Creative Every Day

Bird 17

November 26th, 2008, 14 Comments

I had fun with this one. I decided to do something a little different today, simply playing with layers. I put down collage first (although it is completely painted over now, it started a nice base for me. And then I layered and let dry many layers of paint, building until I had this image. I started another small one (because I sometimes would get impatient waiting for things to dry before I pulled out a hot air gun to speed things along), but that one isn't done yet. This one, which I'm calling "Bird 17" is 6"x6" on wood panel.

So, I apologize for not posting about the calendars today. I was totally bummed out about them. The proof was o.k., but not up to the standards I would want to sell (the colors were good, but the paper was too thin for my taste), so I'm working on another and I'll let you know when it's ready to go!

I've been off in art land all day, sending out some artwork at the post office, but other than that, I've mainly been arting away while listening to the final Harry Potter audio book. I'm going to go do the level one exercise in Soul Coaching and visualize myself in nature for 15 minutes. I think it'll be relaxing.

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Art Every Day Month, November 26th

November 26th, 2008, 13 Comments

Today is the 25th day of Art Every Day Month. You are all such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing and creating with me.

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, the previous day's posts 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 before you use the link widget to share your creations.

To us art is an adventure into an unknown world which can be explored only by those who are willing to take risks. -Adolph Gottlieb and Mark Rothko

Continue to read Art Every Day Month, November 26th

Cat Stackers

November 25th, 2008, 19 Comments

Tonight I decided to do a fun drawing. I used a nib pen and brown ink to bring to life a little sketch I had in my sketchbook. I had called them "Cat Stackers" when I showed the original sketch to the hubster, but he said it was more like a stack of pancats. Either way.

It was so dark and gloomy all day, so I felt the need for my art to be fun and light. I ran a bunch of errands in the rain and it was pleasant to be in the cozy car, listening to an audiobook on cd, warming my bum on the butt-warmer seats, feeling cozy and dry while stuck in traffic. I didn't mind going slow or waiting. Running from car to store with packages and umbrella and purse was a little less fun and little more comical, especially when a big box I bought to ship art in, nearly flew away from me in the wind.

Today in Soul Coaching, the focus was partly on how you carry yourself. I know that making a decision to carry yourself a certain way can make a huge difference. There was also an exercise about taking some time to truly relax and even though I didn't do it multiple times during the day, I did take a nice long rest after a yoga session with a purring cat on my chest, just breathing and melting into the floor. And that felt fabulous.

Some of the AEDM-ers are eager to continue with the project. And although I can't commit to posting art every day beyond this month, I will still have the Creative Every Day 2008 project going. And I think I'll start using the linking widget for the weekly CED posts too. I'm loving that widget. Widget is also a fun word to say. Widget, widget, widget. O.k., I'm tuckered out. Sweet dreams, you creative geniuses!

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Art Every Day Month, November 25th

November 25th, 2008, 18 Comments

Today is the 25th day of Art Every Day Month. We're in the home stretch, so hang in there! You're doing great!

If you're new to Art Every Day Month, check out the before you use the link widget to share your creations.

Creativity and love surely come from the same source, and both have no boundaries. It all depends on how we use them.
-Nancy Green

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Which Way the Wind Blows

November 24th, 2008, 23 Comments

Today's artwork is, "Which Way the Wind Blows." I'd created the collage part earlier and put it under some books to dry where I totally forgot about it until I rediscovered it last night. The design in her dress is a print from a stamp I carved earlier this year and then incorporated into this collage. I went over it today with acrylic paint and ink to created this wintry scene. Again, there are lots of repeating circles, in her dress, in the bicycle and in the moon. Even the woman's face is a bit round. I think I'm drawn to circles because they are a feminine shape to me and they represent the cycles that are everywhere, in our bodies, in nature, etc...

I've got a new piece up in my art shop today, the "Lollipop Trees" is now available as an original or print. And don't forget the free shipping offer I've got going on through December 15th! You just need to type holiday08 in the coupon section during checkout.

