Making Creativity a Priority

Video: Playing with Watercolors-Create with Me!

     Leave a Comment

You can watch the video by scrolling to the bottom of the blog post.

Today I wanted to play with my watercolors.

I thought it would be fun to create some images on smaller sheets of paper but really just play with the supplies and see what came about.

Over the weekend I was sketching outside by my marigolds. I was inspired by Anne Butera’s sketchbook class where she showed a snippet of her creating in her garden. The whole family was outside playing over the weekend so I set up a picnic style blanket and plopped on the ground beside my marigolds (dogs clamoring for snuggles).

Initially I started out swatching colors while thinking about the marigolds. Then I tried to create some similar to how I had done in my sketchbook. I learned quickly that my tendency to overwork things lead to more of a circle rather than a flower shape.

Still, I had fun. I was a little bummed that the marigolds lost their shape so I popped over to my favorite color while thinking for flowers. Not any flower in particular I just held the idea in my head and moved my brush around to see what happened.

I used this same technique for some lavender and purple shapes as well.

Lastly I decided to swatch some fall colors and then I made some marks while thinking about leaves-and stopping myself before I could overwork them too much!

Then it seemed fitting to try a pile of fallen leaves. It wasn’t looking like what I imagined but when I let go and just started playing again the colors started to blend and I was very happy with my abstract pile of fallen leaves.

And the tree they fell off of.

I hope you will give your favorite media a try. Perhaps without trying to create anything you just let your media and movements dance and see what they create.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Making Our Popcorn Journals: No Sew/No Special Tools

     Leave a Comment

Happy Monday!

As you read that we are officially back to home school. Right now I am probably picking up pencils off the floor and trying to keep my now 4 year-old occupied without going through all the special homeschool items I purchased for this purpose. With any luck I was able to get some nice photos of the first day and the kids are excited about some new surprise goodies that the moaning and groaning is at a minimum.

The Michele who writes this is full of hope 🙂

If you remember a few weeks back I shared the idea of a “popcorn journal.” (If not you can read and watch the video here).

The idea was that on those nights when we want to crash on the couch and binge watch our favorite show that we could make a tiny bit of art in the 2 minutes it takes to pop our popcorn.

At the time I had planned to use an actual popcorn box for this purpose but I seemed to misplace it when it came to make the video.

I also realized that I had brought all my book binding tools back home to the Creative Corner and had very limited items here at the studio.

My first instinct was to just do it another time but I had no idea what to film for today. So I took a moment and was guided to just make what I could make with what I had on hand.

Years ago I used to make some “Use What You’ve Got” videos on my YT channel. As much as I love an art supply and I love it even more when creators share links to what they are using I really want to be mindful of what I share. I never want anyone to think you need a specific tool or a specific paint color to create. I think it’s so important to encourage everyone to create where they are at with what they have.

And that’s just what I did in this video.

The journal is no sew, uses a box from the recycling bin and printer paper to construct the cover. You just need some PVA glue or Mod Podge, printer paper and then whatever you want to create with to decorate the cover.

It’s that easy.

You can add a little reinforcement with some painters tape or masking tape but it’s definitely not necessary. You could do the same with some paper bag, magazine pages or more printer paper. You could even leave it as is.

As I was making (and figuring out) this journal what really stood out what how much fun I was having making it. I wasn’t worried about it looking perfect but rather I was just enjoying making a journal.

This isn’t the best way to make an art journal. It’s not going to give you a polished look but it will be an expression of your creativity. It will give you some time with your materials to have fun. I also think that when the journal isn’t picture perfect and pristine, it’s easier to just dig in and start putting some color on the pages. It doesn’t feel so precious this way.

I really hope you have fun and even make yourself a “popcorn journal.” If you do please comment below or on the video I would love to hear!

I am thinking that my journal is going to hold pages for the zines that are bouncing around in my head. I have really wanted to make a zine for a long time now and I just seem to get blocked each time. I am hoping this journal will spark the creative spirit and get me going.

Are you ready to make your journal? You can watch the video below.

I also plan to share some quick videos of my 2 minute art making both here on the blog and my YT channel so you can do the whole subscribe to the newsletter channel thing if you want. Or just stop in and look around from time to time.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Creating without a Plan

     Leave a Comment

I sat down to create without a plan.

Don’t you just love doing that?

I wasn’t sure what to create so I picked a journal I hadn’t worked in for a while and one of my most fun materials-Tempura Paint Sticks. The paper is black and it was fun to see how the paint sticks showed up. Initially I was just putting color on the paper and deciding to try and blend it a bit. From there a whole magical scene emerged.

Would you like to play? Even if you don’t know what to make-you can always make a mark. Let me be your studio buddy as we play in our journals and listen to what the muses are guiding us to make. You can watch the full video below.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Making Collage Papers Together

     Leave a Comment

I am excited to share another create with me session. I am planning to make these, or some version of them weekly and next week I am planning on sharing an art journaling practice with you. This week I am making some more painted papers that I plan to use in collage.

If you want to get creative but maybe you don’t know exactly what to make, painted pages can be so much fun! If you don’t like collage and think you don’t have a use for painted pages you can do the same thing in your art journal to get ride of white space and then create over top of them.

