Day 1 Go to a Park

I went out around 10 pm and sat in my comfy chair on the drive way and played with the night settings on my camera. I didn’t really know about them until recently. But what a kick to shoot at night. Can’t really see what you are pointing at so it is a real surprise after the “super” flash blinds you and you can see what shows up. I am definitely going to have to play around with this more.

Day 1…didn’t walk in the park, but did spend time outside tonight. It was fun to just play with the camera without any expectations of what the out come would be.
I definitely agree with the idea of it never being too late to work on your creativity. Approaching my mid fifties I have changed creative paths several times, and am now doing it again. But I am learning that being creative is being creative, no matter what the media.

Scans from mid-November

I have finally found time to scan and upload most of the rest of the AEM artwork. I have about a week left to go. But here are some of the middle of the month.

Oh Buggers!

I have been creating art most days this month. Unfortunately I have not been able to make the time to get it scanned and posted. I promise that I will try to do that this weekend.

This month has proven to be eye-opening for me. I do not make the time or sometimes even the effort to create as much as I think I want to. That dismays me. I understand that right now part of it is logistics. I have been in the process of moving my studio from a corner in my bedroom to the basement. There I will have room to finally unpack all my "stuff" and have a place to create larger pieces (as opposed to doing stuff in my journal). Right now it is chaos there, every surface stacked, boxes in various states of unpacking. Hard to find a place to create, much less be inspired. But it has been a bit like Christmas. Many of the boxes have not been touched since my move back home in 2000. It has been like finding old friends. Soon I will be organized and have a place to create again. Soon.

I have enjoyed everyone's AEM creations, reading your blogs, getting to know you all, being incredibly inspired by your writings, your lives, and most of all your art! I have loved watching people like Kerstin who took the challenge and discovered that she had creativity in her. Oh I could go on and on listing everyone of you who have inspired me in one way or another. It helps so much to hear that others struggle with their muses, trying to get things out and on paper, trying to find the time, struggling with going to jobs that interfere with what we "really" want to be doing. Thanks for letting me be a small part of this...I think I will try to keep doing something every day in Dec...maybe I will at least make it happen a couple times a week eh?

November 21, 2005

Collage in my journal. Napkin background, stencil with liquid craft acrylics, misc. picture from my picutre files, sharpie for journaling.

November 20, 2005

Practicing drawing fabric folds. Conte sticks in moleskine sketch book. I love the conte crayons, like working with butter, only slightly less messy.

November 19, 2005

Collage. Background is liquid craft metalics acrylic paings. Pen and ink with game cards and ticket.

November 18, 2005

Collage in journal. I think that this is one I may develop into a painting. We will see.

November 17, 2005

Collage for journal with magazine images, stamp and paper bits.

November 16, 2005

Journal entry collage.

November 15, 2005

Another collage from my journal. Seems that I am using my journal more than anything for this month. But it has helped me to keep doing something each day...even if it isn't full blown art. I have discovered that I think I want to continue to use quick collages and journaling to capture ideas for larger, more complete pieces later. I think that it might work better than trying to capture them in words. I seem to be getting many ideas, I try to write them down in a little notebook that I carry with me, but sometimes it is too complicated to capture in words. Also I think that doing some of these quick collages in my journal lets me work out some problems or layouts before using "good" paper and emphemeria.

November 14, 2005

Collage in my journal. Contemplating turning 50 and vanity. Time goes by so quickly, but I think each age has it's own beauty. I look at my mom at 72 and see the beauty in her wrinkles and white hair. I hope that I can live each age of my life full of life and now worrying about getting older, but seeking to live life. I want to be like Merlin, growing younger instead of older, at least in my heart and mind!

November 13, 2005

Some quick gestural drawing of figures. Trying to get back into the swing of drawing figures. Been away for a while. Pen and ink.

November 12, 2005

Another collage from my journal...this time my food journal. Had a bad week at work with all the candy around for the holidays. The background is candy wrappers and teh image is a copy of part of a magazine image.

November 11, 2005

The beginnings of a mini watercolor. On heavier watercolor paper - can't remember the LB. Watercolor wash and water color pencil. I think I will use guache to paint in the print details of the fabrics.

My mother is a quilter, by hand, every stitch. For Christmas I am going to do a series of some of the quilts she has done. This is a table doily called the spider web.

November 10, 2005

A collage in my journal. Stamps, copy of old postcard, funny money, and a page of music. background is watercolors and gel glitter pen for journaling

November 9. 2005

This is playing around with watercolor crayons and funny little figures I was woking with for another idea.

November 8, 2005

This is a book I am reading and leading a group discussion on. She talks about the steps you work through to help identify God's purpose in your life as steping stones across a stream. It generated such a strong image in my head I thought I would try to stylize it in my sketchbook.

Watercolor and watercolor pencils adn sharpey markers.

November 7, 2005

Tara came with her mom when we met for coffee at Borders. I had been there for a while and had my sketch book out sketching. I knew she liked to draw so I gave her my sketchbook and watercolors to keep her busy while mom and I talked. After a couple of pictures I told her she had to sign them so when she was a famous artist I could show off that I knew her when. She signed her name on a separate page that she had made a background for me on. the way the paints were made me think of a flower pot and her name as flowers. I added some details and leaves adn the journaling to create a journal page out of it to remember her coming to have coffee with me.

