Creative Thursday
Creativity ~ Obvious ~ Amazing ~
This has happened to me many times. ~ Has it happened to you?
Eat Dessert First
Yesterday was a cold, blustery rainy day. Imagine my surprise when I found a flier neatly tucked under our front door inviting us to an ice cream social. I don’t know about you, but ice cream is the last thing on my mind when the weather is so dreary and cold.
The funny thing is, later on, we couldn’t stop thinking about ice cream! lol Hopefully by the time the event takes place in two weeks, the sun will be shining and the weather much nicer than it has been.
However, for me, there is an upside to all the rain. It gives me more time to explore and let my creative wild woman out to play. The mixed media collage below is what happens when some Japanese stamps, gesso, newsprint and one rain crazed baby boomer woman with a glint in her eye meet on a blank canvas. I had such a great time I started two more collages.
Yes, for every season there is a time to play, to create and eat dessert first!
See You There – Mixed Media Collage -8 x 10 inches on canvas
thoughts for the day; “Nourish your eye and spirit with inspiring things. They will bloom with your tending.” – SARK
“The point of art is not simply to express ourselves, but to create an external, concrete form in which the soul of our lives can be evoked and contained.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Journey Of Courage
It takes courage to try new things and explore uncharted waters. Especially when our inner critic keeps whispering in our ear . . . I wouldn’t do that if I were you! You really don’t have time for this! Remember how frustrated you can get with Photoshop!
Today, I played around with some photographs taken over the past couple of months, and tried my hand at creating a photomontage/collage using Photoshop & Painter 7.
I tried several different techniques I had read about, and ended up merging them all together in this one image. Some of the techniques worked and some didn’t, but I sure had fun!
Photoshop and I have an uneasy relationship, and one of these days I am going to take a class. I know it would make my life so much easier!
thought for the day;
“Another word for creativity is courage.” – George Prince
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” – Mary Lou Cook
Creative Energy
I love this guy! Great energy!
Artist Robert Bosler
thought for the day;
“Perhaps painting is a dance in even the smallest way.. that is, the brush dances if nothing else” … – artbytv
Rice Paper & Leaves
Here is a fabulous collage idea using thin rice paper and leaves. Wow!
I have to try this sometime.
thought for the day;
“If you create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.” – Marc Chagall
Monday
Over the weekend I discovered some Yupo Paper hidden away on one of my shelves, and I was hoping to play around with it today, but I came down with a nasty flu yesterday.
So here I lie in bed surrounded by Kleenex, a big pot of hot tea and various medications which are suppose to help me get through the worst of it. C’est la vie!
thought for the day:
“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”
– Joshua J. Marine
Monday
Here is a video demonstration of contemplative sketch booking with Sumi ink, watercolor and collage.
A very creative and interesting video. Beautiful!
Creativity
“Creativity can be described as letting go of certainties.” – Gail Sheehy
Butterflies in the Garden
There were butterflies in the garden this morning . . . . So beautiful and so fragile! They inspired me to want to do something creative. I have been so busy with other projects, I haven’t had the time or inclination to work in the studio.
At times when I am feeling blocked, but feel the need to create something, I pull out my stamps, watercolors and various papers and create whatever comes to mind. I find it helps me to get the creative juices flowing again.
When I had finished this piece, I took it into Photoshop and added one of my favorite quotes.
“Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.” – Arthur Koestler
“You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.” – Nietzsche
Phoenix Rising
The Phoenix is a mythical bird which upon it’s death, burst into flames and rises again from it’s own ashes, so it’s a perfect metaphor for how I have been feeling over the past few days.
I started another canvas today … splashing, scraping, pouring and ripping paper to collage onto the painting as I thought about why I have been procrastinating about starting a new piece of work.
Lately, I have been spending much of my time reading, taking photographs and working in the yard, which I guess is another way of gathering ideas and stimulating creativity.
Phoenix Rising – Acrylic/Mixed Media – 8 X 10 inches on canvas