Creativity Abounds

The New Year has seen me spending mountains of time nurturing my creativity.  In the first few days of the month, I have looked at the first lesson of Tam's 'Ultimate World of Whimsy' and as a result created this:

Tam taught us how to draw whimsical people and cute little creatures - so much fun!  The quote by Christine Castro Hughes, came from one of the books I was given for Christmas 'Desire to Inspire' by Christine Mason Miller.  So far I have read the first few chapters and am in fact finding it incredibly inspirational - ah and there is my chosen word!  I am also creating some cards to go with the first activity in that book, but will leave them for show and tell until I have finished a few more.

At the end of last year my gorgeous daughter gave me a book called 'One Sketch A Day'.  It is a visual journal in which you can record a sketch each day.  I decided to start it on January 1st, and so here are the sketches up until today:

They are only small and are very quick sketches, so far usually done in about 5 minutes or so!

Not done yet!  I have also completed last week's lessons for Jane Davenport's 'I Heart Drawing' class where we were focussing on drawing walking figures:

and the torso with natural breasts and uplifted breasts!

Last Friday I was absolutely thrilled when I was able to go to the Matisse Exhibition at GOMA in Brisbane.  The exhibition was brilliant and well worth the three and a half hour drive there and back!  I had one of my very dear friends with me.  It was Coralie I thought of as I toured galleries in Europe; all the time thinking that I wished she were with me as she would love it.  Coralie is an art teacher and it was just amazing sharing this experience with her.  I learnt so much about different art processes that I never really understood before.  Finally I know for sure that I was right all those time I was thinking of her when I toured the other exhibitions! Just one small aspect of the exhibition was the 'drawing room'.  It was set up with an area to eat and drink (yummy, yummy food!), a musician playing clasical music on the violin and then there were still lifes set up and drawing equipment so you could do as Matisse did and draw!  The photo below shows lots of people doing just that!  Such a beautiful atmosphere!

I bought a book filled with images of the Matisse works we saw on display and when I came home that night I sat and drew one of his drawing from the book and a quote from the exhibition into one of my art journals.

Today I managed to finish the piece for the first week of the free online course I am doing with Strathmore Online.  It is called 'Doodles Unleashed' and is being taught by Traci Bautista and I have to say it is fabulous!  The fact that it is free is amazing I think and I would honestly say that if you have time you should absolutely consider it!  I did this piece on a 30 x 30cm canvas board and am so glad I did.  I have only really done my work in journals and decided after a few prompts from a friend that I could indeed use canvasses!

I had poured some drawing ink into a container to use on the piece above and didn't like wasting it so decided to grab a journal and a book off my shelf  and see what happened.  I drew this and am quite pleased as a first attempt to draw with brush and ink - no pencil, just ink!

I was going to paint him with water colours, but was not sure that the drawing ink is waterproof so decided not to risk it until I have checked.  He's not perfect, but he is cute I think!

Add to all this art that I have been at the gym four days a week, spending time with my grandson and keeping up with the chores around the house (well sort of!) and I have to say it has been a fabulous start to the new year!