Clean Slate for 2014

Clean Slate! I, once again, had poor follow-through with an art challenge. I think that due to my ISFP personality, any constraints I put on myself automatically feel like shackles and I rebel. But, blogging is all about self-discovery, and with that being said I DO want to continue putting art out there to be seen... Even if my readers are few and far between. The very act of exposing myself in this way is a good exercise for me because I am shy and reluctant to put myself out there in any way, Again, another of the ISFPs traits. I'm taking my Myers Briggs personality assessment seriously this year as a way to seek that self-understanding we all inherently desire. 

So, you will see some art and some words here, but nothing terribly regimented, because I need to honor my Perceiver's desire to be random and free!  I'm actually planning on honoring my various personality traits this year instead of trying to change myself constantly! This should be different! 

Week 2

My dear friend and I spent the loveliest of afternoons yesterday painting and carving encaustics (beeswax + resin + pigment), having meaningful conversation, sharing ideas, and drinking coffee. It's days like those that make being here on this earth all worth it. Here is the small piece I did. 

It's called "Intersections 2" - encaustic paint and gouache paint on encaustic board. 5"x5"

Starting NOW!

I've been remiss in my re-starting but here I am, it's happening. Weekly artworks. This is my exercise to get me working and if you enjoy having a look-see, then do. Without further embellishment, here is a sketch.

Piney - Colored pencil on paper 5"x8"

Let's Be Honest

I have to be honest and admit I've been a complete failure at keeping up. I try to soothe myself by remembering most of the great people in the world have failed many times over to get to where they are. Failure is a lesson, not a burden.

Even so, every time I think of this blog I get a pang of guilt that shoots through my abdomen and makes me a little sick. It's hard folks. I have not felt very artsy lately and I've been so busy. Sigh... I'm thinking of revamping my challenge. I still WANT to challenge myself, I just don't think I can do this daily thing... YET. Maybe I could be ready at a later date to tackle a daily piece of art.

I may try to do a WEEKLY work of art. THAT seems reasonable and not terribly overwhelming. It's not nearly as much of a challenge yet still does what I intended this process to do in the first place, gets me working and creating.

So, details to come next week as I revamp... try not to judge me too harshly, this project has been a great learning experience so far.

Hangs Head in Shame

Yep, I'm hanging my head in shame because I let this slide so early. However, I DO plan to get back to it...VERY soon. I also plan to extend my days at the end of this project for every day I miss. I like to torture myself. But honestly, it's been a little more difficult than even I had imagined. Life. It just gets in the way of art sometimes. So, my apologies to all six of you that even look at this blog. ;) I promise to get back on track SOONLY. (I borrow this new word from my cousin-in-law Susan)

Stay tuned for more sketchy sketches and waxy paintings and random 3D doodles!

Day Twenty-Eight

Yep, it was bound to happen...I fell off the wagon! However, I did have some technical difficulties and technical difficulties were not predicted... I'm going to try to make up those days but for now, I'm just getting myself back on track. This little mixed media piece is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.

"Pieces of FLW" - 4"x6" - Watercolor, colored pencil, pen, and acrylic glaze.

Stay Tuned

I've had some technical difficulties but stay tuned for catch-up pics! I'm still working...I promise!

Day Twenty-two

Another rough day...not much to say except here's a fox I drew with some little kids markers.

"Foxy" - 11" x 8.5" Felt markers on paper

Day Twenty and Twenty-One

Well, it happened, I was too ill to post Monday...but I'm not beating myself up about life getting in the way, I'm just moving forward. However, to make up for it...here are 2 pieces.

"Beebs the Beagle" - 24 gauge copper wire, 1 strand (made for a friend after her Beagle died)

Untitled abstract - floor paint and colored pencil - drawn on painted masking tape on my dining room floor, kind of a temporary thing since it will get pulled up once the floor is finished being painted. Daily art can happen anywhere folks!

