art journal · Daily Art Devotion

Daily Art Devotions: Day 4

For day 4 of the 40-day #DailyArtDevotions #artjournal journey with Elizabeth Foley, I created the door to my soul. Creating this art journal page reminded a lot of the vision I had of the girl in the darkness with an angel standing on the other side of the door. All she had to do was choose to open the door and let the light in. Even with the vision, I still forget that it is a conscious choice every day to open the door and let the light in despite or in spite of the darkness. As I was drawing and coloring, I kept seeing a fence around the door, and I don’t know if that is to protect it or is yet another obstacle I’ve put up to overcome before I can open the door to my soul.

I believe my soul is calling me to follow my heart and continue on this artistic journey I’ve started on. But, I have so much daily resistance, perceived obligations, and it feels like I’m being pulled in so many directions, and I don’t know which one is the right one. It felt like my soul was telling me there was nothing I HAD to do, that instead, I had the option to choose what it was I wanted to do, that I would be supported no matter what I decided. Maybe there is no right or wrong decision cosmically. Maybe it is instead about making a decision for the right reason according to nobody but myself. If I am honest with myself, all I want to do right now is make art. My desire to do anything else just doesn’t exist. But I keep telling myself it is the irresponsible thing to do, that I need to do something to secure my future, that I need to be worried about money and security, and stop with all this crazy dreaming. And yet, I still just want to make art.

I really love working in this repurposed cookbook. There is something special about redefining a book by making it your own.

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Art · Ever After 2018

Ever After 2018 Style Development

For today’s sketchbook practice, I followed along with Marielle Stolp’s Style Development lesson for #EverAfter2018. Next, I need to practice creating this while changing up two of the following: subject matter, supplies, or the approach.

Something to note is that I bought some Arches hot pressed watercolor paper, and this is third time I’ve worked on it, and I really don’t like it. I think it may be the smoothness of the hot pressed paper. Also, I really don’t like working on a piece without sketching something out first. I feel a loss of control with it, and it really irks my perfectionist side to the point of irritation. Additionally, though they are convenient, I am finding it hard to get consistent water flow with the water brushes. I think I may try switching to a regular brush next time I work with watercolor.

I really like the style development part of the Ever After course because it’s helping me to pay attention and be more aware about what I like and don’t like when creating. I have found that I do not trust myself yet, that I will try to “fix” something even if I like it because it is not what is in the instructions, and I’m afraid it will be “wrong.” I’ve really got to work on trusting my choices more…in art and in life.