Comfort Zone page

Ok well actually my plan was to sketch in my journal today. I have just completed two semesters of Sketchbook Skool with some of the most talented journal sketchers in the world. I have enjoyed watching them so much and have said to myself everyday---OK, today's the day I will go out and sketch in my journal.  Everyday, I have a very good excuse---mostly that it's just too darn hot. But I did draw the Mod Podge on my desk but then got carried away with lettering.  I also was going to do my Documented Life Page with the underpapers and haven't gotten to that yet either. I was doing pretty good and was on a roll then we went on vacation and all went ca-poof! 

(Is that a word?-- ca-poof)

So this is my comfort zone---lettering.

And if any of you are wondering--- and I am just so sure you all are waiting with bated breath to know this...---I am still oil painting but not posting them. Some are pretty good and I feel like I'm making progress then one comes along that stinks so bad I have to send it down the 

refuse chute as I say, "Good riddance, stinker! Burn baby burn!"

Perfect

More letter doodling. I love to do this type of letter doodling. For me doodling consists of any type of

drawing that moves the hand and relaxes the mind. 

IMAGINE---PERFECT---PEACE

Peace-->tomorrow

Imagine

"Imagine---Perfect---Peace"

Perfect----->tomorrow's post

Peace--> day after tomorrow's post

The "Zones" Of My Life

Creating art is an interesting thing for me. It is a process of sliding into the creative zone without planning it and finding yourself joyously creating. But if I have to do a commission work or I have to create on demand, I am sometimes dead in the water fairly quickly into the process and have to push myself to create...and usually this is in the dreaded twilight zone. I can still turn something out --- but with extreme difficulty. But if I slip into the creative zone the finished product might not be a masterpiece but the point is, how did I feel when I was creating it?? That's the creative question I ask myself. If it was fun and enjoyable and the outcome was pleasing then I have been in the creative zone--which is also outside of any time zone.
These two paintings above started off as just some calligraphy on 6x6 scrapbook pieces of paper that came in an order as a freebie. I was actually thinking about tossing them into the scrap bin (and the trash bin crossed my mind too) probably to be lost forever and never used since the paper was rather uninteresting. I wrote the calligraphy (again, no plan) and then started to do some doodle flowers around it and then ended with...having fun! Isn't that the goal of our art anyway...having fun...the journey is the destination...and all that rigamarole??? How many of us are making thousands with our wonderful art anyway (or hundreds...or even just a few dollars??)

Well, some of you are but for me...I might as well have some fun!

What have I been up to these last few days?

Well, since I can't stick to one thing for very long (but I do eventually revisit usually) I have been making some things for my Etsy shop for Christmas. I don't have the Christmas items up yet but I do have some of the pendants up.

And also I have always loved headbands--even when I was a child I used to wear all colors of headbands but they weren't cute back then. As I mentioned in a previous post I have bad hair days sometimes but when you put one of these rag bands in--no more bad hair---cute hair! Yes, you do look like a Bohemian flower child but---hey what's worse, Bohemian flower child or---bad hair? Bad hair gets my vote!


I also doodle in the "closet of creation" at home. (look below) I love these Westwind graph pads. They are part of my supply list for Italic Calligraphy that starts November 2nd (shameless plug!) I like to watch my TV programs (I am a TV junkie) but I am very particular about my shows. Durning a commercial I run to the closet and add a doodle. It's good exercise too--running to the closet and I do a 1 or so minute doodle or some quick lettering. As you know, I am addicted to the doodle---I call it POWER doodling! POWER TO THE DOODLE!! It's cathartic.

And as you see I am also taking Monica Zuniga's online class, "Drawing Faces" with Pencil which I love. I love drawing eyes. And I love a pencil. It is about my favorite art tool.

Monica is good!


DOODLE POWER!!!

Doodle-de-Do

Here is a little doodle---watercolor pencils and brush lettering in my Molskine. This is my first scan with my new scanner. It is wonderful now that I got it working. Have you ever called and waited for the tech person to answer and when finally they come on and you attempt to explain your problem the machine just starts magically working and you feel like a total idiot? He actually laughed at me. Well, he doesn't know me so no harm done. It's working, that's the important thing.