Category Archives: Uncategorized

Sep3

Lazy Labor Day

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After finishing all the things I had planned for today, and taken a nap, I’m now dragging myself  back to the computer to find the blog post that disappeared.  I am still unable to locate it, and if it finds it’s way back to  it’s rightful place,  that’s a bonus.  I think the fault is with me!   We have a Mac computer, and it saves everything automatically.  I didn’t think (for the second time) about saving my post, and I lost it!  How long  will it take me to learn this lesson is anyones guess, but I’ll try!

This morning I was going on and on about the end of summer, and how as a kid I hated Labor Day, because school started the next day.  As I grew up, and had kids of my own, I loved Labor Day, the kids go back to school!  Now school starts at different times, in different places?  My grand kids have already returned, and we celebrate that event.  They love school, and welcome the start, and we love for them to start also!

The challenge for this week is each day, sketch, paint, collage, or otherwise create something from the yard.  Something that grows, or lives in your yard.  If you have time, at the end of the week, you will have five works that will help get you motivated to think about the following week.  Start slow, and small if you like, what matters is that you did it.  Don’t compare your work with anyone else’s, yours is from your journey!  Make it as easy on yourself as you can!  No point in aiming for something so complex that you are discouraged from creating regularly.  It’s easy to bottle up, and difficult to get creativity flowing again.

When you are finished, post on Facebook, or send your picture to me, (Karensamenow@me.com) and I’ll post it with your name on it, on this blog.

Have a great afternoon, relax, and enjoy the rest of Labor Day!

Sep3

September 3, 2012

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I’m sure all can relate to this, but I just spent almost an hour writing a post for a challenge for this day in September, and I must have pushed the wrong button because it has disappeared. I’ll try and rewrite it a little later, but for now…..

The challenge is to sketch, or paint something from your garden.  In fact, all week long our challenge will be something from the garden.  Anything goes, any creativity is wonderful, go for it!

I’m headed out for awhile, and can’t stop to rewrite this at the moment.  A little later I’ll post my sketch, and some works of encouragement.  I’ll be back!

Aug31

Let’s Wrap It Up!

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It suddenly dawned on me that not only is it the last day of the week, but the last day of the month!  Just think of all that has happened this month; I’ve been sketching each day, I’ve shopped for  the grandkids school clothes, sat through the surgery for a broken arm on an eight year old, started a new blog, and much more I can’t even remember.  Each day I jump out of bed, get dressed and take an early morning walk with buy dog Daisy.  It has to be real early because of the heat and humidity.  Both of us drag home after forty minutes of walking the neiborhood, glad to be home, and throughly pooped!

This morning I kept thinking about how I really needed to get a new pair of running shoes.  The old ones are beginning to hurt my feet, and I am uncomfortable on our walk now!  Well, naturally once I started to think of running shoes, that quickly morphed into all kinds of shoes, and this became the theme for the day.  So, today the challenge is to sketch, paint, collage, mold, or maybe even decopague shoes!  Any kind of shoes, for anyone.  Let us all see what you come up with……  As I’m writing this, I’m realizing the little sketch I just finished could have been so much more!  So in coming up with the challenge for today, and working hard to suggest things that I think might trigger your creativity, I’m realizing how much more fun I could have dad with this shoe sketch.  I used Derwitt Ink Tense pencils for the color and really love them for traveling.  I guess I get lazy with mu morning sketches because they are to be easy to do and help spark creativity.

As I finish up the week and the month, I am reminded of the beautiful summer we have had so far.  I have complained a little of the heat, but when it turns cold, I complain about that also.  Ok, I admit I am totally a “Goldy Locks Girl!”  Monday through Friday is going to be the format for my posts.  We all need some down time, but occasionally I might add something, or post a sketch or painting just because!

Have a fabulous Labor Day weekend, I’ll be back on September 3rd with a new challenge, and sketch!

Aug30

Early Morning Sunrise

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Early this morning as I left the house for a walk, I was greeted by this amazing sunrise.  The air was cool with a slight breeze, something that won’t last long today.  It was quiet, and still somewhat dim as Daisy and I wound our way around the little hilly streets.  There were only a few people out this morning, some walking their dogs, but still all was quiet.  The smell of the pine trees, and fresh air was invigorating, and as we walked I thought of my project for today.

