Let the Countdown Begin!

 

This is how many days I have until I can work at my art full time. Both my kids will be getting on the bus around 8:15 and getting home around 4:30. If I work about 9:00-4:00 five days a week that's 35 hours a week to create and work at my business. I decided to start a countdown to give me a goal; A focus.

Things have been a bit crazy the past couple of weeks. We've had snow and ice with school closings. I had lots of little things to get done before I went into the hospital for surgery. Then I've been recovering from surgery. Things are finally leveling out and getting back to normal. While I was recovering I spent time thinking about my art and my frustrations. I get really annoyed at not having time. I'm talking 4 or 5 hours in a row of uninterrupted time. It just doesn't happen often. So, what can I do about it? How can I get what I want? I think I need to let go of the desire of having hours of uninterrupted time and just steal minutes where I can. Focusing on "time" has become a roadblock so I'm changing my thinking.

I'm taking "Year of the Fairy Tale" from Carla Sonheim and this month's assignment has been about "quantity" over "quality". We have to make lots of quick sketches and paintings instead of intensely working on a few paintings/sketches. I love this concept. It puts all the focus on the process of making art instead of the final product. So, I'm going to make as much art as possible and not care if it's "good enough" to sell or if it will "work" for licensing. I'm just going to make the art and have faith beauty will emerge. Some of the best things I've made have been when I just got lost in the moment of making art.

My art buddy Juliette Crane has been painting on paper and she has piles of paintings now that were quick to make and are lovely. And my friend Mindy Lacefield had a post of all her work from last year. Over 100 paintings. I can't even imagine accomplishing that! If I let go and just think of any minute spent on making art as valuable I know I will have a wonderful body of work. I'm just going to sketch, doodle, paint and create. Whatever time I get will be time well spent because I'm not going to worry about the "quality". I'm going to enjoy the process!

Here are fun charcoal sketches I've been making on book paper. They take a few minutes to create and they are so dang cute!

I love these little drawings. The charcoal has a nice bold line and you can easily smudge and shade for depth. I can see some of these pieces being used in something else down the road. Every mark has value because it leads to another and another and another.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

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Book Review: Craft-A-Doodle

 

I admit it. I am obsessed with this book, Craft-a-Doodle by Jenny Doh! I carry it around the house with me or to the park so I can refer to it while the kids are playing. It has 75 creative exercises from 18 wonderful artists. I am not a doodler. I'm sure I did it when I was in grade school but I don't do it now. I actually find it kind of hard. I want my doodles to look like other artists' elaborate doodles. Well, that's not what doodling is about. You're not supposed to think. You're not supposed to compare. You just play. So, I've been playing like crazy with this book! I can draw and not necessarily be pretty and when I least expect it, I find treasures I can use and expand on in my art.

Here I attempted Cori Dantini's " Recipe for a Face". I can't draw like Cori but it was fun trying!

I loved doing some of Flora Chang's exercises.

 

One of my Fave's Carla Sonheim has exercises too!

Then I was inspired to create my own. I put random watercolor blobs on a page and drew what I thought they could be. Some failed and some were super cute.

I can't recommend this book enough. There are tons of exercises so, you can find the ones that speak to you and give them a go. It helps me get unstuck. No more "what am I going to draw?" and it gets you to play. I am very guilty of feeling "this has to be an amazing piece of art that I can sell" when I sit to create. I sometimes think playing is a waste of time. It's not. Every mark you make feeds into your art and teaches you something. All that matters is the act of creating. This book helps you create!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

P.S. I've opened an Etsy shop! Each week I'm adding new things. Please click the link and check it out!

 

Abstracts? Me?

Artist, Carla Sonheim (one of my faves) recently did an awesome thing, she had a series of art classes with a couple of guest artists. I took Between Speech and Silence with Diane Culhane. Her work is abstract and colorful and very, very fun. I created very interesting pieces of art. Lots of color and texture. The classes are now available for self study so I urge you to check out Diane's and the others offered.

We took a line for a walk.

And we collaged and painted abstract landscapes.

 

 

 

I am really enjoying this style of painting. I can make it my own. There is lots of texture and even though its abstract I can include my characters. This is quite different from the art I usually make but I can incorporate my style in there. I also like this style as it's a little more "grown up". A lot of my art is great for children. This style is more adult and yet whimsical. You know I'm going to be me making more. You can purchase prints in my Etsy shop too! How cool is that?

 

What I'm Working On

Here is my latest painting. It's part of a whimsical animal series I've been doing.

 

He's so darn cute. Or she is. I don't know if its a boy or girl. It's just cute!

This other drawing I'm referring to as a zenanimal or zen drawing of an animal. I learned a version of this technique from Carla Sonheim. I took one of her Draw Silly courses a year ago. Every day I received a worksheet with a fun exercise to do (very similar to a worksheet you'd get in grade school). Basically you create the animal in one continuous line. After creating the animal you go over some lines, making them thicker. I found it very relaxing and zen like.

In my version I started like Carla but I took it a step further. I added more lines and curves. I focused on making the line, how it curved and filling in color. I knew this would be relaxing so, I did it before bed and had nice mellow music playing. I slept like a baby. But it could've been the Zyrtec.

 

Don't ask what kind of animal it is. I have no clue.

I'm really trying to increase my drawing practice. I'm going to draw what I want and what I like. Any drawing practice will increase my skills but I want to have fun too!

Keep checking in with me. A new project is in the works!

Have a wonderful day!

 

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When the Universe Speaks Part 2

The other day I wrote this post about getting past the February Blues and into a new frame of mind. Well this week the Universe kept on speaking to me. I found Art & Soul Radio.

 

They have wonderful interviews with some of the best artists mixed media. It's sponsored by the famous Art & Soul Retreats. You can listen to the podcasts on their website or subscribe via iTunes. I listened to interviews with Jane Davies, Jesse Reno, Carla Sonheim, Pam Carriker and Marissa Anne of Creative Thursday.

All the interviews were so inspiring to me. Each person had a different story and each person wasn't so different from me. Pam Carriker is a busy Mom like me. Neither Carla or Jesse have formal art training. They all love to play and experiment with art supplies. All of them had helpful insight on getting past blocks and obsticals to making art. I felt like these artists were encouraging me in my new attitude. It was so uplifting to listen to each of these interviews! I was even inspired to write down encouraging phrases. I'll eventually paint each of these and hang them in my art room as reminders.

 

 

 

In other news, next week I should have my first online store open! I will be partnering with Fine Art America. They are a print on demand resource for artists and my art will be available as prints and canvases for sale. How cool is that! I will announce the official opening here on my blog as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

I am also taking a course on using Photoshop to beautify my blog. Keep watching as changes are made to make it super snazzy. (Unless I get totally frustrated and chuck my computer out the window!)

Here are some links to the other places you can find me.

http://www.facebook.com/Lyndammetcalf.artist

http://followgram.me/lyndammetcalf

https://twitter.com/Lyndammetcalf

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

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