Nuturing Creativity - Week 34 and NEW ATCs

I chose this card earlier and had planned to post it earlier but ended up with a weird week that vanished into thin air somehow!!

Anyway here it is:

Change Your Limitations

Work in another medium! Well, I think drawing experiments qualify for this one BIG TIME!  Oh, I haven't drawn my newest face yet.  BUT, I did sell some note cards so had enough to go to the art store and purchase some real sketching pencils and a pad!!  Now to get busy on that little past time!

Have completed a couple of ATCs this week and thought you might enjoy seeing them.  The first one is for the Birthday ATC swap for September birthdays and the other ones are for an Illuminated Alphabet swap.  I really enjoyed doing the research on that one. These are from historic manuscripts where they made rather ornate and interesting and larger first letters of the chapter, line, or page.  Had seen this technique before and found it very interesting but have never even THOUGHT about doing it myself.  Sounded like a fun way to get outside my comfort zone! The first swap is for A B C and D.

September is PIANO MONTH!!!  So here is the slightly blurry card for the September birthday people!!

Illuminated A, B, C and D

Nurturing Creativity - Week 33

I tell you...I have not idea WHERE time goes.  I picture some huge black hole that just sucks the minutes, hours, days, months deep into its core before you know what happened!! That's what it seems like anyway.  So, here it is Wednesday and I haven't posted my Nurturing card for this week yet.  But, like they say, better late than never.

Imagine You Can

This is interesting in its timing...what with the Faces Journal and all.  Concept is that even though what ever creative project you are working on, even if it isn't as good as the "professionals" in your field....SO WHAT!!  Those "professionals" started out once with as little experience as you have and they would not be where they are today if they listened to that voice that says we should stop because we will never be as good as .. (fill in name of professional here) ...  Lesson?  If you are enjoying your creativity discovery and journey...keep on going and doing what you love to do!  Who knows!! Someday you may be one of those "professionals"!! (If you are...please don't forget what it was like just starting out!)

So, I wish you all wonderful days of exploration and joy and fulfillment in whatever you are doing to make this world more beautiful!

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G

I recently read in the Kemshall's wonderful publication - 3Fold - about a challenge journal they did and it excited me a lot!  I've lately felt a real desire to do something outside my comfort zone....to learn something new...try something I've never considered possible before.  Sure, I might fail miserably.  So??  I've done that before and lived to tell about it! So, I contacted my good friend and fellow risk taker, Wil!  It's always more fun to do these things together, right?  Well, she was on board to do that and we had several e-mail conversations about just what we wanted to do.  As you can imagine....there is only one rule!  NO RULES!!  We won't even be working on the same theme but will have a generous and very workable timetable just to keep each other accountable.  I'm SOOOOOOO looking forward to this! 

I know, I know.....it's not like I need more pressure or more to do, right?  BUT....there is something to be said about stretching oneself.  I think it keeps the creative juices flowing and enhances the other skills as well.

My challenge to myself -- a journal about FACES!  Mostly drawing but any technique is applicable and expected.  Depends on what "toy" grabs me when I enter my studio in the morning!

The next two paragraphs are rather philosophical so if you aren't into that.....just skip them!!

Now, in the spirit of true confession.  Drawing is an area of abject fear to me.  Comes mostly from a very fearful experience in elementary school about a drawn dinosaur whose feet didn't touch the ground when the picture was completed.  Can you say humiliation?????  That is one of the areas of challenge for me...to face that fear and deal with it.  That coupled with the fact that many people say that anyone can LEARN to draw.  OK, so let's put that theory to the test shall we?

The second confession is that I am going to take this journey publically on this blog.  Why?  Because that helps to reinforce my commitment to vulnerability with my art.  I had to give up the quest for "perfection" when I became an artist.  Not that I don't strive continually to improve and learn.  I just had to realize that it IS a journey and the first steps can't be expected to be "perfect".

In light of all that soul-searching and philosophical stuff.....here are my first attempts at drawing a head/face of a Roman statue.  I like starting here because the pictures are all gray-scale so I have more chance to get acquainted with light and shadow without being distracted by color at this point. 

Now.....with fingers crossed and eyes half closed.....I'll jump in this new ocean of discovery!!

I guess I am protecting myself just a bit.  I'm not showing the original picture I'm sketching from until I get at least a little closer to what it looks like. My goal now is just to be able to tell it is a human face!!! And the other caveat.....I'm just working with a #2 pencil at this point.  Haven't yet purchased actual sketching pencils.  Perhaps this week???  I sold some note cards so have some available art supplies money!

Face 1 - Roman Statue -- For this one I started with the eyes as suggested by one person.  Found it terribly difficult to find a point of reference that way.  But alas.....here it is. I know classic Romans had long noses but I think I got this one just a tad too long!

Face 2 - Roman Statue -- Started with the head shape this time and like it much better.  It is still more narrow than the original but I think a better proportion.  Although, the head is still a bit mishapen.

That's it for today kiddies!!!  Will post more when I get the next drawing completed.  Have a very busy day today getting some things done to meet deadlines and some other things in the mail.  Hopefully I'll get to it this afternoon.!!

Just Playing Again

Was just playing the other day and I was thrilled at how it came out so thought I would share it here with all of you  (you know who you are!!)

When Wil was here we played with some encaustic wax.  L O V E D it!!!  Don't have any myself but I'm all about making do with what I DO have these days.  Fortunately, with grandkids there are always broken and no longer used crayons around.  Thought I would see how they worked together and below is what I came up with.  It was a bit plain though so I got out my other latest toys....alcohol inks. Fantastic fun BTW!! The inks are eggplant and a silver additive ink.  The paper is almost regular size (8.5X11) card stock.  I see more playing with these babies in the future!!!

I titled it "Solar Flares from the Purple Sun"

Nurturing Creativity - Week 32

Wow! Can you believe it???  August already....It's been hot and muggy here mostly.  So glad the studio is air-conditoned!!  So, a card for this week..... here goes nothing!!

Celebrate Small Successes

Not hard that one! At least not having to pare down some HUGE success at this time in my life, right?  Small ones are about it. Still, they need to be celebrated.  Can you say short term goals????  Yep, it works.  In fact, there are many many days that I have to settle for just getting something done that day!  That's about as long term as it gets sometimes. And on the days I don't get anything "productive" done....I celebrate having some time out just to rest and chill!  I think I've got this one handled!  I kinda prefer longer-range goals...and I DO have many of them.  Life lately though...often seems to be mostly just surviving to create another day!  Just think how much I'll enjoy the coming time when life will be a bit more predictable???...maybe????  Oh well, a girl can dream right?