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Art Every Day Month, November 24th

November 24th, 2008, 11 Comments

Today is the 24th day of Art Every Day Month. May your day be a creative one! Sorry the post was late today. I wrote it last night and then forgot to hit the post button!

If you're new to Art Every Day Month, check out the before you use the link widget to share your creations.

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this experience is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.
-Martha Graham

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Creative Every Day: November 24th – November 30th, 2008

November 24th, 2008, 4 Comments

CED2008 participants! Feel free to leave a comment here with a link to post(s) about your creative activities during the week of 11/24/08 - 11/30/08.

Happy creating!

Continue to read Creative Every Day: November 24th – November 30th, 2008

Lantern

November 23rd, 2008, 22 Comments

Here's the Lantern painting finished. Much of the collaged background has been covered, but bits of it still show through. This is a picture, taken in the evening, so the colors are a bit more rich in person. I'll scan it later to make prints from.

I'm hoping to get the calendar proof tomorrow and then if all goes well, I'll be able to start taking orders on Tuesday. I'll let you know as soon as they're ready to go.

The Soul Coaching exercises today were about your physical being. I noticed I felt resistant to doing the exercises. I don't feel like I've been taking the best care of myself lately. I could give reasons, but it doesn't matter much. The simple fact is that I need to do a better job of taking care of myself. A couple people have asked about this book group and whether it would be happening again. I believe Jamie is planning to run another group through this book in January, which is right around the corner!

I'm feeling totally blah this evening. Working on the painting was good, but my energy is low. So, I'm off to spend the remainder of the evening on some soothing self care: relaxing, reading, and drinking something warm...perhaps tea with honey! I hope your weekend was a lovely one!

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Art Every Day Month, November 23rd

November 23rd, 2008, 13 Comments

Today is the 23rd day of Art Every Day Month. Only one week left! Can you believe it?

If you're new to Art Every Day Month, check out the before you use the link widget to share your creations.

Creativity is a mindset, an attitude. Regardless of how we feel - low or high or in between - creativity is always there.
-Nikki Coulombe

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Soul Coaching Art

November 22nd, 2008, 9 Comments

Today's Soul Coaching exercises were so up my alley! I only had time to do the first level of exercises, which involved doing 3 drawings. For the first drawing, author, Denise Linn asks that you close your eyes, get a sense of the what you are feeling in that moment, reach for the color or colors that express that emotion, and then draw it out. I used caran d'ache, water soluble crayons to do these drawings. And the drawing above is what came out. I was feeling mainly soft blue mellowness with bits of a light green anxiety. The images developed as I drew. For the second drawing, we were asked to close our eyes, imagine the way we'd like to be feeling, and then draw that. What came from that is below. I was wishing for a bit more fire as perhaps you can gather. I'd like a bit more energy that's rooted in that blues I have much of already. But perhaps the it's like that expression, the grass is always greener. I just don't seem to be the high energy type and I am o.k. with that. I think I'm capable of more energy though and I'd like to work on that.

Then in the last drawing, we closed our eyes again, asked if our soul had a message for us, and then drew that. For this image, I saw in my mind a purple lotus flower and what I drew is below. I got the sense that my soul was saying, be still, be at peace. Everything is o.k. And it is!

It was fun to do these drawings and just play intuitively. I think I'll do the other exercises another time. I've done something very similar to the other exercises Denise Linn shares, such as drawing with the non-dominant hand and drawing with both hands at once, last year during a class at Artfest. I loved the drawings that came from those experiences and highly recommend trying it out. You can read more about my experiences in that class and see what I drew here.

I went to a craft fair with my bff today and got totally wiped out. It was fun and inspirational (so much color! so many ideas!), but I tend to get overwhelmed in spaces like that and didn't buy anything. My bff bought the cutest hat for her lil girl and a couple other gifts.

I hope you're all enjoying the weekend and staying warm (it's freezing cold here in New England!)

Continue to read Soul Coaching Art

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