Some other uses for painted pages:

  • Homemade wrapping paper: You could use a roll of kraft paper to make marks and paint splatters or even copier paper to wrap smaller presents.
  • Fold them into homemade gifts bags
  • Homemade gift tags
  • Turn them into envelopes for happy mail
  • Use sturdier paper and then bind them together to make a journal
  • Cut the paper down to make homemade greeting cards or postcards.
  • Use as backgrounds for photos in memory keeping
  • Cut them up and use them in your planner
  • Make tabs for your planner or journals
  • Use in your Rainbow Glue Book

The possibilities are really endless! If you have some ideas please share in the comments-and be sure to link your blog so I can stop by and say hello!

In addition to making painted pages I am having a chat about an upcoming popcorn journal video, Bob Ross and making mud.

Mentioned in the Video:

Last Week’s Create with Me:

Jennibellie’s Video on Making a Journal from a Cereal Box

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Create with Me Art Journaling Session #1

     Leave a Comment

How is your Monday so far? I hope your week is off to a great start. I am sitting in my studio writing to you-so all in all it’s a great day.

Today I am sharing another video with you. If you read my post last Monday you know that I am working on sharing more video content with you and while I am still debating about sharing on YouTube (I keep going back and forth) I wanted to share a fun Create with Me video here for you today.

I do love watching my favorite creatives don’t you?
I love sitting down and creating with a video playing in the background or sometimes on those days when I just can’t be creative I am grateful to share in the creative play of others and it really makes me happy.

If you would like to see some of my favorite creatives you can visit the link in my sidebar.

One of the things I really hope to do with this site is to encourage my fellow creatives to make their creativity a priority. To claim in for themselves and to make time each day to refill their creative well in a way that only expression can. To sit down with your chosen medium and play. To get lost in your own world, following the direction of your creative muse. For me, this time restores my soul, my mind and my physical well-being in a way nothing else does.

You know those days when you are just completely exhausted and want nothing more than to plop down on the couch and veg out? I have found that if before plopping down, I sit down at my desk and pick up a gelato or colored pencil and tell myself to just make one mark, I almost always feel better instantly. Suddenly I am making more marks and often times ideas start to flow and I find I have done an entire journal spread and I don’t feel so exhausted anymore.

Other times I just make the mark-and that’s ok too.

Today I invite you to try and make a mark. There is no goal here, nothing we are trying to make other than time with our creativity. In the video below you will see that I don’t make anything. I fill a page with color, I have fun, I do some journaling to let out the feelings that need letting out and calling in the energy I need to call in. There is no great masterpiece at the end-unless you count how great I felt after.

So if you have 20 or so minutes to sit with your supplies and your creative muse I would love to have you join me-regardless of your chosen medium. And if you do join in, please leave a comment below-I would love to hear how you felt and what you had a play with.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by Joystock – https://www.joystock.org

Painting Faces

     4 Comments

How are you? I have been working through with the help of some art making. This weekend the weather was a little gray and between puttering in the garden (and bringing in some cut flowers to place in bud vases around the house) I made some art.

I have been working on a theme of small ladies that I would love to turn into stickers. I do love stickers and adding them to journal pages or in memory keeping. I am still fine tuning them. I love how they look as sketches but when I start painting them I feel like they are loosing a little something. Maybe I should try them all in colored pencils?

I am also working on a little paper clay decoration for Father’s Day. I am hoping I can get it done in time-I have been doing a bit here and there as I can. The inspiration came from Sarah Hand’s new book “A Happy Book of Little Gifts to Make” (that’s an affiliate link and if you make a purchase I receive a small commission but it doesn’t cost you any more).
With any luck I can finish it up in time and share some photos with you.

I was also flipping through one of my larger sketchbooks. I don’t know about you but there are certain sketchbooks or art journals I just connect with. It has very little to do with the book itself and I think more to do with how I have created in it so far. If I have been free and having fun just playing with materials I tend to really, really love the book. This is one of those journals. Usually, once I realize that I love the book I suddenly put all this pressure on myself to “keep it going.”
It feels a little like learning to ride a bike-once you realized you are doing it you fall over?

In flipping through this journal I came across I piece I had done a while back that I absolutely loved. I mean, really loved. I just connected with her so much and I am sure it had to do with how I felt creating her. I remember when she was done and I shared her with my family they just smiled and said it was nice. They didn’t quite share my enthusiasm. Art is like that though isn’t it? It can feel like the entire Universe aligned and offered you clarity and then another person can see it and just shrug. Art is so very personal.

I get it-it’s not as if she is a fabulous execution of a face. Still, she meant something to me and flipping back through the journal and seeing her I felt it all over again.

I also felt the call to make another one (and maybe more than one). This time however I felt a little nervous. Afraid I was putting pressure to create the same feeling I had when I made the one above. (I named her “Babette” by the way)
Instead, I picked a background page that had my favorite colors mixed in it and it and just started playing.

Can I say I love her even more?

 

I also love this photo with my messy desk. I took it just to make sure I captured her and instantly knew this would be a part of a post I wanted to share with you.

I am pretty sure this journal is going to be filled with similar girls. I love the two-page spread and there is just something about each of them that speaks something to me.

I hope you like this little peak into what I have been creating over the weekend. I would love to hear what you have been making or creating. Please share in the comments below.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante