Three Mixed Media Drawings, A Creative Evening

"Who are you?" or Prayer for a Butterfly

Ink, Watercolor Pencil and Acrylic Paint on antique book page.

26/100in 100 creative challenge, 6/30/10

Yesterday I came down with a cold and moped around all day feeling exhausted and blue.

However, the night before that, I had a little creative engine going. I watched my So You Think You Can Dance, and I watched my Work of Art Bravo show, and I sat there and made art all night long until my hands ached and my back complained.

Now, granted, I shouldn't have kept it up until my body creaked, but it felt good to create. This was one of my favorite pieces from last night.

It's based on a self portrait I did a little while ago, but this time on the old Wonderland papers. I don't know why I chose to do this, but I just know it felt right. And the shirt was crying out for this scalloped peacock like pattern. So that's what I did. The title comes directly from the text on the page.

This isn't the same kind of botanical inspiration as I've been doing, but perhaps that's where the scallops comes in. It references back to the botanical feel.

A Little Girl, or Prayer for Becoming

Ink, Watercolor Pencil and Acrylic Paint on Book Page

25/100

I did this one first, also inspired by a photo I took of myself. I don't know what my intention was, I just had the urge to draw the silhouette. Again the words came from the text. Oh, Alice and her strange adventures.

Actually, with this one, I added the floral pattern after I did the previous drawing. Maybe this one should have a later number. Oh well. But yes, the floral pattern was inspired by the scallop pattern. Except, oddly, I reversed the colors and used brown for the scallop design and blue for the inside. It completely changed the feel of the pattern. Isn't that interesting? I think I like the blue design with brown inside better, but hey, there is the magic of color and pattern, I guess. Plus, scallops in a circle look like dahlias.

A Moment of Silence, or Prayer for Contentment

acrylic paint and watercolor pencil on vintage book page

24/100 in 100 creative challenge 6/30/10

This is the first painting/drawing I did on my busy night. It is not my favorite, perhaps that is why I almost did not show it, but I know where the inspiration came from. This is something like what I saw this morning when I took my shower. It's the pattern of water droplets on the shower curtain with the light coming through them.

Like I said, this is not my favorite piece, but I look at it and see where the inspiration for the scallops in blue and brown and white came from.

The creative process is interesting. Sitting down and doing a bunch of work is also interesting. It's like there is a visual document of your thought processes. Or maybe it's not all about thought. Maybe it's about the subconscious. Or feelings. Or just the mysterious connection of random memories, observations, and physical realities.

I don't know what it is. But here it is.

I recommend a creative session for everyone. All it takes is some time without other commitments and you, surrounded by art supplies, unfinished projects and lists of things you want to create, something fun and not too engrossing on the television or stereo, and the time and space to create whatever comes to mind.

Back Yard Dreamtime and Manifesting

Back Yard Dreamtime
ink on paper, 5"x8"
4/100, 5/15/10

I've been seeing all the tent inspiration around the web, including this tutorial for making your own pup tent. Now those instructions are a little intimidating for my carpentry and seamstress skills, but still, I have been dreaming of this kind of retreat for my kids.

Actually, it's not just the skills but the energy. I seem to have no energy or focus to get things done. Sigh.

Wow. Just like my thoughts on creative block, I should try not giving all my attention to my exhaustion. It just makes the exhaustion grow. I mean, we need to take care of our bodies, but going around all the time moaning, "I'm so tired, I can't get anything done!" What does that do for us? Except validate how we can't get anything done.

Well that's a revelation. Give my attention to what I CAN do, despite the exhaustion, my plans to get things done, to focus, to grow, to enjoy, and this will mean I end up enjoying life and being productive.

I'm going to try this and see if it works better than flopping into a chair at the end of the day, feeling sorry for myself.

And I'm going to try manifesting some of my dreams. I have the things I need to manifest this back yard pup tent for my kids. I have the back yard... that's the hardest thing to get, in my life. Why not try to create it for real, in real life. And to tell the truth, I kind of dream of painting this sketch. It would be dark greens and blues, with the hatchmarks in paler colors, and the tent in a glowing yellow, and perhaps there would be words written lightly in the darkness, words for childhood, for play, for memories being made.

