Thursday Thoughts - Just Do It

Two thoughts today:

1.  The best way to forget every brilliant thought you've ever had?  Decide to share a little of your special wisdom every week.

2.  The only true failure is the failure to try.
     (This artist's version of an oft-stated idea.  I should have this tattooed on my forehead)

Right Side... Upside Down

A few years ago (or so I thought), my sister sent me the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.  Yet another nudge from my family.  I recently paged through my stash of books, deciding which one to tackle, and found the original message she sent along with the gift... in 2001.  "Are you kidding me?!"  (I said out loud to my ever-present pets.)  Yet another reminder to stop putting crap off, er, I mean, stop procrastinating.  Criminy.

So, last week I sat down with the accompanying workbook (which I found on sale sort of recently and yes, it was sort of recently because the copyright is 2012), anyway, I grabbed that and the book and began.  Drawing on the Right Side is aimed at people who think they can't draw.  I know I can draw, I just want to get better.  At first I was reluctant to share that I was working my way through this "beginners" book - kind of snobbish of me don't ya' think?  Oh, what the heck.  This is my journey and that's what I'm doing now and you know what?  I'm actually appreciating how it's helping me understand my artistic struggles.

The first assignment is to draw a self portrait - to later compare with the one you do at the end of the book.

The book instructs to add notes.  I did so and included the fact that I sketched this right after a haircut.  It's going to be like those makeover commercials:  Before is sad and pale and flat.  After is happy and bright and fluffy.  Well, we'll see if the after is happy.  As noted, self portraits tend to be rather solemn.

A few pages later, the assignment is to copy a drawing upside down.  I mean, you are right side up and the image is upside down.  This photo is not upside down.  Well, the image is, but it's supposed to be like that.  The workbook is right side up.  I feel like I'm going into an Abbott and Costello routine here.

Starting at the top (upside down bottom) and drawing line by line, you aren't looking a what the image actually is.  This disengages the part of the brain that wants objects to be recognizable.  It becomes easier to draw without the pressure of making the lines immediately look like something.  Other than my Picasso man being slightly wider and longer, it worked out well.

Thursday Thoughts ~ Homework

Homework can be eh.

Self-assigned homework can be YEAH!

I sent this photo to my daughter after she sent me one of her homework-covered desk.

Watercolor mixing chart in process.

Thursday Thoughts

I had a random thought today and a half-baked idea appeared.  I'm running with it.  Semi-humorous or sort of insightful art-related thoughts or observations occasionally pop into my brain.  "Hey, I should share that."  I then either forget the brilliant thought, or it morphs into a larger post.  Since I had the current thought on a Thursday, I have decided to start a weekly feature.  Let's call it "Thoughtful Thursday."  It's a working title.

Today's thought:

If sitting/sleeping/bathing on art books infused your bones with skill and talent, 

my cat would be simply awesome.

The (overly) Critical Eye

I received my ceramics paper back today.  We had written about each lesson and graded ourselves on creativity and craftsmanship and such.  The instructor added some comments to my paper, which began with the following:

"You were a bit too critical on your craftsmanship.  Rarely did I see you give up on a piece.  Your resilience and creative eye will take you places!"

I don't share this to point attention to my abilities, but to point out how artists tend to be their own worst critics.  We are so hard on ourselves it can be stifling.  The second sentence is not always true for me - especially when I'm sitting in my studio alone.  I'm tacking this up on the wall as motivation!

After too many days of bupkis, here's a bit of proof that I finally put pen to paper again.  Every fiber of my being wants to explain what is wrong with them.  Gaah!  It's so hard to not be overly critical!

Sketching in the Moleskine Cahier while my hubby checked on things at our business.  For once, I wish he would've been in there a little longer.

Contour drawing of negative space (drawing open spaces instead of branch lines) in our large locust tree.  It's remarkably easy to lose track in the many swaying branches.  The whiny cat interruptions didn't help.  (Milo hates wind).  He eventually won and we went back inside.

Feeding My Habit

I am an art supply junkie.

