inspiration

ART as healing activity

inspiration / /

Do you use your art as a healing activity? What does that look like?

Magazine collage

Does it mean making marks without judgment? Does it mean discovering things that you can’t say with words but only through mark making and images?

Emotions, Mandela collage

Do you need to have a guide or therapist or a teacher? Can you trust yourself to do the discovery on your own?

I think the process of making something is the healing activity. It may not be important to interpret or give special meaning to the product.

Bowl of sketchbook prompts

I have tried some art therapy type assignments, and found that they were not especially useful to me. I find if I tweak a project to my own supplies, skills or interest, it has more impact for me.

One challenge that I have is to trust myself and to enjoy the process without judging it. I think that is a skill that is worth developing.

What if I make mud? What if I make the same marks over and over again? Is that valid? Is that important? I try to remember that it is about the process. And let that be good enough.

celebrate sunshine

Check out the online classes that are available to you now.

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Listen to art classes

inspiration / /

I love to have art podcasts or lessons, playing in the background while I work.

collage words

I don’t really listen or pay attention, but it just feels like having somebody else in the studio with me. It can be replaying a class that I took many years ago or it could be listening to a brand new podcast.

trees as subject matter for art making

Some of the artists that I listen to are:

I can listen to  a class over and over as I move around the studio. Sometimes I am inspired by a technique or subject matter. Other times I just laugh along with the presenter or other wise enjoy the discussion.

If you are looking for a new class to inspire your daily art making then check out some of my classes that are available now. Enjoy!

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Finding inspiration for your sketchbook

inspiration, mark making, sketchbook ideas / /

It can be a challenge to find new inspiration for your daily sketchbook practice. I have use the following ideas to inspire my sketchbook practice:

  • Twigs from nature
  • Photographs from my phone
  • Drawing and painting ideas from other classes that I’ve taken
  • Pinterest boards
  • A mirror and self portraits
  • Old drawings in old sketchbooks
  • Colors swatching new materials
  • Making borders with hand made stamps
  • Writing to do lists or wishlists

Sketchbook drawings

And maybe the habits that I use in my sketchbook do not have to be new special or wonderful. The sketchbook practice is for to generate ideas and imagery. It is also a place to create with just a few guidelines and not many restrictions.

If you are interested in learning some new sketchbook habits, then checkout, Creating Habits Workshop. There you will learn 20 new habits through 27 short videos. READ all details on the workshop page.

Handmade sketchbooks

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Finding new habits

collage, inspiration, sketchbook ideas / /

My sketchbook is a great place to find and develop new habits. It is a safe place to experiment. Hopefully I don’t bring in a lot of judgment and expectations to the process.

Sketchbook pages

I find a lot of inspiration on Pinterest. I’ll often take an image and use different materials to make it my own.

My favorite materials these days are simple, crayons, and water colors. I like how the crayon resist produces a sketchy mark.

Emotions collage

I use lines in squares and circles to mark up and start a page. I often work back-and-forth and do not complete one page or spread at a time.

My sketchbook can be a place to release and discover emotions and feelings.

Emotions, Mandela collage

Often I will glue in words or feelings, in the form of a collage or mandela. This is one of the habits that I offer in the class Creating Habits. It is 27 short videos with 20 new habits. Check out the details on the workshop page.

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Draw that leaf

drawings, inspiration / /

Here in New England fall is a wonderful time to use leaves as inspiration for drawings and print making.

Autumn leaves as inspiration

I do think that photos are the best way to capture the colors for a long period of time. But I can’t resist collecting a few leaves and bringing them back to the studio for inspiration.

capture the fall colors of the leaves

Out of all the choices that I had, can you believe that I picked a simple yellow and brown leaf to use as a reference for my sketchbook drawing.

Draw that autumn leaf

My plan was to fill a sketchbook spread with different variations, inspired by this one leaf. I started with an outline drawing of the basic shapes inside and out.

Repeat the same leaf shape with slight variations

Then I filled the two pages with similarly shaped leaves overlapping in layering them. I use loose watercolors, markers, and gel pen. I hope I have inspired you to gather a leaf or two, and to make a sketchbook drawing to celebrate the autumn season.

Check out the online courses that are available as self studies.

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