Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love music, especially live music, and my tastes are a bit eclectic. I used my art & music as my escape as a kid, and I still use them today. My art is often inspired by music, my favourite musicians, capturing the mood of an evening, the passion of the musician. A few years ago I spent an evening with the Canadian icon Harry Manx at our local music venue. It was so wonderful I later captured the mood of that great night in a watercolour and ink piece. I shared the painting with the venue owner, he asked if prints could be made, and they were greatly received. It was wonderful of Dean Batstone to be so supportive, and I made quite a few sales...yay! Music is always on my stereo when I’m creating, I’ve played piano & flute & a big of guitar, in inspires my art, it inspires my life. I even ‘sing’ my own soundtrack inside my helmet when I’m out cycling or riding my motorcycle. What I’m trying to say is, music & art are part of me! my art has let me make connections with musicians that would not have been possible otherwise! and I’m truly grateful! So I am updating my website, and while going through photos, I came across this one, and thought it was worth a share! I think the smiles say it all...music & art heal the soul🙏. (p(photo by Bruce Mcintyre at Batstones Northern Ramble)
I actually made a “vision map” felt dorky, but the goals are mine, and seeing them on paper helps a LOT, and now I am breaking down each “goal” into a series of actionable steps, activities that will get me there. I actually feel determined to do this, and working my way through each phase is not so overwhelming. I should understand this, the importance of setting goals and working toward them! When I decided to run my first half-marathon, I didn’t just show up on race day. I picked the half as my goal, and believe me, I do not have the body of a runner. I picked the date for my race & set a manageable training schedule, to work towards that date. I did the cross-training, found shoes that didn’t give me blisters, found the schedule that worked for me! I stuck to my plan, and it worked, I completed my first half-marathon at a better than expected pace! Yes, it was scary, it was one of the biggest challenges I ever faced, but I did it! and having a plan, with clear steps, and achievable mini-goals, got me there, along with a lot of hard work & perseverance. So I expect the same results with my art & illustrations, lots of hard work & perseverance, and setting unrealistic goals! dream BIG!! So it starts now, blogging regularly, I’ll be updating my facebook cover page, posting more sharing more. If I don’t promote myself who will? so just a warning, you’ll be hearing and seeing lots from me this year, hope you’ll enjoy the ride! I spent several hours de-cluttering the spare room a few weeks ago, it was never finished since we moved in 4 yrs ago, still had unpacked boxes in it 😝 but it felt good getting rid of unused “stuff”, and now it’s waiting to be painted and used as a spare room! I love getting rid of stuff, and then I moved my attention to my “studio” for de-cluttering, it’s mostly just re-organizing, putting things back where they belong, I don’t have shelves & cabinets full of supplies, but I do tend to leave stuff out! so the studio has been tidied up as well, just a pile of paperwork sitting on the floor, waiting to be shredded! and it feels so good! cathartic!
If only I could “de clutter” my brain so easily!! get rid of unused & unwanted thoughts! negativity, self-doubt & in some cases self-loathing! if I could get rid of that little voice that keeps asking “why are you wasting your time, making art no one wants?”; what makes you think you’re an “artist”? how dare you call yourself an artist? ...that inner voice, needs to be “tossed” to the curb! or the 80 different things I’m constantly thinking about ...bills, groceries, bills, the what if’s! if only I could put those self-doubts in a box and toss them to the curb! I’ve tried meditation, it helps, but the greatest meditation for me is creating! so while “monkey mind” is still with me, during the time I’m drawing or painting, my mind is “quiet” thinking only about the vision I’m trying to capture, and that is my focus! So while my brain may be cluttered & disorganized, at least my work area is clean & tidy, for now! and I can clear my mind by drawing, it has always been & always will be my “escape”. And here’s a peek at some sketches for a map I’m illustrating, not surprisingly, it’s an island! The finished map will be posted next Monday, I haven’t done one of these in a while, such a great idea for capturing memories! and the ink & watercolour fun continues! Inktober 2018 is a wrap, 31 ink drawings in 31 days! and for the first time I followed the prompt words every day! it made me draw things I normally wouldn’t draw, which got me out of my comfort zone. You can see them all on my instagram account (link is above) if you’re interested. Also, I wrapped up an online watercolour course, which I loved, and am still working on, it has given me so much information, and inspiration. I can’t wait to try it with some motorcycle inspired work. I always feel “letdown” when I finish a project, what’s next? I want to start a new monthly drawing challenge for November, and I haven’t yet, it keeps me focused if only for 30 minutes a day, and I am continuing on my never-ending journey of self-promotion, banging my head against the wall, and creating, because it’s the only time I feel “alive”, and continue to learn & evolve! Not a lot of deep thoughts here, trying to stay motivated in this gross season called Fall, 2 weeks of colours and then mud, grey, cold & wet, for the next 7 months, it’s not easy! but I’m trying, through my art to bring some colour & inspiration into this bleakness! I’m currently doing the same scene in a few different watercolour washes & techniques, it was suggested I paint this scene by a customer, who has become a friend, so thanks for that suggestion, and I’m hoping to do it in a mixed media as well, with coloured pencil & inktense perhaps? and I think it’s time for some ocean or motorcycle inspired work, from my heart! but first I must find a new monthly drawing challenge, or maybe return to my daily dog drawings?
