10 Minutes a Day...

My sister and I were talking the other day... about everything... but spent quite a bit of time talking about our... for lack of a better explanation...  artistic practices...

 

It boils down to this. We are both very creative and love working on our various art projects. Unfortunately, we both lead busy lives and while we are being creative in our work, we are not sketching; which is something we would both like to do more of. We both try to make room to sketch or draw in our schedule... and have great intentions to "make a change" and "make it happen". Heck I've even written it on my schedule. But something always seems to get in the way... excuses, excuses... Sooo... We have challenged each other to sketch 10 min every day.

 

Here it is! the first sketch of our challenge..

 

Yesterday, as my boyfriend and I were setting up to go fishing it dawned on me... rather hard. That while it was still early in the afternoon, by the time we got home, it would be late and I would (again) have pushed off sketching... So, then and there. I sketched.... and it was so much fun!

 

 

These pictures are not exactly where I was sketching from... but of the same area across the river.

 

 

 And of course... I left some room for artistic interpretation..

 

It is definitely not a complete sketch. I am considering adding some watercolor or colored pencil to it. At the same time I like the unfinished appearance of it.... I will have to ponder my sketch a while longer.

 



I had almost forgotten how much I LOVE to throw!!!

It is so easy to get carried away in the rush of life.. the non stop action of teaching... along with all the lessons and grading and paperwork..  and then needing to make sure I am assisting each of my students over the course of thI class and being supportive of everyone... I don't want anyone to feel like I've forgotten about them....

I love to teach. And I love to create art... naturally I love to teach art... but teaching art is not the same as creating my own Art... 

The other day I had a demonstration in my 2 ceramics classes on centering clay on the wheel... and pulling a basic cylinder... I then decided to show my classes a few other tricks they could try.. to easily modify their vessel...

I had SO MUCH FUN!! It's like I got sucked into my own land... away from the classroom and to my own dreamworld. I really didn't... and amazingly I was still completely aware of the students sitting semi-circle around me, and the ones roaming around the room behind them (Ask any one of the students paying attention. I had to stop and disilcipline my roamers a number of times.. the former group was not impressed).

But my muscle memory was right on que. And the cylinders came out perfect and smooth and balanced... I couldn't believe it!! The whole process was so smooth... and I could manipulate the clay so much!!  *sigh*

I need to throw more...but was 40 minutes of sheer pleasure.. and the strongest dose dose of art therapy I've experienced in a long time!

Anyway... I'm totally rambling...

Check them out...

I will be glazing them tomorrow!!

Talent Tuesday

One of my students painted this ocean scene on a recycled sonotube. On the inside she painted a garden scene with a beehive!!

Talent Tuesdays

Another post for Talent Tuesdays. 
Remember this is when I will be showcasing my students artwork! Some weeks I will have one piece to share. Other times many pieces.

The Mug is another work in progress. This project was created out of slabs then the student created the imagery using the a sgraffito technique. It is currently being fired, then will be over glazed with transparent glaze to seal it off and make it shiny. Great job!

The portrait was done by another student. This picture does not show the completed project, unfortunately I was unable to get a photo before she brought it home. Even in this picture it looks awesome!

Finally the paint brushes were painted by one of the seniors in out school (a former student of mine) who is working on her portfolio.. she is very talented!!

There will be more to share next week!!

Hope you enjoy!

Talent Tuesdays!!!

So I want to start this new thing (probably not new at all...but new for me)...

Talent Tuesdays!!!

Each Tuesday (or every Tuesday that I actually remember) I will post a piece of artwork by one of my students!!!

This one is a work in progress... I know she was inspired by a "Zentangle Inspired Artwork" that she found online while researching patterns to use in another assignment. And the next thing I know... she has this!! I believe the artist is going to add a little color.. I can't wait to see what she comes up with!!

I'll post another pic when she's done!

How Do You...?

For several weeks now I've been receiving daily e-mails from Tiffany Han.  She is a life coach who has this great "Good Morning Glitterbomb" program. It's GREAT! They make me smile every time I open them (if your interested, it's FREE you can sign up here).


Then,

I stumbled across this in my papers.... Got me thinking...

I should ask myself this more often... I think it will be a very constructive practice.

Are you truly you when you are alone or when you are with other people? Do you act differently around others?

Should there be a difference?

My goal.... To live my life as my best self... ME... really me... not some facade... ALL THE TIME...

Some Zentangle Inspired Ideas...

Just some Zentangle inspired doodles from my staff meeting notes.... I love looking at them. They make me smile...

This one (above) is very Mooka...esque.

I feel like wave(y) doodle is missing a pirate ship..

I love drawing paisleys...

A Day in the Sun

A few weeks back (maybe April, when it was still cool almost every day) we had one beautiful day when it was calm, sunny and 60-70* all day. BEAUTIFUL WEATHER!!!...

I carted out a bunch of my art materials, a nice cup of coffee, and my dog...

And painted, and drew, and created all day!!! It was WONDERFUL!

I plan on adding quotes to some of these paintings... and the orange sunset with the single tree framing the right side of the painting, has some gold glitter added to it..
      Don't worry, I don't abuse glitter... It looks really nice!!

I have several  more that I am working on, but they will have to remain a secret until they have been completed. ;-) shhhh....

