Creating Challenge Day 365--Completion!

I am crossing the finish line! Creating Challenge 2013 is now complete. I have so much I want to say about what this Creating Challenge taught me, and I will do so in days to come. For now, I want to revel in the moment. I also want to thank each and every one of you who has cheered me on. More than you know you have encouraged and inspired me. I also want to thank my partner-in-crime, Wendy Balman, for sparking the fire that became the Creating Challenge and for running this race alongside me. We did it, Wendy! Now, we celebrate!

I bless you all, and look forward to all the creativity that will emerge in the year to come. Creating Challenge 2K14--who's in?

Creating Challenge Day 364--Face Sketching

Face number 4. I drew it with a black Stabilo All pencil onto a previously made background, one my daughter created using acrylics our Gelli Arts plate. After drawing the face, I brushed water over the pencil in a few places to create shadowing.

Creating Challenge Day 363--Gingerbread

Before baking. I've molded the numbers and imbedded goodies into them.

Post-baking but pre-decorating.

We have a Christmastime tradition in my household: baking gingerbread. Each person molds, bakes, and decorates his/her gingerbread into an edible art piece that represents something about the past year. Gingerbread was the perfect "canvas" for representing my 365-Day Creating Challenge!

The finished product. Pre-eating.

Creating Challenge Days 361 & 362--Drawing/Painting Faces

Having completed the Draw Your Awesome Life class, and waiting for Draw Your Awesome Life 2 to begin, I've treated myself to Dina Wakley's Facing the Facts class in the interim. I've watched the first two videos and begun the assignments. I've also committed myself to drawing 100 faces. That is my new Creating Challenge, overlapping this 365-day one I'm completing in three days!

My "before" drawing, before watching any of Dina's videos or reading any of her pdfs.

My first "after" drawing, after watching the first instructional video.

I went to Canvas and Cocktails (what a way to paint!). I decided to jettison their prescribed painting to do my own. Why not a face (especially since I've committed to drawing/painting 100)?

Creating Challenge Day 358-360--Watercolor Art Journal Pages

Over the past few days I've completed my Draw Your Awesome Life lessons! Here are the last pages:

Creating Challenge Days 351-357--Catching Up

It's that crazy-busy time of year, and though I've not been blogging, I have been chipping away at some creating. Here are some pictures of what I've done over the past week:

This is Zentangle® in white ink on black paper. A fun twist to the art form.

The last entry for my Draw Your Awesome Life class. I still have a couple of lessons to complete from the middle of the course, but it's nice to have reached the end. I'm looking forward to Draw Your Awesome Life 2 which will be drawing my awesome life in 2014.

This one is still a work in progress.

Creating Challenge Day 350--Watercolor Lettering

Draw Your Awesome Life again! Sometimes it's simpler to just paint words onto the pages.

Creating Challenge Days 346-349--Watercolor Art Journal Pages

Keeping up with blogging my Creating Challenge journey has proven difficult at this busy time of year. However, the actual creating is keeping me sane! Here are some art journal pages I've done over the past few days, all inspired by Draw Your Awesome Life lessons:

Creating Challenge Day 345--Thumbnail Sketching

Today I quickly sketched some places where people might feel restful. I'd love some more ideas. Where do you like to rest?

P.S. One of these days I'll do thumbnail sketches of my thumbnails...

Creating Challenge Day 344--Creating an Art Journal Course

The art teacher at my daughter's school wants me to create an afterschool art journal class. So I am! Today I wrote a blurb describing the course and why I'm qualified to teach it. I'm excited for this opportunity to inspire middle schoolers to create in a way that will help them process their experiences, thoughts, and feelings!

Creating Challenge Day 342--Watercolor Art Journal Page

More Draw Your Awesome Life!

Creating Challenge Day 343--Face Sketching

Soooo...this looks nothing like the guy I was trying to sketch. It's a surreptitious Starbucks stalking sketch. It was bordering on an UNsurreptitious Starbucks stalking sketch, so I had to stop looking. Many apologies to this seemingly nice gentleman. I didn't mean to make you look so nerdy. 

