Danielle Calabro

In my attempt to find my niche I have used many, many different mediums. I have used acrylic paint, oil paint, water color, gouache, markers and pens. I know I am not finished finding my own way but I think I am getting a better idea of what I enjoy most. I love to paint and I love to draw so I have started to mix them. In this piece, my Zentangl™ Tree, I did the background in watercolors, the sketch in archival ink pens, the tree with black gouache and the tangle with a white gelly roll pen.  Here is a close up: This change in my creative focus has helped me in more ways then one. First, it is so easy to just grab my sketchbook and my pencils and start working on an idea. Second, it has simplified my life a little, I can take it anywhere with me, go to a cookout, take the kids to the park or outside to play, I just shove everything I need in my bag and I am all set. Can't do that with a canvas and paint, but like I said I still love to paint just on a s...

As I said before I really like to Zentangle®, it is definitely a good outlet. It really does helps with freeing your mind. Now, I will be very honest with you, I do not follow the directions of Zentangle®, I do use an eraser and sometimes I will fix my mistakes. This is just my way, if I do not like the way something looks I will fix it.  I started this about a week ago, I worked on it between work, play and sleep. I am still working on drawing faces, I can see myself getting better and I see were I could improve, but I was pretty darn impressed with myself on this face.  I also wanted to play with some new pens I just purchased (white Gelly roll pens).  I drew out the face and the Zentangle® hair then painted the background with jet black gouache. I then set out with a ruler and white gelly roll pen and this is what I came up with. It looks a little yellow because I had to use a camera instead of my scanner to get it on my computer.  I have finall...

As a Mother I try to encourage my children to do what they love to do. Sometimes I will, of course make them try something even if they are too scared to give it a chance. Sometime they love and other times it's a flop. So what is my point? As a parent, sometimes we scared to push our kids a little or a lot in some cases. My two children are so different in so many ways. Since I have started painting again both of my children have slowly become more interested in what I am doing, sometimes it is a pain in the neck, most of the time it makes me so happy. I do not push art on them, however I think any type of art (music, dance, painting or drawing) is important for children to learn. Both of my children assumed its so easy to paint or draw but when they can't get a drawing to come out like they want they get so pissed off. I try to explain to them it takes time and they have to practice, and I try to show them a different or new way of doing something. As my husband always says...