Good Morning Everyone!  We have another cool morning here in Oceanside, California, and I am loving it!  Inspiration comes more easily for us all when we aren’t surrounded with heavy, humid, hot air!

Yesterday I said I’d do a sketch with charcoal, but I admittedly didn’t do that.  I used Shades of Gray PITT pens.  They come in a Pac of six with three being cool gray, and three being a warm gray.  I love grays, and always have fun with them.  These pens are a great addition to our supplies.  Everything is a great addition to my art supplies!  My motto is, “You never have too many supplies!”   Oh, and  “You never know!”  (Mixed Media artist coming out!)

Each day I put out a challenge however, I’m only giving suggestions.  We are all inspired by different things, at different times, and the thing that triggers me, might not trigger you.  So by all means, do your own thing, don’t be limited by my ideas!  After all, I’m only  trying to keep going and get better at my craft!  Some of you are very precise in your renderings of a subject, some  ” wonky ”   like myself.  There isn’t any right or wrong .  Each of you has your own way and  that’s what makes us all so special!  If I can inspire you to do the same, it’s a double win for all of us!

The sketch I’m putting up for you today is one of a pod I found on a walk with my son Dennis, and grandson Nolan.  Dennis noticed me eying this pod, and on the second pass said to me, “Mom, pick it up, I know you want to!  You keep eying it!”  I didn’t want want my son to witness me grabbing yet another treasure off the ground, but he understands, being a musician, and gathering inspiration from nature, his surroundings, and experiences!

Inspiration is all around for artists, whether they are writers, painters, photographers, or musicians.  We inspire one another with ideas, our creative energy, places we visit, a walk, it’s all good, and it’s all valuable.

For Thursday, I’m going to look for a picture that inspires me to either paint, draw, collage, or in some other way use my creativity.  I invite you to post your pictures of intention on FaceBook or  talk  about them in the comments here on my blog.   I also need your input to give me inspiration to keep going!  Get your intention out there, that will hold your feet to the fire!    So,  look for something that inspires you to sketch, or paint for Friday!