Create Every Day Week 3

Again, life loves to suck time away from my creative allowance. But I did manage to make a couple of cool pieces, both related to a man I admire and love to listen to: Frank Turner. If you don't know his music, and you love intelligent lyrics and good old fashioned rock n' roll with a splash of punk, you really need to check him out.

The first piece is from my Photoshop class. We were supposed to focus on using and manipulating text...so I chose a favorite song lyric, and then just let my muse take over, creating a background for the words.

Isn't he beautiful?

The second "piece" I have to share is a T-shirt I made (no, I do not sew) covered in favorite Frank Turner lyrics, to wear to, you guessed it--a Frank Turner concert this past weekend. This took a couple days to do. The fabric markers did not flow well on fabric, which made it very slow going to write anything legibly. The picture here is the aftermath of the concert, so it's a wrinkled, rock concert mess. 

Front Side

Back side

Yes, Frank Turner's music is an inspiration. Proving that putting creativity and beauty out into the universe is the best way to make sure it grows!

Create Every Day Week 2

Being back at work is infringing on my creative time. For those that don't know me, I am a special education teacher plus I work after hours at an alternative education program. My day runs, non-stop from 7:30 - 4:30. When I say non-stop, I really mean it--I have someone who needs me, is looking for me, or is creating more work for me, every second of every day.

So I leave work absolutely exhausted. By the time I get home and sit down, my brain is pretty useless for a couple of hours. So this past week, I was physically unable to create every day. I honestly didn't have the energy and brain capacity.

But I did try to fit it in when I was feeling like I could string a coherent thought together. One night I just colored. Until my new kitty decided that the colored pencils were the bane of his existence and he needed to DESTROY! Kind of hard to stay in the lines with a ten pound, furry ball of crazy climbing all over you.

Here are the other pieces I managed to squeeze in.

Photoshop assignment for class, practicing using & creating brushes. The subject is above said ball of kitty terror.

Another Photoshop assignment. This one I found kind of boring, but there's a lot that went into the picture--just doesn't look like much!

The single alcohol ink painting I played with. Working on more fields & multi-toned backgrounds. Trying all sorts of techniques to create flowers that I like.

I have already my Monday piece for next week, so I know I will have at least one fun thing to share next time! Enjoy your week!

Create Every Day 2017

I need to be creative as much as I need to breathe oxygen. When life gets so busy that I let my creative time get eaten by the stress monster, I begin to feel like I am dying inside. I'm not using hyperbole here. I believe my soul starts to wither if I can't make something that, hopefully, adds some beauty to the universe.

I decided I wanted to challenge myself to create every day; and interestingly enough, so have a number of my artistic friends on Facebook. I guess our world needs as much beauty created as it can get right now.

I tend to work small and fast when I am in my creative mode. My mind begins to race, in a healthy way, and I allow the muses to take flight and guide my hands. It's freeing and restorative, and allows a short window of time that is all about feeding my soul.

This first week of 2017, I played with two mediums. First is alcohol inks. I had taken an alcohol ink mini-course last winter, and love the free and unexpected nature of the medium. They can be a you-know-what to control, but that is what I love. I might start out with an idea when I first drip the inks on the paper, but end up with something completely unexpected. Here are the first few pieces I made, some of which will be used as background for mixed media pieces in the future.

Practice with blending colors and using a felt pad to create texture

More practice creating texture, and trying to create some floral motifs. 

An attempt at a sunset...I like the texture on the beach, but that's about it. 

This started as a landscape-oriented piece, but I extended the path too high on the piece. I ended up rotating the piece and creating a field of flowers instead.

Another piece that started out with a landcape orientation. My idea was to create a Northern Lights effect. It wasn't working, as I wanted, but I kept playing. Then when I rotated the piece, I saw the face profile...do you?

More attempts at an aurora, but using a different technique. I picked contrasting colors on purpose, and have plans for using this in a mixed media piece about dreams.

This was the most recent piece. This one started out completely upside down...and as I played, it turned into more of an alien landscape of cliffs and a gorgeous green sky.

Finally, I am taking a Photoshop class. Here is the piece I like most from this week's assignments. Fun with masking, filters and making composite pieces.

 I plan on playing more with the alcohol inks, and begin to add some techniques using brushes to add details. And who knows what Photoshop assignments might strike my fancy this week? Or I might make some glass beads, or a piece of jewelry? As long as I create every day, the possibilities are endless!