Entries from: November 2009
Umbrellas
November 16th, 2009, Comments (26)
I find inspiration in odd places sometimes, it's often a trick of the eye that will give me an idea. For example, I've been inspired by things I've seen in reflections in glass, in wood grain, and in shadows. In the case of today's art, I'd clicked on a picture shared by a friend on Twitter and for a moment I thought it was an abstract painting with umbrellas in it. In the next moment, I saw it for what it was, a view of the Grand Canyon with a gate in front of it. But I decided to bring what I'd seen in that brief moment to life. It's 15"x20" with acrylic on paper and I was able to put the masking fluid to use again to create the umbrellas.
Sometimes inspiration is odd and we can wonder about whether to bring it to life or not, or we can just go for it. Why not?
Art Every Day Month: November 16th
November 16th, 2009, Comments (23)
Today is the 16th day of Art Every Day Month. Somewhere along the way you may feel like throwing in the towel and walking away. Perhaps you are putting too much pressure on yourself to do it all perfectly. If so, give yourself permission to take it easy today. Do something simple and small until you've gathered your energy again. Take baby steps. They'll get you through on those days when it seems so hard. And you'll feel better for taking that small step forward.
The box below is a widget that I provide each day as an optional place to share a direct link (blog post or flickr image) to that day's creation. If you don't have something to share today, don't worry about it! Share when you can. In the meantime, be sure to check out what other participants are creating! Check out the links from today's post and the links in the sidebar for instant inspiration. You can also see lots of great work in the AEDM flickr group. Feel free to share your work there too!
If you use the widget, please link to a specific blog post (or specific image if you're linking to a flickr page or other website) instead of your main blog page or website. If you want to share, but don't have a specific page to link to, feel free to use the comments section of this post to share what you're working on. If you're posting less than once a day, no problem! Simply use the latest one of these posts to share a link to your creation. For some, it's too much to keep up with posting every day, but don't let that get you down. Do it if you can and if you can't, just keep on creating, that's the most important part. If you get off track and miss a few days of creating, don't let that freeze you up either. Just pick up where you left off and keep moving forward. One foot in front of the other. You are making your life a more creative one with each step.
If you're new to Art Every Day Month, check out the AEDM info page for all the details, then send me an email to sign-up before you use the link widget to share your creations. (If that email link isn't working, you can email me at leah at bluetreeartgallery.com)
Instructions: Please see the Art Every Day Month Instructions post if you have any confusion about how to post your link or how to sign up.
Twitter: Are you participating in AEDM and you're on Twitter too? I'm on there as @leah_art and I've been using the hashtag #aedm to mark Art Every Day Month tweets. I also started a Twitter list for AEDM which can help you easily find Twitter folks who are participating. If you're not on the Twitter list yet and would like to be, send me a DM (Direct Message on Twitter.)
Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. ~Edward de Bono
Update: I've just switched web hosts, so my spam filter is catching a lot of comments and storing them until I approve them. If you don't see your comment show up right away, it's probably because I have to approve it first. Thanks for your patience!
The Chair
November 15th, 2009, Comments (15)
Today I started just playing with paint again. This time the shapes I created spontaneously looked a bit like a chair in a room, so I brought it out. I'm not sure if the large rectangle next to it is a window or a painting, but I like that it could be either one.
How unusual for me to paint a chair! But this AEDM has been full of surprises for me.
Perhaps the chair came up because it's comforting, representing the comforts of being at home, with the hubster downstairs making chicken rubbed with ginger and garlic and an angel food cake that he saw Ming Tsai make this morning and decided he wanted to make too. Lucky me! 
Perhaps the chair represents something else. I'm not sure. The colors make me think of VanGogh's painting of his bedroom in Arles. Something may occur to me later if I let it sit awhile. Or it might not. Either way, I enjoyed painting it.
Some of you have mentioned being concerned with what you have or haven't accomplished this month so far. But remember that each day is a new opportunity to start fresh. No matter what you've done or posted or not done and not posted, you're just where you're meant to be. Take a deep breath and go create.
Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 15th
November 15th, 2009, Comments (14)
Today is the 15th day of Art Every Day Month. Can you believe it? We're half-way through the month! It always flies by so fast. Take a moment today to congratulate yourself for all you've accomplished, think about what you might like to create during the rest of November, and then jump back in and enjoy it!
The box below is a widget that I provide each day as an optional place to share a direct link (blog post or flickr image) to that day's creation. If you don't have something to share today, don't worry about it! Share when you can. In the meantime, be sure to check out what other participants are creating! Check out the links from today's post and the links in the sidebar for instant inspiration. You can also see lots of great work in the AEDM flickr group. Feel free to share your work there too!
