Drawing a Day 20150126

A in the Snow

Watercolor and pencil on chipboard

Not loving it. Distracted today -- have a big freelance project I need to focus on instead. But I did it! Do I have to share if I don't like it?

I might go back to the root veggies for the time being. But the pressure is on!

Drawing a Day 20150125

The Turnip I Thought Was a Radish (For Cos)

Watercolor on cardboard

This is for you Cos. I was inspired by the Christmas tree you did on brown paper. Thank you.

A (Wo)man with a Plan

I'm not sure what to call this post. I sure have been a slacker poster and a slacker art maker. In the past few months, I have been trying to change habits. I read The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business and got some good ideas.

I've been trying to (in no particular order):

• Spend more time with the girls. They are growing up so quickly.
• Spend more time with K. Still keeping up with our Thursday night date night.
• Be in better touch with people I love. (I might have an idea how to do this. See below)
• Exercise more. I have been getting down to the basement to row multiple times per week. I was introduced to rowing by my dear college roommate Mandi, and I have fond memories of rowing in the crew room at Tufts with her and my sister. Recently though it was Frank Underwood who inspired me to get my Concept 2 out of storage and start using it.  
• Eat better. I still have that sweet tooth (see here) but I have been trying to use our winter farm share to the fullest as well. How's this for a fab recipe I made tonight?
• Buy less. I don't need more stuff. 
• Declutter more. And keep up with the house. I know I have two kids under 5, so this is something I have to accept that won't be easy. And K and I won some time with a declutterer in the HOPEsudbury auction. I got in touch with her today. That's a start! As an artist though, it's hard to get rid of things. (Might be another thing I can do with...see below)
• Read more. At least I have been listening a lot lately. And it's been helping me keep up with the cleaning and decluttering.
• Give more. I am excited that the Friends of the Goodnow Library brochure is going to be printed soon -- it's been a fun way to give back to the library.
• Spend less time on the computer. Mostly time wasters like FB and obsessively checking email or stumbling upon stuff and getting lost online for hours. (After today, I am hoping to write less on this blog, too, because I want it to be more about the art.)

And then there's the art. What this blog is all about. I have been pretty good about some of the above and I need to make the art a habit again.  I have been reading posts by Dayna and Jennifer (as I mentioned a year ago, the last time I wrote...) and have continued to be inspired by two women who also have young kiddos.

And then I read Jessie's post How to Do a Drawing a Day. I need this kick in the pants. Thanks Jessie! I know I have tried this before. But maybe I need new guidelines. Or maybe I need less structure and I need to give myself permission to change the rules if they aren't working.

So I am putting my brainstorm in the open. Here it goes. And I start tonight.

• Once a day.
• Start small. 10 minutes. I can do ten minutes. Let's see how it goes. If I want to push it up, I can.
• Length. This is key. I never thought about this. I always say a year and basically set myself up for failure. Jessie says "How long your drawing a day project goes on is up to you. Maybe it’s just a week, maybe it’s a full year. Or maybe you want to take it easy and see how it goes, like a month-to-month lease. " I love the month-to-month lease idea. Let's do it!
• Format? I'm thinking small. 4x6? I have these super inexpensive (but awesome for this project) NYJJTA frames from IKEA. I am going to put drawings I like in the frames and hang them on the wall. I'll rotate them out. It will be inspiring. Or I can send these artworks in the mail to people I want to stay in touch with. Maybe some of each? Again, this doesn't have to be set in stone.
• Sharing the project. This blog, I guess. I was thinking Instagram since it is solely photos, but the square format doesn't go with the format of my choosing. 
• Medium. I use the term drawing loosely. Enough said.

Ok, enough thinking, more doing. 

Inspired

It's been a long time since I have posted anything (aside from the little chick), or even since I really produced anything aside from my holiday cards. (I don't even think I posted those, I'll have to do that soon)...

But I have been thinking a lot about art. I have got projects running through my head and my new resketch book!

I'm waiting for my house to fixed up so I can get the couch and coffee table and doors out of the studio space. I am waiting for the weather to warm up so I can work in there without freezing my fingers off. I am waiting to have a bit more time (but that will be when the girls are in school more, and I don't want to wish the time away.)

In the meantime, I have been inspired to do some more projects. I saw all of my art from this blog in my Google Web Album and that was pretty awesome to see all the work I have done over the years -- how much it has changed yet the similarities that weave through.

I have also been completely inspired by Jennifer Lynn Marcuson: The Artist. I connected with her at a wedding this summer (of another talented artist, the fabulous Dayna Tauro of Day Breaks Glass -- see below...) and since then have been in touch. Not only is her work absolutely beautiful, but her enthusiasm and drive are completely contagious. She sends out these beautiful, thoughtful emails to her mailing list and she's just bursting with ideas and projects.

Dayna, Dayna, Dayna. She's posting these fabulous mosaics over on her Facebook page. Every time she posts a piece I fall in love. Do yourself a favor and don't fall too in love. She's having a baby any day now so there's not much currently for sale and nothing in the pipeline for a while.

I could be all cheesy and talk about New Years resolutions I probably won't keep. For now, I'll just promise to continue to be inspired. Thank you, ladies.