Branching Out

I finally picked up my watercolors tonight. I have been drawing recently, and signed up for an online watercolor class. I still haven't started the class, but I did open the colors and began messing around with my drawings. I would say that I am not totally disappointed. I have lots to learn, but I am happy that I am overcoming my fear of failure!

I painted one of the Zentangles I did last week, and it looks pretty good for a beginner. I also have my cow I drew from the instructions in Carla Sonheim's drawing lab book. It's incredibly goofy, but is a good example of what your eye sees and what your hand draws! You just look at a picture, and then without looking at the paper, you draw what you see. It's pretty funny, but at least I can tell it's a cow. I doubt anyone else can, but that's ok. I added a goofy eye and some watercolors - the eye did not help, but the watercolor saved the day!

I've been making progress on my calendar art. I still don't have it done, but it's not due until April 8th. So far, I'm happy with what I've got - if I could just make up my mind about what I want to do! I think, though, that I've finally decided and now need some more small canvasses. Perhaps a trip to Hobby Lobby is in the works for tonight...

Moving on this year

So I have decided to devote more time to art this year and less time to being unproductive. I have made some pretty good inroads so far. I have found that making my colorful and fun felt beads is a good way to spend time and develop my sense of color. Putting the bracelets together with regular spacer beads is getting easier too. I will have my bracelets in a show/sale in April, and that's a first for me. This is a good thing.

I have signed up for Judy Coates Perez's online color theory class and have Carla Sonheim's drawing book. I have a sketchbook and watercolor pads. I bought fabric paints and graphite pencils. I have been drawing a lot and have been teaching myself the art of Zentangles.

I have put aside my lampwork beads and felting. I did one art quilt which was a big success, but have not done another one. I am ok with going from one thing to another - as long as I learned from it.

As I have mentioned before, I have "friended" many artists on Facebook for whom I have lots of respect. I am learning from them and the links they provide, and I am learning to throw myself out into the world a little bit at a time.

From Facebook, I have found several online groups for mixed media art, and have joined each one. One of them, CreateMixed Media.com (http://www.createmixedmedia.com/) has a weekly calendar that displays artwork in the form of a calendar from different artists who belong to the group. Heretofore, it has been pretty well-known artists in this particular art world. However, a week or so ago, they opened it up to unknowns and wannabe artists like me. My week is April 17th-23rd, and I am scared to death! I know this is good for me, but it is so terrifying to think that something I made is going to be seen by real artists...

It's a learning experience, and I am going to figure out the perfect way to display my numbers. I just haven't thought of it yet! I will. By April 8th. My first publishing deadline. Hooray! :)

Creative Weekend

I spent Friday and Saturday nights this weekend making bracelets. I have a number of them now, and I need to decide whether to hold on to them until the art show in April, or to put them on Etsy to see if anyone is interested. I am getting more creative with the bracelets, and more creative with putting the beads together with fibers and seed beads.

I will try to take some pictures and post them soon, but I find the best place to take pictures is in my office - I guess because the lighting is better than at home.

I really like my new camera for taking close-ups. It's just a point and click, but it's more than good enough for me.