’tis the season – for Dia de los Muertos…

Posted on October 17, 2013 by susie carranza studio

i love this time of year, when there are lots of events and shows celebrating Dia de los Muertos. i was going to write about it, but realized i already did last year, which you can read at Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead: Honoring Loved Ones No Longer Here. i also love creating pieces Dia de los Muertos style, like these hand painted & embellished mini wood coffins. they’re perfect for keeping on your home altars for your loved ones who are no longer here, with space inside for small mementos or treasures.

hand painted and embellished mini coffins, Dia de los Muertos style

i’m happy to say that the first three sold quickly after i posted photos on my facebook page – so i created more today:

mini wood coffins, hand painted and embellished Dia de los Muertos style

hand painted and embellished mini coffins, Dia de los Muertos style

here’s just a sampling of some of my DOD (Day of the Dead) work on our website:

and some from my Etsy shop:

i learned so much about Dia de los Muertos from Annette Armas (i’ve mentioned her before, Annette of CJ’s Angels and our Arte de Nuestro Corazon business partner). she creates Dia de los Muertos art like it should be: beautiful, colorful, culturally-inspired, in a way that honors the tradition of celebrating loved ones no longer here.

check out some of Annette’s work for yourself, and let me know what you think:

work by Annette Armas

Annette and her daughter Theresa also have a gorgeous 2014 calendar out right now, with 14 all new images, all Dia de los Muertos (the calendar is available for purchase right now at Arte de Nuestro Corazon, while supplies last!):

So – do any of you celebrate Dia de los Muertos? what do you do? if you have a related blog post, please share in the comments. i’d love to see what you’re up to for Dia de los Muertos…

peek into my sketchbook…

Posted on October 1, 2013 by susie carranza studio

happy october everyone – my favorite month! LOVE the cooling temperatures, the changing leaves, Halloween – everything!

so, i’ve always doodled. when i worked a ‘regular’ job i doodled during staff meetings, i doodled on napkins at meal times (and still do!), i doodled while on the phone…but i never really kept a sketchbook. you know, one book where i sketched out ideas. i doodled everywhere anyway, and i never sketch out a painting before i paint it, so i guess i never saw the need.

well, this past june my husband took me to Dick Blick Art Store in Pasadena for some birthday shopping. i went to just buy a Gelli plate but came home with more. you know how that happens, right? (you can check out some photos from my first time using the Gelli plate here – playing with my Gelli Plate.)

so, along with my new Gelli plate, i got some Jacquard Textile paints (which i was very excited about but haven’t used yet), a roll-up pouch for brushes & drawing supplies, and a sketchbook. and i’m enjoying it. i haven’t done alot in it yet, but i really love drawing/painting in it late at night, when everyone’s asleep and it’s quiet.

here’s a peek at a few things i’ve been doing. please forgive the not-so-good pictures; the lighting here hasn’t been great for photo taking…

so tell me – do you use a sketchbook?

new items in Etsy shop!

Posted on September 22, 2013 by susie carranza studio

i’ve been busy! i’ve been happily painting away, into the early morning hours, and i’m loving it!

creating new work really makes me happy, and with all the curve balls life has been throwing out lately, painting and drawing are really the only things keeping me sane. when i’m in the zone, everything else disappears and it’s just me and my paintbrushes. and that’s all i need in that moment. ♥

anyway, i just wanted to share a few of the new pieces i’ve added to my Etsy shop. Dia de los Muertos is so close, and i added some one-of-a-kind paper mache skulls that would be great to add to any altar, or would make beautiful gifts for anyone who loves the culture, color, and beauty that is Dia de los Muertos. you’ll also find hand painted wood birds (fun & whimsical!), crosses, and original canvas paintings and mixed media pieces – and much more.

so please – pop over to my Etsy shop now and see if there’s anything you like!
Susie Carranza Studio on Etsy

Arte de Nuestro Corazon – art from our hearts.

Posted on September 12, 2012 by susie carranza studio

july 2011 was an exciting month for my husband and me. that month, our website Arte de Nuestro Corazon went live. LIVE!

Arte de Nuestro Corazon is spanish for art from our hearts. “our” being my husband, lawrence, and myself along with artist friends jose, annette, and theresa armas. we started the site as a way to share our work with people all over the world (hopefully!).

from our “About Us” page:

“We are a group of five artists who share the common interest of expressing our cultural and emotional thoughts through various types of art. The common goal is to share our Mexican/American heritage with other people that appreciate unique and inspiring art pieces. Each piece of art is designed and/or created by our hands.

Susie Carranza was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in El Sereno. Susie began her art by doodling on paper with her Sharpie marker. She now combines her Sharpie images with her paintings and mixed media pieces on canvas, wood, tin, plaster and clay. Susie’s art work has been in stores and museums in Southern California.

Annette Armas has been drawing since Jr. high school. Her art form has been a reflection of her personal life. Enjoying and creating traditional tole painting and selling her wares at boutiques around Los Angeles and Orange County for 24 years. With the passing of Carlos (her son) she has fully embraced her art through Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Her preferred medias are painting on wood, clay, tin and now canvas. She is now Co-Owner of CJ’s Angels with her husband.

Theresa Maria Armas jumped into the art scene in 2003. She started creating her art on canvas using her whimsical skeletons as the subjects. Theresa now has included sewing and mixed media in her work. Over the years Theresa has had her art exhibited in galleries and art shows in Southern California.

Lawrence Aguilar is new to art. He was introduced to the art world by his wife Susie Carranza. Lawrence prefers painting on wood and clay. He also enjoys working in mixed media.

Jose Armas has recognized his talent in painting Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) art. Jose’s vision of the art he creates is unique to his imagination. Much of his inspiration has come from his wife Annette Armas and his daughter Theresa Armas.”

getting the word out has been slow-going. sometimes (for me) painfully slow. have i mentioned that patience is not really a virtue i possess?! but i truly believe one day we will successfully create a large client base for our site with happy and satisfied return customers.

if you like colorful, culturally-inspired, original work, please check us out at www.ArtedeNuestroCorazon.com and let me know what you think! i have much more to write about our website and how it came about, so look for a much more detailed future post.

here’s some of the work i have available at Arte de Nuestro Corazon…

i’ll be adding new work soon to both the Arte de Nuestro Corazon site and my Etsy shop. i’ve been happily painting away and creating new work!

btw, you can also keep up with me on my facebook page at Susie Carranza Studio…