Hm.

Oh. And I was wondering. Did anyone see the Bravo show last week about the artists? It's like Project Runway, but all about artists. I saw it on the internet and now I am dying to see the next episode. It's called Work Of Art. Thanks to Kelley for the find.

Flying Girl Grid Pattern, or Experiment

Flying Girl Grid Pattern, or Experiment
11/100 in 100 creative challenge , 6/11/09
Golden Fluid Acrylic and Prismacolor Watercolor pencils on paper

This is more of my attempt to play. To just paint without all the significance. An experiment.

It is a lot more detail than I've been doing lately and took more time, too. But it wasn't heavy. It was more like each detail needed my attention. It was about the act of painting, not the act of conceptualizing.

Is it fun? I don't know if that's the word for it. It was pleasing. Painting is a sensory pleasure. It is pleasing to be able to focus down on a detail like this. And I didn't even focus too terribly tightly. I could have made the circles cleaner... but I was watching So You Think You Can Dance. :)

Flying Girl and the Daily Bread, or Mott and Prince Streets

Flying Girl and the Daily Bread, or Mott and Prince Streets
Golden Fluid Acrylic, Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens

Hello Flying Girl. I see you are going about your errands today. That looks like a tasty loaf of bread and is that a latte I see you drinking? I love your jaunty beret and scarf. That is a darling dress you are wearing, with it's cozy wool knit and black buttons. I especially like the pleated cuffs and hem. And I must admit, dear Flying Girl, I miss wearing heels. Not even heeled boots, as you wear, are very functional when you are chasing toddlers and stopping tantrums and climbing stairs carrying squirming children. Neither are dashing red hoops that little children would like to yank. And never mind the fact that I am in a place without an autumn and your outfit would make me sweat like mid summer.

How is your day of errands going? I know that place where you fly. I used to live around the corner. The brick wall of the old church garden really does slope like that. And those trees in the church yard really do turn that fantastically brilliant shade of yellow/orange. Perhaps my nostalgia will fly away with you as you continue on in your errands. Are you going to the bookstore to read magazines? Perhaps you're going to sit in a cafe in Greenwich Village, stare out the window at passersby and write in your journal. Maybe you're going to meet friends for brunch, and you're bringing the bread and cheese and fruit.

Fly off, Flying Girl. I know you are busy I am too.
Doodle, The Big Draw #12
Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens

This is a doodle I made while I was waiting for FG's paint to dry. There are many layers, especially in the trees... in part because she was supposed to be riding a bicycle, which, I realize, I don't know how to draw. I tried, using a reference even, but she did not come out right at all, and rather than struggling all night, since I do need to sleep, I decided to scrap the bike and keep her flying, as usual. The idea is there anyway. And I could focus on her style. Style is very important in Fall. You finally get to put away the flip flops and tank tops and take out the sweaters and jackets, boots and scarves. A little bit of my fashion dreaming, this is. And A little bit of my memory dreaming. Wishing, perhaps, that this was what my errands looked like now.

My daily schedule is more like this.

Wake up when the boy comes into my room.
Try to get him to leave me alone and play or read for a little while so I can wake up without blurry eyes and tripping over my own two feet with a head full of sleep dust.
Go get Ivy out of her crib and try to get them both to stay in the room while I go to the bathroom to dress and freshen up.
Take everyone downstairs for coffee or milk, cheerios and fruit.
Eat breakfast while the kids watch PBS (they love Sid the Science Kid) and I check my email and google reader.
Play with kids, watch Sesame Street, make their lunch.
Maybe a picnic, maybe an activity before or after lunch or during. Maybe in the garden, maybe in the family room.
Put kids to nap.
Shower (maybe)
Make myself lunch and eat while checking googlereader and/or blog comments.
Take yesterday's paintings out to the porch to photograph
Upload photos while picking up toys from the family room.
Upload photos to blog while sweeping and/or cleaning kitchen
Write blog entry, praying kids stay asleep until I finish.
When kids get up, play or activity or draw or garden or whatever.
Make dinner (usually while they are either in the garden or watching pbs/movie.
Have dinner.
Play in garden or family room while drinking bedtime milk and maybe a cookie.
Bath, book bedtime routine at which point it's about 7:45 and I
Go back downstairs to clean up whatever mess has been made.
Have a heath klondike bar, feeling like I need it like a shot of whiskey or something.
Check email, blogreader, comments while watching tv.
Sketch out FG while watching tv.
Set up on the couch with my bag of artsupplies
(This is them right here. Paints in the beach bag, sketch book, markers in a makeup bag. Pencils in their tin. Brushes in a placemat holder.)
Paint FG while watching primetime tv and maybe into the syndicated sitcoms.
Decompress for a few minutes to many minutes.
Clean up paints, brushes. Put everything back in the bag.
Turn off lights and close the door so the opinionated cat doesn't do any leavings of "opinions" on the couch throw.
Head up stairs, get ready for bed.
Check on kids, put boy back in bed since he likes to sleep on the floor.
Go to bed.
Read a few pages/chapters in whatever book I'm reading.
Turn off light.
Punch pillows to get comfortable, pull blankets up.
Fall asleep until it starts all over again.