Watercolor washes, watercolor pencils, sharpey markers.

Late, Late, for a real important .......

Just dropping in on a break at work to say that I am behind on scanning and posting art. I will try to catch up tonight...maybe. Spent all weekend at church in a leadership conference and my head hurts from all I heard...what is that quote...when the mind gets streached to accept new concepts it can never contract back to its original form....that is how I feel this morning. Blessed, expanded and full of new direction for my life. God is a magnificent and extreemly generous God! I am sure that my art over the next few days will reflect all that happened in my psyce and heart this weekend.

It is so hard to seperate one's art from what is going on inside their soul isn't it? Do others feel the same way? Seems so, as I read others journals and look at their work. It is similar to speakers, writers, preachers, etc. I am not sure you can create unless you have something to say...your creativity comes out of what is in your heart and soul. Whether it is joy, pain, passion, point of live view, whatever, somehow it all makes it into your art.

Well need to get back to work. Lots to do today. Sigh...wishing for a job that gives me more time to create.

November 6, 2005

Playing around with oil pastels. Applied color and then wiped it almost completely off with a paper towel. Again this is in my moleskine sketchbook. Not the best paper for oil pastells. I added the quote just because it was the one that was in my in box today.

I need new oil pastells. Mine as so old some are hard, and they are so small they are hard to hold, and very very dirty! Drooling over all the various brands. They even have sparkly ones now!

November 5, 2005

A little imaginary sceene along a canal in an imaginary city in an imaginary country. Someday I want to go visit there. Or at least live in a house where I can paint my door a bright color.

Black Pilot Precise V5 pen with watercolor wash in molskiene sketch book. Learning if I don't use too much water, watercolor washes work OK, but the paper still doesn't like the water.

November 4, 2005

I did this one Friday night after coming home from a leadership conference at church. It was an amazing and powerful time for me. I felt God's quiet nudge into a direction my heart has longed to go for some time. A confirmation of sorts. I have been trying to find the direction to go with my life since coming back home to care for my mom...giving up a career in theatre and trying to find my way in a city pretty devoid of art. Anyway, this was just a quick doodle to try to capture some of the emotion I was feeling so that I could fall asleep.

Created in my moleskine sketchbook with oil pastels, blended with my fingers and fixed by spraying with good old aqua net.

November 3, 2005

Drawn with conte sticks. The quote is an exerpt from a longer poem by Patricia Lynne Reilly called "Imagine a Woman". This poem is a powerful piece. I have wanted to do something with this poem for a while, the exerpt I used here just seemed to tumble out onto the page for me tonight. It says: "Imagine a woman in love with her own body. A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is."

I can see that this month is going to be just what I have needed to kick start myself again to get into the habit of creating on a daily basis. Even though I am exhausted both physically and emotionally tonight, I couldn't settle into bed untill I got up and did my piece for today. How crazy is that? *grins*

When I was designing costumes for theater I lived, breathed and slept creativity on a 24 hour a day basis. Since leaving theatre to move home to care for my mom, I have discovered other avenues of creativity, other ways to express it. But have been challenged to find the time to be creative on a daily baiss, to find the time to fit it into the routine of my life. No excuses really, just need to make it a living part of my daily routine again.

I so appreciate the feedback I have been getting. this type of creativity is so different from costumes. I have been creating in a vacum, not showing my work to anyone...not necessarily by choice, just that I don't have the same kind of network to share my creations with that I did in theatre. I had no idea what others would think of my work. I wasn't sure what I thought of my work. I just keep creating. So thank you so much to those who have taken the time to look at my November Art. I so appreciate your feedback. I have been so inspired by several of you over the years of visiting your websites. I appreciate the generosity of spirit you have in sharing not only your creations, but your techniques, thoughts, struggles, and wisdom. Thanks.

November 2, 2005

Same pencils as yesterday's but without water. The writing is a quote by George Lucas: "You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you" At the bottom I wrote "that something has to be me!"

This quote applies on so many levels for me, both creative and personal. I have been working though issues around weight and food for the past year. It is a slow and agonizing battle. When I ran across this quote, a lightbulb went on for me about some of the core issues behind all this. Tonight it came out in my art.

November 1, 2005

This is in my Moleskine sketchbook. The background was created with watercolor wash and watercolor pencils (Derwent). The lettering is done with a Pilot Precise V5. It reads: "A baby chick must break out of her shell if she is to survive. If she chooses to remain in her shell the same enviroment that sustained her will now poison and suffocate her. She can not fly confined to the safety of her shell."

I am still not happy with using any kind of water based media in the moleskine. It doesn't seem to like water and the paper beads up. I am thinking that I may just have to stick with watercolor paper. Maybe cut it to journal size and bind them together in a journal after they are finished. But I do love the Moleskine for sketching and other kinds of journaling.

Beginnings

Well this year I am going to do this, even though I am starting a day late. Where does the time go...talk about "sands through the hourglass"...my hourglass seems like a cylindar! Anyway, this blog will be where I will be posting the daily art I create for the Art Everyday Month Challenge.