It's Only a Sketchbook...

I pasted this reminder into the front of my new sketchbook...

Hello, and hope you're well, thriving, and enjoying whatever season it is with you, to the max.

This week, always pulled from digital watercolour to splash around its more real equivalent by sunlight and heat...I finally started a new sketchbook.

Why, "Finally"?

I say "Finally," because I'd been dancing around the brink of starting the wretched sketchbook  for weeks...doodling, sticking to digital, or using loose paper. And all because that first page feels more pressurised, somehow. There's a delight in the possibility of filling all those blank pages, yes...but...

-What if I mess something up and have to look at it until sketchbook is finished, every time I flip through?

-What can I possibly do that really represents where I am now for the lifetime of the sketchbook?

And so on, and so on.

If you're ever faced with blank paper, new sketch book, new journal, new project,   (or a blank screen) maybe you can relate?

(I think maybe digital art, with its oh-so-handy "Control Z" function to undo the last action, also makes me, still, more nervous of paper than is warranted).

In any event...

As you can gather from this , I am not only a recovering perfectionist, but also the queen of overthinking. And in the scale of things going on in the world, let's face it, minor points like these are excellent "problems," to have.

And so, I finally stopped myself and just got.into. it. (yay!) by deciding:

1) To create a piece of art to stick in the front *first*.

2) To encourage imperfection, wildness and experimentation in that drawing, and set  that as the tone for the new sketchbook instead.

3)  To remember, in fact, that the whole point of sketchbooks is supposed to be practice and play, not perfection,

4) To bear in mind that "done" is (almost) always better than perfect,  and 

5)  To finish the sketchbook ASAP, so that having things hanging around won't be a problem anyway. 

And so far...

And so far, the new strategy is working. Whenever I open the sketchbook, I see something that I hated as I was doing it, but which in its weird, imperfect and totally overworked way, is kinda-growing on me...

 

and the words of reminder that, "It's only a sketchbook...Go wild and have fun".

Maybe I might even borrow that thought as a metaphor for life in general :-) .

Thanks for reading down this far, and hope it helps in some way.

More soon.

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Art is Just Much More Fun...

"Art is Just Much More Fun", by Clare Walker, BoundingSquirrel.com

Hello there, and hope you're thriving.

Today's image is straight from the sketchbook (in watercolour, pen, a touch of wax resist and even some sparkly gold acrylic paint).

And it sums up how I'm feeling...Much better, thank you, with the sun shining, and art calling oh-sooo-much-more than the thousand things with which I'm supposed to keep up or catch up

If you can relate to this, there's a strong chance that it will be in my shop soon in some way.

But for today, it's just here for fun as it says...And to be a permission slip (if you need one) to have more art and or fun in life too.

Have fun with this, and more soon.
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An Autumn Leaf Art Journaling Idea

Let Go of Everything..., by Clare Walker
Available with blank leaves, on Redbubble

Hello there

Hope all is great with you. But if you're feeling like there's a lot (or a little) of which you'd just like to be rid, am sharing  you this art journaling idea that came to me this week. Feel free to try it if you'd like.


One "Letting Go" Art Journaling Method

The way I did it (which doesn't, of course, have to be the way you do it) was this:

1. Get quiet and peaceful (eg by deep breathing), with the art supplies/device you want in front of you.

2. Draw a scene or symbol that represents "letting go," to you. 

For me, it was falling autumn leaves, but it doesn't have to be that for you...It could be the tide, a feather, or a dustbin or trash can. Whatever works for you is all that matters. (Neither does it matter how "well" or other wise you think you can draw. You don't have to share this with anyone...I don't share a huge chunk of the things like this I create).

3. Include some space or way to incorporate the words or symbols representing things of which you wish to be rid. (In the picture above, you'll see that each leaf has a labels, such as "Anger" and "Fear". But your labels will of course be your own).

4. Identify the things you'd like to be rid of (for me, they felt heavier than everything else).

5. Add those things as labels on your drawing.

6. Optional, but if it feels good, complete this by crumpling, altering or destroying the journaling in whatever way feels good to you. (In my case, on the newest version of the journaling (as it was digital) I erased the labels, and was just left with the pretty colours of "blank," falling leaves again.

The next step

In end, I really liked the actual design once those "heavy" labels on the leaves were removed, so I popped the peaceful and blank version of this design onto Redbubble. 

I guess if you really would prefer and *really* don't want to draw anything, you could always get a stack of postcards with the blank design on, and add and destroy your own labels.

The peaceful, blank version of the
design, on a postcard...