If I had piles and piles of cash, some charities would be very happy and I would travel often and art goodies would arrive daily on my doorstep.  Thinking about it makes me giddy.  I would also hire an art trainer - like a fitness trainer, only they'd make me actually USE the paints gathering dust in the studio.

Old and new stuff just waiting around
for the artist to get inspired...

You see, every time I read about a new technique, watch a demo or get inspired by a blog post, I think "I need that pen/paper/paint!"  The must-have item(s) will often end up in my online art store wish list for the next sale.  (No local art store.)  These places send weekly specials, so it doesn't take long, though I do have some restraint.  The boxes show up on my doorstep only about every other month.  Does this actually translate into more art - generally not.  There, I admitted it.  I feed my habit, but my habit doesn't always feed my art.  Sigh.

In related news:

I discovered yesterday that my 1980's gouache paint is still usable.  What!?!  That's fantastic!  I'm signing up for an online class that lists gouache as one of the possible tools.  I immediately went into I-need-that mode.  It then occurred to me there were a few tubes in my old pale green tackle box.  I pulled it out of the studio/guest room closet and managed to unscrew all of the lids.  (Which wasn't easy.  I actually have a blister on my thumb from the effort.)  Three are dry as dust, but the other five are still good.  Woot!

In unrelated news:

I'm cataloged!  I received an email from The Sketchbook Project that my sketchbook has been cataloged into the Brooklyn Art Library.  How cool is that?  It's one of many thousands, but still...coolness.  I'm excited to see how my goofy little illustrations look digitized.

In additionally unrelated news:

Since returning to my art, I've been upcycling lots of bags and jars and such.  My husband was about to toss a big zip-type plastic bag this morning, but asked me first "Do you need this bag for art stuff maybe?"  Not monumental by any means, but it was a first time question that just seems, I don't know, it just made me smile.

Nick of Time

The Sketchbook Project pages were finished at 3:38 pm on the 15th (postmarked-or-you're-out date).  I walked into the post office at 3:50.  The envelope was sealed and handed over at 3:55.  The mail must be in the hands of the postal people by 4:10 to go anywhere that day.  Just made it.

This is the cover.  I snapped lightening-speed photos with my phone before sprinting out the door.  (No, I did not speed to get there - too paranoid about getting a ticket & missing the deadline.)  My book is not full of fabulously realistic drawings, as originally intended.  Dang procrastination. It is, hopefully, a somewhat amusing and simply illustrated story.

The pages will be digitized after arriving at The Sketchbook Project headquarters.  I'll get back to you with the final photos in 6-8 weeks.

Cute Procrastination... or maybe Motivation?

Sunday:

We spent the weekend de-Christmasing inside the house.  I love overdecorating, so it takes awhile.  Sunday afternoon Milo plopped on my lap and actually stretched out towards me instead of the usual tail-in-the-face posture.  Aha - a chance to draw his face!  I barely started and he stretched.  Fortunately he settled in the same spot and I sketched a teensy bit more.  He stretched again... and again... and again.  Then promptly turned 180°.  Sigh.

Monday:

I could no longer resist the 50% off calendar sale at our local Hastings.  My husband is a sucker for coolers and flashlights.  I'm a sucker for sketchbooks and calendars.  I found a page-a-day word origins calendar to enrich our brains, a small desk calendar with separate pages for doodling, and this most adorable planner.

I'm not usually a sucker for cute things (except toddlers & pets), but this little thing is so freaking cute, it's entirely irresistible!

I didn't notice the goals page until I got it home - bonus!

The days are a perfect sketch/doodle size - big enough to record the day, small enough to not be intimidating.

Extra pages between the months have random uplifting quotes.

There are a bunch of blank pages at the end, some with titles like "Books to read" or "Places to go."  It's quite motivational.  Even the spine exhorts "Take me with you."  How fab is that?

Tuesday:

After multiple super chilly days, yesterday was in the upper 40's, so I finally took down the outside Christmas lights.  The highlight of the day, though, was picking up The Artist's Guide to Sketching by James Gurney and Thomas Kinkade.  This book was on my if-I-ever-get-rich list.  It is out of print and the cheapest used copy on Amazon is $139.  Yikes!  I put in a request through the interlibrary loan system and 2 weeks later here it is.  I finally cracked it open after supper last night and I'm already loving it.  I hope to stumble across a not so outrageously priced used copy someday - maybe on eBay.







