Two ATCs

Spring Flowers ATC

Not much to show although I’ve been doing something creative most days. Some of that has been making notes about my world of Rohinval plus increasing the vocabulary of my conlang, Rohiniem.

However, I’ve made two ATCs for SwapBot swaps. ‘Spring Flowers’ is the first in what will be a series of monthly group swaps. The second ATC is a Zentangled U, a continuation of the alphabet series that I’ve been enjoying.

Hopefully I’ll have more to show early next month – for now, happy leap year day to all!!!

Zentangled 'U' ATC

Map and zentangles

Zentangled hand

I’ve recently completed two very different swaps in Swap-Bot.

The first entailed drawing around my hand before filling it with zentangles. I used a textured paper from an acrylic pad as the paper needed to be thick enough not to get bent in the post and this was the thickest white paper that I had available. It made some of the drawing more difficult but I love the effect on the shadowing around the hand itself. Fun to do – I’m doing a lot of zentangles and doodles lately, this was a nice challenge.

For the second swap, I had to draw a fantasy map with certain elements included: at least 3 geographical features, a compass, names of cities and/or town, and a name for the land itself. I chose to draw Neriadeem, an island nation in my land of Rohinval. It’s one of the few areas of ‘my world’ that I know a fair bit about and so it seemed obvious to me to use that. I was pleased with the result – I used pen, inktense pencils and some acrylic inks. Again, fun to do, and useful – I’ll be using this map (or the scan I have) in the new map that I’m currently making (see my Rohinval blog for more info).

Neriadeem, an island nation in Rohinval.

Stepping into 2012….

First, here’s wishing you all a very happy, prosperous and creative New Year. With my thanks for following my blog and for all your ‘likes’ and comments, all of them always appreciated.

Last night I was sent an email by WordPress with my stats for 2011. I’d share it with you but every time I try to read it through, Firefox crashes, lol. What I do know is that my little blog is more popular than it was at this time last year, and for that I thank you too.

Over the past week or so I’ve been procrastinating over my WORD for 2012. I had thought of perhaps continuing with STRUCTURE, the word I adopted back in July, having failed miserably to establish a rapport with my January 2011 word Balance let alone be inspired by it. Structure worked well. I’ve laid down some guidelines, structured my creative activities, including learning (and yes, I’m still ‘studying’ from my personal library as well as continuing with my Morning Pages) and am creating within a flexible yet thought out daily schedule, health and the Muse permitting.

But, the WORD has done its job. I can continue along the path now that my structure has been laid down. And so, time to choose a new one.

However, deciding on that new WORD has been fraught with mental wrestling, lol. Eventually I decided, via my Morning Pages, that the problem lies in my wanting too much from one word. There is no one word that adequately conveys the path that I now wish to follow. Briefly I wondered about having two words for 2012 but decided against that. If I want to, I can always choose a new one in June (according to the rules laid down by Christine Kane that is perfectly acceptable).

And so, after much careful deliberation, my new word is CONSIDER. (See Wiktionary for one definition). For me, that definition contains part of what I want to do over the coming months: to think about my creativity seriously and perhaps most importantly, to look attentively at the work that I’m producing as well as to consider and study the processes and techniques involved. My favourite definition however is here, with this line in particular jumping out at me:

“To fix the mind on, with a view to a careful examination; to think on with care; to ponder; to study; to meditate on.”

There are other connotations to CONSIDER and I’ll be mind-mapping them in my journal later today. Giving greater consideration to other people and events included: sometimes I feel that I become so wrapped up in my own little world that I ignore what else is going on around me.

Today I’m also hoping to put up the ‘mood board’ that I bought yesterday. Blank at the moment, I’m hoping to fill it gradually and use it for considered inspiration over the days and weeks and months ahead. See you all again soon, and thanks once more for your support.

NaNo and Sketchbook

The proof

Yes, I was a winner in NaNoWriMo as those who check my Rohinval blog will know. Writing sort of took over my life for a bit, which was why I didn’t post here much during the last month.

Now, though, the dust is settling and I’m having a break from the writing whilst enjoying some relaxation time with Skyrim. Brilliant game and very addictive!!!

However, I have been continuing to work in my Sketchbook 2012 and am now within sight of the finish – just 7 pages to go, including the last where I plan to write a little about my art rather than draw. I’m hoping to complete the book in time to mail it back to Brooklyn before xmas. So here are the latest pages:

Pages 24 & 25. Holga photo of old raliway track, with drawing. And a drawing of a derelict factory in Sheffield.

Pages 26 & 27. An altered text page and a doodle!

The altered text reads: silent the fire grew by some magic fiery intense white heat violet and blue gold vermilion. The fire was a great pillar of black smoke, a column of some gigantic temple

Pages 28 & 29. Two photographs, taken with my digital camera, that have an almost monochromatic look to them. Because I like them and I thought it would add another perspective to the theme.

