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!
It has been four and a half years… yes YEARS… since I painted my last EDM challenge item.
EDM stands for Every Day Matters and is a list of 328 items to draw or paint. It was created by Karen Winters to help artists create a daily practice without mulling over the eternal question, What should I draw today? I’ve been oh so sloooowly working my way though the list but never have I gone this long since my last entry. I painted number 122- draw something where shade is a prominent part of the subject, back in March 2017. Ouch.
EDM 123 – Draw a bell.
Yes, it’s a bell… a Christmas ornament bell. I had to dig around in the closet to find it and now that it’s out early I guess I’ll have to find a safe spot for it to rest until it can take it’s rightful spot of honor on our holiday tree!
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,
but the parent of all the others.
— Cicero
Dana Burrell... Art 