Entries Tagged as: creative every day 2009
Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 21st
November 21st, 2009, Comments (18)
Today is the 21st day of Art Every Day Month. The final stretch! Keep on taking good care of yourself throughout this process. Self-care is so important when we take on a creative challenge like this. What is one small, kind thing could you do to take care of yourself today?
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.)
Don't be afraid. Don't be daunted. Just do your job. Continue to show up for your piece of it, whatever that might be. If your job is to dance, do your dance. If the divine cock-eyed genius assigned to your case decides to let some sort of wonderment be glimpsed for just one moment, through your efforts, then olé! And if not, do your dance anyhow, and olé to you nonetheless. ~Elizabeth Gilbert in her fabulous TED talk on Nurturing Creativity.
Inkblots
November 20th, 2009, Comments (32)
Today I got to meet with the super sweet Gretchen Wegner, who was in town for a conference. I took her to a nearby art supply store to pick up some goodies and show her some non-intimidating art supplies to play with. One of the things I shared was these little moleskine-like sketchbooks and Golden fluid acrylics, two things that I love to use when making inkblots. I simply squirt some paint on one page, mush it around, then close the sketchbook to make my inkblot. I usually do a bunch at once, then keep the book open so the pages can dry. Later, I come back and see what images I can find in the inkblots or just play with them until an image appears using pens and colored pencils. Below you can see what the above inkblot looked like when I started to draw on it.
A few people have mentioned feeling stressed by keeping up with the challenge. I totally understand, it is challenging, but you're all doing so great! I really want to make this a low-pressure and no-guilt experience, but I know that most of the guilt/stress comes from the pressure we put on ourselves. So I'll say this: if you need to take a break and come back, do that! Or if you need to do something lighter and easier for a few days, something like these inkblots or doodling, do that. Mix it up and make it fun for yourself. Mixing it up makes it easier to stay with it and the variety will inspire you too! Here are some more inkblots I played with today.
Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 20th
November 20th, 2009, Comments (17)
Today is the 20th day of Art Every Day Month. Wowzers, time is flying by. I'm loving witnessing the journey you are all on. It's so beautiful to witness. I hope you all know how absolutely fabulous you are (yes, 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.)
All who are creative, in whatever way, are doing something very important to the well being of the world. ~Sandra Chantry
Gray Skies
November 19th, 2009, Comments (41)
Today, in an attempt to clear up some majorly clogged ears, I took a decongestant and now I'm totally fuzzy headed and my ears are still clogged. Oy! lol. Perhaps the fuzzy headedness is where the gray came from today or perhaps it's the gray weather. I took a walk outside before I painted and the sky seemed so heavy with grayness.
I sat down with watercolor paper and a bottle of ink and began to play. I love dropping ink and drawing into little puddles of water on paper. The way the ink flows suggests shapes (today the trees, bird, and clouds.) It was relaxing.
Now, I'm off to take a hot shower, in another attempt to clear up my sinuses, before meeting up with some friends I met doing the Mondo Beyondo class this fall. We're to sit around, eat soup, and read to each other. How lovely is that? I only hope I'll be able to hear them. 
Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 19th
November 19th, 2009, Comments (23)
Today is the 19th day of Art Every Day Month. I love the Maya Angelou quote at the end of today's post. It's so true. Some days during AEDM we'll be over the moon with what we've created and other days we won't be. But in both cases we've stretched our soul and grown as artists. It's all good.
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.)
Not everything you create will be a masterpiece, but you get out there and you try, and sometimes it really happens. The other times you're just stretching your soul. -Maya Algelou
Update: I've recently 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!
Release
November 18th, 2009, Comments (30)
This one kind of floated out of me today. Ha! I suppose that makes sense with the image too!
I had started drawing the figure with water-soluble wax pastels and there seemed to be this release coming from the heart, which I drew out into swirls. Later, I came back to it and had the inspiration to add the bird. I think it has to do with releasing negative energy. Having been through a difficult situation recently, I was still feeling some lingering ickiness around it, and this image feels healing to me.
I love how things can just flow out when we give them the space to do so!
Interview with Chris Zydel about Intuitive Painting
November 18th, 2009, Comments (7)
I'm so excited to be able to share this interview with the fabulous Chris Zydel. Chris is an artist, writer, teacher of Intuitive Painting, and has so many insightful things to share about the process of creating from your intuition.
The recording is about 17 minutes long. You may also right-click (or ctrl-click on a Mac) to save this interview to your computer to listen to later. Perhaps you can listen in while you work on your art for the day today!
Chris is leading a 6 day Intuitive Painting Retreat in Northern California, January 16th - 22nd, 2010, which sounds simply amazing. You can find out all about the retreat here. You can learn more about Chris and her work on her website, Creative Juices Arts. Chris also has a blog and is on Twitter too!
Itty Bitty Kitty Art: Bedtime Cat
November 17th, 2009, Comments (24)
I painted this cute kitty earlier today, but then my camera ran out of batteries, I couldn't find the charger for awhile, and it took some time to charge, but (phew!) it all worked out.
I got these teeny tiny 3"x3" canvases (and a little easel) at Blick Art Supplies last month. The other itty bitty kitty art was 4"x4" and I think these 3"x3" pieces will be as small as they'll go.
My cat Sadie loves to get under the covers and put her head on the pillow like she's a little person, especially when I'm in bed. It's so darn cute that I had to make this little piece in her honor. I'm sure she's not the only cat who does it.
Check in tomorrow morning, when I'll have a great interview with Chris Zydel all about intuitive painting!
Art Every Day Month Check-In: November 17th
November 17th, 2009, Comments (20)
Today is the 17th day of Art Every Day Month. One of the fun things about AEDM is that after a certain number of days of art-making in a row, you start trying new things, things you've been putting off, things you wouldn't normally do. This is fabulous. Go ahead and follow any desire you have to play and experiment. No matter if it's not perfect. Just let go and see what comes up!
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.)
To be an aritst is not to wait for others to define us, but to define ourselves, claim our lives… -Jan Phillips
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!
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?
