Experiencing Joy in the Unknown

For the past year, I have been in one of those special places as an artist. I’m referring to the experience of beginning something totally new and not knowing where it will lead. It’s very much like the beginning stages of falling in love and just getting to know one another. Every moment is special and you don’t know how the future will unfold but you are immersed in the delight and energy of what the relationship is right now.  

I have been in a state of wonder as I’ve explored a new process and a new way of working. It’s been exhilarating and something I’ve wanted to keep mostly private, with very little sharing, as I develop and settle into this creative flow without rushing it at all. 

And in the process of discovery, questions arise: Will any of the past creative methods overlap with the new? Is it possible for this joyful flow to end up as a short lived series or something so much more? Will this be shared more widely or will my artistic love affair remain a gift for me alone?

This is what I know: I don’t need to have any of the answers. The joy is in the process of the creative unfolding, and I have no need to rush it. It’s a journey to be present each step along this path of discovery. I’m interested in the process as it develops, not the results. Much of my delight is in the wonder of where it will take me and where I will take it. And most importantly, I’m in love with the exploration of the Creative Adventure I have found myself on.

One of the joys of creating art is to get an idea or concept and to bring it to life… to make something that was just a thought and breathe it into existence.

Trusting Your Creative Voice

What an extraordinary journey it is to develop trust in our own individual creative voice and embrace the power of self expression. It puts us on the path of exploration, where we can connect with our soul to discover unique ideas and perspectives. With every decision we make and every thread of interest we follow, we are paving the way along our creative path.

Trusting in our creative voice requires letting go of self-doubt and embracing any feelings of vulnerability that may arise. It is through this surrender that we find the courage to push boundaries, explore new techniques, and uncover hidden depths within ourselves.

We all have a distinct and very individual creative vision, perspective, and point of view. It has been shaped by life experiences, family and environmental influences, and our particular exposure to people, places, and events. Our artistic expression reflects all of these factors which come together to form a tapestry of our own.

So, let your imagination take you on a journey to greater self awareness and a personal exploration of what lies within. Through the act of playful experimentation and the courage to step into creative adventures, you can build trust in how your vision shows up and where it will lead.

2021 Reflections

Cropped images from the concertina sketchbook pages

As I write this, the new year is just hours away. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been reflecting on all that happened (and didn’t happen) in 2021… and considering potential plans and intentions for 2022.

Simplicity pages with ink, papers, cloth, and acrylic on paper.

Last year, I entered 2021 with several ideas for the creative projects I was excited to delve into. 2020 had felt like a slow, never ending experience. And although I had lots to show for it, after spending an abundance of time immersed in exploration, I longed to get back to “my artwork” and the materials and paintings that fed my soul. I had an idea of what that looked like and what that meant. What I didn’t anticipate was another year of exploration and a concertina sketchbook experience that would change the trajectory of my year in art.

I may set artistic intentions, but I learned long ago that my greatest intention is to go with the natural flow of my creative spirit. I know that one artistic adventure leads to the next and they each become stepping stones to all that’s created in the future. Allowing that flow is probably at the foundation of all of my work. It’s like being carried forward with limited vision of where I am headed but also infused with ideas and imagination. The most important place to be is in the here and now, fully immersed in the painting project of the moment… because what I’m doing now is a building block for what will emerge next… and next… and next.

Cropped images of the Elements series.

So, the process of exploring the pages of the concertina sketchbook project carried me into a whole new world of exploration. And although I will enter 2022 with a list of potential painting projects, I am excited to see where the creative flow will lead and what will unfold within the next 12 months in the studio.

Wishing you a Happy New Year
and a fabulous
life adventure that
unfolds in beautiful ways
for you in the coming year.

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Series of Transition

Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages - Part 2

Concertina Sketchbook Pages

In art as in life, each step I take leads to the next. The Concertina Sketchbook course I took led to a series of artworks on paper and on canvas. Then the process I used to create the first layer of a few of the canvas paintings inspired the concertina sketchbook I’m sharing here today.

Concertina Sketchbook Pages

I had fun filling the pages of this small concertina with ink drips, collaged circles, sheet music, raw canvas and dress pattern paper. Although I originally thought I might add some acrylic paint, I decided to leave the pages with a more minimalist look. So, no paint. I did decide to add some asemic pencil writing in just a couple of places. The pencil was chosen to avoid the permanence of a pen. I ended up so happy with the gentle softness of the pencil marks and how they added to those pages.

Now, I want to create more like what I have here and find a way of merging this concept with a new series I’ve had planned.

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Concertina Sketchbook Pages

Work in Progress, the inspiration (on canvas) for this Concertina Sketchbook

Concertina Sketchbook Project

Back in February, I began a 6 week course with Karen Stamper on developing a concertina sketchbook. It was a journey of discovery, stretching my comfort at many points along the way, as I became immersed in a process and flow that was new to me.

At first, we filled the pages with marks, using pencils, inks, charcoal, pens and more. I so enjoyed playing with the ink, particularly when blowing on wet ink to create meandering lines. In the process of adding collage elements, I felt like I was able to start making the pages my own, especially when adding the cut circles.

Just beginning to add color. Surrounded by materials on the large work table.

The studio has never been as messy as it was during that project. The table was covered with every mark making tool I own. The floor was covered with the vast array of papers and collage possibilities… photos, magazines, maps, dress patterns, sheet music pages, and bags of the art papers collected over the years. I even found the texture boards and alternative brushes I had made years ago for my daughter’s elementary school class. I used the one with feathers to drag wispy lines of ink across the pages.

Then it came time to paint the marked up pages. Yay!! But before I began to paint, I searched for hidden compositions with my handy dandy cropping tool... an old mat, cut at the corner.

Adding the finishing touches to the first pages.

Once I realized I had been treating these sketchbook pages as if they were too precious, I chose a section, took a deep breath, and I was able to enjoy adding paint. I let go of the preciousness and got comfortable developing areas, redoing others, and covering up full sections. Some pages became pretty busy with additional collage elements and paint, while others were left fairly simple.

Since completing the concertina sketchbook, I’ve been continuing to play with the images, processes, and ideas that took shape on those pages, in order to get more out of this experience before moving on. Although it feels as if I’ve been on an adventure, traveling far from my way of working, I’ve had the opportunity to grow and expand my choices in the future. As I prepare to explore the new work that’s now tugging on my sleeve, I’m curious to see how the concertina sketchbook will end up influence my creative flow moving forward.

Cropped images from the completed pages for future inspiration.

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