Crazy Art Fun!

This week is the start of some CRAZY ART FUN for me!!

Yesterday, I started an online workshop that I won from Christy Tomlinson of Scarlet Lime & SheART fame! The class is called The Art of Wild Abadonment taught by the very talented Junelle Jacobson.

Let me tell you! I had forgotten how much fun it is to sketch & to let go of perfection!!

We started off sketching RADISHES of all things!

But Junelle challenged us to see them from different angles & play with the light. 

{my sketches are NOT pretty, guys!}

See that one along the right side of the picture above? With the split up the middle?...Maggie immediately said it looked like someones bum & then I couldn't get that outta my head while I sketched it!! {leave it to a 6 yr old to see that right away!!} Kinda challenging when we got to the next step! {see 3rd pic}

Then she had us do thumbnail sketches picturing the radishes in different ways...using our imaginations this time!

The love radish & the birdie are the split-bum radish!

I have to say, this was kinda hard at first. Trying to think of clever ways a radish can be "used." You can see that I had a little Indian theme going on in a couple sketches & the "bum" radish turned out to be my favorite to play with. I may just have to sketch with that one a little more this week!

After that, the REAL fun began!

I have to say that "I am NOW HOOKED on Neocolor II Wax Pastels!"

 {think, "watercolor crayons!} 

We used these awesome crayons to fill our sketches with color! They're wonderful! You just fill in a little bit of color here & there & let the water do the rest!!!

{we were only supposed to do a few, but I couldn't stop! Now my sketch pad's a little warped! LOL!}

 

 

Here are a couple close-ups of my favorite thumbnails...

Radish Love

The Radish Can Can

Radish Birdie

My little Magpie has been home sick with me the last two days & she just couldn't resist getting in on the fun too...

Maggie's Dancing Radishes

You can't really see it, but the 3 tiny radishes dancing above the boom box say "La T Da" in them! I just LOVE that girl!!!

 This afternoon, we worked on a few more sketching exercises {like the above cupcakes}. Junelle gave us a word {place} & we did some thumbnails of what we saw as representative to that word. {home, travel, journey, family, etc.} Then she expanded on one of her sketches of circles {as relationships for her} into these awesome owls! This is only part 1!!

I'll pick up on the rest of this part later & do some more filling in, but both Maggie & I need a little artistic break! We've been at it since yesterday afternoon!

I told you it was CRAZY ART FUN!!

So, in addition to taking the online workshop this week & doing some more projects for Altered Pages, I am super excited to be taking a 6 week collage course at our local Students Art League this Saturday!!! I am so ready to learn some new techniques in collage & mixed media so that I can grow my art even more!!!

MORE CRAZY ART FUN!!!

YAY!!

That's it for today!

I'll check in with you if I have a minute this week to share!

Cheers!

The QUEEN of Found Objects!

I just had to share another creation from my daughter, who I think is just TERRIFIC!!

{I know, I'm a little bias!!}

She's just so darn clever & I love how her artistic mind thinks...

 She gathered up some little found objects from her treasure boxes

{YES, she has more than ONE!}...

 ...glued them onto a piece of paper in this very nice arrangement...

...removed the lid from her lip gloss & called it "The Smell Garden!" Isn't that FANTASTIC!!!

I just love it & hope that I can find a way to preserve it forever!

TTFN!

If you DON'T call yourself an ARTIST, you MUST read this!!

I just finished reading the most recent post from Jen Swift's blog, Art as Usual & you simply MUST read it if you have ever struggled with whether to call yourself an "Artist" or a "Crafter."

I know that I have struggled with this recently & ever since returning from TCC (the Creative Connection), I have added the word ARTIST to my vocabulary more & more. Because I do believe that I AM AN ARTIST! I create things with my hands & use my imagination to do so!

So, if you want a little inspiration & a little something to kick start your day of creating art, scroll on down to read Jen's advice on WHY you should consider yourself an ARTIST!!

*****

Why You Should Believe You are an Artist: Even if You Don't Make Art

When I was 17 I had a boyfriend who said, "You're not a real artist. Real artists are like (so and so friend of his) who makes stuff up out of his head. You just copy something you see." And yes, I did. I would paint from nature, or do my pastel drawings outside, on site. So there really was nothing I could say about that. The boyfriend meant a lot to me so I believed him. Sad as that now seems. I decided that no, I wasn't an artist. I just liked to draw and make pretty things.

Last week I was teaching a class and I heard the women saying that same thing. They sculpted with metal clay, they did jewelry and were taking mixed media classes. But they called themselves crafters. They knew real artists, and that was not what they were. I felt so sad. Then something someone else said triggered the same thought and I had to share it with you.

So here is today's message. YOU ARE AN ARTIST!!! You may call yourself a crafter, and a craft is maybe what you feel you are creating. Maybe you don't feel you're an artist because you may be contrasting yourself with someone who is a fine artist. You may work with Sculpey instead of clay. You may love to sew, instead of creating paintings. But you are still an artist. An artist is not defined by the medium or the product, but by so many other little things. You see, I've come to realize over the years that to be an artist does not have to mean that you sell your work. It does not mean that you work with fine art materials and shop at fine art supply stores, or create art that is ultra realistic, it does not even have to mean you can draw. We put up such barriers to our own happiness. We want to be artists, we hope to one day be artists, all the while not understanding that we already are artists.

