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Bex Hall > Art Projects > One thing leads to another

One thing leads to another

March 5, 2021

Why it’s great to listen for the gifts

Yesterday’s art is today’s prototype

A couple years ago during the @melissadoty.art Squareathon challenge, I created a square with painter’s tape and watercolor. Tape removal revealed some bleeds and I wrestled with the imperfections. Since the square was “ruined” I jotted down some thoughts around the perimeter of the art and considered it finished.

But the words stuck with me.

I wrote them because of the mistake and the intention was to communicate from one artist to another. 

A kind of “the struggle is real” commiseration. But there were a few good wishes as well.

I kept calling it a “wish” or a “prayer” but that wasn’t right. It occurred to me to call it a blessing. An Artist’s Blessing.

When I created the color squares here, I didn’t know yesterday these would be today’s prototypes for a gift that’s been in the making.

Testing

I learned this is not the right paper to use but it gave me the perfect opportunity to use a brand new brush. @marisa_made showed us last week some of her favorite watercolor brushes and the Silver Black 3000s she showed particularly caught my attention. P.S. I LOVE IT.

Sweet brush I love

I practiced handwriting around the artwork and learned placing the text spaced away from the art, like a little border or frame, is a better design. 

It also feels important the actual art have imperfections, like a little tape bleed. I’m trying on different pen sizes and whether to use color text or not.

So I listened yesterday when I felt inclined to create these squares and I’m happy I acted on the whisper. Glad I let my curiosity play.

I’m much closer to the end result—an Artist’s Blessing created because it needs to be loose and in the wild. A fun, lighthearted gift to make your artist smile.

Rough draft

This is a work in progress and it’s important to remember creativity lies not in the done, but in the doing. And once this IS done — it’ll be time for the next thing. 

May your creativity lead you to happy surprises.

Filed Under: Art Projects Tagged With: creative life, the 100 day project

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About Bex

 

Bex Hall

Her writing has appeared in various online and print publications, most recently in Kerning, a literary magazine, and in the Stories of Hope Collection in Transplant Living. Her artwork has appeared and sold through the Grayson Gallery. She blogs here about creative life and creates in Studio BE overlooking the Ohio River. Her work in progress is a memoir about the secret life of objects.

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  • The 100 Day Project

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  • Creative practice goals:

    Show up every day behind the pen, the brush, or the lens and share my work.

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