This last painting needs no quote... I love it the way it is!
It reminds me of my uncle's camp... I cannot wait for summer to go put my feet up, and sit by the lake... mmm... until then, I will day dream...

Points to ponder

Ok, so here it is:

"No matter what people tell you, 

words and ideas CAN change the world."

~Robin Williams

Lets face it...
     There will always be something else...
          Another challenge...
               Another problem in our lives...
                    Another reason to be stressed...
                         Frustrated...
                              Anxious...
But, life is always an uphill climb... so lets try to make it POSITIVE



Smile

Enjoy the little things... every little thing...

Set goals

Recognize achievements

Celebrate the accomplishments

Be yourself!

And have fun!!

Connect the Dots?

This is an exercise I love doing with my students when they have hit a creative block. 

I won't lie, I did not come up with this exercise on my own. It is a modified lesson from Carla Sonheim's "The Art of Silliness". I learned so many fun things from her!

Try it out!? It's actually a lot of fun!

1. Mark 10-20 dots on a piece of paper

2. Number each dot in random order

        make sure your numbers bounce around

3. Connect the dots

4. See what you can find in your scribble

5. Illustrate!

Don't forget to have fun!!!

Finding Treasures...

This weekend following our KEY Club Convention I found myself on a quest for the list of ideas we had come up for fundraisers in the past... This meant flipping through my notebooks from the last three years of teaching... But, I found myself laughing at the doodles and sketches I had created during many staff meetings and professional development days. Of course these doodles were in the margins - or... better yet... started in the margins and quickly took over half the page. I thought they would be fun to share... (if any of them are repeats from previous posts, I apologize).

Why was the Peacock red?
Because he was a Rooster for Halloween...

I can't decide if my Peacock is really a Rooster. 

The Letter S

Silent Lullaby

Slow Down

you're moving too fast...

Three More

Three more today!

Chris says he found a hobby that he really enjoys...

First

Second

Third

More New Art

Two days in a row! This must be a new accomplishment for me... I think I am breaking a record!... I like this new movement. Maybe I can keep it up!

More of Chris' artwork!

This technique really seems to click for him...

He tried several exploratory applications today. I had a lot of fun watching. It was like magic each time he tried something new... the colors and textures change dramatically with each movement. 

...The end results are stunning...

I highly recommend zooming in... there is a lot of detail..

Number 2

I love the astroid cluster in the top left corner.

Number 3

I am very impressed... I cannot choose a favorite part.

I also wanted to share some artwork by my students... Maybe it will pop up tomorrow...

Trying something new...

I haven't blogged in what seems like forever. Last semester was quite the experience for me. I'm used to teaching art... And I was teaching two classes that are DEFINITELY not art. I did teach one art class, and I will be putting photos of that artwork soon! The way I see it... Last semester was a HUGE learning experience. I am glad I had the opportunity, and I am proud of how much I have taken away from the course.

Anyway, I have popped back on as a means of sharing some art created by my boyfriend. This is his first attempt and he is very excited to try some more. Check it out!!

Click image to enlarge

The Silent Dancer...

I have completed my whimsical woman!

Well... kind of... I do feel that she still needs a little something... but I am not sure what. So, she is where she is now.. and we'll see what I come up with to modify her in the future.

I am calling her The Silent Dancer... although she still needs a name...

I almost feel like she is standing backstage peering around the curtain before a show - I think it is the hair piece that makes me think that way. And her expression, is like the ... "go get'em" focused face while she tries to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. The calm moment before the excitement...

I am contemplating creating a curtain that frames the top and flows down the side of the picture. ....I will continue to play with that idea... I could use a fabric, or draw it in.. tough decision..

Whimsical Woman....in progress..

This young woman is my current work in progress... I love the idea that is in my head... But because I have such high expectations for it, she is taking forever.

I was originally inspired by another artist, Michelle Mathey. I have been following her blog "Pigment of my Imagination" for a while now and have always marveled at the portraits she creates. I love the simple colorful style of her work... The way she uses a variety of different black lines.... The way her bold solid colors create a sense of feeling. The people she creates are simply drawn, but have SO much character and personality. 

I decided to give it a try...

A simple sketch of a woman (I had no one in mind when I started it... I just went with the flow). Now, she looks a lot like one of my cousins.

Here, I began adding color using my Inktense blocks. Sandy, you were right... the Inkense are AWESOME!!

  

My workspace... who said creation was clean??... My creative side shuts off if it is too clean around me... I like the term "organized mess" when I am working.

I took a break from painting/inking the hair... I wanted to see how it looked when it was dry... (the color does change a bit when there is no water on the paper anymore).. in the meantime, I began creating the Zentangle Y.A.F. pattern that I am going to put in her hair...

Back to the girl, and inking in the colors... In this picture I am almost done with the color... I think she is going to get a little more rouge on her cheeks.

Creating the background for my Whimsical Woman... I want something that contrasts the colors and lines of the face and hair... A Zentangle background using grid-based patterns to contrast the soft curved lines of the hair?

More work on the Y.A.F. ...adding some green-ish and pink-ish pigments... and some glitter... not too much, just a little.

Where the Whimsical Woman stands now... I have a bit more to do. Maybe I will have her finished up sometime tomorrow... but you never know... I tend to keep adding and adding to my projects whenever I think I am almost done. 

 

 

Now, here's the thing... I feel like she needs a name... Any thoughts? I am looking for ideas!