30 days done!!!

Yay!!! The 30 days of the get-your-art-on challenge are complete – and I managed to be creative for every one of them!!! As you can see, I’m pleased, lol!!! My thanks to Traci – she was an inspiration

So, what have I done for the last 2 days, I hear you ask? Writing. And creating maps. And setting up a new blog to follow my progress on my possible novel, lol. Now that IS a challenge!!! But friends are telling me that they’ll prod me into action if I seem to be doing nothing toward it. Nothing much as yet to publish, but here is a sneak preview of the new map.

Base map of Rohinval

I traced parts of the old map that I used for the TAG project and used that as a base for the new one. Some of you may be able to spot a few of the original places, although I still have to add names, towns and roads. It’s on acrylic paper and I’ve used acrylic inks plus pen. The reason for the changes? My initial ideas grew as I wrote for TAG, and that included a changing view of the world. There were no plains, or very little in the way of grassy areas, and that just didn’t seem right. Plus I wanted to move some islands and incorporate the ‘desert’ island into the main continent. And so, voila!!!

Now, hopefully, I’ll be able to carry on creating most days. No, I’m not going to worry if I miss the occasional day. As long as that doesn’t turn into a week or longer without doing something creative then I’ll be happy. Good to know, though, that if I push myself, I can produce far more. I’ve also worked out a better timetable – writing in the morning (when I usually find I can write better) with other creative activities after lunch and into the evening, depending on what else is happening.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to stick to the plan now that I have one

The end of a project

Today I’ve written, and posted, the final chapters in Zentara’s Journey plus answers to a questionnaire that the creator of the project asked us to complete. The Travelling Artists’ Guild has been an extremely fun and useful project and challenge, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey. Some of the participants are choosing to continue and I thought long and hard about doing so. One part of me aches to do so, as I’ve made friends along the way and will miss the debates, discussions and support of those within the group.

But there comes a time when such projects become confining, when there is a need to depart gracefully and say farewell. And this I have done – well, maybe not gracefully, but you get the picture, lol. For me the project was about combining visual art and writing. Being able to do both was something I’d failed at before. During the last year, however, I have managed to do so. In fact, if anything, my visual creativity has blossomed.

As has my writing. Zentara’s journey may be finished within the parameters of the Guild. But her journey is not over. I plan to retell it, remake it and write her story in a different way and with different perspectives. No longer will it be told within the first viewpoint, limited to Zentara’s view of the world. Other characters need to have their say. And they will.

That is, at least, the plan. Whether or not it ever comes to fruition is another matter altogether, lol. But the seeds and the desire are there. I’m off to begin that part of the journey now. And oh, yes, Day 28′s challenge has been well and truly fulfilled, even if is only just past noon!!!

Writing and tearing

Torn papers, week 10, HeArt Journal.

Here is the finished spread for week 10 of the HeArt Journal. Torn dressmaking pattern tissue was layered down first before being painted with acrylic inks. I then added various torn papers plus some net and fabric torn from an old card. After adding more ink using a sponge and graphitint pencils to deepen the hue in places, I added the text, first with a Sharpie pen then a staedtler black pen to make the letters stand out more. Not my favourite spread in the journal but I’m pleased that I’m still doing the project – only 14 more spreads or pages to go!!!

I’ve also been writing. This week is the last for the current Travelling Artists’ Guild project. Our characters had to return to the Guild and I also wanted to bring Zentara’s current tale to an end. There will be one more episode after the one I posted this morning, plus possibly a final note from the ‘author’. But more on that later.

For now, I’m delighted to reach Day 27 of the get-your-art-on challenge having not missed a day. Only three more days to go

And the get-your-art-on challenge continues…

Background in heArt journal

Although I’m not updating my blog every day, I AM still continuing with the challenge to be creative every day in September. When I first started I was unsure as to whether I would be able to. But here I am, 23 days later, and still going strong. Only 7 more days of the challenge left. But hopefully it has got me into good habits, lol. So that once October rolls in I’ll carry on in the same vein.

Since my last posting, I’ve written another episode on Zentara’s Journey. ‘Taking Stock’ is not just about the character; it’s also about how I stand now, seeing the final line of the year’s project approaching. Zentara will continue. Either within the project if it goes into a second year, or as a solo project. I have plans. I want to expand my knowledge of the world I created. To see it through others eyes. To write more. Perhaps to even take it into the realms of a novel.