So here’s the two pieces, which do you prefer? believe me, it was hard to see “beauty” in this snow that fell way too early, but it’s since, melted and we’re back to mud! 11”X15”/ink on watercolours, more colour less ink & lighter washes more ink detail, cause you know I love my ink! I’ve been taking an online watercolour course, and I learning a ton; almost information overload! The good news is I have access to the demos & videos forever, and a few of the instructors really resonated with me, and my “style”. I love ink, and fountain pens, ink drawing was one of my first passions, be it ballpoint, or fountain pens, and I love doing detailed paintings and drawings, and I think I finally found the way to combine both, ink & watercolours! It would have taken a lot of trial & error & time (if ever) to figure out what I’ve learned from these 5 weeks, and I’ve always believed you should learn from experienced instructors! I was a professional ski instructor for many years, and loved teaching! when I got my motorcycle I took a 3 day ride safely course...learn from the pros! so I think it’s wise if you want to learn a new art technique, to learn from someone with knowledge! That doesn’t mean I’m going to “copy” their style or their work, I’m going to learn the possibilities of the medium, pros & cons, take what I like from the lessons, and implement it in my work, and experiment with it! I will always paint subjects that inspire me, and I will always work from my heart, in my style, whatever medium I’m using. I paint what I see and feel, if you take 10 artists, give them the same subject & same materials & tell them to paint/draw that subject, every piece will be unique! it will be each artists’ vision. I guess I’m trying to say. lessons are good, it doesn’t make you a clone, all my work is original, from my heart! the more I learn, the more I want to learn! it keeps me motivated & energized, otherwise I would be bored, I’m not a photocopier after all! If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing - Marc Chagall If anyone is reading this, and is interested in more info on the course, here is the link, highly recommended! https://sketchbookskool.com/kourses/watercolor-rules Here’s a finished piece combining ink & watercolour, watercolour applied first then ink 11”X15” on the left. And the first watercolour layers on a second piece on the right
It’s October, which is known for Fall colours, pumpkins, Halloween of course, which, or should I say “witch”😝 was always my favourite festive event, I think
because you could wear a “mask” and be whatever you wanted, escape from the person you were “judged to be, or believed to be” and transform yourself. As an adult, I know wearing a mask is useless, I am who I am, you can like me or not, I don’t care, what you see is what you get! I am true to myself, and that also includes my art! So this month is also known for Inktober, doing an ink drawing everyday for the 31 days of October, following prompt words, or not, your choice, but expressing yourself through ink! I think the drawing a day monthly challenges are good for me, because it keeps me drawing, keeps me engaged. It’s the third year I’m taking part, I can’t do a big painting every day, or even every week, but I can draw everyday, that’s manageable, even for me! as I try to find my niche! Here’s a few of my favourites from #inktober2018 so far, you can check out the rest on my instagram account https://www.instagram.com/kickstartmy_art and I’m continuing to explore the wonderful world of watercolours, (it’s all about alliterations)who knew? so much fun! wishing everyone a great week, and HappyHalloween🎃 I always struggle with, should I be more focused? should I just concentrate on acrylics? pastels? ink drawings? coloured pencils? do I send mixed messages to possible customers? It’s an issue, and I can honestly say I don’t understand it. I love the excitement of learning new techniques, developing my skills and then sharing that with my “followers”, fans, yes all 12 of you!! supporters! I feel it ignites my enthusiasm, inspiration, and by using different mediums, I am challenging myself! but does it send mixed messages??
