Trust Your Talent

I was well into my forties before I  began making marks on paper with crayons and colored markers and pens.  I was definitely a late bloomer. But I had two wonderful things going for me then. First, I was willing to be a beginner.  And second, I had a cheering section of one. Both things helped propel me down this colorful path I have come to love.

I began drawing my feelings first, ignorant that I was joining the modernist movement of Expressionism.  I wasn't trying to make "art" but was simply trying to make sense of my inner world. Someone once said you have to make a lot of bad art before you can make the good stuff.  I did that and found I feel more alive during the process of art-making. Still do.

My cheering section, The Professor,  loved the final outcomes of my mark-making long before I could see any worth in them. He built me a round "Happy Fun Table" which took over our tiny dining area and let me "make messes" to my heart's content. Every night I would get out a few supplies and play.  Much of what I did then stayed safely hidden in my journals, however a best-loved piece, Wood Between the Worlds, came from those early days.

I know some of you have started playing in your journals, some with words and others with colors. Enjoy the process. Take a little time to play some each day. You don't have to show the outcome to anyone. Do it for you. I think you'll grow to like it. All you need to do is to be willing to be a beginner every day. And you have me in your cheering section. Because I love you. Bunches.

Mind Mapping

There is something great about beginning the week with a creative project among friends. This afternoon at Creative Playtime, we did a little mind mapping. Now if you're not familiar with this activity, give it a try after you read through today's blog post. First we prepared the background. Using a partially wet (spritzed with water) sheet of sketch paper. Onto that was layered color with Derwent's Inktense Color blocks. These wonderful sticks of pure color go on like watercolor pencils, but the colors are richer, brighter. And once the ink has been wet and dried, the color becomes permanent. Great for layering more color or glue or any wet media. No running or smearing. These may be my new favorite tool.

Look at these backgrounds. We set them aside to dry while we rummaged through the collage items to fill our pre-cut heads.
  The heads were covered with the collage materials and then attached to the dried backgrounds.

Next week we're planning to do aprons to protect our clothes from paint splashes. Stay tuned!