Denise Love

One palette. Two pages. A whole lot of possibilities.

This week, I cracked open my Dina Wakley journal and played with just four colors—orange light, dark green light, black, and white—and let me tell you, magic happened. On the left, I mixed up custom tones and tints (I swear, I could do that all day). On the right, I let those colors loose—layers, marks, stencils, intuition. The freedom that comes with painting just for you? It’s everything.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too many supplies or unsure where to begin, try limiting your palette. It gives you direction, and honestly—it invites you to get way more creative.

Check out this video here: https://youtu.be/HtgIwZadG-o?si=rT5aM...

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1 day ago | [YT] | 186

Denise Love

🎨 Some days, all I want to do is get lost in layers of color, texture, and play. This week in the studio, I pulled a palette straight from the Color Cube and created two abstract mixed media pieces—same colors, totally different vibes.

One is a calm, concentric circle piece that just feels like exhaling. The other is intuitive and loose, full of surprises and mark making, and that delicious moment when watercolor and acrylic swirl together just right.

If you’re feeling stuck, or just want a burst of color and inspiration, come paint with me 💛

Check out this video here: https://youtu.be/acGhTXuSUfY?si=5aIdY...

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3 days ago | [YT] | 260

Denise Love

🎨 Easy Mixed Media Ovals with Copper Shimmer & Crayon Texture

Let’s play with color! I made this vibrant little oval sampler using some of my favorite tools: Masha’s watercolors, a gorgeous copper shimmer from Beam Paints, and layers of crayon and pencil texture.

This piece was pure exploration — pinks, oranges, and metallic magic - Blackwing pencil marks, Neocolor II scribbles, and a bold pop of white Posca on top. Whether you’re new to mixed media or just need a fresh spark, this one’s full of playful ideas to try.

Check out this video here: https://youtu.be/_qCo7Kz50tM?si=K2U03...

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6 days ago | [YT] | 366

Denise Love

There’s something really satisfying about working within a grid — especially when you're letting your color palette do the talking. I pulled this one from The Color Cube and let orange, red, and lavender guide the whole session.

Twelve little squares. One juicy abstract sampler.

I used Shinhan Designer Gouache as the base, then added texture and personality with mark-making and some stencil layering. It turned into the perfect mix of structure and play, which is exactly what I needed this week.

If you’ve been curious about gouache or just want a little color therapy, this one’s for you 🎨

Check out this video here: https://youtu.be/efStLha7x3M?si=l1tOv...

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1 week ago | [YT] | 280

Denise Love

✨ Watercolor + Copper = Magic ✨

There’s something so dreamy about watching soft watercolor washes swirl and melt together… and then bam!—you hit it with some shimmery copper, and everything comes alive.

In this new video, I’m layering Masha’s watercolor paints with rich, Pébéo copper and my Blackwing pencil for those final, sketchy lines I love. It’s abstract, intuitive, and oh-so-satisfying.

If you’ve been craving a little playtime at the art table, this one’s for you!

🎨 Have you tried mixing metallics with watercolor? Tell me below—I’d love to hear what you’re playing with lately.

Check out this video here: https://youtu.be/qN9xRMwcV8w?si=4-u6j...

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1 week ago | [YT] | 323

Denise Love

📦 January Art Haul is HERE! 🎨

If you’re like me and love some new art supplies, you’re gonna love this peek into my SketchBox unboxing! I also used the new Holbein granulating watercolors after drying them in the pans, played with some fresh StencilGirl stencils, and even created a few abstract minis.

There’s something magical about mixing new tools with playful energy—it pulls me right back into my creative rhythm. Come see what’s lighting up my studio this month!

✨What new materials are you excited to try in 2026, or are you going for a no/low buy year - use what you have year with me?

Check out this video here: https://youtu.be/npsLLhRXAW8?si=GLcji...

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1 week ago | [YT] | 258

Denise Love

🎨 I spent the afternoon playing with a color palette from The Color Cube withblue and peach vibes—and tried something different this time: a bigger brush.

Switching out my usual oval wash brush totally changed the feel of the painting. I leaned into layered, loose concentric circles and let the process stay light and playful.

Finished up with some intuitive mark-making to bring in texture and energy. Love how the brush shift sparked something new in the work!

Have you tried switching up your tools lately? It’s such a small change, but it opens up fresh directions.

Check out this video here: https://youtu.be/UYfgcs3u6qY?si=inoDa...

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 307

Denise Love

Muted magic in the journal today ✨

I grabbed brown + red violet deep from my Blick Matte Acrylic stash and let them dance together across my Dina Wakley Ledger journal. With just black and white added in, I created this gorgeously moody custom palette that makes my color-loving heart happy.

On the left, I swatched and blended, letting the paint lead the way. On the right, I got wild — stencils, marks, textures, and a whole lot of intuitive freedom.

If you’ve ever wanted to explore how a limited palette can open up more creative possibilities, this one’s for you.

Let’s paint messy. Let’s paint moody. Let’s paint like we mean it.

Check out this video here: https://youtu.be/JYAs_a5eFAc?si=mL4Ip...

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 328

Denise Love

🎨 Swatching Holbein's Dreamy Granulating Watercolors!

Today’s studio playdate: a soothing session with Holbein’s new granulating watercolor set 💧 I filled up a half pan palette, swatched each color, and ended with a gentle abstract using my favorite—concentric circles. So relaxing!

Check out this video here: https://youtu.be/GkJY_J8yRnM?si=Hd_QY...

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 273

Denise Love

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with creating in grids—it’s like solving a puzzle with color, texture, and emotion. In this new 2-piece abstract set, I played with Masha’s handmade watercolors, bold colors from the Color Cube, and some scribbly mark-making (plus a few gold stencil moments I’m loving ✨).

Inspired by one of my favorite 12-panel layouts from a past piece, this project is all about layers, looseness, and letting the process lead. If you’re into watercolor abstracts or mixed media grids, you’ll want to peek at this one.

You can catch the full process over on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-VBIf1fZvXo?si=pOyZj...

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 289