I’ve also taken a few more photos that I may show here and hope to add to my Flickr pages within the next few days.

 

Journal and writing

Week 15 "stickies"

Heart journal prompt was ‘stickies’, any type including (I think) collage as well as embellishments. My spread used bought papers plus crumpled dress pattern tissue painted with acrylic inks. Then various bought sticky embellishments. Not my best spread but my thoughts have been on writing this last week, not visual imagery!

Why? Because I signed up for NaNoWriMo and have thus been writing since Tuesday! More about that here on my Rohinval blog.

I’ve also made two more zentangled ATCs, although I need to scan them in so will show them later. But if you wonder why this blog is quieter than normal during November, you now know why!!!

Journal play

Numbers - week 13 in my HeArt journal

For various reasons I haven’t been doing much visual imagery during the last few days. Have been doing my ‘morning pages’ and a lot of thinking, jotting down some notes and sorting things out to send off for swaps.

Have done the spread for this week’s HeArt journal, though. The prompt was Lucky Number. Now, I don’t have any number that I consider to be lucky. But I do regard 21 as special, probably because it’s my birth date, lol. And the other numbers featured seem fairly significant to me for various reasons. I used acrylic ink for the background and various pens.

Doodling

I also had a play in my ongoing ‘arty journal’ yesterday, whilst thinking and watching tv. I do so love the zentangle style of doodling.

Apart from that, I’ve signed up for the National Novel Writing Month after being prodded by 2 friends (thanks – you know who you are!!!). I’m not sure that I’ll stick to the remit and I definitely won’t write my novel in November but hopefully it will nudge me into writing every day – same challenge as for the art, I believe – 30 minutes a day, but writing instead of just any creative activity. If nothing else I hope it will help me to get my notes into some sort of order. And there is a lot of useful information and helpful forums on the site as well.

ATCs and lace

Map ATCs

Despite the lack of blogging, I have been keeping to my minimum of 30 minutes creativity a day, including doing my Morning Pages. However, much of it has been studying, research and note-taking for my Rohinval project so there’s not much to show. For now, I’m working on language creation. Struggling might be a better word, lol. When I’ve managed to get a language that I’m reasonably happy with, I’ll post on my Rohinval blog.

On the visual creativity front I’ve made 4 ATCs since my last post. Three Map ATCs for a swap at the MixedMedia group and one “Zentangled A” ATC for me, as I missed that on the SwapBot series.

My first completed lace patterns, with mistakes!!!

I also completed my first full lace-making patterns. There are mistakes in both, but then, I AM very much a beginner. My husband remarked that it seemed a lot of effort to produce such small pieces, and in a way, I have to agree with him. However, I find the process absorbing and fun, despite the occasional mishap, and have started to prepare two more patterns to try. My only reservation is that the threading of the bobbins seems to take for ever, but then, most creative activities involve some (often boring) preparation work. In my view, though, the enjoyment and satisfaction of creating usually exceeds the more tedious bits!

Zentangled A ATC

 

 

And now, a confession:

I’ve been loathe to take the time out to blog as I’ve been absorbed in creating. So my apologies for the decrease in posts, although I promise to try and post at least once a week, if not more.

Another feather and sketchbook pages

Red and blue feather

Yesterday I decided to stitch one more Magic Feather for Jude Hill’s project as I was in the mood for some sewing. Using some tea-dyed muslin backed with a cotton square. I also stamped on the cloth with fabric paints as I felt it needed a little ‘something’ to finish it off.

I’ve also done 2 sketches in my Art House Co-op Sketchbook 2012. There is still plenty of time before I need to mail it back but there is over half the book to fill yet, and I’d like to get it done and sent by Xmas, if not before. I think setting myself a deadline will help urge me on, lol.

Along with the writing (I’ve made a few more notes) and the Heart Journal (ooh, I got a mention in their latest post!!!) I have plenty to keep me busy

Pages 14 & 15: wooden box and dragon with Buddha.

Continuing…

Lace in the making.

… to be creative every day, even if I’ve gone quiet here, lol. Some writing, map-making (see Rohinval), a bit of lace-making now that I have a proper lace-makers pillow (yay!!!) and 2 more zentangled ATCs.

We also visited a relatively new antiques and art centre in Sheffield on Sunday. Had a lovely time browsing and yes, I gave in and bought a few little bits (vintage buttons, postcards, old embroidery and fabric pieces). Great place, and one to which I know I’ll return.

Zentangled J ATC

I have several projects lined up, including the next spread in my HeArt journal, the Arthhouse Co-op sketchbook to continue and the making of at least one magic feather for Jude Hill’s project. I’ve been following her blog for ages, love her work. When Jill announced that she’s stitching a feather or two I decided it was time to do my own – thanks, Jill, for the nudge.

There’s also my writing. I’ve been jotting down a few notes, mainly via my morning pages. Hopefully I’ll start to sort them out into something more comprehensive soon.

Zentangled K ATC

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