Exploring Creativity
My friend, Eliza, had last Friday off from work and was on her way to get a mani-pedi when she called.
It was a “Me Day” for her and the first time out of the house in a while.
During the entire conversation, all I could picture was her leaping for joy in the air, a rose held in her mouth.
Had to get that out of my head. 😂
Early yesterday I wrote in my morning pages “…what do I want to work on art-wise?” A little later, I took a class from the Sketchbook Revival/Tamara Laporte about painting in an unfamiliar-to-me style. It was wildly uncomfortable and far from my comfort zone.
This morning I wrote about how yesterday I did something scary (art related) and it turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with painting.
I drew a line in the journal across the facing pages between the two comments, connecting them with a note about how if I had not put into action what I had been thinking about, the painting and experience would have never happened.
It’s in the doing the fear dissipates and miracles occur.
A respectful salute and nod to the legendary Dan Wieden and his iconic tagline “Just do it.” 😊
I gave myself the grace to practice some more today, knowing the results would be amateurish and look like a beginner’s work. But I AM a beginner with this technique and I’ll only get better with practice.
So I did it.
Keep practicing. You never know what will come or what you’ll find. Be open. Just do it.
💕
Note: The watercolors here are not my designs; I used reference photos.
Mixing colors I would never have put together on one page. Splattering things. Letting go of convention.
But thanks to mixed media artist and teacher, Tamara Laporte and her lesson on painting an expressive animal face, here we are.
Even though the rubber bands of my comfort zone stretched to almost snapping, I found this style of painting exhilarating.
She also shared a lesson on sketching with a grid and basic shapes.
So far, this was my favorite class with the Sketchbook Revival.
Happy Friday everyone. 😊
The weather broke, and it was warm enough, in the sun, to sand outside under a brilliant blue sky.
I roughed up the edges of the shelf boards, but I couldn’t penetrate the surface. I had applied too much paint, but I’m still happy with the way they look overall and the ladder with the shutters complement each other.
The antique mall I’m in offered a new space yesterday, so the timing is perfect. I’ll be in a more visible spot with better lighting and the possibility for expansion. And hopefully more room to sell my artwork alongside the vintage and antique objects I already have available.
When I first set up shop last November, I threw together display furniture in a hurry and over time I’ve replaced a few pieces with nicer ones, like a lighted curio cabinet for the glassware I love. I can see in my mind’s eye the vibe I want for my shop, and adding this ladder shelf and shutters helps reach the vision.
I’m going for open, airy, light, and positive. Headed in the right direction!
Until tomorrow, xoxo
The sketchbook artist, Koosje Koene hosted a workshop yesterday about color blobs. Or rather, turning them into recognizable drawings.
I used watercolor and color pencils on both the sketchbook and a piece of watercolor paper, to experiment. Orange you glad I did? 🙄😬
See you tomorrow! xoxo
To participate in the Sketchbook Revival, sign up here. It’s not too late!
