Every year, thousands of people all around the world commit to 100 days of creating. Anyone can participate (yes, that means you!).
The idea is simple: choose a creative project, do it every single day for 100 days, and share your process on your social accounts using the hashtag #The100DayProject.
To read more about the project, click here.
- It’s time for another project
This will be my third year of participation in the 100 day project and I return to my first year goals: Show up every day behind the pen, brush, or lens and share my work. We begin February 22. - The 100 Day Project brings magic
I am forever changed “Begin with the end in mind” is a maxim I’ve found helpful at the start of any project. So I dug up the post I wrote recapping my first 100 day project in 2021. This is what it meant to me. 😊 Every one of us began this 100 day journey … Read more - The 100 Day project begins
Day 1 reunites old friends The 100 Day Project suggests we set an intention, goal, or mantra as we set off on our creative journey. What will guide me over the next 100 days? A simple word, CREATE, with some basic watercolors and pen will suffice for today. 😊 The art supplies had to be … Read more - The 100 Day Project may have side effects
Or are they simply bonuses? The reprieve from normal cold temps sent me outdoors. One of the side effects of participating in The 100 Day Project is a heightened sense of being in the now. I captured some moments behind the lens and even added some text on a few images for fun. 😊 Going to … Read more - 20 year old note inspires painting
Words hold power I put the pink notebook paper to my nose and inhale. I expect it to be scented. Shouldn’t pink paper have a sweet smell? There was only the faint odor of ballpoint ink, my mother’s favorite choice of pen. May 2, 2003, nearly 20 years ago she was thinking of me and … Read more - It’s a nice place to visit
but I wouldn’t want to live there I am in this space I call the Inn Between. It’s a place where I don’t know what I want to express while I look at a blank page or canvas. There’s a policy at the Inn and it requires a guest must practice and try new things … Read more - There’s a name for this thing I do
Reverse coloring is what it’s called Yesterday my friend Julianne sent a TikTok about Reverse Coloring, and it is right up my alley! I prepped four squares with various watercolors I’ll use over the next few days. For today’s square, I “found” flowers, then defined them with a Micron 005 pen among the different shapes … Read more - Two beautiful sentences
Author Amy Tector’s newsletter, Méli-Mélo, includes some of her favorite Twitter posts and this one by W.S. Merwin, called Separation, spoke to my heart. Maybe it will to yours too. Micron on watercolor, 5”x5”. - The Gelli Plate Experiment
Today’s creative pursuit is pure experiment. It’s clear to me a training video would be helpful. There’s one waiting in the queue, which I will now watch, but I had to get paint on my hands first. Gelli printing has been recommended to me for several years and I’ve resisted, but now I must say … Read more - Another experiment on the books
Hats off to the artists who make hammering flowers on paper look so easy! The hammering part is easy enough, but knowing the type of paper and flowers took experimentation. I gathered dandelions, crocus, nettle, and random leaves and visited a florist who gave me some light pink, near expired flowers, too. I used mixed … Read more - It doesn’t have to be perfect to begin
Take those first steps and celebrate the wins For a long time, I’ve thought about having prints made of some of my art and offering them for sale. Pondered how I might package and label them. I didn’t have the answers, but did nothing about finding solutions, either. A few weeks ago I found cellophane … Read more - Gathering and noodling part of the process
What brings a pint-sized chair, a passel of postcards, pieces of Japanese porcelain, and a print-out of how to create a ‘zine, together on the table? They each represent creative pursuits in progress. The chair is a blank “canvas” I’m itching to paint with bright colors and fun patterns. I’ve wanted to put my vintage … Read more - As I create and listen, I will be led
Today’s morning pages quote: “If we are trying to THINK SOMETHING UP, we are straining to reach for something that’s just beyond our grasp.” -Julia Cameron I’ve been in that nether land lately, wondering what to put on paper. It’s been a struggle. Another favorite quote from Julia is, “As I create and listen, I … Read more - Back to basics with watercolors
Tutorials and back to basics. A simple night sky and twilight sky. This Writing Desk classes with instructor Kolbie Blume, beginning watercolor landscapes. - Art mistakes won’t kill us