But though I love people to buy things of mine to which they feel drawn (thank you again if you have and do), in this case, it's very likely that you'll get the most benefit from drawing this out yourself.

Go on, give it a go...I dare you.

More soon.

PS. If you are one of the people seeking designs featuring cats, bats and hats for Halloween, fear not, my newest Halloween designs *are* already on sale in my Redbubble shop, and at Craftsuprint, so please use those links if you'd rather buy now than wait for any upcoming posts. Many thanks!

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And Now for Something Happy, Fun, and Completely Different...

Update on July 19th 2023 

I'm re-writing this post, to offer you this design in a way that (from feedback) seems to be more popular and workable for people.

If you never read the original post, then, in a nutshell, it was a result of my having done more digital art journaling of late, such as this:

Click here to see this on journals,
magnets and more...

This is available on Redbubble at the moment, and perhaps on other sites soon.

Sorry for any confusion caused!

More soon.
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Echinacea Art Journaling, And Daring to Be Imperfect...

 Hello there, and hope you're feeling well and thriving.

In social media land, everyone always seems to be thriving, after all. There they are, tirelessly churning out *amazing* artwork day after day, or so it seems. Good for them, if that's how it really happens (and by the way, if that person is you, wow, and can you please get in touch and let me know how you do it? Thanks!).

One thing I keep meaning to get into is the habit of planning these posts in advance. "Keep meaning to," as in, "haven't done yet". So, what you see is what you get. Which is a problem, if it's Friday, and the feeling assails me that I haven't done enough that's bloggable, this week.

(Don't get me wrong, plenty has been done, but more of the sketching ideas, walking in the sunshine, and re-connecting with people variety).

And then I remembered...    

And then I remembered this Echinacea art journaling:

Echinacea art journaling. You're welcome to
share this on social media, but please keep the
watermark intact. Many thanks!

Which put me in a spin, because it was art journaling just to clear my own head... I hadn't really meant to share this at all. For one thing, a traditional watercolour (and as a mostly digital gal still, I do get nervous about sharing those. The lettering is digital, but still hand-lettered, another rarity for me).

But now that I see it, and am about to hit, "post," it' dawning on me that this is the perfect, "imperfect" post to share. 

"Perfect Imperfect," is Probably Where We're All Mostly At, Right Now...

For am guessing that I might not be the only one feeling a little wind-blown by the last couple of years. If you can relate, then I hope the idea of seeds having been sown gives you as much of a boost as it did for me.

In any event though, if we all keep posting just the shiny, sanitised, "perfect" versions of ourselves and our work, then we're creating an exhausting and ultimately, unsatisfying,  rat-race of comparison for ourselves and others.

On the other hand, if we do our best to be as real as possible, and  to acknowledge that life happens in ways not always easily sliced into blog posts, then am guessing there'll be less stress, and a lot more fun  for everyone.

In any event, thanks for  being here and reading this (I really appreciate it), and have a lovely weekend.

Update and PS. It turns out that this image is striking a chord for some people, so I've also popped it on a sticker here:

Buy this sticker at Redbubble

Not the outcome I expected, but thank you.

More soon.

New Artwork: It's OK to be Happy, People Need Joy

Hello. 

If you're in a space to be thinking about joy today, I have something for you.

(To share this image, retaining the watermark, the link is here)

This was a piece of digi-art journaling (hand-lettering and painting, but in a digital art program...Krita, in this case) I got up to this week. 

If you've read these posts for a while, you'll know that this isn't the first discussion of "can art/happiness be justified when X is happening,". But this just wanted to come out, as a full technicolour reminder that joy helps the world rather than hindering it.

And yes, it's a little brighter and bolder than I might have necessarily done things for a good while. Some of the credit for that must go to the workshop I'm on this week. Am purely a participant, not an affiliate or anything, But if you've been having any kind of creative block, stuckness or general "loss of colour," in your life or work recently, it may speak to you too, and you'll find all the details at:

https://radiantearthstudios.com/unlock-your-artist-challenge

And finally

And finally, pretty much for fun, I did put this image onto Redbubble as well, and am enjoying the look of it on magnets, mugs, and the like, here.

So I'll leave you with some more visual goodies (clicking on the pictures should click you straight through if you're interested.

It's OK to be Happy People Need Joy Magnet

It's OK to be Happy, People Need Joy Mug

It's OK to be Happy People Need Joy Cushion/Throw Pillow

And more than anything, I wish you a happy and joyful weekend.

(Day 60/100) "Where the Pieces Fall," Digi-Art Journaling in Krita

 And now, as they say, time for something completely different. 

