1 Year and 1 Week

1 year and 1 week. That's how long I have been out of the loop. I'd say time has flown but it hasn't really. It's been a long, hard road, with many trials and tribulations. But, as always, I come out the other side with new knowledge and lessons learned. I'd like to say I am stronger for all I have learned but I wont go that far, not yet.

I'm ready to sdive back into art, I NEED the distraction. I NEED a direction. I NEED ART. I really need to put my nose to the grindstone because since July 1st I have been keeping an "Art Journal Fodder" journal. So far, it is three pages of thoughts, song lyrics, ideas, musings, and anything and everything else.

I worked yesterday in my inspirational journal , it was so calming, comforting, and fun! It kept me busy most of the day and helped time to pass and my mind not to be so busy and cluttered. One idea down and about 50 more to go in the "Art Journal Fodder" book.

I was going to delete this one and start a new journal as I am an avid collector of e-mail addresses, web addresses, and online interests. But something drew me back here after I spent the morning praying for a direction, guidance in my arty interests. I still may not stay here, I am considering wordpress as we speak, but first, I have to put myself back together.

Once I have decided what I am doing I will post again, maybe before as I don't know how long it's going to take me to decide. :D

Face 4

Got my 4th done early today during a bit of downtime and a very strange conversation with an unknown in World of Warcraft. :/

Face 4 is the little cat girl at the bottom, in case you haven't been following along. They are all rather whimsical but that's the mood I have been in lately. I haven't felt like putting forth the effort for realism. I feel like drawing something that will make me smile, or drawing what I feel inside perhaps.

I plan on coloring the piece when I get as many little faces on there as I can, with what media stands to be decided. Check back!

Faces 2 & 3

I know, Face 2 (on the left) looks a lot like Face 1. I had to re-draw it but it is different. I went to paint Face 1 and the paper in my sketch journal did not stand up well, plus I had already over shaded with graphite so it is a muddy mess at the moment, completely destroyed. I am going to try to salvage it, but not tonight and probably not tomorrow.

So, these two ladies are on a watercolor block and once I get a few more faces in there I am going to color and embellish.

They were very therapeutic to draw today and didn't take me long at all I drew them while cooking dinner.

Face #1

I'm off to a fair start. I got my face done today. 28 left to go!
And this is how she evolved.

The shading is off, I'm not happy with it but I got really tired and I think I will let her rest and finish the shading at a later time. I am going to try and fit 29 faces (or as many as I can) on a two page spread in my journal. Wish me luck!

29 Faces in September

And here I go again! At some point in my future I WILL finish this challenge. Will it be this time? Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh? I think I'm ready, prepared. But it is in my nature to always feel ready for a challenge. I will, however, keep joining as long as she keeps hosting. Rain or shine. Win, lose, or fail!

A quitter never wins, right?

Quote Love #1

I love quotes! I love songs with lyrics that mean something to me! I have scraps upon scraps of paper in my ephemera drawer with quotes and lyrics on them. The problem with that? I can never find anything when I WANT it. EVER!

I am truly a disorganized mess when it comes to "micro-organizing". Sure, all my art supplies have a place and I am pretty good at keeping everything in its place, mostly. But it's the little things that get me, the words, letters, and pictures cut from magazines that I want to work with. My scraps of quotes in a drawer.

So, this is my attempt at organizing my favorite quotes. I am adding a few here and there to this post until it gets big enough and then I will make more. Once I see what I have, perhaps I can move onto organizing them by topic, but... baby steps.

So, my first quote...

Life is not about learning to survive the storm, but rather, learning to dance in the rain.

-Author Unknown

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

My Time Away

I know I have spent some time away from my blog. Life sorta piled it on. There was a family reunion, a passing of a dearly loved one, the anniversary of my own father's illness, hospitalization and ultimate passing, and there was a smattering of other familial issues and ongoings.

I was around but not "art blogging" I was also making an honest attempt at getting my business blogs off the ground and organized. Sill working on that, actually. But I expect to have a little more creative time now, well, hope. I HOPE to have a little more creative time to myself now. One of my two littles started school this year and I only have one more left at home, she is a handful though! But I hope to be starting school next week. Should I get he money to pay for school then I will become a (hopefully full time) student for a few  semesters and get my degree in creative media! I plan on focusing on web page design (which I already largely know how to do, but my knowledge is, admittedly, a little dated) and photography.

So, that's where I have been. I hope to get back to arting for myself really soon (as in this afternoon!)

Arting My Heart Out!

I have been keeping myself busy trying to catch up on a couple projects I have taken on. Yesterday was a particularly bad day that put me in a real low place, since I have been trying to stay away from drama of any and all sorts. I have taken my muses advice and spent more time disconnected from the awesomeness of the interwebz and cell phones.

What have I done with my time you ask? Well lemme tell you!

I took on the ICAD (index card a day) challenge for myself and I decided that I would make my official start date the 1st of July. That means I need 8 cards as of tomorrow! From there I will do one a day, unless I fall behind or something, which would never happen. Riiight.

These are what I have so far...

Tangles used in the double Zendala on ICAD #2 are Echoism, Cracked, Trentwith, Bales, Nipa, Strircles, and Eke.

Cracked & Strircles being some of my very favorites. First attempts at Trentwith & Nipa.
This is not my first try at Eke, but it isn't one of my favorites, it never looks right to me.

ICAD #1

I started my ICAD (index card a day) Challenge today and had a ton of fun with it. I combined my ICAD with 31 Hearts, and tossed in some Zentangle and this was the result:

The Zentangles used here are Cockles -N- Mussels, Cracked, Jax, Munchin, Sanibelle, and Ving. I had room for more, but I really felt it was done and looked nice once I had gotten this far. Cracked is one of my all time favorites, so is Jax. This was my first ever attempt at Cockles -N- Mussels, Sanibelle, and Ving.

You can find a whole database of Zentangles at TanglePatterns.com, if you're interested in learning how to Zentangle on your own, or you can look up a Certified Zentangle Teacher in your area at Zentangle.com!

Unfortunately this ICAD, a couple backgrounds in my Gratitude Journal, a Tea with the Muse entry, and an entry into my BoD was all I got done today.

31 Hearts Challenge

Ok, let's try this again...

In May I attempted the 29 Faces in May Challenge put up by Ayala Art. The challenge came at a bad time, I had some bad comments come at me regarding my art and it really unlocked the inner critic and let her run rampant through my head for weeks, throwing up blocks here and there, willy nilly. It also brought out some of my most despised flaws about myself and I let myself fail at it. I thought I was prepared for it, I wasn't. But hearts, I can handle hearts. THIS, I can do!

So, with that I am joining the Ayala Art 31 Hearts Challenge! I would take it a step further and say that I would film my daily heart making, but I have yet to get a good tripod for my phone.
: /

Soon.

I am also challenging myself to an Index Card A Day (ICAD)! I don't know for how long. Maybe 1, perhaps 10, or possibly 30! I know in the Art Geeks FB group they started it a while ago, many ladies are already on 35ish. I didn't start with them, but I have been contemplating ICADs for a while! And with the hubby back at work I have a little more art time to myself, I am definitely going to use that time to my advantage!

Man, I sure wished I had that tripod...
It is on my list of first things to buy once my art budget returns!