In case you need to hear this, let today’s “art” speak for itself. 😆 - New art supplies are a pleasant surprise
Pilot extra fine point paint markers in silver and gold. I’m always skeptical when a company labels their pen ‘ultra’ or ‘extra’ fine anything, for the size of the point. But Pilot did not disappoint. The paint flows smooth, no blotches. The flower outlines are in silver on a mop up index card from last … Read more - The kintsugi experiment, part 1
Using a kit purchased online The box included two small cups, and I hesitated on *how* to break them. I wrapped one in a dish towel and tapped it with a hammer. Nothing. Turned it on its side and repeated with success. Multiple pieces. Too many, it seemed. Later the same day, the F•R•I•E•N•D•S picture frame on … Read more - The kintsugi experiment part 2
The glue that came with the kit is *still* not set or dry after 24 hours! The off brand super glue I used on the second broken cup did set but I was only able to get two pieces put back together. I mixed Elmer’s with the gold powder and painted over the repaired crack. … Read more - Had to have but not sure why
At an estate sale yesterday, I found a box full of mini magnetic tiles with letters and symbols and two 4×6 magnetic picture frames. Together it all weighs nearly 10 pounds. The contents screamed, “Take me home with you!” So I did. There’s still about two more pounds remaining in the bag to sort. Not … Read more - Folding fan goes from plain to colorful
Another estate sale find: a wooden folding fan with an image printed on its surface. I wondered how water coloring the picture would look. Now I know. Started with Jane Davenport’s bright palette then remembered my unused @honeybeepigments metallic watercolors and added those. Love the brilliance of the metallics. (And the goodies she sent with … Read more - Frustration leads to learning
If you keep going Another class, this one called Galaxy Night Sky. I used a cardboard round for my first attempt just to get a feel for the color blending. Felt okay, so I moved to what Strathmore calls their “best” watercolor paper. I taped a circle and made a light wash. As the colors … Read more - Don’t know what to paint next?
Look out the window. I watched the morning sky go from pink and blue to peach and purple, then blue with some white clouds. So I painted my versions of these on scrap paper with watercolors. It’s not a finished “thing,” there’s no plan or goal, but it’s enough. It’s enough I filled the cups … Read more - Practice does not make perfect
It makes improvement I love a loose, flowy watercolor style but don’t have much experience, so I emulated an artist whose work I admire. It was difficult to make the first strokes. How much water do I add? Which brush do I use? How do I correct muddy colors? What if it looks horrible? “It … Read more - If you change the way you look at things,
the things you look at change. Seven years have passed since a visit to North Judson, Indiana, yet the images of the trees there are as neatly planted in my memories as they are in the ground. No signs revealed the history of the area. The cabin rental owner didn’t know. I couldn’t find an … Read more - Painting on furniture instead of paper
Weekend shift to repurposing a ladder into a shelf This weekend brings a shift to painting furniture of sorts. I’m creating a shelf with an old wooden ladder and four boards for my antique shop. The shelves will be level when it’s finished. 😊 Painted the base coat last night and used tiny plastic triangles … Read more - A zendoodle and shelf progress update
Got the shelves painted their respective colors and tried to sand one shelf, which can only be done outdoors, but it’s way too cold. When the weather breaks… Charlie attached the shutters with hinges so the displays are closer to finished than they were. In the meantime, I zendoodled on a scrap piece of watercolor … Read more - When in doubt, make a list
The 100 Day Project asks “How’s your body and spirit feeling this week?” My spirit feels weightless and unsettled. I’m experimenting, no goal, no plan. It’s an uncomfortable place to be, but I’ve gotten *more* comfortable over the past few years, by acknowledging this is part of the process. I would much prefer the knowing. … Read more - It’s a revival in my sketchbook
It’s not too late to sign up for Sketchbook Revival 2023, brought to you by Karen Abend. Sign up on her site here. Or read the FAQs here. I participated in the first pre-recorded lesson yesterday with Jeanne Oliver and painted alongside her with watercolors. Had to dig out an old Moleskine sketchbook I hadn’t … Read more - The color blob experiment proves fruitful
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. … Read more - Finally, the shelf is finished!
