Entries Tagged as: creative every day 2009

Full Cold Moon

December 3rd, 2009, Comments (22)

Last night, in between a bunch of other projects, I took some time to sit in bed and make this little drawing for the full cold moon. I've loved making art around the full moons along with Jamie Ridler's full moon dreamboard group. This drawing represents my desire to have some more flow and ease in my life this month. In fact, I think I'd like that to be my theme for the year...flow and ease, ease and flow, like the babbling brooks I watched on a walk this afternoon.

Because of these behind the scenes projects going on, I may be quiet over the next few days, but in the meantime, do check out the information on the 2010 Creative Every Day Challenge that I posted about yesterday. I'm so excited by all the sign-ups pouring in! It's going to be a fabulous year!!

Heading into a month of Recycling!

December 1st, 2009, Comments (19)

Hello, all! So we've moved into the month of December (ack, time flies!) and the (totally optional) theme for the Creative Every Day Challenge this month is Recycle (which you can read more about here.)

The first thing that came to mind when I thought of this month's theme was a project I did back in June, when I recycled and old, unused yoga mat and created stamps and stencils from it. You can read all about that here. I then used the stencil and stamp of a eucalyptus branch and a leaf stencil to make fun art like this:


Fun, eh? What sorts of unused things around your home could be recycle into fabulous art tools?

p.s. The details and sign up form for the 2010 Creative Every Day Challenge will be up either Wednesday or Thursday, hopefully tomorrow. Til then, toodaloo!

Chair Tree

November 30th, 2009, Comments (23)

I'm not sure how I feel about this piece, but what I do like is the chairs in the tree. I imagine it's a tree that just sprouts chairs, instead of leaves and the one on the ground is one that was shed, like a fall leaf. Perhaps I'll play with it more later, but for now it's at a stopping point. It may grow on me too. This was another intuitively created piece with layers of rice paper over collage with ink and acrylic paint on 6"x6" clayboard.

Have you looked back over what you created this month? Last night, I looked at the Flickr album I created for this year's Art Every Day Month to see if there were any common themes. There were some that have been constant themes for me over time such as trees, birds, the female figure, and cats. And there were some that had returned after a hiatus, like bears and houses. And some that were totally new, like chairs and silhouettes. I feel like I can read my mood and the things that happened over the course of the month just by looking over this group of images. Have you had any common themes in your work this month? How does it reflect how the month was for you?

Tomorrow, we move into December and I've got loads to keep me busy, but I will be posting here and there about the Creative Every Day Challenge theme of the month, Recycle. I'll also be returning to a weekly check-in post for the challenge, where folks can share links to the creative acts they're up to. And by Wednesday, I'll have a sign-up form for the 2010 Creative Every Day Challenge.

Thanks again to all the Art Every Day Month participants and all those who followed along with us. Your creativity, support of each other, and loving energy has been so incredibly inspiring!!

p.s. Today's the last day to order my 2010 Calendar and get a drawing on your birth date! (You can still order the calendar after today, but today's the last day to get the drawing and guaranteed delivery before Christmas. And I do sell out of the calendars.)

Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 30th

November 30th, 2009, Comments (38)

aedmlogored

Today is the 30th day of Art Every Day Month. Congratulations! Hip, hip hooray! You did it!! No matter how much or little you feel like you accomplished this month, please celebrate your success today. I think you are all amazing and it has been my pleasure to create along with all of you. How will you celebrate your AEDM journey today?

Feel free to continue to check-in with the weekly Creative Every Day Challenge posts (which go up every Monday, starting again next week.) through the month of December. And stay tuned for more info and a sign-up form for the 2010 Creative Every Day Challenge later this week. I would love to continue creating with you next year. And of course, please come back next November for another month of daily creating, community and Art Every Day Month fun. Happy creating, everyone!

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.)

Your creativity is waiting for you like a dancing partner. -Barbara Sher

UPDATE: Hey all, Mr. Linky is having some techinical issues today, it keeps disappearing and reappearing and there's nothing I can do to fix it, but wait. So if you don't see it, leave your link in the comments. Thank you!!

