In the Studio with…
Lidia Tohar, Boca Raton Branch (Florida)

By Lidia Tohar

Whimsical Holiday Cards

The holiday season always feels exciting for me because it’s the season when you can get your creative artistic juices going. It’s about sharing and giving, so what better gift is there than something handmade and unique? I always loved making my own holiday cards every year — something that could be framed and enjoyed beyond the holiday season. When you have the artistic itch, there is always room to reach out and give something meaningful as a token of love or appreciation.

Since childhood, I enjoyed expressing my artistic vision with whatever material was available. When money is tight, you work with what you have. I am a multimedia artist, so using different mediums or tools is exciting to me.

 

 

Last year, I decided to try something different by being spontaneous with watercolor paper and making different markings and patterns with charcoal and pencil as the initial random lines. I followed that with a selection of acrylic colors to complement and add contrast.

The goal was to make my small art pieces have more interest for the recipients. I achieved a sculptural effect by simply painting a negative space border, closing in the vivid bright colors with a mixture of Prussian Blue and Payne’s Gray. I added a lovely dramatic spark with a metallic gold paint as the final touch.

I attached my small pieces of original art to greeting card stock and added my signature. It always feels great to see the final product — a new line of original holiday greeting cards.

Left, finished holiday cards by Lidia Tohar. Above, starting on top: The original marks; color added; full color; and full border added.