If you use the widget, please link to a specific blog post (or specific image if you're linking to a flickr page or other website) instead of your main blog page or website. If you want to share, but don't have a specific page to link to, feel free to use the comments section of this post to share what you're working on. If you're posting less than once a day, no problem! Simply use the latest one of these posts to share a link to your creation. For some, it's too much to keep up with posting every day, but don't let that get you down. Do it if you can and if you can't, just keep on creating, that's the most important part. If you get off track and miss a few days of creating, don't let that freeze you up either. Just pick up where you left off and keep moving forward. One foot in front of the other. You are making your life a more creative one with each step.
If you're new to Art Every Day Month, check out the AEDM info page for all the details, then send me an email to sign-up before you use the link widget to share your creations. (If that email link isn't working, you can email me at leah at bluetreeartgallery.com)
Instructions: Please see the Art Every Day Month Instructions post if you have any confusion about how to post your link or how to sign up.
Twitter: Are you participating in AEDM and you're on Twitter too? I'm on there as @leah_art and I've been using the hashtag #aedm to mark Art Every Day Month tweets. I also started a Twitter list for AEDM which can help you easily find Twitter folks who are participating. If you're not on the Twitter list yet and would like to be, send me a DM (Direct Message on Twitter.)
Creativity is the ability of a person to respond to visual and other sensory stimuli in an original way, and then to share this response with passion, individuality, and spirit. ~Gerald Brommer
Peppermint Forest
November 14th, 2009, Comments (18)
A simple one today. I rolled right out of bed into the studio, unsure of what I was going to do today. And somewhere amongst my stuff, I saw a glimpse of that red and white string that bakers tie up their goods in, and I felt like doing some stripey lines like that. So I started and this is what came, a peppermint forest.
I'm off to run some errands before going to spend some time with family tonight. I'm looking forward to a quiet day tomorrow.
And before I go I want to send out a special congratulations to my bff who gave birth to twins yesterday. I'm so proud of you luf!
Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 14th
November 14th, 2009, Comments (13)
Today is the 14th day of Art Every Day Month. The weekends are often filled with fuzzy time, spaces that move quickly from open and light, to jam-packed full, and then up in the air. But we can always find little moments for our creativity. Sometimes the moments are teeny-tiny-small and sometimes we have a full day to fill with art-making. Those options and everything in between are all part of a full creative life. Whatever time you have available, enjoy it.
The box below is a widget that I provide each day as an optional place to share a direct link (blog post or flickr image) to that day's creation. If you don't have something to share today, don't worry about it! Share when you can. In the meantime, be sure to check out what other participants are creating! Check out the links from today's post and the links in the sidebar for instant inspiration. You can also see lots of great work in the AEDM flickr group. Feel free to share your work there too!
If you use the widget, please link to a specific blog post (or specific image if you're linking to a flickr page or other website) instead of your main blog page or website. If you want to share, but don't have a specific page to link to, feel free to use the comments section of this post to share what you're working on. If you're posting less than once a day, no problem! Simply use the latest one of these posts to share a link to your creation. For some, it's too much to keep up with posting every day, but don't let that get you down. Do it if you can and if you can't, just keep on creating, that's the most important part. If you get off track and miss a few days of creating, don't let that freeze you up either. Just pick up where you left off and keep moving forward. One foot in front of the other. You are making your life a more creative one with each step.
If you're new to Art Every Day Month, check out the AEDM info page for all the details, then send me an email to sign-up before you use the link widget to share your creations. (If that email link isn't working, you can email me at leah at bluetreeartgallery.com)
Instructions: Please see the Art Every Day Month Instructions post if you have any confusion about how to post your link or how to sign up.
Twitter: Are you participating in AEDM and you're on Twitter too? I'm on there as @leah_art and I've been using the hashtag #aedm to mark Art Every Day Month tweets. I also started a Twitter list for AEDM which can help you easily find Twitter folks who are participating. If you're not on the Twitter list yet and would like to be, send me a DM (Direct Message on Twitter.)
The artist is not a special kind of man, but every man is a special kind of artist. ~Meister Eckhart
Itty Bitty Kitty Art: World Traveler
November 11th, 2009, Comments (11)
The second in my series of itty bitty kitties, this one is a world traveler. Sort of. Well, in reality this orange tabby really just likes to nap in luggage, like all cats do. It's 4"x4" with acrylic and ink on panel. Meow, meow, meow!
Did you ever hear that story about the cat that got accidentally closed into their owner's luggage and went on a wild adventure? It's pretty wild.
Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 11th
November 11th, 2009, Comments (18)
Today is the 11th day of Art Every Day Month. I find myself being incredibly inspired by the art I see from all of you. And I see you all being inspired by each other. And it's all so...well, inspiring!
The box below is a widget that I provide each day as an optional place to share a direct link (blog post or flickr image) to that day's creation. If you don't have something to share today, don't worry about it! Share when you can. In the meantime, be sure to check out what other participants are creating! Check out the links from today's post and the links in the sidebar for instant inspiration. You can also see lots of great work in the AEDM flickr group. Feel free to share your work there too!
