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.

Creating Challenge Day 322--Penned Art Journal Pages

Another Draw Your Awesome Life assignment. I drew these leaf pictures in my art journal using a black water-soluble marker and a water brush. 

Creating Challenge 321--Watercolor Art Journal

More art journal pages for the Draw Your Awesome Life class. These kinds of drawings are called contour drawings, and they are done by looking at the object not the page. Try it sometime!

My hand

My water bottle.

Creating Challenge Day 320--Gelli Arts Plate Play!

I recently procured a Gelli Arts Plate, having heard many art journalist extraordinaires rave about the device. Today I brought it to a friend's house, and we played with it. Now I understand the buzz. It is so much fun to use! Slap acrylic paint onto it, use a brayer to spread it around, put stencils over it, stamp it using foam stampers, etc., etc. Then place the paper over it, use the brayer to flatten the paper over the paint, remove the paper, and voila--you have a beautiful piece of artwork on its own or a background for an art journal page, painting, card, or whatever else you'd like to use it for. I am totally looking forward to playing with this again soon, probably with my daughter during her Thanksgiving break.

Creating Challenge Day 319--Watercolor Art Journal

Again on location. Taking a collection of items and creating a page from them. It's so fun to take art on the road!

Creating Challenge Day 318--Minion Madness!!!

Stuart

Today, as I frequently do, I volunteered in my daughter's art class. The art teacher, celebrating the end of the trimester, assigned all of his students (about 180) to sculpt minions out of clay. He invited me to play along.

Mark, disguised as the mom

Creating Challenge Day 317--Watercolor Art Journal

In the Draw Your Awesome Life class, it's time to take art on the road. I cannot adequately express how much I enjoyed bringing a stash of art supplies to my favorite coffee shop, sipping my favorite coffee drink (Nutella mocha, anyone?), and observing my surroundings through drawing and painting. Now I'm ready to do this whenever the mood strikes. I believe it will strike often.

Creating Challenge Day 316--Watercolor Art Journal

Another art journal page via Draw Your Awesome Life:

I am having a blast in this class! Imagine creating art out of simple things such as your to-do list. Maybe I'll actually accomplish all of these goals...

If this looks like fun to you, consider taking the class. It's a self-paced, online course; it includes membership to a vibrant online community; and it's motivating in its simplicity. Join me (click the link above for info)!

Creating Challenge Day 315--Watercolor

I continue to participate in the Draw Your Awesome Life class. I actually went back to the beginning (as Vizzini always says), having received supplies (particularly the art journal) I'd ordered. Here is my cover page for the journal we're creating in the class:

Creating Challenge Day 314--iPad Painting

Playing with Paper by FiftyThree again. I painted this scene first and liked it as it is. I didn't want to ruin it, but I also wanted to try something.

I wanted to experiment with placing a boat into the scene. So I simply duplicated the painting, then added the boat. I like how both pictures turned out! Which one(s) do you like?

Creating Challenge Day 313--Decorating

I have wanted to create a valance for my art studio window for a while now. I've had an idea in my head about using various colored ribbons to create the playful essence I want in the space. The other day while at Michael's I saw ribbons in the exact colors I had imagined, and the rolls of ribbon were on sale for 60% off their usual price! SERENDIPITY! I decided to take the plunge and make my vision a reality.

Here's my window before:

This is an after picture, taken with flash so you can see the ribbon colors:

This is also an after picture, this time taken without flash so you can see the Christmas lights:

It's so fun! I love it, and my space feels even more creative and beautiful than before! I especially appreciate that I held the vision for this, I recognized the provision for it when provision presented itself, I took advantage of the provision, and I actually used the materials and finished the project within a day of apprehending the supplies (I'm notorious for buying supplies then taking forever to tackle the project). I'm also willing to tweak it over time as I see things I'd like to change. This whole process feels like creating organically, without striving, and this is how I want to create as often as possible.

Creating Challenge Day 312--Zentangle®

I haven't played with Zentangle® for awhile. In a recent art supply hunt I discovered Strathmore Artist Tiles. They looked like an easy way to reincorporate Zentangle® into my creating, so I ordered some. They arrived today, and I celebrated by tangling!

Creating Challenge Day 311--Spray Mounting

What is that crazed look in my eyes? Perhaps a few too many spray mount fumes (despite the attempts at using a shirt to mask them). Today I helped my daughter's art teacher mount students' artwork onto black construction paper for a future art show.

Creating Challenge Day 310--Brainstorming

I was looking forward to creating something artistic tonight after a busy day of running around. Now that the time has come, I feel tired and lacking in creative energy. I was feeling badly about this. I don't want to let myself down in this Creating Challenge, especially when I have so much inspiration around me. Yet I also do not want to force myself into creating when the energy simply isn't there. I've done that kind of self-bullying in the past, and I don't want to do that to myself ever again.

So, I decided to review my day and think of non-artistic ways I've created. I know that this 365-Day Creating Challenge has increased my overall creativity, so I figured I'd find something that would suffice. Sure enough, I did. Today I spent about an hour with my tae kwon do school owner developing a prospective schedule for daytime classes as well as ways to market them. I enjoyed the conversation--which always takes multiple tangents--and the brainstorming energy that comes when working with another person.

Creating Challenge Day 309--Ink Shadows

Another art journal page based on a Draw Your Awesome Life lesson. Trying to work with shadows via pen and waterbrush. Not my favorite work of art, but it is the fulfillment of my Creating Challenge for the day!

Creating Challenge Day 308--Preparation

Today I watched a Draw Your Awesome Life video. I'm still waiting on some supplies to arrive, supplies I'd use for the current assignment, so I'm postponing working on that project. I did, however, gesso more pages in another art journal so I can move forward if art journal inspiration strikes.

I also took a walk today and found some lovely leaves. I photographed them so I can use them for future inspiration.

Creating Challenge Days 306 & 307--One Object Five Ways

My latest Draw Your Awesome Life assignment: portraying one leaf five different ways.

Creating Challenge Day 305--Pencil as Ink Drawings

Leaves + Stabilo All pencil + water + art journal = Art!