Finding a Still Life Subject in an Unlikely Place

Clothes lines are interesting. Wind blown clothes become alive and dynamic. Objects hinting at the identity of the person who once wore them. A snap shot in time of a fun experience. This particular set up is indoor so there is no wind, a thin bar set across the top of the pool house. It's an unintentional still life and it thrills me.

The Sketchbook Listens and Remembers Inspiration

I had a tid bit of silly knowledge that my daughter promptly blew off and went on her way. Nothing important but it reminded me of how often the things I share with my family goes unacknowleged. Instead of feeling pitiful I shared my silliness with the sketchbook which is always available to "listen" to me.  It was fun and I promptly felt really good.

Sketch Diary InkJoy Pen Play Starting a Book

The first drawing in my Sketch Diary, InkJoy pen play. Starting a book by documenting the supplies I'm going to use gives me a first subject that is easily accessible as a creative ice breaker. Playing this way also helps me to get familiar with the pen shape in my hand, ink dry time and overall flow. I was very pleased with them and will continue using them for this book.

Chronological Order in Sketchbooking Reshaping How I Draw

Going for a ride

It never occurred to me the damage chronological order in sketchbooking could have on my psyche. 

 Let's start by saying, "I love books for art."  The way it feels when I hold it, hug it, carry it from place to place. Much more committed than loose papers. Page flipping through past books showed me the progress I've made and how a bad page slows the desire to return. Entire weeks were skipped between a bad drawing and a new better one. As if somehow the only way I could return was with something strong to overcome the failure. 

My solution?  
I started with two artsy shopping treats for myself (total under $10)  A spiral bound sketch diary I really like to hold and a colorful multi-pack of pens that feel great in my hand.  I took them home and promised myself to keep them together as a set.  Any random page is flipped open on the sketch diary as the cover, always.  I get the desire to draw all the time. It calls to me in that way that every artist understands. It feels wonderful. 

I made a note inside the cover so no one thinks it is just a blank book, "Sketches are located throughout this book in random order, for the sake of having no beginning and no end."

Seeing Things for the First Time Art inspiration

A moment captured when I looked at my surroundings in a new way.  How often had beauty been right there and I was too busy to see it?  How many other gifts await me if I just slow down and look?  

Paint Feels So Good on Bare Skin Art Inspiration

The paint felt cool on my skin. The touch of it brought me a slight chill on this brisk spring morning. There was an unsure moment about what to wipe it on. Finally settling on wiping it into my hand (acrylic) figuring it would dry quicker so my hand could warm up. After all, I could always wash it off at a more convenient time. This photo captured the moment that I realized how pretty my hand had become.

How To Draw With Your Eyes Closed

Similar to contour drawing where you follow an objects outer lines with your eyes this technique uses your non dominate hand to navigate for your dominate one.  If you can, try to use a large piece of paper.  Immediately when my eyes closed with the scissor drawing I had panic about where the paper edges were. If you don't have large paper I would suggest picking up the piece you do have and familiarizing yourself with the side edges (with closed eyes) this worked somewhat to help ease me.

WHAT TO DO
*most important close your eyes
*don't rush take time to feel the object thoroughly before beginning use both hands if you want to but don't look at it
*use your fingers and trace the edges of the object with your non dominate hand while drawing simultaneously, relax, remind yourself that you are being guided
*keep the pen very low to the paper when you move from one space to another like the loops inside the scissors take the ink lightly from the paper not the pen
*with your eyes closed you will find that you are surprisingly sensitive and adept
*stop when you feel done and inspect your work

A FEW POINTERS
*pick objects with interesting shapes small enough to fit in your hand if possible
*keep your head level you may tend to want to tilt your face upward it seems to affect the concentration
*get up and walk away after your first drawing try to assess how you're feeling, for me it was a very unusual feeling similar to trying to take a breath in a room with little air
*try to find another object and draw at least two within a half hour of one another
*don't peek you're only cheating yourself from a more heightened experience

MAKE IT YOUR OWN
*could you turn off the lights and do it completely in the dark?
*switch hands and let your dominate hand control your non dominate hand?
*trace the object with your feet?

Interesting object to try drawing with your eyes closed

Some good paper size examples

I laid the scissors down while feeling them, very surprised at the likeness

I felt the pen upright on an angle and my drawing hand foreshortened it

Abstracted Art From Flowers Challenge

This is a fun abstracted art from flowers challenge.  Easily adaptable for drawing or painting.  Find a flower to use, one from real life or a photograph.  Focus your attention on one small area of the flower.  Simplify the detail of what you see as you start to create, abstracted means to alter an object from reality to a fresh point of view.  Keep the colors of the flower the same or push the style with a unique color combination of your own.  Here are a few examples of what I was able to make with this idea.  What are some things you could do to make this more interesting?  Turn your viewing flower into different positions?  Add shadows and highlights in unusual places on your art?  Take what you want from this starting point and build from it.  All creations submitted into the comments section of this post using this challenge will be highlighted in an upcoming Artist Spotlight post.  I look forward to seeing you make!

Peony Rose

Water Lilly

Yellow Rose 

Peach Hibiscus

YouTube Video Art Creation and Inspiration

Come join me in my art space through Planning Art Creation and Inspiration as I take you through a discussion with examples on the two big *tions in the art making process.  See you there!