No promises though – a novel is a very, very different undertaking to the year’s journey. I tried it once before so I’m no stranger to the process. I got as far as probably 6 or 7 chapters from the end when I stopped. I’d suddenly seen a shift. Not just in the way the story was unfolding but in my whole concept of how the story should be told. And having shifted I couldn’t return to continuing the novel as it stood.

I worked on the new ideas, shaped a new novel chapter by chapter so that I wouldn’t have any more surprises when I came to rewrite. But by the time I came to the end of that, the love of the story had ended and the feel of the exploration expired and the spur that drove me had been snuffed out. I never wrote another word on that tale, and know I never will. So, I know exactly how fragile the story-telling can be. If I ever get to rework Zentara’s world, I’m sure I’ll be more amazed than anyone, lol!!!

Torn tissue background.

Back to the art challenge. I also made two backgrounds in my HeArt journal as I felt like doing something with paint, lol. Although one was done with watercolour pencils and pen. The other, though, is torn dressmaking tissue and acrylic inks. Both done before the next prompt became known – which I now learn is for torn papers. So I’ll be using that as my background for my next spread. I also read more about lace-making and had another little practice. I have new bobbins, and they are much more to my liking than the plastic ones. They just ‘feel’ right in my hands. Hopefully I’ll have a longer play with them soon.

More writing + cutting & pasting.

Week 9 of the HeArt Journal challenge

Yesterday saw me writing another episode for Zentara’s Journey. My character has now returned to the Travelling Artist’s Guild, as all of us active within the Guild will by the end of September. However, for Zentara there is more of her story to tell. This will, at least for this month, be told within the Guild Halls, with perhaps a bit of retrospection thrown in as she (hopefully) looks back and produces some visual images. That’s the plan, anyway!!!

I also worked on my HeArt Journal, producing the spread shown to the right. The prompt for this week was ‘Cut&Paste’ using a magazine face as a focus, and the image shown to inspire us was one by Teesha Moore. I’ve been meaning to play with her ‘style’ for a while so enjoyed doing the spread.

So much so, that this morning, virtually shut away in the front room whilst an engineer sorted out our heating system, I produced 3 more pages in her style within my Arty Journal. One has already had text filled in; the other two will be written on in due course.

First 'play' in my Arty Journal...

...and a double spread, ready to write on later.

Some writing

For the last 2 days I’ve been writing and have just published the latest episode of Zentara’s Journey for the Travelling Artist’s Guild project. It’s been nearly a year since this was started and has been a very worthwhile project as far as I’m concerned, despite my neglecting the journey in part since June. Life sometimes has a way of getting in the way of major projects such as these. It certainly did for me. But I feel as if I’m now back on track and am getting my character en route for the Guild in time for the finish of the year.

I’ve also managed some more lace-making practice – nothing much, just playing still with the 4 pairs of bobbins – plus reading up on lace, textiles and quilt-making in various books. So the get-your-art-on challenge still going strong – yay!

And on Day 15…

My first tiny piece of lace pasted in my journal!

The lace-making in progress. Just before it all went wrong, lol!

… I finally made some lace!!! OK, it was only a very small piece, and I made mistakes, and because I missed out a pin it all started to fall apart. So I finished the pattern there, and instead have started a practice piece with just 4 pairs of bobbins, with no pattern to follow. Just doing whole stitch and learning slowly. And having fun.

I also painted the printer’s tray but took no photos as it was too gloomy by the time I’d done. And I’ve been thinking and making notes about Zentara’s Journey. All in all, the halfway point of the get-your-art-on challenge was a reasonably productive one.

Today I’ll be going out, but I still intend to do some art. Just not sure exactly what at the moment although I suspect there will be more lace-making practice at some point as I thoroughly enjoyed what I did, even if the result was poor and something that my great-grandmother would have probably tutted about and thrown away, lol. But then, we all have to start somewhere

Day 8 of get-your-art-on

Mug Rug in progress

My creative activities today started with my morning pages then moved onto the mug rug quilt.