I believe that the term "artist" is not a job title but a personality type. You are an artist for example, if you love beauty. If you seek to surround yourself with it, and glory in it. You're an artist if you appreciate design. If you notice the light on the leaves outside your window at a particular time of day. If you feel energized and alive after learning some new way to create. If you HAVE to create. If you are unhappy if you don't create. 

You may recognize all or only a few of these descriptions in your own personality. BUT if you do, then I believe really and truly in my heart of hearts that you are already an artist. I'll agree that artist's are born not made. But that does not mean that you ooze talent your whole life. It may not even mean that you work with art materials. It is your personality. It is in your blood. You couldn't stop yourself from creating if you tried. Odds are that if you look at your life you'll see that you find a way to be creative in all sorts of areas of your life. It may be in what you choose do as volunteer work. Or how you decorate your home. Or how you dress or cook or craft. But to create, to make beautiful or interesting everything you touch, that is something a true artist does. Not because they went to school for it, but because they simply have to.

It really wouldn't be a big deal what we call ourselves except that we make judgements about ourselves based upon that. You would sign up for that art retreat but you're sure that only real artists go and you would stick out. Or you would spend the money for that amazing sounding class but you really can't justify spending any more money on something that is really just a  hobby. You would take a room in the house for yourself and your art, but that would seem to much like carving out your own little studio space and you don't feel it's justified. Do you see how you demean yourself? That is why it's dangerous to deny your Artist self. God has made you unique, He has put that creator element of Himself in you, and you refuse to acknowledge it. He may have caused that opportunity to go to that art retreat to open itself up to you, purely for your own joy. But you refuse to embrace the gift that it is because you can't acknowledge that you are already an artist and have been since the day you were born.

So please, think about this. And next time you feel the urge to claim not to be an artist-Don't. If you don't know what kind of artist you are, because you do a little of everything, say you're a mixed media artist. But if you say you're not an artist, you'll believe it. We listen to what we tell ourselves, as do others. So say it to yourself, if no one else. "I am an artist." And believe it- You are. 

*****

That's all for now. We are all super busy cranking out new stuff for our Craft Fair in November at Castle View High in Castle Rock, CO! I promise to post some pictures along the way! We are also taking an encaustics class tomorrow night! I can't wait to play with wax!!!

TTFN!!

 

TCC Event {{Final Thoughts}}

 After a long, but fun day of wandering around The Mall of America & standing in what I was told was a longer than usual security line at the airport, I was soooo ready to come home from my whirlwind weekend at The Creative Connection. I settled into my seat in the very back row of the plane & pulled out the latest issue of Somerset Studios (purchased where else, The Market Place at TCC!) & ordered a glass of red wine when the time came. So, I am not sure if the following introspective rant is from the wine or sheer exhaustion,

 I think I had a little bit if an AHA moment {or a mini-breakdown} on the flight home from TCC! But while I was reading Studios & sipping my wine, I had this sudden burst of emotions & almost started crying right there! Thank God I came to my senses & grabbed my notebook instead! This is what transpired from head to fingers...

I asked myself, “What am I taking away from this weekend?” And this is the ranting answer to myself…

I want to connect with these artistic women more. I want to surround myself with their ENERGY & passion. I want to learn from them, whether it be their business practices or their artistic technique.

I want to create ALL the time! I want Maggie to craft with me. I want her to know what I knew as a child: memories of being in my mother’s studio/back porch listening to Rod Stewart or Donna Summer while she painted beautiful watercolors for her art guild, a show, HERSELF!

 I want to go back to school & learn to draw, paint & collage! I want to learn techniques & grow my art into a true mixed media artist. I want to teach Maggie all that I know about art, but I don’t know enough, YET! I want her to FEEL the way I feel when I complete that card, page, canvas or album!

 I know that I will always have a love for paper & photos, but I want to learn how to mesh the worlds together.

 "What will I take away from this weekend?" That was the question right? I will take away that I CAN do this. I can go back to school & learn the things I crave & grow myself & if I can make money doing all the things that I love, that would just be the icing on the cake! That’s the SELFISH thing that I will take from this weekend.

The other half of what I will take away is new friends like CHRISTIE, AMY, HILLARY, TRICIA & COLLEEN {& countless others I have met & WILL connect with!}. Who all had different ideas of where they want to go with their creative selves, but were so encouraging in listening to my thoughts, hopes & dreams for my own business with my mom & sister. We will (hopefully) enjoy a lifelong journey together as we each discover ourselves, our passions, our dreams…

Thanks for listening to me drone on about this AMAZING event! I hope you enjoyed some of my story & a few of my pictures. I promise, that is the last of it!

But, stay tuned because I think that The Scrap-a-Teeny Girls might be in for a few changes in the very near future!