It's 2016 ...

A huge welcome to you and to 2016.  We hope you had a lovely Christmas and are enjoying both the school holidays here in Australia and this beautiful Summer season.

We have lots of wonderful things in store for you during 2016 here on ARTastic.  We have a NEW Creative Team and you are going to love what they have in store for all of you as inspiration.  We have some absolutely delightful Australian artworks to showcase and some wonderful prizes to give away - this year our main prize each month will be a fantastic Kasiercraft product pack which may be filled with stamps,  bling, stencils, paper pads, alphabets, chipboard and all manner of lovely things.  Our runner up will receive an equally lovely pack from Mystical Scrapbooks which will include a set of exclusive flair (you cannot get these anywhere else !).  And of course each month we have a random draw where anyone can be a winner of a special prize put together by one of our creative team.  And of course we will have more amazing tutorials and extra special guests popping by the blog each month.  2016 is going to be awesome!!

Our first inspiration for 2016 is this wonderful painting by Isabelle May Tweddle called Bondi Scene.  

CRITERIA is Summer theme

Please remember a Summer theme is YOUR Summer theme, it doesn't have to be beach related.  It can be anything Summer means to you - playing in the pool, watching Summer sport, walking in the park, ice creams, cold drinks, sunscreen and hats ....

A little about Isabelle May Tweddle ...

Born in Deniliquin in 1877, Tweddle studied at the Melbourne National Gallery School under Bernard Hall and Fred McCubbin. A portrait, landscape and still life painter, she was a leader of the modern art movement in Melbourne. She was a member of the Contemporary Art Society, Twenty Melbourne Painters and the Melbourne Society of Women Painters. Tweddle died in Melbourne in 1945.

And now some inspiration from the first group of our team ...

ELAINE

 I am blessed to be living in a coastal town where there are bays a walk down the road, then surf beaches and places for rock exploring 20mins down the road, so we are always out come summer ☺︎. For my inspiration I have used the colours from the sand and the sky for my base colours and followed with the beach theme, although my 2 girls are busy rock climbing instead of swimming ☺︎. My background is made from water painting on an acrylic sheet, then rubbing it onto my page. I textured painted triangles triangles along with drawing some in with pen.

HELENE

When I saw this challenge I was eager to do a layout in blue, white and sand color. I loved to do a summer layout now when it is winter and cold here in Sweden. It almost felt like summer.

SUE

Inspiration is from the beach theme and the colours. I have used a TH stencil and glitter swirls to mimic the waves.

LIZZY

I took inspiration from the sand/sea combo and also the texture that is used in the painting technique.

AN'JENIC

Inspired by the beach theme.

TRACEY

I took my inspiration from the brush strokes and the theme of the painting. A very simple design for this one.

MARIA

My inspiration - summer, sea, bright colors! Photo from summer vacation. Its complementary paper, texture, stamps, paint.

Over to you ......

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT by 11.55pm on January 31st, 2016.  We'd love to see your new paper, digital, mixed media or off the page entries. Why not try doing a pocket page spread?  Please no back-dated submissions.  

 Please note:- You may combine our challenge with a sketch challenge only - no other combining will be accepted.  Please include our inspirational picture and challenge details on your blog post as well as provide a link back to us at ARTastic  ... and don't forget to tell us how you were inspired by our challenge.  You may enter more than once in any month as long as each submission is with a different creation.  International entries are very welcome. 

Please call past on the 8th for our announcement of the December winners and our first ARTastic 3T's - Tips, Tricks and Techniques for 2016.