Goals and Goings on

Image by Carla O'connor
I was inspired by Kelly Berkey ,who recently did a Vlog on her blog(wow, that sounds like a Dr suessism) about what she was working on and what her aspirations were. I thought I would share mine. I am very involved in Wyanne's Paint free class . I am discovering some important things about myself . I remember when I signed up for her class that I thought " I don't like paint but I do want to discover my style so Ill just use what she teaches with a different medium " but I have actually painted and am looking forward to painting more. I am starting to see a color palette emerge . I have discovered that I like canvas better than paper to paint on . I also like to paint on larger surfaces . I recently painted on an 11x14 and I felt it was to small .I am feeling less frustration with paint. I really cant put all the things about this I am feeling into words but hopefully eventually it will show in my artwork .I am keeping the things I am painting strictly in the Paint free class to keep the process intact but I am in that class with some incredible ladies . If you want to register for the Oct 25 class , I highly recommend it . It has been worth every penny so far and we are just starting the third week.

I am also working on my drawing skills . I signed up here and I am going to make it a goal to sketch everyday and I am practicing value .

I am also making it a point to study anatomy . My goal is to render the human form in my art and I also love faces . I ordered this book . I think it is important to know anatomy if you are going to draw the human figure .

I am really trying to learn the " Language of art " and get to a place where I have the knowledge to express myself more freely . The land of art is very vast . I am only just beginning to discover it and what it has to offer .

If you would have told me 20 years ago that art would become a passion of mine , I never would have believed it . I feel very small in the land of art . I have so much to learn and I am surprising myself with the things I am drawn too and how little I know . I am studying art history, when I can . I am ashamed to say that I know very little of some of the great artists.

Things I thought I didn't like I am being drawn too. I recently discovered Virginia Cobb and Carla O'connor . They paint in abstraction . I found myself wanting very much to explore that . So really I am at a very exploratory stage . I have no idea yet what my favorite medium is or where I plan to go . It is exciting and scary at the same time . I am like a baby discovering a new world. I am obsessed with learning right now and I think sometimes that's where the frustration comes from I want to run before I can crawl , so to speak . I can see small improvements and thats a good thing .So what about you ? what are your goals and aspirations?

Paint Free

Hi all , I am laying in bed sick . I hate being sick . I really don't feel up to doing anything at the moment so I thought I would Blog . I wanted to share with you how much I am loving Wyanne's new class "Paint Free" . We are only in the second week and I am learning things about myself. I think it is the most active I have been in a class and I love the energy coming from the other classmates and Guess what ? I painted and I actually liked it . I hated painting remember ? I actually put paint on Canvas and enjoyed it !! Wyanne has me excited at the discoveries I am making. If you are looking to find your unique style then you NEED to take the class.

I want to leave you with a little inspiration that I found online :

EVERYBODY KNOWS ...
You can't be all things to all people.
You can't do all things at once.
You can't do all things equally well.
You can't do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else'
You have to find out who you are, and be that.

You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others,
Because no one else is in the contest of "being you."

You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.
You will have learned to live with your limitations.
You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due,
And you'll be a most vital mortal.

DARE TO BELIEVE ...
That you are a wonderful, unique person.
That you are a once-in-all-history event.
That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are!

Visit Annas place , it's inspiring.

Fab Fabric

Danita is teaching her first online class !! You can register here . I love that you get a kit of supplies on registration, it makes it easy!! Congrats to Danita , I think she is great! I also love this Love Note pillow Tutorial by Alisa Burke. I can see so many ways to use this idea.For the bride and groom, you could make pillows of their vows , or how about pillows with letters from those who are no longer with us or some of your children's first "love notes" to you or you to them :) A great idea for Valentines day .

Stuck .

I am feeling stuck . Stuck , you know that place where frustration takes over and you want to pitch your art supplies ! It's like wanting to speak in a language you haven't yet learned to speak . I struggle to draw . I feel comfortable using pencil but as soon as I try to move beyond that medium frustration sets in . I have been trying to sketch with charcoal to get something down on paper to use my beautiful pastels but when i hold charcoal it just feels unnatural to me , different than graphite.I love the look of loose lines but I seem to have trouble producing them . I just need some direction .Sometimes I feel lost. What do you do in times like these ?

Stretching to sketch Week 1

The Sketches are up for Week 1 at Kelley Berkey Designs . This is my sketch . Go check out the others they are amazing. I hope you will join in the challenge:)

Strike a Pose...

Kelly Berkey posted about wanting to draw the human form . She set up her camera to catch still shots of herself during her ballet workout. I loved some of the poses. Kelly has a beautiful dancers body and I think she is capable of holding some beautiful poses. Alot of us don't have access to live models to draw from . So Kelly is going to start a weekly challenge . She will post a pose and we can all draw from it . I think this is a fantastic opportunity for us to learn together . I hope you will visit kelly here and participate in the challenge . We can all inspire each other .

Pastel play ..

I was inspired to make this piece by this post . The text says "Strength, between the Tears and the Truth " .I am just playing with some pastels . I don't have many but I plan to remedy that;)

Hope you are having a creative weekend.

Silly Sunday Winner!!

Here are your random numbers:

13 

Timestamp: 2010-09-05 12:07:26 UTC

( Excluding any double comments)

send your email to : jlyne@frontiernet.net

Anne Marie - Toronto said...

I do love to be silly and boy, do I ever need it right now!!! I just ordered Carla's book, but this seems right up my alley. What a generous giveaway! I haven't blogged about it yet, but I will either this evening or in the next couple of days. Thanks for the opportunity!

Congratulations Anne Marie !!!

Carla Sonheim and my silly giveaway ..

I went to Borders Tuesday and picked up this book . I took the last copy they had that day . I've been seeing some of my fellow bloggers doing the exercises . I thought it looked like fun .

I have to say that I did a little research on Carla Sonheim and I could really relate to her . Did you know she took her first art class at the age of 30 ? I listened to her blogcast interview here .

I really like her and I am looking forward to her silly 2 class. I want you to join me . I really thought more people would want to play with Carla . So , all you have to do for a chance to win is just leave a comment under the silly Sunday giveaway post (below) . Thats all . Just say you want to win , Thats it ! I will be drawing a name on Sunday .