Karen from the Art Elements team hosted this months themed challenge, the first one of 2020. You can see her post HERE
It has been so long since I took part in a challenge as my motivation to do anything art related has been at an all time low. So much has happened over the last few months and I am worn out emotionally and mentally, throw in the cold and grey days and I have celebrated getting out of bed in the morning and getting dressed!
Time has come to push oneself to do something other than wallow in self pity and greyness, so I decided to start small. Don't think too much, I told myself, just think berry and do a little something once in a while. So I did. Here are my three little somethings that came about because I was thinking of the berry challenge.
First up is Strawberry Nellie.
I had my first Facebook show of 2020 and was making characters (in glass as beads) for that. It was a struggle to get going and find my whimsical muse but I am pleased to say that getting into the studio and just turning on the torch has kicked started my arty needs and the grey days are starting to become a bit brighter.
The other 'somethings' are really just 'doodles' but art is art and creating is good for the soul, even if it is on scrap bits of paper!
I threw everything at this doodle. On watercolour paper, I started with a dip pen and some ink that Secret Santa from the team sent me for Christmas. It is a delicious green ink - which you probably can't see because I then layered over it many times as I got 'into the groove' and found that time stood still and I enjoyed 20 minutes of 'arting'. I grabbed the Arteza watercolour pens on the desk, I wanted a bit of brightness in my life, but it was too bright, so I dulled it down with a white Posca paint pen which I admit I over did it so I grabbed the purple Posca paint pen, then I went back to the dip pen but this time with black ink. I stopped just in the nick of time I think, I rather like this mixed media piece and I am going to cut it out and use it as a book mark as it has all the qualities of art I like, colour and lines. It is simple and it is over worked but I will use it to mark the pages in my book so I remind myself that all 'funks' come to an end eventually.
Lastly a Posca paint pen doodle on wood. It was a Sunday afternoon, it was grey and miserable and damp and dreary and again I wanted some colour. The great thing about Posca pens is they are so vibrant, the down side is they are so vibrant! I enjoyed messing about, again for probably only 20-30 minutes, mixing, layering, smudging....
A doodle a day keeps the misery away ;)
No doubt everyone else that has taken part in this month's challenge will have produced something a little more significant than my doodles so join me in hopping the blogs below....
Art Elements Team
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