Day 8

On Tuesday, I spent my creativity on creating these mice for Squirt :) In the Netherlands, it's customary to share a little treat with your class mates when you've had a birthday, and Squirt went for... cheese! Which is quite funny when you know he tells me (and everyone who'll listen) on a daily basis that he really doesn't like cheese! On occasion while munching on a piece of cheese. Adding that he likes this cheese, but most definitely not 'the other cheese', whatever that means ;)

Gratitude only in the fact that I finished them on time :)

playing

I'm taking Alisa Burke's online sketching class. I love what she does in her own sketchbook, and I'm looking forward to some insight into techniques, especially shading. I'm really bad at shading!
I'm also a little at a loss when it comes to inspiration at the moment. Can't expect fire trucks and the like to drive through this little square every week just to entertain my pens ;)

This first week has been fun. She suggested to make an inventory of supplies, to see what you can do with what you've got. And I've got a lot... It's been sort of liberating to dive right in to play with colours and pen, without having a plan! I never knew you could actually have fun with pens that aren't waterproof!

So I'm looking forward to what's next! It's been really good to fill my 'art time' with a little more than staring at a blank page feeling annoyed, not coming up with something good all on my own... I'm sure my inspiration will resurface (eventually), but there is nothing wrong with learning something in the mean time ;)

prized

These are some drawings I did last month, for the Sketchbook Challenge. The theme of January was Highly Prized. And while I'm having a hard, hard time getting to my emotions these days, when it comes to Most Loved in my life, Squirt wins, hands down :) Along with the fact that I can actually still carry him... for now...

And of course there is drawing; the creative act itself. Love that. Need more practise, but that's okay. That's why I'm doing these :) Faces... Oww, faces... But the only way to get them right is - practise... (or draw baby boy's butt, of course).

I'm looking forward to finding out about February's theme! And if you've met the challenge, let me know - I'd love to see your work!

arrival

Horrible scan. The page is bigger than A4, and that never works. But that's not the point. This is the front page of the sketchbook I put all the Silly Stuff in. I had decorated it before, but I never liked what I did. You see, I went into it without a plan, and while that may work for everybody else - I don't know, does it? - it doesn't for me. Too many non-combinations of colours for starters. I needed to do something about it! Seeing that Silly has officially finished, and I had all this time on my hands, I decided to go in the way the Professional Journallers do.

And that's what I mean, there you go! I have arrived as a modern crea chick! I have GESSOED my way out of a pickle and got to come up with a whole new design, on top of the old one - which you can still see a little through the gesso, but only in a two-toned winter-wonderland way, which is quite acceptable! I'm so proud ;)

*also a first: lettering in acrylic paint, with a brush, that is! but seriously, who cares? ;)*

sight

Silly assignment, to decorate a pair of glasses.
Isn't this so cute, in a weird, almost disturbing way?!

faceless

I'm a bit scared to draw in the face... But apart from that, pretty pleased about how this came out! And it actually happened, wet bum & all ;)

(click on image to see it larger)

something

Apropos of nothing in particular, I'm making quite a statement:

But it's very, very true :)

much

Much, much stuff going on. In my head, mainly. For now at least. But things are about to change. Which means I need to bite off & chew some fear. Of the unknown. And of change, in itself, really. Which inspired this artishtic attempt. Because something had to come out, somewhere.

& since I was visiting my AJ anyway, finding out - again - that busying myself really does help take the mind off things, I printed my beautiful toddler - wearing a mixing bowl for protection - onto cheap watercolour paper, to see what would happen if I'd splash some colour. The idea is an interesting one, although the execution - especially where it needed patience! - needs fine-tuning ;)

busy

opened

brave

Finger painting with Baby Boy. Or should I say 'body painting' ;-)
'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'. The title just popped into my head. Projection, projection... ;-)
I was called 'brave' on beforehand. And yes, it was. I was ;-)
Two baths later, I think the yellow paint came out of his hair...
:-D

itch

Paper is more my scene than fabric, really. Well, not when it comes to what to wear, so much ;-) But when it comes to crafting, I feel much more comfortable posting about my paperwork; I'm a Paper Girl!

I'm using all kinds of scrapbook-like techniques when working on Baby Boy's photo book (which is probably why I have only just finished his first month...), but I'm too cheap to buy all kinds of bells & whistles. You can spend several paychecks on what's out there - it's unbelievable what they come up with; new stuff every day! I do enjoy looking around online & 'real life' craft shops for ideas, but to be honest, I don't even want to buy most of the embellishments that are available. I enjoy creating my own. I suppose you could say I'm actually scrap-booking ;-)

A couple of months ago, I discovered - all on my own! - that newspaper covered in acrylic paint is really cool to work with. You can see the print shine through if you don't lather the paint on too thickly. I used this flower, and others, in a collage, in BB's photo book and on a handmade card.

A few weeks ago, I sort of felt like I should make something again, as opposed to drooling over what other people get up to. Surfing the net, which is how many creative plans get conceived over here, I stumbled upon this beautiful newspaper snowflake garland tutorial. Don't ask me how I got there, suffice to say, I was spending too much time 'shopping around' again (trust me, you can click-read-click your life away quite easily) ;-)

But it was time, I felt the itch - I decided to celebrate Baby Boy's first official word by creating a newspaper garland with sheep, hearts & stars, along with a matching card :-)

I'm not much impressed with my photographic skills on this one, but I do like how this little project turned out (click the picture to enlarge, you'll get a better look that way!) :-D