Crazy, Crazy April

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Dana Burrell

As I have the last 3 years, I will be participating again in IFJM – International Fake Journal Month… Roz Stendhal‘s creation. If you’re new here and haven’t heard about this wonderful April project please follow the links above. Just be prepared to lose yourself in the interwebs as you learn.

Roz has chosen “[considered] TRUTHS” as this year’s… slogan? motto?

How will I handle this? To find out please consider visiting my dedicated IFJM blog: SkylarkKarma.wordpress.com. I hope to post my character’s journal pages daily… come, follow my progress!

And, as if I didn’t have enough to do, I’ve also decided to participate in Blogging A to Z. Oh no… it runs in April too! Basically, on April 1st we’re to blog about something beginning with the letter A, the 2nd is the letter B, etc. Sundays are our day of rest… no posting. That way, on April 30th, we’ll all be posting about zebras… or zithers, or zzzzzs! There’s a big sign-up process but I’m not sure I’ll jump through that hoop but I may reconsider

Now don’t be expecting too much. I figure a photo and a bit of text will be as much as I can manage. This is an opportunity to look back, share a few pages from the archives along with some recent work. I’ll be doing that here on danaburrellart.com so stay tuned.

Lots going on… I hope I didn’t bite off too much. Wish me luck!

Antidote for Cabin Fever

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Dana Burrell

I’ve got a bad case of cabin fever.

It’s been way too cold to even think of sketching or painting outside; temperatures have lingered in the teens for so long, I feel sure if I removed my heavy expedition-weight mittens for a minute, ice crystals would form!

But then my friend, Michelle Goldsmith of Pleading Quilty, gave me this gorgeous “Drawing Glove” she found on Etsy. Incredibly, my spirits lifted as I put it on and imagined all the places we’d go.

Funky isn’t it? No, it’s certainly not heavy enough to use right now but it’ll be perfect in spring when there’s still a cool breeze… and it’s in my favorite color too!

Ahhhhh… spring.

Tomorrow, March 1st, marks the beginning of Spring… meteorologically speaking. I know it’s still three weeks ’till astronomical spring but I feel better knowing we’ve left the three coldest months of the year behind.

And I’m just that much closer to sketching outside again!

Five Day Art Challenge – Day Five

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Dana Burrell

Day 5… and final day… of my Five Day Art Challenge.

Today, as an homage to Roz Stendahl, and her creation, IFJM – International Fake Journal Month I’m sharing an image from each of my previous fake journals.

What is a fake journal? Well, it’s a chance for you to be someone else and keep a journal as that person. It doesn’t have to be a visual journal although that’s what I did for the last three years. Each year I’ve chosen an art goal and made a commitment to have an entry for each day in the month of April to coincide with other fake journalers.

In 2012 I had 2 goals – to sketch a person each day in ink and watercolor and create a narrative for my journal keeper. If you’d like to see my entire 2012 IFJM journal from the beginning start with my April 1st post and forward through the “next” posts.

2013’s goal was to work in gouache over pre-painted acrylic backgrounds and of course, have that all-important, at least to me, back story of the artist. Here’s the link to see how I selected my physical journal as well as the link for the first post of my 2013 Fake Journal.

In 2014 I used a small set of watercolor pencils in my journal and again my character had her own life lurking behind those pages. See my journal selection and the April 1st journal entry if you’d like to see it all from the beginning.

If you’d like to know more about International Fake Journal Month please visit officialinternationalfakejournalblog.blogspot.com to see Roz’s journals and get a feel for the whole experience.

And yes, I’ll be participating again this year… don’t have a goal or a character yet but it’s early… I have nearly two months to figure it out. Be sure to visit “me” or whomever I “am” at skylarkkarma.wordpress.com.

I hope to see you in April!

Five Day Art Challenge – Day Four

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Dana Burrell

I always loved the State Fair but now it means so much more. It means I can take my sketchbook and revel in the hay… just as long as I remember my antihistamines!

Come back tomorrow for the fifth and final day of my Five Day Art Challenge!

Five Day Art Challenge – Day Three

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Dana Burrell

As I was looking though my sketchbook/illustrated journals I was reminded that art is more than just images. I often write meaningful quotes in my journals, often with images, but sometimes the words themselves become the art. These came from a particularly difficult 3 week period.

Art heals.

I hope to see you tomorrow for day four!

Five Day Art Challenge – Day Two

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Dana Burrell

I’m a firm believer in documenting my travels; as I flip though my sketchbook I’m immediately transported. I went with family on a long planned Alaska trip almost 2 years ago. As I page though my travel journal I remember each place we visited.

I close my eyes and I’m in the hall where hundreds of these delightful wire fish sculptures were hanging, each one made by a student at the local school.

I can almost feel the cool breeze crossing the water.

And sense the bittersweet feeling I had upon seeing the glorious sunrise as we landed back in the lower 48.

All my photographs could be erased from my hard disk in a major computer disaster and I wouldn’t care… as long as I still had my journal!

Tomorrow… day three.

Five Day Art Challenge – Day One

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Dana Burrell

Have you heard of the Five Day Art Challenge? It’s been going around Facebook for a while. It’s premise is to post 3 images of your art for 5 days. A few weeks ago I was tagged by Roz Stendahl to participate. It was fun to go through my sketchbooks and look for themes and interests that emerged over the years I’ve kept my illustrated journal.

I may call what I do keeping a sketchbook but it’s much more than that. As I repost my images over then next few days I hope to give you a glimpse of how important these books are to me.

Today, day one, and I’ve chosen to show my first watercolor done almost 5 years ago. I cringe every time I see that gray blob that’s supposed to be a shadow!

These 2 were done just a few weeks ago. As you can see, fruit is still one of my favorite models but I’m also continuing to work on capturing a much wider scene.

Check back tomorrow for Day Two.

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Dana Burrell

Another bit of inspiration from Neil Gaiman’s Journal, this time from 2007.

And now it’s in my journal too.

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”

— Neil Gaiman

Thoughts for the Eve of the New Year

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Dana Burrell

From Neil Gaiman’s Journal 2011… transcribed into my 2014 journal. I couldn’t have said it better.

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.

So that’s my wish for you, and for all of us, and for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”

— Neil Gaiman

Recess at Sketchbook Skool

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Dana Burrell

I had great plans for the winter holiday hiatus from Sketchbook Skool. I thought I’d take the opportunity to sketch a portrait of every teacher. There were only 14 instructors… 3 terms, 6 teachers each… and each term 2 of them were returning teachers, the founders, Danny Gregory and Koosje Koene. No sweat… plenty of time.

HA! …. it’s amazing how time just evaporates.

I did manage to sketch all 6 instructors in the SBS – Beginnings class: Danny Gregory, Koosje Koene, Prashant Miranda, Jane LaFazio, Roz Stendahl and Tommy Kane.

Have you been wondering what Sketchbook Skool is like? You can find out by taking a free klass. Get a taste of creativity, it may be just what you need to get you through the winter. Beginnings starts again January 2, Seeing starts January 23 and Storytelling starts on February 13.

Don’t be too kool for skool!