New Techniques and Tools

An interesting week, art and creativity wise! Do you ever feel a thrill when you try something new and you like the results?  I'm feeling that way at the moment and you'll see more on the little experiments/creations near the end of the week.

Monday: I started the week doing another version of the people with funny hats, adding a boy to the previous renditions of girls.

Tuesday: I worked on the cover for a new travel journal that I had decided to create and was thinking about the CED2010 theme for this month "Life" (more on that in the post about the travel journal) and Inspiration Avenue's weekly challenge of "books". The little CED2010 voice in my head said "You're not done yet - you may have created the journal cover but there is nothing in your book!" So I took out my frivolous little sparkly watercolours and thought about "life".

Wednesday: Today felt very good as I finally managed to make progress writing something I have been procrastinating on. It's not finished but it is now better than started. I was sitting under my grapevine (again) and the underside of the leaves inspired this zen doodle.

Thursday: My daughter had been wanting to see the new POP exhibit at the National Gallery of Canada and it is open late on Thursdays so away we went. After seeing that exhibit, we wandered through a few others and I was enchanted by a piece by David Merritt. A fascinating 4x12 foot pencil on paper creation, I could have looked at it for hours. It started at one point (with the word "hey") and was a series of flowing lines of differing lengths that ended in other words (related to " hey" - like "you" or "Jude" etc).  The idea of starting at one point and drawing out from there really captured my attention and I thought I'd try it...

Friday: Next version...

Saturday: I'd had some challenges gluing down my travel journal cover and the very talented and knowledgeable Roz synchronistically wrote about glue. She recommended purple UHU glue and so I went looking for some. Finally I found some at Michael's after going to two fancy art supply stores. At the second one, I had a shopping accident and bought some watercolour crayons. I just had to try them and my Stargazer Lily looked like a perfect subject to try to capture!

Sunday: Despite the new crayons, (fun as they are!) I wanted to try another line drawing and thought it would be great for Sophia's Sunday Sketches. On a larger sketch pad I did one of a bird/crow/raven - starting from his beak. (Noses seem to make good starting points so far) Then I accidentally rotated it and I'm not sure which version I like it best! I'm intrigued that position seems irrelevant!

But as I was trying to sleep, the voice said "What about your CED2010 book? Nothing is in it for today!?" So up I got and out came this doodle! (Unfortunately sleep still didn't come for awhile, so I'm a bit tired this morning, sigh.) 

That was my week. I look forward to hearing all about yours!

Best wishes for a very creative and productive week this week! I will be travelling, so that means it will be more challenging than usual but I'm bringing my little sketchpad with me. (The CED2010 book is bigger/heavier than I like for travelling.) 

Sunday Sketching 18July2010 "Bird of Lines"

Thursday my daughter and I went for a visit to the National Gallery of Canada. Primarily we went to see the new Pop exhibit but we wandered around afterwards and I was very taken with a piece by David Merritt called "Hey". It was an abstract piece - a pencil sketch @ 4x12 feet that all started at one point with the word "hey". Hundreds (thousands?) of lines flowed from "hey" and ended with other words. 

I thought I would try experimenting with the idea but without the words. I did a few others in my CED2010 (which I will post on Monday) and thought I would try a bird for Blue Chair Diary's Sunday Sketches. 

So here is my contribution - a raven/crow line drawing with all lines starting at his beak:

Now to check out all of your work! Have a great week!

Travel Journal Cover and LIFE

Do you find art journaling fascinating? I do! I look at some of your work - those of you who post art journals  - and shake my head and go "Wow!" I want to try that too! And I am taking baby steps. I have started several journals on various themes and even started some pages. Nothing that feels complete enough to show yet though. But - I digress....

Tuesday I did the cover for my new "Travel/Passport Journal". I just renewed my passport and thought it would be fun for it to have a travelling companion and since I am going away next week (albeit on business - so not much sightseeing will be done), this was THE time to start it. Lots of ideas mulled around my head and I finally collaged the cover. Images include the cover of my passport (barely visible) and an altered version of the cover of my favourite book. I altered the little guy on the cover so he looked more like me when I travel - usually black pants, black turtleneck, a nice belt and a long jacket. My daughter saw the cover and went "OMG  Mom - that is so you!!" I guess it captured me after all!  

So - advice anyone? I have a few questions:

• What glue works best for collage? Any tricks?
• Should I have lacquered it? I looks a bit odd but I thought it would last better.
• Does collage need to be sealed?

BTW if you haven't read my favourite book, it is a veritable treasure of life's wisdom and is much more for adults than children, in my humble opinion. I keep copies in my office to pull out when someone is stuck or in need and we read it out loud! Hmmm - seeing as the theme for CED2010 is LIFE this month - mentioning this book seems so appropriate!

Do you keep a travel journal?

*** (later the same day....)***

Oh, the wonderful Lisa of Priti Studio has reminded me that this week's Illustration Avenue challenge is BOOKS. I had been thinking of two little creations I did earlier this year but the above post is new and about books. D'uh. Funny - I read about the challenge then totally set it aside. So I guess it inspired my post on a subconscious level! Thanks Lisa for pointing it out and reminding me!! (Oh so talented AND helpful!)

