This is the first, wildest, wisest thing I know: the soul exists...it is built entirely out of attentiveness.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
ATCs
hand carved stamp: Retreat to Paradise Logo 1.25 x 2" |
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Zentangle Dreamin'
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Student Work in Zentangle
There is nothing more exciting and rewarding to a teacher than to have her student exceed her own capabilities. That is obviously what is happening with several of my Zentangle students here at Hawthorne.
Kudos to Sheila (the egg) and to Martha (the other two ZIAs). At our reunion yesterday afternoon the 8 people who came and shared were just rolling along! We had a great sharing time.
I also wanted to share Robert Genn's blog message today (you and google his name and go to the source directly). Many of you get his blog so this is repeat. It's just too good to miss. And it speaks to everyone, not just artists.
Thought for the day: (keep in mind, this is being written by a man diagnosed with pancreatic cancer…who is painting in a horizontal position in a lounge chair wracked with the effects of chemotherapy. There are times when I read something and I am left bereft of any way to express my total admiration for the courage and amazing outlook of some people.)
At the risk of once more dividing the world into two main kinds of people, there are two main kinds of people: those who amuse themselves, and those who require amusement from others. Artists seem to be pretty much of the former kind. Self-amusement prompts creativity.
Mornings are special times for the self-amusing. Curious as to what the day may bring, they often step directly into the amusement area--the studio. What I call "Curious Morning Syndrome" (CMS) is often the simple catalyst for productivity, invention, creativity and success. The blessing, of course, is not always evident to the young. Sleeping-in has ruined many an early career. And some folks must wait until middle or old age for CMS to kick in. Some think it's a gene. It's more likely a learned habit.
One way to activate CMS is to simply set yourself up to be curious about the outcome and potential of yesterday's efforts. A good system is to leave something unfinished when you shut down the studio at night. Better still, leave several things unfinished. The easier, the more enjoyable the task you leave behind, the more the likelihood of an early morning kick-off. At the same time, challenges are often best attacked when you are well rested and fresh. It's amazing what time and a good sleep can do for problematicals. The cold grey light of dawn automatically presents opportunities to the prepared worker. Happy outcomes are uncommonly common to the curious. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it has been responsible for birthing a lot of lively art. "How is this going to turn out?" is an essential question that an artist asks. Curiosity tramples drudgery and fires up improvisation. Curiosity sets the hands and mind in motion.
Every day is a chance for rebirth. When you think of it, every day is a relentless carousel with a joyous new song and a new view. Curiosity allows your unique "owned processes" to draw you toward creative conclusions. Thus, the miracle of creativity is regularly reborn. It's a blessing to see your world, your studio and your hands within it, first thing, like a child, with baby eyes. It's also a blessing that pervasive private curiosity can be rebooted a thousand times in one beautiful turn of the carousel. Robert Genn
Sunday, March 23, 2014
March wrapping up...
March flies faster than almost any other month down here in Central Florida. Guests, end of the season parties and activities, church events, taxes, Lent, and just the joy of watching the azaleas and the bottle brush tree bloom again. Then there is bird song and the smell of orange blossoms. (We had 50 Cedar Wax Wings in our yard last week!) The migration is on!
I end up kind of combining some of the tangles for days in the calendar while I try to figure how how to find time to get things done. And I am on the count down to Retreat to Paradise...a Zentangle 3-day event on the beach in Melbourne, FL. We leave in 11 days!
Tomorrow I have a Zentangle reunion in the afternoon. 50% chance of rain tomorrow so it's a good afternoon for that!
I have a couple of art projects laying on the tables in the studio I'd like to work on. This week might have a few little spots for that too.
My sinus allergies do kick up in the pollen filled air which makes me more tired than normal. So that is in the mix of things too.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
The Historic Howey Mansion
Ink and Watercolor 10 x 12 Arches 140 Cold Press |
Today our Fine Arts group from Hawthorne park got together at the Historic Howey Mansion here in Central Florida in Howie-in-the-Hills.
This was a really quick sketch with an .03 Micron pen and then watercolor. About 45 minutes total. This was the back of the house where there is a garden house.
The mansion was built in 1925 by citrus grower William Howey. Now, all these years later it is hopefully going to get restored and used again.
You can find some wonderful info and photo on the Facebook page. Click here.
We were given a guided tour of the inside. I took a ton of photos and I will share some later, but there are really good ones on the FB page too.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Zentangle Calendar March 16-18
Here, by the way, is one of the animals greeting Mary on our boat ride Saturday morning on the Dora Canal.
Tomorrow, I am off to do some en plein air painting at the Howey Mansion in Howey-in-the-Hills, a near- by small town. Built in 1925, for citrus grower, William J Howey. Photos to follow.
Tomorrow, I am off to do some en plein air painting at the Howey Mansion in Howey-in-the-Hills, a near- by small town. Built in 1925, for citrus grower, William J Howey. Photos to follow.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
March calendar with Zentangles
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
The Diva's challenge for this week
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Mail box cover
March marches on...
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Saturday, March 8, 2014
March Zentangles
Friday, March 7, 2014
Everyday uses for fun stamping and collages....
Example of black stamps on tissue paper added to journal with gel medium |
8 x 12 wc paper with acrylic paint, hand painted papers collaged on top, stamps on tissue paper and stamping. Some pen and ink added. |
Here the piece is cut into 4 postcards.
It's really fun to watch Jane Davies demo this postcard project. Click here.
I definitely want to do several more. Now that I tried one very quickly, I can see what I need to do to prepare better. I have lots more papers to paint that is for sure.
My journal pages above are sort of "Everyday Life" pages of movies we've seen and places we have been. It's really fun to look back and remember!
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Thursday, March 6, 2014
Stamp making on a rainy Thursday afternoon
These kind of home made stamps are so quick and easy to do. Cynthia showed us how at a workshop earlier this winter. It is all made with self-stick foam that you can buy in any craft section. I used cardboard and foam core for the the back supports.
When you consider the cost of manufactured stamps these are so inexpensive!!! And I think more fun.
Today I used black acrylic craft paint and stamped on white tissue paper. Jane Davies has a whole section in her collage book on how having black shapes on tissue is so handy to be able to cut up and use anywhere you want. When applied with acrylic mat medium the paper become transparent and disappears almost like magic.
I like the handmade...slightly imperfect stamps as they add interesting "wabi sabi" to art.
Charlie meets Tootle
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Wearin' of the green...
Ah the wearin' of the green continues for March 1-17.
Trying to find different mediums and shades of green for Roberta...left...watercolor apple green and yellow mix. Center is Pitt brush pen green. And on the right a nice fine line green wc pen. Incidentally "Pop't" on the right is supposed to look like popcorn. I think when you draw it smaller, it does look a little like it.
Not so much in my version. Wheelz in the middle is a study in pointillism.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Zentangle Calendar: March begins
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