5/28/08

Trying to Think Creatively

In my previous post I showed a page I had done in my journal, inspired by the book Art Escapes. This past weekend I did this page, trying to illustrate "Sky", "Colors", "Random Thoughts", and "Simple Pleasures" during the three day Memorial Weekend. We just hung around the house working on projects needing attention before summer gets into full swing. We did venture out to the home improvement stores a couple of times, of course. And I'd like to think we actually did some home improvements. It's a matter of opinion I suppose.

Anyway - thinking about illustrating as I go about my daily life opens a door to more creative thinking. Of course, stopping in the middle of something to draw can be a little annoying to everyone else - like "Stop - don't eat that watermelon yet!"

5/24/08

Paying attention to the everyday stuff


Journal Page
As you can see (click on it to see it larger) from the date on the top of this journal page, it was done quite awhile ago. I was going through some old journals trying for some inspiration from back in the days when I felt really creative. The past few weeks I have felt more like nesting than creating. Anyway, this was an idea I picked up from a book I borrowed from a friend - I think the book was called Art Escapes. I liked the idea of tuning in and expressing everyday things going on in my life - paying more attention and translating simple events (such as eating an apple fritter!!!) into an illustration. There were a couple different formats that I used at different times.

I'm not making any promises, but I may give this a try this weekend. Right now I am heading out to the grocery store to stock up for a long weekend. Our project of the day(s) is to break up our old cement front steps and build new ones. Maybe I will just stay at the grocery store today. And eat apple fritters. Or cherry.

5/12/08

Daisies

This is a small journal painting that I did this morning in one of the middle school science classes. I did some demonstrations of painting flowers and then the classes gave it a try. They did such a great job with their paintings, and they are really a great bunch of kids. This week the classes go to a nearby woods to do sketches of wildflowers, so this was just a little tutorial I did for them in conjunction with the Little Traverse Conservancy.
I came home and took a long nap.

Yesterday for a Mothers Day get-away we went with the kids and grand kids up to Mackinac Island. Of course out there in the middle of the staits this time of year it is still pretty cold, but it did warm up nicely and we had such a good time! It is always fun to be on the island - I love it there. I didn't do any sketching. I'll go back another time to do that.

Tomorrow I need to get potting soil and get some things growing for my summer classes, I need to write up some promos for those classes. I need to go to the grocery store, the bank, the post office . . . . AND I need to paint paint paint! I have been way off the mark as far as painting goes - yeah, I know - as far as anything goes. Time to get it together! Here I go!



5/4/08

In the Garden, Early May


Not much color yet.
I moved a few things around in the garden today and planted some perennials that one of my generous students shared with me. She brought me some magenta spiderwort,
a clump of bergenia,
obedience flower,
and roof iris

There is very little color out there right now, but I had to start painting some backyard scenes in my journal - the snow is gone and the grass is green - time to get out there and paint! Actually, I can't say the grass is green. The weeds are green. The moss is green. There is no grass. Last year the grubs ate their way through our little town and not many lawns have recovered. Apparently they can't recover on their own because there are absolutely no roots left. Maybe the moss isn't such a bad idea.

I have a couple more spots left in my Wednesday morning watercolor class starting next Wednesday.