Some sketches from the journal I kept on our Alaska trip in 2013

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Just a doodle to keep my occupied

Some random leaf shapes from Alaska

Saw this weird plant somewhere in California.

Sunset on the road. I loved the plum & rose colors.

Been doodling a lot of watery themes lately. I think I need to create an underwater painting. That'll give me a chance to play with some deep blue & purple watercolor. Have any of you done ocean or water paintings? Highlights with yellow & gold maybe? All of these are pencil with inkpen over the top. (Pencil just doesn't photograph very well.) I use a cartridge fountain pen. I think this one is a 'broad' nib. This is one of my favorite drawing pens. It holds waterproof ink, so I can watercolor over the top if I want. I'll have to get a photo of the ink so you can see the brand in case you're interested. It's always good to be able to find reliable tools and supplies. If you've got a favorite ink, pen, pencil, whatever, let us all know in the comments!

Happy little wriggler. The siphon is probably not right. I don't even know if I've gotten 8 legs in there. Maybe I'll turn him into a Kraken with 10 legs. Lots of wriggle for sure!

Seaweed. There are a few fishes in pencil, but they're hard to see in the photo.

I just like this little guy. He reminds me of Gomez Addams with his moustache.

More Inspirational Artwork

Taking a short break from the penner project. I'll have more to post on that subject soon.

Some interesting abstracts from Patricia Askew.

Check out her Etsy shop: BohoEclectic.Etsy.com

This one looks like a bouquet of flowers to me.

A waterfall of colors.

This one just feels very peaceful.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog!

I’ll be talking about my creative process, what keeps me going, and sharing some images of my artwork both finished and in progress. Hey, there’s nothing terrifying about that, right? Just putting your whole creative soul out there for people to comment on. (Or worse yet, not comment on.)

I’m not a writer, unfortunately for my dear readers. I hope you’ll still be able to glean some useful information for your own artistic endeavors. At least you will know you’re not alone in the struggle to keep making art.

"I beg your pardon. Did you say 'cheese'?" Ink on recycled paper. 

How do you stay motivated?

Motivating yourself to make art while working a full-time non-art job can be rough. The self-help people recommend you ditch the negative nellies. Ditch your own negative criticism while you’re at it. You’re not trying to create a perfect work. You’re just trying to create your own work. Consider it practice. You don’t have to make a masterpiece every time. The more work you make, the more your abilities improve and the more likely you will get closer to your ideals. It’s the opposite of the negative spiral that ends with, “I suck, so I’m not even going to try.”

Here are some motivational strategies that work for me:

1.)        Why? Remember why you first started making art? I have a passion for bringing beauty into the world. I love seeing beautiful artworks and being part of that process. There’s nothing better than touching other people that experience your art. Write down your reasons. Read through that list when you need an extra boost.

2.)        Buddy System. Find other people who make art and share your enthusiasm. Keep in contact regularly. Brainstorm about ways to further your careers. Collaborate on a work. It helps to know you’re not the only one dealing with daily challenges.

3.)        Challenges. Use a challenge to rev up your work. Try a new style, new subject, new technique, or new materials. Start a Thing-A-Day challenge (or Thing-A-Week if you don’t feel you’d be able to squeeze in time to make something every single day.) Go outside & work plein aire if you usually work indoors. Or set up your studio if you usually work outdoors on location. 

4.)        Set Goals. Goals are dreams with a timeline. Set some realistic goals for yourself. How much work are you producing? How much would you like to produce over the next month? Is your goal working for an hour a day? Do you need to reorganize your studio space to make it more efficient this month? Is there a certain income you’d like to reach per year? Break down larger tasks into smaller chunks, then set deadlines for each smaller task. 

5.)        Rewards. Recognize, Celebrate and Reward yourself when you reach a goal. Give yourself a small, inexpensive reward for reaching a smaller goal: walk in the park, take a relaxing 15 minute soak in the tub, or read a chapter from a good book. Large extravagant goals deserve larger rewards. Finished, matted, and framed several works for an upcoming deadline? Take a day at the spa. Met your financial goal for the year? Book that vacation you’ve been waiting for! You deserve recognition and your work will benefit from the positive feedback while keeping a balance between work and relaxation. Avoid burnout by realizing how much work you have actually accomplished.

"Yawp!" pyrography and watercolor on poplar.