Grocery Shopping, and errands take up much of my Thursday, but I usually have time for even a small art project even on a day like this.  Soon the air will turn warm, and muggy.  It will no longer be comfortable to shop or sit on the patio and paint.  Everything must be accomplished early before it gets too miserable to do much else but read or watch a movie.

While we were on our walk I managed to take a couple of pictures of the sunrise, and this kept resurfacing as I thought of my day. Finally, I decided to paint a small watercolor of the Morning Sunrise!  There isn’t any way I could really do this breathtaking morning credit, but this is my version of todays early morning.

Spending the entire day painting isn’t necessary, but wouldn’t that  be a great thing?   I rarely spend more than four or five hours painting, and rarely paint in watercolors any longer.  Sometimes I crave the way they bleed into each other, and I find the spontaneity  priceless!  But, having energy for a four or five hour day is rare, and I mostly dream of a day like that!

The energy we put out on a day of painting usually wipes me out for a couple of days.  However, the energy put out painting with a friend makes the day fly, and usually is very productive.  I think this is why I feel it so important we share creative energy.  Other artists see everything in a little different way than others, we see colors differently, and shapes differently, we see things!   Sometimes it may be just a walk on the beach, sometimes it’s spending time painting together, or watching art videos.  Whatever you decide is perfect for you, don’t allow that creative energy to fade!   Should you find yourself uninspired, and empty as we all do from time to time, paint rocks, or leaves, maybe even sticks.  I’ve painted all of that, and I can tell you it really helps open the gates!   Somehow the simple task of doing something fun with your inner child  helps everything begin to flow again.

I would love to see the project you chose today, post them here, or on Facebook. Have a great day, stay cool, and  have fun creating…

Aug29

Experimenting with Ideas

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Part of being an artist is experimentation.  We get ideas, usually at two or three AM, we try remembering what they were,  and then we try to duplicate the idea.  This can be a colossal failure, or can morph into something great!

This morning I wasn’t feeling particularly  sketchy, but I had some ideas I wanted to explore. This brought me to spraying rocks through rice paper.  NOT very successfully, I might add!  That turned into taking black paint and putting a design on them.  This idea I’m still working on.  Finally in desperation for some kind of creativity, I put bug stickers on them that were left over from an art day with my three year old grandson Nolan.  Even though it looks like a three year old worked on them, at least they are finished!

Feeling not particularly creatively satisfied with what I have just worked on, I decided to work on some greeting cards I needed for some friend’s upcoming  birthdays.  This was more gratifying, but this must be an off day because I feel so undeceive.  My artistic side is in hiding!  The cards are ok, but not fabulous as in the past.  This I attribute to not having gotten together with my artsie fartsie friends! (Artsie Fartsie – Technical Art Term)

It seems when we collaborate with our artist friends, when we share creative energy, and work through ideas we flourish as artists.  I belong to a couple of groups that meet once a month, but in between, I feel sometimes like I take a nose dive.  I hit the creative wall, and am unable to cultivate any ideas.  Even the ideas I thought were too good to be true two weeks ago I can’t seem to move on.  Is this a problem with all artists, or am I the only one that runs out of energy?  Is this the time that we are supposed to recharge our creative batteries, be gentle with ourselves, & lay in a hammock with an ice tea?

Today must be a day of reflection, and ideas, maybe a little construction of greeting cards, but most of all, a day to be lazy, lay in a hammock in the shade with a big glass of peach ice tea!

Aug28

Thoughts from a Silent Sketcher!

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Today was a kind of relaxing day at  the salon. Finally I was able to get my hair done, & go to lunch. Once a month I do this, & by the time it’s time to go, well, it really is time to go!

While I was there I thought I’d make the most of all the sitting, & sketch. It worked out perfectly because I had to sit for a long time. The day was not lost, there are many things to sketch – and sketch I did!  Chairs, blow dryers, electrical sockets, &cords.

Now I have to apologize for my incompetence as I get use to this blog.  I’m doing this on my iPad, & I’m unable to figure out how to upload my drawing. I posted it on FaceBook, but I wanted it to be here also.