Connect / Out of the Box

last week

Sunflowers Out of the Box

It's been an amazing week with so much creative inspiration and seren-dipitous activity.  First, as I showed you before, I am taking the free online Recycled Journal Pages class with Pam Carriker.  Her idea of using photo copied images from your old paintings jumped me into salvaging an old painting.  I actually put that improved painting into a frame, but had forgotten to sign it, so I took it all out again and while signing, decided to do some Zentangle doodling in the squares...something else I've been experimenting with after reading blogs from other Journal-istas.  This also led to outlining the flowers with the brown marker, which gave definition and depth to the flowers. (Click on the image to see it larger.) You may disagree, but I think Sunflowers Out of the Box is much better than it was last week! 

Then, also from exploring other artist's blogs, I found a great one called 37 Days, by Patti Digh, from North Carolina, who has a new book, Life is a Verb.  The next day, I saw on Facebook that she was doing a workshop in Nebraska!  I commented on it, and the day after that I got a message from the local organizer telling me of another workshop in March!  The world gets smaller...

Then, on Tuesday, I read an email from Ariane Goodwin, who was giving a free registration for smARTist Telesummit 2011, to the artist who comes up with the longest qualified list of phrases referring to art, artistic endeavors, or creativity – but were used in a more every day sort of way.  My mother helped me, and we won!  (Thanks Mom, and Ariane!)  So, I'm also spending the next few weeks immersed in information from fabulous artists and business coaches.  This is already influencing the way I'm painting and thinking of what's next.... 

And, since I'm going to visit my daughter in North Carolina in February, I wanted to include an art class with the trip.  I found Joe DiGiorgio, teaching a class at Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh, and signed up....  I've already finished a painting inspired by one of his online videos.  Can't wait to connect with more artists!  

I've come up with my focus word for the year:  Connect...with artists, buyers, family, self.

2011 is definitely off to a great art-focused start.  It's only three weeks until the Governor's Mansion show goes up.  Yikes!  Time to connect with my lists and PR folder.

Inspiration for the New Year

I'm in an online workshop with Pam Carriker, whose blog I've been following for about a year.  She is doing amazing things with her art marketing, creating lots of art, and showing amazing improvement in her techniques.  The free workshop is a series of videos on recycling Journal Pages.  It is sponsored by Strathmore, and by the way all the art supply websites are back-ordering their journals, it must be a good deal for the company!  It is inspiring and fun to share with over 900 other artists involved.  I think you can still join this group if you're interested.

This week we were to add a few papers and images to a journal page.  A new video is posted each of 4 weeks, adding to the journal page each time.  I think most of the "students" are anxious to get on with it!  This photo shows what I've done so far.  I was inspired by the words a friend posted on Facebook after her father died.  More of her words will be added later.  It includes some previously painted tissue papers, scrap-booking leftovers, an old watercolor pencil portrait, and pieces from photocopies of an old painting.  This photo copying of my own work was a great idea.  I even grabbed an inadequate, old watercolor painting of sunflowers and added 17 pieces cut from photocopies of other sunflower paintings for a much improved painting.  This one may still be evolving, but it's good to be inspired.