It’s my turn to cover a shift at The Art Shack today so I brought along some art supplies to play with.
One of those items was a bottle of acrylic artist ink.
I follow artist Marion Boddy-Evans’ blog and she posted an experiment she did which inspired me to give drawing with ink a try.
I sketched in a line drawing to follow (which is also the view from the Shack window. Hard not to be inspired.)
Then, using the ink dropper like a pencil, I drew in the lighthouse, cliff and the dark edge of the water.
Next I dampened the water area with a clean brush, being careful not to touch the ink until it was all damp. After that I just let the ink do what it wanted to do, spreading out into the damp paper.
I liked the effect so much I did a little of the same in the cliff to add more texture and finally on the shadow side of the lighthouse.
Really enjoyed playing with this and can see me doing more.
If you give this a try yourself, please share in the comments. Id love to hear what you think.
Recently I asked myself these questions, “Why do I believe so passionately that creative expression is a sacred trust? Why do I believe it’s vital to leading a full life?”
It wasn’t always like that
I grew up around people who taught taking time to paint and draw was a frivolous use of a precious resource. The leaders of the church I attended taught fiction was like telling lies. Dire warnings that following my own path threatened the natural order of the universe. People I respected told me creativity was highly suspect and safer to steer clear.
Why the next thing you knew, I’d be thinking independantly!
Not my truth
Is it any wonder I felt confused? What I heard didn’t line up with inner wisdom.
It was years before I realized those message told me more about the messengers and not about truth. Their words and warnings reflected warped belief systems, disappointed dreams and their own legacy of distorted messages.
10. It’s a powerful way to teach without preaching. Let your creations do the talking.
11. Creativity connects us. We find others on the same path as us or we discover intersections and enhance each others’ journey.
12. Creative expression makes us more aware of the world around us. (When I sketch something I know it in a more intimate way than a mere glance offers.)
13. It expands our world. Think of what we owe to inventors, innovators, photographers, chefs, gardeners, etc, etc .
14. Play. The world needs less seriousness and more joy.
15. Creative living offers the satisfaction of being fully alive, using our gifts.
What did I miss?
Help me to add to this list by replying in the comments.
I’m including a pdf of 15 Reasons to Be Creative. Click the link to download. No need to sign up for anything.
Post it by your desk or in your studio. Share it with anyone who is struggling against old messaging to find their path.
I consider myself fairly easy to buy for at Christmas (unlike my husband who won’t even give me a hint!). I still love my toys as in art supplies, books or quilting supplies which are always at the top of my list. There are other ‘non-essentials’ on that list, as well. And if all else fails, a gift certificate for those aforementioned toys is always welcome (just in case you’re still wondering what to get me.)
This year, however, Santa really used his imagination and put a Sizzix Big Shot under the tree. I guess he was paying attention when I went on and on (and on…) about how useful it would be for my latest creative interest — rug hooking. I may have also mentioned it was a good tool for quilting. (Santa likes getting bonus points for hitting all the marks.)
After opening my presents Christmas morning I pulled some Thinlit Dies I’d bought a year or two ago (with no way to use them? Do you do that, too? Just in case?). I also grabbed some of the wrapping paper lying about and just had fun. So easy! In fact, I may have to add paper crafting to my creative list in the new year.
Looking around for new mountains to conquer, I got to wondering if there were cutting dies Santa could use for his HO model railroad. Naturally I asked The Google Machine and of course there are! Lots of nice buildings for his layout.
So Santa is feeling pretty pleased with himself and his gifting acumen.
Me? I have another creative project to add to my list.
Just this last week I posed a question about play in a Facebook Group. I asked the members to share their favourite activity as a kid. Reading the answers felt like a walk down memory lane and there was a lot of “Me, too!” going on. Continue reading “Play and Creative Practice: 5 Ideas to Bring Back the Fun”→
I sketched in a line drawing to follow (which is also the view from the Shack window. Hard not to be inspired.)
This year, however, Santa really used his imagination and put a 