what is an artist?

What is an artist? Every definition of an artist includes the word "creative." Define "creative" - one who has the power to create. Interesting words. More interesting is the ability to integrate those words into your life, your being. To create through so many different means.

tired...again...

This blog's purpose was to serve as an outlet for release of my creative energies. I find myself working all day and then coming home and working some more. I had intended to take time for myself, to pursue something I enjoyed. I'm very tired. Surprisingly, though, I'm not as stressed as I think I should be. It's already mid-October - usually by now I'm slipping into a low emotional cycle. Though I feel tired, I'm not feeling the emotional down that mid-October brings. Is this a good sign? Maybe. I will hold on to positive thinking.

EDM #2 - draw a lamp

I haven't had much inspiration to draw in the past few days. It was a really tough week and the next week is going to be much of the same. I searched down the EDM list to find an object I could just draw from the sofa, as I parked myself there almost every evening after getting in late from work.



So...the easiest to do was the lamp across from me on the make-shift table in the living room.



There's a picture of my daughter beside the lamp. It looks tilted because the "table" is actually a sample kitchen cabinet door sitting on some boxes. I wasn't up to sketching the details...I just drew her there...tilted!

EDM Challenge #33 - draw an eye

This is drawn from a photo my daughter's eye. I printed in black and white to get the subtle shadows and tried to tint the blue of her eye. I didn't realize the variation of blues - even teal. I wasn't able to capture that, but will try again.

either one thing or another

This Thanksgiving weekend was spent creating. Creating baked goods, beautiful meals, and memorable times...but not too much drawing.

I have created another blog - one focused on writing. I'm taking a night school course in Creative Writing, so I thought a blog would be a fun forum to share my adventures in writing. I've been writing almost all my life - mostly journals, some poetry and (of course) work-related technical writing.

I'm looking forward to the next ten weeks of this course. My goal is to be able to write short stories.

Chaos

I did a couple of sketches yesterday (Sunday)...the following is only a small part of all the work I brought from my old office....fully intending to take it to my new office...but haven't done so yet! It's all sitting in a pile...disorganized to some, perfectly ordered to me. There's a plastic dropcloth overtop that's been pulled back so I can access files.

Today, after work, I tackled clearing out some of the paperwork I know I'll never need again. (at least, I hope I'll never need them again)

EDM #1 - shoes!!!

I've posted EDM Challenge #1 - Shoes. This is a pair of Amber coloured shoes which are so gorgeous. They are a nice soft leather with a great faux-wooden heal.

Maria a la Modigliani

After the Modigliani exhibit in Toronto in 2005, I was inspired to draw my daughter in similar style. My intention was to paint her...I still intend to...but life has gotten in the way somewhat.

What I am especially pleased about is that she really likes this drawing of herself with bangs!!!

Finally...two EDM challenges done!

OK...I think I've figured out how to post my drawings. Somehow they look better in real life than on the computer. I guess the next step is for me to figure out how the camera works and take a decent picture.

The first one is my bedpost. The funny thing about this is, we've had this bed since we got married...and it was only recently that I realized my bed as a girl was also a "cannonball" bed.

The second challenge is a drawing of my feet...which also looks better in the sketchbook than it does here.

what a rough week...

All in all, it was generally a rough week. Did I manage to get some drawing in? Yes. Where they great? No, but that's not what I'm striving for. Did they help me deal with some of the raw emotions that came up to the surface? Yup! What a cheap source of therapy!!!

I did a couple of the EDM challenges. I sketched my feet. That was fun. One would think I have an obsession with my feet (which I probably do - for the amount of shoes I buy). It seems I have a number of photos and sketches of my feet. As I was sketching this challenge, I had a flash of memory that I had done a similar sketch before. After flipping through a couple of older sketchbooks, it was indeed true I had sketched my feet a few times! It would be fun just to collect all the photos and sketches I have of my feet and put them together in a collage. "Lillian's feet" -- well...after all, they are my most favourite part of my body! ;-)

a deep sorrow

Life is so very fragile. Talking with a dear young friend about the near loss of a friend, the grief, the frustration and the anger. All very passionate, very intense emotions. How can I console someone when these are emotions I have difficulty controlling. Controlling emotions...like controlling watercolours in a puddle of water. What transpires can be something very beautiful, or something very chaotic, undescribable. My belief is that whether we can tell what the painting is or not, it retains its own beauty though we may not see it through our emotions or even want to see it.

A long time ago, a friend lost her baby at 8 months of pregnancy. After the funeral of the baby, when we were all gathered, trying to support her, she was able to make us understand how she was handling this very tragic time in her life. She told us...life is like a tapestry where God only sees the finished product and we only see the frayed underside - forever unable to see the beauty of the tapestry. We know there is order, only we can't see it. That has comforted me even in my deepest, darkest periods.

started drawing

I started drawing last night! I sat in bed with my sketchbook and sketched my bedpost...then I got sleepy so I didn't finish. It felt so good drawing again. I find the EDM Challenges as a really great kick-start to drawing. I just follow the list (well, I've just started following the list) and draw!!

this week was not too productive...personally

Didn't do any drawing...actually, didn't do much of anything for myself but work this week. It was the first week back to school and it just flew by.

It was also Frosh week...so...I was driving my young Frosh leader to and fro...at one point she was purple...like an Easter egg....oh my!! my beautiful girl -- PURPLE....but she had fun so it was all worth it. The boys went back to school too and had a great week....

Also, still working on the house too...so...squeezing time out where there isn't much will be an interesting challenge....

I'm hoping as things settle down and I'm working less from home, driving the kids around less, and I'll be able to make some time to draw....or not, we'll see!

Sunday

I've really been inspired by the Everyday Matters group on Yahoo (see link below to join). I've just spent the morning perusing through the many blogs and postings of beautiful art. I also posted this site on my Art Interests online conference that I moderate at work.

first blog

This is the first post to this blog. I'm starting a blog because I came across a group in Flickr called Everyday Matters. And it seems to be an art group and it's inspired me to draw again.

...at least for now.