One of the things that for me, makes a house a home is books and this was my way of showing that!

These days though, my new books are on my Kindle and it is so blissful to have so many at my fingertips!

What about you - have you switched to an e-reader and has it diminished or increased your love for books?

On to Book #3 for CED2010

I finished Book #2 for CED2010 this week! Wow - I can hardly believe it!

So I went shopping for a new blank book to continue my efforts in. It is amazingly hard to find a "pretty" blank book in this city. Lots of lined ones with artsy covers, lots of black covered sketch books from the art stores. I finally found one that I liked but I was beginning to wonder if I would! (Note to self - keep an eye out for blank books when I am travelling!)

So I have gone from Tiffany to Rodin to Miro!

Monday: Since people seemed to like these little figures, I thought I'd try another one. Thank you all for the encouragement! I am finding them fun and they always make me smile when I'm done.

Tuesday:

Wednesday: Sitting on the power lines about 40 feet from me while I was reading, was this young cardinal - singing his heart out in the wide open air! We have a number of cardinals in the neighborhood but rarely do they show themselves like this. Usually they sing in the trees and one can only catch glimpses. Beautiful! 

Thursday: I have grape vines growing over a small pergola on one side of my deck and there are so many grapes this year! They are Concords - so grape jelly rather than wine grapes - and have another month or two to go until they are full size and the deep purple they will become. But they are so petty hanging over my head while I sit and create in their shade.

Friday: First zen doodle in the new book!

Saturday: One of my clematis flowers...

Sunday: A pretty butterfly loved my purple liatris! Pastels may not have been the ideal media to capture this though.... 

When I was shopping for blank books I had a few other ideas in the back of my mind for some themed art journals I wanted to try. One of which would be focused on quotes and conversations. When I saw this, I knew it was the one for that! 

Hope all of you have a great creative week! Do you find it harder or easier to create in the summer?

Garden Inspirations

Wow! Another busy week! It started out incredibly chilly for this time of year and ended up absolutely gorgeous!

I kept up my CED2010 activities though and am now more than half way though a so far successful year. I took a bit of time to reflect on this in my last post. And I continue....

Monday: My pear tree has more fruit than ever this year. So neat to see the little pears growing!

Tuesday: I bought this great patio cherry tomato plant and it has been prolific! Yum!

Wednesday: Last week, while doodling, a cute little girl with a fan hat emerged. I decided to try a few others like her!

Happy Canada Day aka Thursday: Best wishes to all of my fellow Canadians! (Possibly the worst doodle I have yet done - not good to work at 1am after celebrating!)

Friday: My jackmanii clematis - painted blossom

Saturday: Pastel version of same jackmanii blossom

Happy Independence Day! aka Sunday: Hope all of you in the States had a great day!

So this was my week. I also created a few new recipes - a variation on a coffee cake, several salads. I worked on my garden - attacking the endless weeds. (They are still winning but I made some progress.) Finished edging, weeding and mulching one bed, started several others. Planted a few more plants bought but not yet planted. But the rest will have to wait, it's back to work now.

Hope you have a great creative week! As always, I look forward to seeing your efforts!

Halfway? 6 Months of CED2010

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! 

Today is our national holiday! Happy Birthday Canada!

It has now been 6 months that I have been participating in CED2010 and creating something new every day. So I thought I might take a bit of time to reflect today. Any journey --whether into creativity, a major project or a big trip-- starts with a single action, a single step. And that is how I started:

There is now a little creation for everyday of 2010 in my CED2010 blank books. I have finished one book and almost finished the second.

Only 9 pages left to go on #2! It would be finished except for the fact that I don't take it when I travel and instead do my little creations on a sketchpad. I must start shopping for #3!

So what have I learned?

• I am creative after all! I had my doubts before starting this.
• Experimentation is fun!
• Doing little things first is giving me the courage to try bigger things.
• There are SO MANY talented people out there in Blogland! You WOW me every day even if I don't often comment.
• You are such a great supportive community!
• It is possible to do something creative every day.
• Smaller is often easier, at least for my schedule.
• I (still) can't draw a straight line free hand.
• I (still) doubt I will make it successfully through the 2010 challenge but hey, I'm halfway there. That is something to cheer about! YAY!!!
• Trying different media is very cool - there are things I love (and dislike) about each of them. Here are a few of my favourites:
• Pastel:

• Watercolour pencils:

• Pastel Pencils:

• Paints:

• Pencil sketch:

• Other: This is the only dot image I've done but I liked it!

• And last but far from least - something I'd never even heard of or seen before starting this journey - my Zen Doodles (very tough choice, I like so many of these!)

For Canada Day we are going to a friend's who lives on the Ottawa River on a great beach! Unfortunately it is very cool here today. Too cool for me to swim. Too bad. 

I made Rhubarb Mooncake to take and created a new version of it Rhubarb and Blueberries with whole wheat flour instead of white flour. It may be a disaster. We shall see later!

Must run!

More reflections perhaps later.