beading

or that which may help you to get away from your computer (as if anything I say could help to make a difference I know the magical secret). Remeber, this is called tips and tuts - not the answers to every mystery of life.

Some days, many days, my to-do list seems very long. I never seem to get to art. I get tired. I feel frustrated. I know I should do art. I start to feel guilty about not doing art. Suddenly a few minutes open up before me. While I know it would be terrific to paint, I also know I do not have the time to set up for that. I do not have the time for clean up afterwards. Maybe my creative work space is filled with other projects and supplies.
Should I just sit there and mope? Should I cruise around on facebook or twitter? Should I see who I might add to my facebook friends or twitter friends? Maybe I could play a game or two or five or whatever it takes of solitaire? After all, I need to exercise my brain so I might not develop dementia, as many I know.

You know the answers to those questions as I do. The thing is - can I actually follow through on doing the better choice?

The possibility of journaling would be a fabulous choice. Though what if I am too brain tired to even do that? Unfortunately, I find it happens often. So if journaling gets counted out and painting gets counted out - what might I do?

If I want to stay sitting by my computer, probably not the best idea, but, there are a few places I like to visit if I need to be inspired. I find it best to just watch something, like a video. It is best if I try not to have to get involved with comments or questions that need to be typed. Of course there is you tube - I find most of Suzi Blu's videos to be inspiring, also the videos of willowing and Milliande. For me the viewing of fave flickr slideshows can be inspirational as well.

When I am able to talk myself away from the computer, I sometimes find my spirits lifted if I choose one specific stash - fabric or beads or charms - to look through. Sometimes I am inspired. Even if I do not have time to actually start a project, I can be reminded of the splendidness of previous choices and items available.

There are also a couple of creative ventures I have recently found to require very little thought and concentration. The end results can be quite beautiful. One is to crochet with some lovely coloured crochet cotton. I can only do chains, so far, but they take very little thought. The other thing I really enjoy is making long strands of beads. The closures can be a bit more challenging. Provided you have a safe place to keep a strand - leave it to finish for another day.



I need to get away from my puter now so I will wish us all well in finding inspiration even when there is very little energy.

A few links for today:
Milliande
Willowing
Suzi Blu early days
Suzi Blu more inspiration


Flickr slideshow of suesviews

Angels be with you.

what can I paint on?

Truthfully, if you look around I suspect you can find something quite close by on which you can paint. Many art friends prefer only moleskins. Myself - I have never owned one. I have this TERRIBLE habit of buying and buying and buying more art supplies. I have so many supplies and surfaces to paint on and art toys with which to play ~ at times my mind feels totally boggled. I find times when I limit myself to often be more productive. Sometimes I limit the amount of time to find some things with which to create or the amount of supplies to take along for traveling to the farm or just away for a few days. When we are at the farm and I notice a huge roll of paper (so what if it was wrapped around the new sewer pump) or a paper roll or old phone book, I will ask if I might use it.

The blocks of wood I found, can't remember where, will serve very nicely for painted backgrounds to a collage, photoprint or mixed media piece. 


 

The above photo with painted book covers is another example of surfaces on which I love to paint. Vintage books are good choices providing not a book you treasure for its contents. The inside pages of course will make good pages on which to experiment and journal. I also like to purchase very inexpensive children's board books on which to paint and then journal. If the pages are shiny you may need to roughen them a bit first with sand paper or try applying a coat or two of gesso and then sand with more applications of paint to get more texture. The book pictured above in the back, is actually a composition book with a hard cover. I have gotten some really neat effects with painting and further mixed media techniques on these covers. The pages inside are thin and lined. How do you paint on these? Best is to apply a coat or two of gesso first. Also the recommendation is not to use water with your paint. Less probability of the paper curling up. If you have painted on one side of something, like a piece of card stock, and it wants to curl up - a suggestion I was given quite some time ago was to brush a thin coat of water on the back side. Works for me.





My plan for this evening - I'm hoping my daughter will join me in painting on some pages from one or a few of these books. Kat's Dad got them from his mother after she had done some major cleaning up a few years ago of all her grown children's "things" remaining in her house. 

What are you going to find to paint on tonight?