Inspired

Everything lately is encouraging me to make art. When I've been feeling happy or content, I sketch away. While having a rough day, I lay down color on canvas. When I've been thoughtful, I focus on detail. I've been working on a few different projects all at once and having the best time.

I have 3 canvases going, and one painting on a wood panel. I am sketching out ideas for a children's book that my friend wrote. I have turned an old romance novel into a sketch book and I'm painting, sketching, and writing notes to myself in it.

I'm totally absorbed in creating, and it is wonderful. I haven't been this way in a while. I could feel it coming on, and I'm glad it is finally here. A part of me has been gearing up for this for some time, but something had to give first. And it did. I'm enjoying this productive season in my life, and I am grateful for the people who stand behind me and cheer me on.

And yes, I'm using material I've been getting since my concussion, as mentioned here.

My littlest canvas, and potato print.

I got a little experimental and went back to basics, all at once. I have been wanting to mess around with prints in my paintings for a bit, but I haven't really wanted to go buy the linoleum and other supplies that I used back when I did that sort of thing... so I thought, why not use a potato? I couldn't come up with a good answer for that, so I did. And yes, the shape is roughly one that I saw in my head over and over one of the nights I couldn't sleep.

A sneak-peek of my works in progress.

Here's a grouping of my main three canvases in action. The furthest left is my least complete canvas. I have sketched out a pattern for the background, and that's about it so far. The one on the right is a color pattern that I kept seeing over and over again while listening to the sound of A/C unit outside. I think it may be a self-portrait. (It has been years since I've tried one of those.) The one on the bottom is my first potato-pattern canvas. If it goes well, it will be one of my give-away gifts this year.

The not-so-wonderful romance novel of the 50's (turned sketch book).

This has been a fun one. I found this old book at Desert Industries for $1. It is nicely bound and with a lovely greenish fabric cover. But that was all that it had going for it, as far as I was concerned. Ann of the Woodlands held no magic for me as it was.

I've taken this sad little romance novel and gave it new life. I have doodled in it, painted a couple of water-color sketches, and done some pen and ink drawings. I went in and glued pairs of pages together and then painted out gesso on the front and back of those, so that they can hold up to being painted on with acrylics. Exciting, no? I'll put in more photos of that fun once I get rolling with it.