Having cut out and tacked some pieces yesterday, I rearranged them and cut out more for an extra strip this morning. Eventually pleased with the design, I machine stitched them together. I then  attached the batting and the backing before free machine quilting. I definitely need more practice with the latter, lol. Still, I’m not dissatisfied with the resulting swirly, squiggly lines as I think it adds more interest than the straight quilting that I did on my first mug rug.

The next stage will be to trim and straighten the edges before choosing and sewing on the binding. But that can wait until at least tomorrow whilst I decide whether or not to add any appliqués or other stitching.

Close up

I’ve also been reading through Zentara’s journey from the beginning whilst watching snooker. Amazing how much I’ve written since the start of the journey almost a year ago. My characters need to make their way back to the Guild soon; I’m hoping that by reading everything through it will spur me on to continue the writing, sadly neglected since June.

Structure

As many of you know, for the last few years I’ve chosen a word as opposed to making New Year resolutions. My word for this year was balance, but it didn’t inspire me at the time and as the year progressed, it became clear that it meant little to me.

Before we went on holiday I found myself ‘drifting’ with my art. I felt that something was needed. Having looked at various online courses, only to dismiss them as not what I wanted, I realised that what I lacked was any purpose to my creative endeavours – apart from the need to create. And thus I decided to discard balance and replace it with structure.

I journalled my ideas and thoughts on structure and what it means to me several weeks back and was going to blog here but family and health issues got in the way. However, now that I’m beginning to feel brighter I decided it was time to update you all on my new word

My ideas centre on becoming more focused; finding ways to motivate and organise my creativity; educating myself in certain areas; and creating a rough framework and schedule (although this has to be flexible due to the health problems).

I decided that taking on small projects could help with the motivation – hence the Summer of Colour challenge and the Heart Journal project. Along with the ArtHouse Co-op 2012 Sketchbook and the Travelling Artists’ Guild projects (both sadly neglected for nearly 2 months but hopefully to be resurrected once my health returns to a more normal level) I feel that these give me a way to structure what I’m doing and motivate me at the same time. Another mini-project is the Zentangle ATCs with SwapBot – small art that I can do when too exhausted to tackle anything else.

Another project is to locate and catalogue my creativity-related books. I have, somewhere, a small library of tomes that I have acquired over the years. Some I have worked through, partly at least, others have just been there as ‘browsing’ fodder or for inspiration. However, if I could list and categorise them all I’m convinced that they could be a valuable educational resource. So the idea is to sort my books and actually sit down with those that appeal the most and plan a rough course of my own.  I have already begun to unearth those that have become hidden in boxes, under piles of magazines or  behind other books. This is a long-term project, of course, and may not come to fruition as the self-motivation required is probably beyond me but at least it’s making me aware of potential projects. And I’m discovering some wonderful half-forgotten treasures in the process.

So, that is the plan. I may still embark on a course at some stage but for now I feel that I have sown the seeds required to structure my creativity and am happier for having set myself some goals.

Creating the Key

The Key

The key is a major artifact found by my intrepid traveler, Zentara Shadowsoul. When first discovered it was in pieces and she had to assemble it, like a jigsaw puzzle but with no picture as a reference.

I decided that, rather than draw it, I’d make one out of air-dry clay. Once I had the shape I then cut into the clay to form the symbols before drawing thin lines for the ‘cracks’ that would be there once the key was glued together.

Once it was dry, I painted it with acrylic inks, using several layers until I was happy with the result. It’s not perfect – but then, neither is the key in the story, and I’ve tried to match it to the tale.

The symbols are crude, as in the story. The stone key is meant to look battered, possibly slightly charred as well as having been stuck together from a jumble of pieces. Hopefully I achieved the right look. Clay isn’t something I use much; indeed, this was a challenge for me as I’ve always found making sculpture and 3D objects difficult.

The Key (reverse)

But then, one of the reasons for the Traveling Artists’ Guild journey is to challenge ourselves and create things we haven’t done before. I certainly did that with this one!

As for the writing, it’s been flowing. I have two more episodes in draft form, and have started on a third. And the character has changed the direction of the mental story that I’d sorted – she was adamant that things were not going to happen as I’d planned!!! Which is fine – it shows that Zentara is a fully-fledged character and I absolutely adore the new ways that she’s mapped out for the journey ahead.