Week 25 - in the Studio

Like I mentioned last time, I learned to deal with some big disappointment and move forward. The time I spent in quarantine wasn't wasted as I was able to focus on some office work. 

My business coach is a big fan of a planning and content app called Notion. I've known for some time I needed something far more robust than my paper calendar , something that would hold everything from daily tasks to long term plans.... So, after watching some YouTube videos (and, trust me, there are lots of videos) I downloaded the free version of the app and while resting in bed, I started to build the systems and populate the templates I had chosen. Some of the things I love about this app are its ability to be on all my devices and I am work with both home and art all in one...

My approach is to do a big "brain dump" of every idea I have in my head and then move those ideas into different areas and populate them with tasks or just let them sit until I'm ready to use them. If you are looking for something like this, do some research and see if it fits: https://www.notion.so/

I also finished and posted a new YouTube video, Colouring Cloth: https://youtu.be/1meoNgaZe6M Check it out and leave a comment. If there's other topics you'd like to see covered, let me know.

In Colouring Cloth I focus on creating the cloth I use for my totes and sketchbooks, using raw art canvas - super inexpensive and so versatile to work and paint on. I think my technique in the video is loose enough that you could adapt and change it up for your style and mediums. You can also adapt it for other fabrics and by using textile focused products and I think it would work for clothing.

A couple weeks back I mentioned that I've been working with circles - I think one could spent their entire art life just focused on this shape - are you tempted? I designed more Thermofax screens for my Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/FabricImagery?ref=seller-platform-mcnav&section_id=5879181

Speaking for circles, the grandies and I played with Spinner Art again, I love what they made and we turned some of them into cards:

I guess I'm feeling better now, I did have an Open Studio last weekend, it wasn't very busy and so very HOT outside. It gave me the opportunity to tidy up a bit and make some of my Art to Carry totes - the video I mentioned above is how I create the fabrics that I use.

Do you like the little labels I had made? I found a designer on Etsy and they make them from ultra suede - lots of colours and sizes, I'd recommend them: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SpottedZebraCA?ref=yr_purchases

So, I guess after the last blog post, I'm back on my art track...how about you?

Week 16, 17 & 18 - in the Studio

 Time got away from me, as it often does, some good weather prompted me outside and into the garden...

But studio time has been a bit weird...I am moving forward into unknown territory and that can be frightening - in an art-kind-of-way! My series, the Industrial Shoreline, is evolving and I am on my (possibly last) piece of textile wall art. I enjoy creating these but they have become an easy place to be...pick a photo, change it around a bit, make the work. Interesting and appealing but not mind blowing, exciting stuff. 

I have some ideas for new ways forward with 3D work, collage and some smaller mixed media but the next steps are experimenting, trialing and foundational work - stuff that seems if it fails - then I fail. Realistically I know thats not true, but it's hard to push on through into new work - what if it falls flat and is terrible? At least I know I'm not alone - and I've been in a safe place too long.

So here's a bit of a start on that last piece, the long strips will be cut up as sky:

Speaking of sky...I just posted a YouTube video "Paint the Sky" on how I create the sky pieces...dyeing and painting a variety of fabrics: https://youtu.be/eIK3_fniC7I

So I mentioned some more collage pieces that I'm working on, using elements that I created in my Scan n Cut. I painted soft greys and blues on water colour paper and am auditioning different ideas that I could incorporate into the work. Still very much exploration and play - something I need to remind myself over and over again...it doesn't have to be "finished" - it's about the journey, not the destination...yada, yada, yada!

On a totally unrelated note, some of our family gathered for Easter and we had a Lego contest. We made up bags of random Lego bits and had to create something using every piece! It was a fun activity!

Be Creative, everyone!