Chairs in a Row

November 29th, 2009, Comments (24)

I traced the silhouette of this woman onto rice paper last night, but today I came back to it and traced a series of chairs, which got me all excited. Again, I collaged and painted on a 6"x6" clayboard surface, using bits from my collection, things I intuitively grabbed that seemed right in the moment. One scrap looked like it was the shape in the house, so I played with that. I had a piece of rice paper cut in the shape of a eucalyptus that I'd written on months ago, but not used in anything. It seemed like the right time to use it here. Stamps and stamped images of ferns came into play as well. Then I lay the rice paper image over it, using a soft gel medium to bring it together. I love the translucent quality of the rice paper and the way the drawings sit on top of it. I've always been a fan of layers, the way it mimics how layered things are in real life.

I'm so enjoying the rice paper at the moment. I love when a material thrills me and I know I'll be playing with it for awhile until the next medium makes me giddy. It's a good place to be, feeling the joy of materials, feeling in the flow.

I was feeling a big sluggish the last week, although I kept plodding through. Flow in creativity comes in cycles for me and I've come to accept that. Sometimes a down period means I do other things like reading or research, re-stocking the well as Julia Cameron puts it in The Artist's Way. And other times, like during Art Every Day Month, I keep plodding through, knowing that the spark will fire again, if I just keep patiently putting mark to paper. Often times, I don't think the spark has returned to me, until I've already begun, like last night, which makes me glad for those times when I kept plodding through. But other times, a break feels necessary. Neither way is wrong or right. Knowing that both ways of returning to my work can be fruitful helps me come back without judging myself in the process.

What helps you come back to your creativity after a slow period? Are there any sparks happening right now for you?

Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 29th

November 29th, 2009, Comments (15)

aedmlogored

Today is the 29th day of Art Every Day Month. The thing about doing Art Every Day Month is, that no matter how imperfectly you do it, there's always some learning and growing going on. Perhaps you posted more than you normally do, perhaps you met some new creatives, tried something new, showed something you'd normally keep private, reached out in a new way, created more than usual, found inspiration in an unexpected place, stretched yourself, or even wowed yourself. With any challenge, we learn something about ourselves, and if we can look at it, without judging how "good" or "bad" we did, we can tuck what we learned in our pockets for a rainy day.

One of the things I learned this year during AEDM is that I may not be able to heal myself through making art through difficult times, but I can help along the healing process. I learned that anxiety and anger can be powerful forces in art-making and that if I push past the initial resistance to starting, creating does wonders for my mood. I also re-learned that creative community is powerful and thrilling and wonderful to behold and I've loved every moment of creating in such fabulous company. What are some of the things you've learned for yourself?

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.)

It takes courage to follow your fascinations, wherever they may lead. Yet, creativity demands that you trust and stay on the path despite obstacles. The good news is that it's possible. ~Gail McMeekin, The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women

Poppy Rain

November 28th, 2009, Comments (16)

The funny thing is, I didn't feel much like making art when I got home. I was tired from a full day of traveling and from a very long week, but once again, I'm so glad I did sit down to create.

I had so much fun and things were just flowing as I played intuitively with collage, rice paper, ink, colored pencil, and paint on this 6"x6" mixed-media piece. I used a piece of clayboard as my surface (which is great for collage) and began with scraps I had handy. I randomly had the idea to trace a silhouette of a woman from an Anthropologie catalog onto rice paper along with some circles and then collage them over the collage I'd started on the clayboard. I moved things about, creating this image I was pleased with. Then I came back to it later and created the clouds with Inktense water soluble colored pencils.

I love the way it came together and how it fits my mood although I couldn't explain to you why. I think it says it visually and that's enough for me at the moment.

So glad to be home. So much to catch up on!

Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 28th

November 28th, 2009, Comments (12)

aedmlogored

Today is the 28th day of Art Every Day Month. I love how peeking around at what you're all doing lights me up with excitement and inspiration. What beautiful things you are all doing in the world. Please know that you all inspire me. Knowing when I inspire others thrills me too, so I hope knowing how much your work fires me up helps inspire you to keep on creating in your own unique way!

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

Inkblots: Blue-haired Sisters

November 27th, 2009, Comments (7)

Just got back from an afternoon in Manhattan. So inspiring! More to share when I get home, but for now, my art of the day, a playful inkblot.

Hope you all have a fabulously creative weekend!

Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 27th

November 27th, 2009, Comments (23)

aedmlogored

Today is the 27th day of Art Every Day Month. So close to the end of this particular journey. How would you like to wrap things up? What would make a beautiful ending for you?

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.)

Sometimes when you think you are done, it is just the edge of beginning. Probably that's why we decide we're done. It's getting too scary. We are touching down onto something real. It is beyond the point when you think you are done that often something strong comes out.--Natalie Goldberg