Anyone want to know how I am productive as I am? This is how. Too much tv, too much coffee, multitasking, a pretty set schedule, and not much socializing. The days are occasionally interrupted by other things, but this is, by and large, my day. Now that I think about it, I need to find a place in that day to fit in writing. It really needs to be there for me, but Nanowrimo is coming, and it won't happen unless I build it in to my schedule.

Do you have a routine that helps you be creative?

Observe! Compare! Contrast! Describe!

I'm going to take a break from the mom paintings and write a little bit about the kid stuff we're doing in Warrior House. It's interesting that at the same time I am starting to do creative projects with my kids, I am becoming more creative in my own art. Coincidental? I don't think so.

This is a project about Ice, and melting and something called "reversible change." Where did the idea come from? From television? My best friend and my best babysitter. Actually, there's a new show on PBS called Sid the Science Kid. I'm loving this show, maybe it's the teacher in me, as I can see the week long curriculum themes. Maybe it's the couldhavebeen idea that I have had of being a biologist or a paleontologist. Maybe it's because I watch my kids jump up and dance when the characters do. Maybe it's because the questions on the show get G to start discussions or get interested in things like growing and decay and melting.

The other day Sid the Science Kid experimented with ice and melting and G and Ivy were so very interested and all of a sudden I thought, "Hey! I can do that!"
I think that's the key, that I-can-do-that attitude. That is where creativity comes from.

For a long time with my kids, I was too tired to even think of the possibilities. Too tired to jump on the doing that it takes. But perhaps the doing of the kid stuff feeds the doing of the art stuff. And perhaps the doing of the art stuff gives a mom enough energy and focus to do the kid stuff.

As an adult, you forget sometimes that kids are awed and entertained by the simple stuff. How often do you take ice for granted? How often does it annoy you when it is on your sidewalks, or your dinner for the night is still frozen when you should have defrosted it yesterday? How often do you drink a glass of something with a cool clink in it, and just think of the drink, not the miracle that is the reversible change of ICE.

All I did was take two kid size plastic cups, fill them with water and toss some grapes in there before putting it in the freezer and letting it ice over during nap time. All I did was fill a couple of pop bottles with water, and set the ice cups out in the garden on the cement pedestal (it used to hold a sundial, but we removed that before someone could get poked on it, and it makes a fine stand for experiments or for taking photos of art works.)

The kids were thrilled to just be allowed to pour glasses of water and watch the ice melt. They got to touch and taste and see, hear the glug glug of the water, smell... well I don't know what there was to smell, but they were sticking their faces in the ice cups to lick them, so I bet the smelled that frosty smell. Sure, yeah. I think ice smells frosty. All five senses. Curiosity. The ability to MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN. Playing in water. Eating frozen grapes. These are all good good things.


In fact, as I was just looking for the link, I realized how much PBS has given us to work with the show to encourage our kids to, in their words, "Observe! Compare! Contrast! Describe!"

How exciting. That isn't far off from art, you know. Art and science are both ways that we, as humans come to understand our world. Sometimes they are very close, very very close. Oh it does make me excited for some of the things I can do with my kids.

Hmmm... what should we do next?