Day Nineteen

SO BUSY. This weekend has been go-go-go and I'm exhausted and my back hurts. However, I did have time to doodle some funky little evergreen trees in my sketch book, it's not much but it counts I think. (insert weak smile)

"Funky Evergreens" - Marker

Day Eighteen

Today finds me worried about my dog, Willow... she is having degenerative spinal issues and it makes me so very sad because she is so young and alert in her heart... but her 16 year old doggy body does not seem to want to cooperate. Ugh... she's having all the symptoms of degenerative myleopathy, and there is no cure.

As a result, I'm not feeling very artsy so I will share another wire dog I made a while ago for my Dad. It's a boxer, sculpted from one continuous strand of wire.

"Wire Boxer" - 22 gauge stainless wire, one strand

Day Seventeen

A while ago a good friend and I were exchanging monthly postcards based on a theme, to get ourselves working on our art and to keep in touch. Our theme for this one was SPRING, and spring always makes me think of the cherry blossoms and plum blossoms...so in a nod to traditional oriental painting styles I did this little sakura branch to send to her.

"Sakura" - 6" x 4", watercolor and acrylic

Day Sixteen

I had another rough day/night so my heart just wasn't in this whole creating thing...but I did a quick sketch of my dog, Willow, as she lay on the couch next to me. It was very quick, no finished little piece of art this, but here it is...

Quick sketch of Willow - 5" x 8" graphite

Day Fifteen

Coffee is important to me. I love good, dark, robust coffee with complex, layered flavors. Yep, I'm one of THOSE people...a coffee snob I guess. The ONLY ways to have coffee are from a French press, a pour over filter, or an espresso machine in my opinion. We got rid of our coffee maker in favor of the French press at home and we've never looked back. The Husband was skeptical at first but now he's a convert. At work, my office mate and I make coffee in a press every day and we NEVER use anything from a giant tub. It's a ritual of our morning and the work day doesn't feel right without it. So, to honor the morning cup of joe...

"Morning Cup" - 4" x 6" Watercolor and colored pencil

Day Fourteen

This I almost consider cheating, though I did not limit myself to non-electronic media when I started this blog, and this drawing did take about 4 hours (much longer than some of my others)...so... here is an illustration I did in Photoshop of Mozart for a marketing piece at work.

"Mozart-when he was a hottie" - Adobe Photoshop illustration

Day Thirteen

This is the last of my mini encaustic trio and they need to stay together, so this is it...and it's my favorite of the three, but then again, I have a thing for white on white abstracts. In real life it looks a little like cake frosting with a hint of sparkle. Again, this is the same piece, just shot in different light to allow you to see the actual texture.

"Yesterday's News" - 5"x3" Encaustic medium, wire, and paper

Day Twelve

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! In honor of my Mom I'm posting another little encaustic piece inspired by being home in the prairieland of northern Illinois. I've taken a picture (bottom image) with high contrast light to show how textural these encaustic pieces can be, since it does not always translate in photos...it almost looks like 2 separate pieces, but it's the same one.

 

"Prairie Moment" - 5"x3" Encaustic medium and pine needles

Day Eleven

Ok, the weekends are tough because I'm usually so busy and I try to avoid technology as much as possible...I almost forgot about posting this! Before I head off to my evening adventure I'll post this piece, it's an old one...my very first encaustic actually...tiny format and it was created during an encaustics workshop...(in case you're just tuning in encaustic medium is a mixture of beeswax, damar resin, and pigment...or sometimes no pigment) It's a wonderful medium to play with but difficult to control, so you have to leave your expectations at the door when you're first starting. This one is a mini collage with some of my other artwork, an actual juniper branchlet, and print-outs of a haiku I wrote. I don't love it...but it's historical for me, I guess.