Am I an illustrator? or a painter? and why can’t I do both? whatever medium I’m using the subject matter remains the same! I draw, sketch, paint my life. Any memories of scenes that inspire me, the joy and freedom I experience from time on my motorcycle, the gifts of mother nature, the simple things in life! if it moved me I will try to capture that feeling through whatever tools I am using, to bring that “feeling” emotion to others. I try not to get stuck in the numbers, the comparison with others, but it’s hard, I tell myself it’s my artpage on FB, if you like it great, if you don’t ... I’m not changing what I’m creating...my art isn’t for everyone I get that! I’m not even sure it’s “art”, I just feel like I’m spinning out of control, questioning everything I’m doing. I just wanted to vent, and I know it’s safe here, no one will be reading this anyways! not a pity plea, I just had to get it out...now I’m off to do todays’ tiny drawing, more watercolour swatches (I’m taking a watercolour kourse online) get a video ready for my artpage & start a coloured pencil piece...I will persevere, send if anyone is reading this, thank you! if you want more info on any of these pictures, click on them for more details! and feel free to visit me on instagram, tumblr, or my facebook page! slainte! I did inktober a few times, and I may do it again this year, but I’m tackling a new challenge for September, I discovered this challenge on instagram, I think it’s important to try
new things, and do things with my drawing that I haven’t done before....so I’m doing the #illustrationhq #JohnVernonLord challenge 30 tiny drawings in 30 days! I discovered it late, it was already day#7 when I found out about it, so I tackled it yesterday and did 10 drawings, did I mention they’re tiny? They’re 1”X1” square or 2.54cm X2.54cm, that’s’ s tiny! I admit it was baffling, and I wasn’t sure if I should have a “theme”... 30 foods? or 30 people I’d like to meet? so I started with what was in front of me, art supplies...and it’s sort of “morphed” into a Summer theme. I’ve only used a cheap, mech pencil so far, but I’m hoping to do some ink soon. It was scary to start, but now I’m good with it, it’s amazing how much detail I can fit into a square inch, including 2 mirror views on my motorcycle! with a cheap pencil😝 and they’re also very difficult to photograph, or difficult for me anyways. So here are the first 12 drawings. I’m now I’m a day ahead, and it’s been some time since I’ve drawn with pencil; so it can’t help but be a useful practice! A project is a good idea because I feel committed to finishing it, and it keeps me focused! let me know what you think... Well I'm not sure if anyone read the previous post, or not, but let me just say, technology is not my strong point (read the previous post) But the 'revamped' website is up & running, just working on connecting this blog to my fb page?? for the one or two of you that read them, and I promise I will not neglect my website this time, like the last time, I realize it is a necessary tool in the 'self-promotion' kit! and apparently this "social media" is not going away!! so, while I didn't get much 'art' done, I did get my website revamped, learned how to use a new video app, cleaned up my studio, made a huge "to-do" list & a plan of attack now exists! so this week, back to the art, drawing & inking my way through life, and next Sunday I'll be back, energized, with a new video...fingers crossed! thanks for your continued support! hope you are having a great long weekend!
I broke the first rule of website management, neglect, it;s been almost 10mths since I posted anything here, I’m sorry! of course bring Canadian I’m sorry, but I’ve neglected my website. I’ve been so busy this past year, really focusing on promoting my work and getting into illustrating; learning new techniques; reaching beyond my comfort zone; really putting myself out there, and pushing myself to use social media more, for shameless self-promotion! and, amongst all that, the website fell right off the top of the pile, with a resounding THUD, face first, onto the floor!
I spent several hours yesterday and last night, renovating, brushing the cobwebs away, updating the website, it’s all new & improved,and I’m really happy with the results! I really missed my laptop while working on it, it’s not so easy on a tablet😕 but the new website looks much more professional! it includes new work, as well as some of my illustrations & surface patterns, and greeting card designs. I am reaching out more into illustration work, and creative submissions, so it’s necessary to have a current website for potential clients to visit, for a one-stop shop! I hope you will take the time to visit and have a look, let me know what you think, and feel free to share. It’s like the long training runs before race day, not always fun, but necessary for success! I will also, hopefully be sharing more through my blog in the future, aren’t you lucky? and here’s my new copyright ‘signature’ which you’ll be seeing more of on my posts! Thanks for reading! |
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