Wednesday, July 27, 2016

#HumpDayHaiku 3Q16

I almost missed July!


Aug. 17


Olympics inspired... These elite athletes are truly inspirational. 

Sunday, July 24, 2016

"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do" - Edgar Degas


So... yeah, I've taken up painting. And to be honest, no matter how much I end up doing, I plan on staying on the "don't know how" side so that it stays fun and "easy".

I think a part of me has always strived to develop an artistic side. I have so many art supplies: crayons, markers, acrylic paint, pastels, colored pencils... Even though my wardrobe may contain just a handful of colors, my eyes are always drawn to vibrant colors.

Paint Nite
When I accompany friends into stores like Sephora or even the Home Depot paint aisle, I look at the color palettes and feel a peaceful calmness.

I've been an inspiring creative for a long time but I've never dedicated any time to it. But considering all the supplies I've accumulated over the years, it seems about time.

About 7-8 years ago, Costco has an art easel and paints set that I bought on a whim. After that, it just sat in a closet or garage, collecting dust until now. Why did I wait so long? I just didn't want to commit. Why did I finally break it out? Well, I figured, 1. Why not? and 2. It's something to do while I binge watch tv!

As Danny Kaye says, "Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it."


And after my first Paint Nite with my good friend, Erica, the creative juices really started flowing. I had already been working a weekly Hump Day Haiku that was accompanied by a drawing. Up until that point, I was essentially drawing stick figures. After, I decided to step up my game and see what I could do.

I have finished that project, but haven't found another one for this year. I've been playing with my new DSLR and been taking pictures as often as I can, but I still felt like something was missing.

There is just something to forcing yourself to constantly brainstorm and create a new thing each week and then just stopping. I start getting what I consider "creative anxiety" where I just want to draw something. But not just something, something that I like and am willing to share. I have several half finished sketches so now I'm switching gears and trying a new medium.

I have another 5 canvases ready to have paint thrown on them. Over the next few weeks and months I'll be adding whatever I create here. Hopefully they will turn out ok, but even if they don't, I honestly don't have a clue of what I'm doing so I'm just going to have some fun.