Creating Challenge Day 341--Baking

Peppermint Oreo Truffles for my daughter's violin recital. That is all.

Creating Challenge Day 340--Face Sketching

Today I returned to Starbucks and to my surreptitious face sketching ways. This little girl, about three years old, captured my attention. What a cutie! She moved around a lot (a three year old--go figure!) so I couldn't always see her. I learned much about drawing someone who is on the run!

Creating Challenge Days 338-339--Watercolor Art Journal Page

Another Draw Your Awesome Life assignment--watercolor and pen.

Creating Challenge Day 337--Watercolor Art Journal Page

I drew some simple scenes for my Draw Your Awesome Life class. I realized, looking at the photograph of the page, that I hadn't done much hatching on these sketches, so I went back in and added some. You'll just have to trust me on this.

I found creating scenes a little difficult. As I went about arranging objects, I tended toward the silly. I thought you might appreciate a photograph illustrating my goofiness.

Creating Challenge Day 336--Creating Community

You may know that I lead an online creating community called Brilliant Chaos. Brilliant Chaos is a supportive, encouraging group (administered on Facebook) of people who create all kinds of things: novels, art work, music, websites, businesses, companies of people, etc. Today my Creating Challenge led me to ask a series of survey questions, one each day for the following five days, to further develop this community.

If you are a creator who would like a place to bounce ideas off others, gain encouragement when the going gets tough (or even when it's easy), and simply participate in general silliness, please click the link above and join! We'd love to have you!

Creating Challenge Day 335--Knitting

Continuing to knit an afghan for my son. A great way to keep nervous hands busy during tense football games!

P.S. The countdown begins: 30 days left of my 2013 Creating Challenge! I'm going to finish strong!

Creating Challenge Day 334--Mixed Media on Canvas

I created this mixed media picture (acrylic, collage, decoupage, and pen work on canvas) on this background. Not what you might expect. I had read a magazine article about the technique of creating a background in complementary colors. It supposedly brings energy to the finished product. What do you think?

Creating Challenge Day 333--Watercolor Art Journal Page

Another Draw Your Awesome Life lesson. 

Creating Challenge Day 332--Cooking

I was lamenting the lack of time I had to create today due to the Thanksgiving-related cooking I was doing. Then it struck me: cooking is creating, especially when experimenting with new recipes. So, today I created latkes, stuffed mushrooms and other appetizers as well as putting final touches on a peanut butter and chocolate chip cheesecake.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am grateful for each one of you who reads and/or comments on my blog. You encourage and inspire me more than I can say.

Creating Challenge Day 331--Watercolor Art Journal Page

Another art journal page done through the Draw Your Awesome Life class.

Creating Challenge Day 330--Watercolor Art Journal Grid Page

A watercolor accounting of my week last week.

Creating Challenge Day 329--Watercolor Art Journal Page

Yet another Draw Your Awesome Life lesson. Getting different perspectives on one object.

Creating Challenge Day 328--Pen and Water Brush Art Journal Page

The second in a series of black and white pictures done with water soluble marker and water. (Check out yesterday's post for the first picture--notice any differences between crumpled paper and crumpled fabric?)

Creating Challenge Day 327--Pen and Water Brush

Another assignment from Draw Your Awesome Life. I felt it was a great--and fun!--exercise in noticing light and dark.

Creating Challenge Day 326--Acrylic Background

Trying a new technique on canvas. This is the beginning of the background. Any guesses as to what this will become?

Creating Challenge Day 325--Mixed Media Art Journal Page

The Draw Your Awesome Life lesson I tackled today was drawing/painting one item five different ways. I had taken a photograph of some leaves for this very purpose.

Creating Challenge Day 324--Painting On Location

I was in such a lovely, restful location, and I "just happened" to have my art journal supplies with me. So I had to paint the scenario! Now I will always remember the sense of peace I felt when enjoying this beauty around me.

Creating Challenge Day 323--Art Journal Page

More Draw Your Awesome Life. The challenge is to draw/paint the same nature object in five different ways.