Thursday, 22 September 2022 at 9:03 PM EDT or Friday, 23 September 2022 at 1:03 UTC.
The visiting woodpeckers have become fewer and fewer as the summer waned. But the other day I found this gift among the yellowing grasses… sigh. The leaves will be following soon.
Sometimes when you’re looking through a previous sketchbook or journal, a page you had worked on months ago will resonate with you.
And that’s the case here, because some days are tougher than others.
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”
— Mary Anne Radmacher
To try to be brave is to be brave.
— George MacDonald
The problem is not entirely how to find a room of one’s own, the time alone, difficult and necessary as that is. The problem is more how to still the soul in the. midst of its activities. In fact, the problem is how to feed the soul.
— Anne Morrow Lindbergh
I’m drawing & painting from a photo posted all over the internet. Credit goes to Win McNamee/Getty Images. Ms. Cheney is not looking at the camera but try as I might, I just cannot paint her eyes to show how she’s looking straight ahead to the video setup. I must have painted & blotted three or four times. Finally, I just have to accept it.
“Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.”
—- Liz Cheney
09 June 2022
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed to the Supreme Court.
53 – 47
Truly a great day for America!
One month ago, 24 February 2022, Vladimir Putin directed the Russian forces to invade democratic Ukraine.
Zelenskyy may be Ukraine’s public face and champion of his country but all the citizens of Ukraine are heroic as they face unprecedented strife. Glory to Ukraine!
(Watercolor on Strathmore 500 Mixed Media paper in a handmade 7.5 in. square journal.)
I stand with Ukraine.
Putin, stop your invasion and end your war.
The model is Irina Sharypova from the Museum by Sketchy app.
Watercolor on Strathmore 500 Mixed Media paper in a 7.5 in. square handmade sketchbook.
Project on Projects: Do It Anyway December
Or in my case… Do It Anyway 2021.
If the video above doesn’t play you can watch it on YouTube here.
In my previous post I detailed the year-long project that culminates in this nearly six minute long video. Yes, I’m pleased with the book… actually, I’m thrilled. But most importantly, I’m pleased that I could see this project through to completion, COVID-19 pandemic and other stressors be damned!
And now that I’ve finally finished the video and uploaded it here I’ll take a few minutes to reflect and get over my post-project letdown before picking up my paintbrush again because you see… I already have another project going!
It comes as no surprise to those of you who follow here that I’m a huge fan of Roz Stendahl and have been a long time reader of her blog, Roz Wound Up, and more recently, Roz Interim on Patreon.
Way back in November, 2020 Roz discussed how to select personal projects that are both meaningful and enjoyable that would encourage long-term exploration. She feels it’s important to develop the independence to organize a project that will be meaningful and not dictated by prompts or an instructor’s guidance.
Enter the Project on Projects: Do It Anyway December.
Roz pushed us to select a simple project based on accessible subjects that would continue through the month of December. We would build our project around three crucial items: skill, medium, and subject matter we loved.
I had been thinking of cataloging my collection of Christmas Ornaments and it seemed to fit this framework perfectly. I love serendipity!
I would paint my ornaments on watercolor paper signatures and then bind them into a book when I finished. But I have a lot… a LOT… of ornaments! I knew immediately that “Do It Anyway December” was going to turn into “Do It Anyway 2021.”
Skill – watercolor on 140lb/300gsm cold press watercolor paper signatures using standard brushes (no waterbrushes).
Medium – watercolor, ink if desired.
Subject – Christmas ornaments
I worked diligently through December but then my interest waned only to be invigorated a week or so later when I’d resume my mission. And so went the whole of 2021. I had other drawing and painting projects going on simultaneously so I was still keeping up my daily art practice without ever losing sight of my goal. I wanted my ornaments painted and scanned by early November and the book case made and bound by Thanksgiving.
I did it!
The book is approximately 8 inches square and contains four signatures with throwouts. It’s bound into a Sewn on the Spine structure using Keith Smith’s Dash & Bars stitch pattern twice on the spine. The case is covered with Asahi Scarlett book cloth and inset with a watercolor and ink splattered label.
Looks tantalizing doesn’t it. The full video will be in the next post!
Dana Burrell... Art 