Art Everyday Challenge

Leah Piken Kolidas, of Creative Every Day - a wonderful and inspiring bloghttp://creativeeveryday.com/, has kicked off her Art Every Day Month challenge for the year.  I have tried to participate with vigorous intent but usually life got in the way and the initial energy to participate would wax and wane, then peter out entirely.  This year I am using it as a vehicle to proceed on my journey of a creative life that is long overdue to flourish.  Last week, I was able to work on something creative everyday and here are two results of my endeavor:

Autumnal Compositae 

I am a trained botanical illustrator.  I got bored with the process and let it go, exploring other forms of expression from collage, to mix media, art quilting and other fiber-textile processes.Yet, because I wanted to get something going - do art for the sake of the process - I reverted to my roots to produce these two portraits (above and below)

White egret

Last weekend, a white egret visited my porch and the neighbor's as well.  It was around all day, squawking and perching and flying off only to return and repeat.  I managed to get a few sketches of it and produced this drawing during the week as well.  I am fascinated by birds and can spend hours watching them, one of my favorites are the egrets and herons.  I think I captured my visitor as if it were a juvenile bird - but he wasn't.  Interestingly, I see it has returned this morning, so I hope to make more sketches so that I can improve on its portrait.  

The process of painting on a black ground is interesting.  I used a bristol or card stock with a tooth to it.  I sketched it in pencils first then laid in a layer of white gouache - watered down a bit.  This is the white to grayish back ground to use the colored pencils.  The bird I just used white prismacolor pencils directly on the paper.  

I forgot how much I can get happily lost in the process of drawing...how much more calm and intuitive I feel when I am working on a piece.  Living a creative life is my passion and purpose to celebrate my talents and share them with others.

My quote for the weekend:

“When we engage in what we are naturally suited to do, our work takes on the quality of play and it is play that stimulates creativity.” –  Linda Naiman