Thank you for the time you put into these videos and for all of the explanation you give.
That's lovely, thank you 😊 And amazing - so much of it must be held in subconscious body language. It's that tricky quieting of the brain to just focus on one thing - the movement of the brush, the colour selection etc I think that really helps with the looseness. Best of luck!
Wow! Lovely 🙏
I'm only seven minutes in and I'm already ZINGING with inspiration! I love your methodical approach to structuring the environment and set up of your studio session, and leaving more room for experimentation and play. I especially resonated with what you said about the urge to reinvent every step that goes into a painting. I think this is exactly why I don't paint as often as I'd like: because I think every single element of a painting session has to be brand new. This is going to change how I approach my work, thank you so much!
Woohooooo! That's brilliant! It's hard not to fall into that trap eh? I think learning from past work and bringing forward elements of myself into future paintings is what I'm going to focus on from now on. Hope it helps in your painting session! 🌞
Beautiful! Thank you Orla ❤
Thank you Orla for sharing the process of this interesting project. The result is stunning. Well done........Alioban
thanks so much Alioban ⭐️
I love your work and video's, also your soothing voice, 😊 i listen to your words while working on my own paintings...thank you for your inspiration every time again.❤
that's so lovely, thanks so much! ⭐️
Complimenti! Ti sto seguendo! Mi piace molto la tua creatività . Salutoni dall'Italia! A presto!
Hello! Thanks so much, great to have you here! ✨
😍 so gorgeous! Loved watching how these came together, the textures and colours are so stunning! 👏
Thanks so much ☀️
I just found you. I had such a visceral reaction to the process and the beauty. Can’t wait to look back on this journey and see where it leads.❤️
Thanks so much! Me too, always exciting to watch the stepping stones to future work 😊
So exciting to see the project completed! I have gained so much inspiration from watching you work and listening to your process. Hearing you talk about working in your sketchbooks while waiting for layers to dry etc was a moment lol...I mean I never waste any paint, but I sort of 'throw' it on sketchbook pages without much thought or intention, just thinking of it as background for some future thing. I'm going to shift that and put a bit more process intention into doing that. And I love the 'squish' moments in your sketchbooks...reminds me of the earlier works where you painted on another paper and stamped the paint. I am going to play with that idea for sure...the textures! Love it. Thanks again, Orla, looking forward to see where this takes you. 😎
Thanks so much! ☀️ Hahaha gotta make the most of the time and materials 😅 I love doing that too, page prepping is one of my favourite quiet switch off the brain exercises :) ooo yeah, the diy mono printing is one of my favourites too! Such good textures 😊
So so happy for you on your project!!!
Wow... it's captivating ❤
Really lovely series, congratulations Orla😊
thank you! ☀️
Very good
fantastic !!
Your art is beautiful, Orla 😍 Very inspiring
thanks so much! ☀️
love your paintings 😍
thank you ☺️
Love this! So inspiring💜
This was super helpful and interesting!!!! If you don’t mind me asking what brand of paper acrylic paper are you using? I really liked how well it held up to the multiple layers!
For sure! I love using papers around 300gsm - for this series I used recycled watercolour paper, and also a mixed media paper at 250gsm. I look more for weight, texture and matte feel in paper over a medium specific paper :) I find most papers that are thick can take a fair amount of working! Prepping the bases with one layer first also really helped I think :)
if you misspell a word, maybe its no different to an accidental mark in the painting, maybe it adds something interesting :)
Yesss!
the pieces together are all so beautiful!! this was so inspiring. what kind of paper do you use?
Thanks so much! I tried out a few different papers in this collection, and my favourite was a pad by seawhite recycled watercolour 300gsm x
Wht brand is that pink tube, please? Looks a bit like Liquitex but not quite?
The system 3 daler rowney florescent pink is my go-to for this colour, but this one is by a local to me art store, boesner as they didn't have the system 3 in stock 😊
Lovely work, but you talk too much during these videos. Gets too confusing.
No… I’m surprised you say this. The information is very valuable as an artist and her voice is so soothing.. :)
I, too, find your thoughts and insights very valuable, Orla! Please don’t stop, I am learning so much! 😊
Hey! Thanks for your feedback :) I often share transcripts of my videos on my substack blog which are free to read - my personal learning style is to listen, read and note take. I like to share a written version of some of my videos, incase there are folk like me that would like to read too, to help things percolate - I know there’s lots of info covered in these films. Hope it helps! ☀️