Day 60/100 was a Sunday chillout  way for me to remember something I'm always learning and re-learning. But if it resonates with you too, feel free it. 

Ironically, for something that was meant to be, and felt, chilled the whole way through, it actually took longer than the average cartoon to produce. (Maybe because I do many fewer projects that evolve, rather than "starting with the end in view,". Perhaps it's time to practice those "evolving" projects more).

For those of you that like to know, I created this digitally in Krita, using a graphics pen stroke by stroke, with the exception of the lettering. That uses the free and royalty-free font Amatic, stretched changed and shadowed in various way.

And in any event, hope you're having  good weekend.

More tomorrow.

Art Journaling...& Should I Even Try It In A Crisis?

There was a conundrum you see. The situation does seem a bit sticky round these parts at present. (Not to mention the myriad of unusual practical issues that are facing millions of us right now).

But on the other hand,  the sun is shining today. My partner and I are also lucky enough to have all we need at this moment. And we're told that the best thing we can do to help others is to stay indoors.

So, daring to do some art journaling, did feel somehow, right. And, though in normal times, I'd probably "tsk" at this result and not post it, by doing it at all, I suddenly felt 100 times more positive.

Therefore, if you're in a similar position, I dare you to go ahead and make some art. Affirm that life *does* and will continue...And share every shred of joy you can find.

Pen and wash with wax and water-soluble crayons & Posca Pen on mixed-media paper

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New Digital Painting/Art Journal (AEDM Day 17)

Day 17 of the Art Every Day Month challenge, and this is as much a note to myself as anything else.
Joy comes naturally to me...but so does an accompanying smidgen of guilt if others aren't in the same place.

Then I pondered on this...When you think about it, it does no good at all to dim your own joy too far...It may in fact lead a person to be less effective in helping others than they might otherwise have been...and to have fewer reserves to draw upon in their own time of need.

Just on a personal level, felt like a point worth remembering-as well as a great chance to practice digi *watercolour* lettering (and backgrounds) in Krita 4.2.

More tomorrow.

AEDM Day 10-What I'm Learning About Art Challenges (and Life!)

It's Day 10 of Art Every Day Month, and as you can see, it's what yesterday's half-finished frame is becoming, though not necessarily what it will end up being in the end.

And yes, a busy time for me i happening to coincide with the stage of these month-long art challenges that naturally feels like a lull.

But what's more important right now is what I'm leaning from this challenge. That taking time to finish something is OK. That acknowledging that I can't do everything all at once is OK too.

And most importantly of all, that things take time to grow and emerge, and that the process of *becoming* simple cannot be rushed, whether you're a person, a plant, or a painting.

More tomorrow.

Art Journaling/Inspiring Idea: (AEDM 7)

Day 7 of Art Every Day Month is a bit of a victory for me. Let me explain.

There's the most beautiful silver birch tree in a neighbouring garden. Every year, at about this time, it turns the most wonderful shades of orange and gold. And every year, I attempt to capture that.

In previous years, I've always left the attempt feeling disgruntled. This year, well, it's still an attempt and an approximation of the real beauty of this tree. By doing fewer actual strokes (still in Krita with digital watercolour brush strokes) and more splattering, it feels like I might just have come a tiny bit closer to capturing something of its autumn essence, anyway.

Nature Art Journaling in ArtRage 6: Ducks!

And just like that, it's September. Having spent August unexpectedly designing for Christmas projects instead (don't worry, I have manners, and will not post those yet ;-)).

The whole experience of the "out-of-seasoness," that the design calendar demands, left me feeling strangely un-grounded. Added to the general craziness of UK (and world) life at the moment, and action was needed.

So, this is a first ever attempt at nature art journaling for me, in ArtRage 6...Found it so relaxing that suspect more nature art journals will follow...and can highly recommend it if you're feeling stressed too. For now, here you go...

To try ArtRage for yourself, go here. (That link isn't sponsored in any way-I'm just a big fan of this software). 

More soon...

Digi-Art Journaling in Krita 4.2

A n experiment for a lazy Sunday: Digi-art journaling in Krita 4.2...

Update: This is now available as a postcard, which you're also welcome to use as a craft supply or jumping-off point in your own work. Enjoy!)

New Art Journal: Why I Don't Write Poetry

Someone asked me the other day, why I don't write poetry. Since have also  been on a bit of a drive to explore new ways of using my materials and apps recently, this emerged. (Who knew that trusty ArtRage5 also makes a pretty good digi-art journaling tool as well?)

More soon!