If you use the widget, please link to a specific blog post (or specific image if you're linking to a flickr page or other website) instead of your main blog page or website. If you want to share, but don't have a specific page to link to, feel free to use the comments section of this post to share what you're working on. If you're posting less than once a day, no problem! Simply use the latest one of these posts to share a link to your creation. For some, it's too much to keep up with posting every day, but don't let that get you down. Do it if you can and if you can't, just keep on creating, that's the most important part. If you get off track and miss a few days of creating, don't let that freeze you up either. Just pick up where you left off and keep moving forward. One foot in front of the other. You are making your life a more creative one with each step.
If you're new to Art Every Day Month, check out the AEDM info page for all the details, then send me an email to sign-up before you use the link widget to share your creations. (If that email link isn't working, you can email me at leah at bluetreeartgallery.com)
Instructions: Please see the Art Every Day Month Instructions post if you have any confusion about how to post your link or how to sign up.
Twitter: Are you participating in AEDM and you're on Twitter too? I'm on there as @leah_art and I've been using the hashtag #aedm to mark Art Every Day Month tweets. I also started a Twitter list for AEDM which can help you easily find Twitter folks who are participating. If you're not on the Twitter list yet and would like to be, send me a DM (Direct Message on Twitter.)
If you keep following your own footprints, you will end up where you began, but if you stretch yourself your artwork will flourish. ~Donna Baspaly
Dragonfly Key, Work-In-Progress
November 10th, 2009, Comments (24)
Today was a difficult one, and once again, making art was like therapy for me, helping me feel more grounded. Difficult days are no fun, but having Art Every Day Month to prompt me into doing art even when I'm having a tough day, has been a great lesson in how healing art-making can be.
I started out just playing with paint, laying down layers, drawing, covering things up, turning the paper this way and that. Most of the time I was working on it, it was horizontal, but at the very end, when I thought it was going nowhere and I'd just stop for the day, I turned it on its side and saw a figure. The dragonfly was already there, but it looked like the figure was using the dragonfly like a key. The dragonfly had appeared earlier and I'd almost covered it up because I thought it looked odd, this big dragonfly in the middle of a gold circle, but when the figure appeared, she knew just what do with the dragonfly. I love when things flow together like that.
I say this is a work in progress because it felt like it was time to stop for today, to let it breathe. I like that the figure is ghostly. I'm not sure if this piece will go any further or where it will go or if I'll just put a few finishing touches on it. But I know it was time to stop. (It can be tricky to know when to stop sometimes, but today I knew.) I need some time to reflect on it and sit with it. Do I want to keep the ruffled edge? Do I want a keyhole somewhere? Do I want to bring out the other dragonfly that's already there? Do I leave it alone? But there's no rush. I can let this sit and carry on with other art until I know what the next step is.
Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 10th
November 10th, 2009, Comments (20)
Today is the 10th day of Art Every Day Month. I love the way everyone is supporting and encouraging each other. The community that develops each year around AEDM is such a delight and I encourage you all to continue to connect with other participants. It's so helpful and inspiring to know we're all creating together!
The box below is a widget that I provide each day as an optional place to share a direct link (blog post or flickr image) to that day's creation. If you don't have something to share today, don't worry about it! Share when you can. In the meantime, be sure to check out what other participants are creating! Check out the links from today's post and the links in the sidebar for instant inspiration. You can also see lots of great work in the AEDM flickr group. Feel free to share your work there too!
If you use the widget, please link to a specific blog post (or specific image if you're linking to a flickr page or other website) instead of your main blog page or website. If you want to share, but don't have a specific page to link to, feel free to use the comments section of this post to share what you're working on. If you're posting less than once a day, no problem! Simply use the latest one of these posts to share a link to your creation. For some, it's too much to keep up with posting every day, but don't let that get you down. Do it if you can and if you can't, just keep on creating, that's the most important part. If you get off track and miss a few days of creating, don't let that freeze you up either. Just pick up where you left off and keep moving forward. One foot in front of the other. You are making your life a more creative one with each step.
If you're new to Art Every Day Month, check out the AEDM info page for all the details, then send me an email to sign-up before you use the link widget to share your creations. (If that email link isn't working, you can email me at leah at bluetreeartgallery.com)
Instructions: Please see the Art Every Day Month Instructions post if you have any confusion about how to post your link or how to sign up.
Twitter: Are you participating in AEDM and you're on Twitter too? I'm on there as @leah_art and I've been using the hashtag #aedm to mark Art Every Day Month tweets. I also started a Twitter list for AEDM which can help you easily find Twitter folks who are participating. If you're not on the Twitter list yet and would like to be, send me a DM (Direct Message on Twitter.)
Art is a step in the Known toward the unknown. -Kahlil Gibran