Wednesday:

Half of the art supplies I ordered with my Christmas bucks arrived!  Woot!  I can't test them out just yet since I STILL haven't started on my Sketchbook Project pages.  That's right, I just shared a whole bunch of stuff that had nothing to do with what I SHOULD be doing.

I'll be creatively cramming over the weekend, but I now have a new, improved and hopefully quite brilliant and somewhat simple idea.  I'll let you know if it actually goes as planned by next Wednesday.

Acrylic Procrastinart

I stayed home sick today.  As the afternoon passed, I felt better and thought I really need to get cracking on my Sketchbook Project.  I'm still not in the mood to be creative or productive.  I even went back and read the post about the why's of this trek and it helped only marginally.  The deadline is looming, so I laid out my blank sketchbook and the little rock that "inspired" me to do this.

See how that blank white page just sits there and stares at you.

The only sensible next step was some procrastinart.  Naturally.  

Sketchbook removed - out came the acrylic paints my son gave me a year ago.  I haven't painted with acrylics since college.  Out of practice is a giant understatement.  With a little of each color on the palette, I proceeded to play.  What you see below is simply that - play.  It represents nothing (except procrastinating) - no abstract meaning- just brushing and mixing and relearning the nature of the paint.

Less than two weeks to finish the sketchbook.  What would I ever get done if it weren't for deadlines?

A Slacker and her Cat

With 2014 hours away, I would normally wrap up the past year.  That was mostly covered, however, in What a Difference a Year Makes.

Since October, this artist has been slacking off quite a bit.  A bit of sketching here and there, a touch of watercolor and the end of clay time.  All types of artists have periods with no desire to create.  Some keep plugging away and some go on hiatus.  I've mostly been on hiatus.  Perhaps those few months of extra stress and the time-consuming pottery class are to blame.  Or maybe I needed the time off.  Or maybe I'm just making excuses because it's difficult to make time for art every day when you're not in the mood.  It's easy to not pick up the pencil… work, family, cooking, cleaning, reading, TV, perusing art blogs… all those things can be easier than starting and failing and learning and failing and trying again.  My sister showed me this talk by John Cleese about what it takes to make your life more creative… space, time, time, confidence, and humor.  Yes, he mentions time twice.  You have to put in the time and be willing to play with the problems and ideas and not grab the first solution just to avoid the discomfort of indecision.  He's humorous and wise.  Go watch it.

On a lighter note - I received multiple art journey gifts for Christmas, one of which was a chair to sit at my art desk.  No more stealing the kitchen stool!  It took Milo less than a day to claim my new seat.

Apparently, I'm supposed to share… or just give it to him.  I have a feeling it's the latter.

A Case for Christmas Letters

Time out from art today.  This post is devoted to a subject I've pondered much the past few Christmas seasons.

I absolutely completely adore Christmas letters - long, short, funny, braggy - whatever, bring it on.

I've noticed, as the years go by, Christmas letters are disappearing.  Greetings are sent via e-cards or festive Facebook posts.  I do understand people are busy and letter writing is falling (has fallen) out of fashion, but it's still sad.  We may have seen the post about your new cat or heard about your new job last spring, but there's a good chance we've forgotten it or the details are fuzzy now.  Christmas letters are reminders - connections - a moment to reach out and say "Hey there, you have touched our lives."  Whether long ago or yesterday, the recipient is part of your story and you want to hold on, to let them know what's happening, and hope they feel the same.  It's not (or shouldn't be) an obligation or a bother.  That's not to say it's all stress-free, but it's good in the same way planning parties can be a bit of crazy fun.

When Christmas cards and letters arrive with the bills, the day is brighter.  I sit down and savor the greetings and yearly news.  They are then put aside for my husband, who follows the same routine when he gets home.  We chat about their new news or news we forgot and I tuck the cards in a basket by the fireplace.