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 … Read more - This was wildly uncomfortable
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 … Read more - Advice to my inner beginner artist
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 … Read more - Cause and effect of joy
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, … Read more - Watercolor of the waterside beach huts
An artist friend made a post about going to see the sea and I fell in love with the row of colorful beach huts she captured in a photo and I did my best recreating it in a tiny watercolor. Thanks for the inspiration, Allison. - Whimsical watercolors messy but fun
In one of today’s Sketchbook Revival sessions, mixed media artist, Toni Burt, shared her world of bold color, “messy” lines, and whimsical imagery. The goal is to practice loosely creating a perfectly imperfect, vibrant sketch of an old building full of charm. She suggested sketching first with pen instead of pencil and so I did. … Read more - Quick and simple today
Artist, Alyssa Whetstone asked what’s more cozy than curling up to read a good book? Painting a cute stack of books! And she was right. That was a fun, quick watercolor exercise. - Saved from the waste bin
Painted an object on top of a scrap sheet of large paper which left a ghost image that begged to be used. So I grabbed the Sharpies and drew loose outlines in various colors. That looked okay. Watercolors were next. Better. Thought it was finished, then splatter came to mind. A little dot of white … Read more - The Ladder shelf and shutters find a home
At Maker’s Market on Vernon in Ironton, OH, (antiques, handcrafted, vintage), a small space opened up and I moved in. As I was about to get in my car and leave for the day, someone shouted from the store. It was a new friend I see at estate sales and we follow each other on … Read more - Rush job brings meh results
Experimented with a masking fluid marker under watercolors. Meh results. The tacky didn’t remove as I hoped and tore the paper. Disclaimer: there *may* be some techniques I’m unaware, and rushing the process probably didn’t help. Short on time today. - Watercolor circles become flowers
Yesterday, just for play, I painted three watercolor circles with purple, rose quin, and magenta. This morning, the circles bloomed into roses with a pen and some added leaves. I love making tiny watercolors. 😊 - The 1970s refrigerator
It wasn’t brown from the manufacturer, no; it was hand painted a rich earth, dark brown. You could even see the brush strokes if you looked at it in the right light. Just for fun, there were various sizes of flower power stickers affixed to its door. For the pièce de résistance, they painted the handle … Read more - What sits on your windowsill?
Every object I’ve deemed worthy to sit on mine has a fond memory and a special person attached. Everything is in miniature, of course, to fit, sit, and stay. Birds made of red glass, green, blue, and crystal. Real seashells dipped in silverplate, heart-shaped rocks, and tiny signs. There’s a Mary Engelbreit stained glass round … Read more - The cats had their fun, now I have mine
Sister cats, Mia and Dot, love to hunt and kill the loose end of a roll of Cottenelle® as it flits above the air vent. Instead of trashing their work, I invited them into the studio to experiment with the remains. Up on the table, they batted the scraps of tissue around on a canvas … Read more - Pressured, uninspired, overwhelmed
I’m allowed to have off days where I can produce a tangled mess of scribbles. And that’s okay. At least I made *something*. 😊 And then I turned the page in my Artist’s Way themed journal and read the following: The words and timing a soothing balm. Grace. Until tomorrow, xoxo - Discarded vintage art gets a new purpose
Inspired by an artist on Instagram, the idea stayed with me so I tried my hand and made something old into something new. Repurposed art! The originals are available for purchase at three locations: Village Renew-all Antique Mall 610 14th Street West Huntington, WV Maker’s Market 321 Vernon Street Ironton, OH Eridanus Brewing/Tea Room & … Read more - It’s time to change focus
But I’m not giving up on The 100 Day Project I painted some tiny watercolor flowers and added some ink, but my heart is not in my art right now. In five days, I will attend a weeklong writer’s retreat in Ashland City, TN at Blue Spring Creek Retreats and when there’s a project looming, … Read more - A nature walk soothes the senses
- Blooming can take time
In nature and in ourselves The longest I’ve ever lived in the same house is this one. My childhood homes were many between my mother and my grandparents. I lived in between from infancy to 18, in between the times when my mom was able to care for me and the times my grandparents would … Read more