Untitled Collage - 5" x 3" Encaustic medium, juniper, paper, ink

Day Ten

Well, now that I know I actually DO have a few readers I'm more motivated than EVER! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. For day ten I wanted to add something a little different. About 5 years ago I became obsessed with bending wire. I LOVE lines, lines are my favorite element of design, and wire is just a 3D manifestation of line. Plus, I went to an Alexander Calder exhibit in D.C. back in '98 that REALLY influenced my love of wire. (his early works were ethereal wire sculptures that cast the most beautiful shadows)

Sooooo, one of my favorite things to do is make these little wire sculptures from one continuous piece of wire. A 3D doodle, if you will. They are a little difficult to capture in photographs though, but you'll get the idea. This is a little dachshund.

"Wire Weiner Dog" - 1 Continuous strand of 22 gauge copper wire

Day Nine

I'm pretty sure I have maybe 6 readers but still...I want you 6 lovely souls to know I LOVE YOU for coming here to see these little exercises in vulnerability. If I knew who you were I'd hug you and thank you in person.

This is not easy for me...to put stuff out there that sometimes doesn't feel finished or great or polished. I'll say it again, it's all about the PROCESS for me but when I post something I'm proud of it's a sweet bonus. This little landscape painting is something I'm really proud of as is, and I may use as an inspiration for a much larger piece later. (this is part of the reason I'm doing this...the creativity snowball...creative momentum, and I HOPE it can inspire someone else to get working too, on whatever it is you create!)

"Sublime - Into the Woods" - 6"x4" Watercolor and colored pencil on watercolor paper

Day Eight

I like trees...well, I love trees actually, sometimes to the point of distraction while driving. There is a huge live oak tree I used to pass every day on my way to work and every day I liked to greet that tree with a "Hello old friend" as I passed by. My day didn't feel complete without it. Sooooo...you may see a lot of tree and nature imagery here, because it is a main wellspring of inspiration for me. I know I'm not alone in that.

Another series is in the making, these quick little gestural stylized watercolors are really fun to create...

"Red One - Into the Woods" - 6"x4" Watercolor and colored pencil on watercolor paper

Day Seven

This is my official ONE WEEK anniversary, a special day indeed. You can scoff if you like but seriously, I had doubts I'd make it this far, sometimes I have commitment issues. However, this project is honestly the first thing I think about upon waking. I'm not sure that's healthy but there you have it.

I said I needed some color so here's some color...a little abstract piece based on a few much larger pieces I did in college. I've always been fascinated with science and the microscopic world...

"Blood Cells 03" - 6"x6" Watercolor and colored pencil on Bristol board

Day Six

It's a busy Monday at work and I'm feeling a little more balanced thanks to a fun and restful weekend. This is the last PeopleGram for a few days...I need some color again and I feel an encaustic session coming on this week. Encaustic is beeswax and resin mixed with pigment - (see Day 2 for an encaustic example) and it is truly one of my favorite mediums to play with. But for now here is my day 6 drawing.

"Her 01 - PeopleGram" 6"x6" Black marker on Bristol board

Day Five

I'm getting this one posted early today so I don't forget. It's going to be a busy day of driving to the Outer Banks of North Carolina...I have to work a concert for my day job with the symphony.

This is a continuation of the PeopleGrams...I am truly having fun drawing these. This is a very good thing, to have fun again while drawing. I'm even smiling as I type this...no matter what is going on in other areas of my life I can find a safe and lovely harbor in creating.  SHE is my favorite so far...

"She 01-PeopleGram" 6"x6", Black marker on Bristol board

Day Four

Okay, so it's technically after midnight, which makes this day 5 but I'm still up so to me it's day four...and it's my blog... and there you have it. To be honest, I'm finding that the difficult part of this is taking the picture of the art and posting it...not the actual creating, so I guess that's a good thing. It was another difficult day for me mentally though, thank goodness my dear friend took me out and made me talk and go thrifting with her, she saved me from myself today and for that, I am so grateful. I'm also grateful for this project, it gives me structure and forces me out of my comfort zone.

ENOUGH about me...here is another PeopleGram...

"Dude 01 - PeopleGram" 6"x6" Black marker on Bristol Board

Day Three

I am in a really dark place today, and I thought I'd be sharing another older piece of art because I'm so overwhelmed with life but I decided to just pick up a marker and draw something...so I did. Not only that, I drew 4 somethings...and voila- I have a fun little series on my hands that I actually like! So here is the first  PeopleGram...