After New Year's, when the house returns to ordinary decor, an evening is spent sorting through the cards and letters.  Everything is saved until next year's cards are addressed.  However, I first pull out letters and photos for my Christmas binders.  My hubby and I started dating in the mid 80's and married in 1988.  Since then, every letter and every card with the slightest bit of news or touching thought has been saved.  I got ambitious several years ago and made a home for them.  We now have three fat Christmas binders.


I treasure those memory-crammed binders.

There are letters and photos from some no longer with us - the old boss & friend who brought my husband and I together, a fun-loving cousin who lost her fight with cancer, and aunts and uncles now dearly missed.  How important those pages are now!

     

The "title" page gains a little creativity each year.

Smiling family and friends begin the yearly parade, followed by the letters.  There is some hilarious exaggeration - one cousin discovered oil in his yard and his wife won the lottery - wink, wink.  There are sad stories and funny stories.  Of course, there are boring stories and plenty of bragging, but that's life isn't it?  It's sad and funny and boring and exciting.  Stay connected - share it all, not just the Normal Rockwell version.  I've included my son breaking a window and my small daughter sharing fender bender details with cashiers.

The binders also hold letters I've written since 1993 - the year we lost my mother-in-law and the year our second child was born.  I used to write a few lines in every card.  That was the first year I had too much news and not enough time.  So, I typed up a letter and tucked it in the cards.  Good or bad, haven't missed a year since then.

Each year, I look through our calendars, photos, and (nowadays) Facebook and blog posts.  A list is made, a theme is planned and a draft is roughed out.  Sometimes it's just a letter, sometimes a quiz, sometimes a list.  Last year it was illustrated - a benefit of the art trek.  This year has been nutso and I'm limited on time, so we're keeping it to a month by month wrap up.  Since a few of you may be on my card list - that's all I'm saying for now.

And that's my case for Christmas letters.  Maybe, if you tend to groan a little at Aunt Fannie's yearly missive, you'll cherish it just a bit this year.  And maybe, just maybe, you'll consider penning your own letter next year.  Go ahead, mark it down for the end of November.

Our basket of family and friends saying "Hey there!"

Put a Lid on it

The pottery class finally came to an end tonight.  I am relieved (We get our evenings back!), somewhat triumphant, and a tad melancholy.  Did I accomplish what I set out to do?  Well let's see…

• Step out of my drawing comfort zone - check.
• Relearn wheel throwing - check (mostly).
• Create a bunch of nicely formed pots - eh, not so much.
• Fight bossy, perfectionist voice and accept wabi sabi - check, uncheck, check, uncheck...
• Add to the creative well - check.

Tonight we informally presented and critiqued our pieces.  A wonderful array of styles and skill levels were displayed.  It's interesting to hear artists (regardless of age and experience) explain their work - their disappointments and triumphs.  We are so much alike - generally too hard on ourselves.  I got a little windy explaining mine (kind of like this post).  The complementary and insightful comments of Josh and my classmates were much appreciated.

One of my first pieces - creating something a little bit lovely out of an oops.

One of my last pieces.  I'm quite happy with this dish and lid that actually fit together.

Everyone who knows I took this class asks if I'm taking another one in the spring.  The spring class focuses on throwing - probably should've taken that first.  Josh encouraged me to come back and I may consider it, but not right away.  Give me unlimited time, funds and a chef, then yes, I would.  If you've been following these posts over the past year, you know I'm not good with follow through.  I want to learn and master too many things and I have a hard time focusing on one.  Time to get back to pencils and brushes and see if the clay bug bites again somewhere down the road.

Oh. … sudden realization moment...

Criminy…. while typing "pencils" the thought came to me that I signed up for The Sketchbook Project... several months ago.  Oy vey.  That needs to be done and sent in by January 15.  My husband asked me last night what was next on my artistic agenda since my class is ending.  At the time I said "Not sure, I think I'll work through one of my drawing books."  Well, I guess I just found my next project - at least until mid January.

PS - I'm never doing NaBloPoMo again.  More writing - less arting - not good.

PPS - Homework is for the birds, or maybe just young degree-seeking college students.