"Girl 01 - PeopleGram" - 6"x6" Black marker on Bristol board.

Day Two

I LOVE architecture and cityscapes. Perhaps it's genetic, my Dad (who died in Nam before I was born) was studying to become an architect, and had the obsession too. So, you will probably see a lot of architecturally inspired pieces as I go through this process...I'll warn you now in case it's not your thing.  I must confess again, not all pieces showcased here will be done on the day which they are posted...I'm going to do that as much as possible but this one was done a while back, and is in fact, sold. However, I actually really like it and want to put it up as my Day Two piece.

"Dwelling Upon Dualities I" - 10" x 10" , encaustic, oil, and graphite on wood.

Day One

This is a little birch study- stylized of course. I was inspired by the facets of color that actually show up in the seemingly white birch bark. I must confess I did this while I was at home visiting my parents in Illinois this week. The color reproduction will be largely dependent on your monitor settings, but in real life it's pretty bright. 

"Color Birches", 4"x5", watercolor and colored pencil on watercolor paper.

Perspective

As I prepare to embark on this 365 days of art journey I must confess...I am...uh......freaking out. I'm excited, yes...but I'm also freaking out, because 365 days are, well, lots of days. I know me and how I operate and I already feel like I might fail, which is silly because I'm not being GRADED. I might be judged, probably harshly, by myself, but it's a CHALLENGE and challenges by their very nature ARE challenging. I may not be able to make a piece of art every single day, but the important part of this is that I TRY...and that I don't let myself get derailed by my own sense of failure when there are days I cannot meet the challenge.

I suppose it will also be an exercise in being gentle with myself on the days I may not produce an artwork and moving forward even when I don't feel like it. It's really more about the process than the finished product anyway, and I need to keep that in perspective.

Introduction Junction

I don't want to write some long diatribe about myself and how awesome I am or how messed up I am or give you a list of my talents or demons. I don't want to introduce you to my entire family. I don't want to try to sell myself, or my art for that matter. It makes me uncomfortable. Plus, if you REALLY want to see the more personal, messed up side of this girl there may or may not be another blog out there somewhere with plenty of fodder.

 BUT...with that being said, I think it's only fair to share a little bit about myself, after all, you've taken the time to visit this blog, and I THANK YOU for that.

 I have a wonderful, supportive husband that I love dearly and 2 old dogs that look like tiny deer. I have fantastic friends and family. I live in a mid-century MOD COTTAGE in a city surrounded by water. I create stuff, and have done so since I was old enough to hold a pencil. It's a need, not necessarily a want.

I design stuff at a non-profit as a day job. I get obsessed. Some obsessions include: art (duh), coffee, creatures of the woodland, trees, space, quantum physics, mid-century design, boots, wind chimes, and good music. I get crushes on places; crushing on Ireland, Scotland, and Washington state right now. I enjoy the company of animals more than most people. I try to live a life of gratitude while being mindfully present.

That's the important stuff, for now. I hope you'll enjoy some of the art I post. Stay tuned, this promises to be quite the challenge! And if you feel compelled to join me in creating something (it doesn't have to be art, it could be food, flower arrangements, poems, an outfit...) every day, please do it and feel free to share.

Squeaky Wheels

I've deleted old posts as I prepare to reboot this blog.

I have this insatiable desire to create things...art, I guess, though I always hesitate to call myself an artist since so many people call themselves artists these days. It's something I HAVE to do, create things, and sometimes I even like the result. But truly, it's more about the PROCESS for me. I like the process, from inspiration to execution.

So, I plan to start showing "the world" some of the results...small artworks DAILY that I will offer to whomever feels the desire to own an original little piece of art. It's all in the works, the squeaky wheels are turning...we'll see where the wheels take us! Stay tuned for some original drawings, painting, collages, encaustics, scuplture, and other curiosities.

Leave me a note and tell me what you'd like to see!