Tag: Creativity

Creative Prompt #20: Circle

Some ancient historical sites have large stones laid out in a circle.

Rings are circles as is the sun, the moon and other planets.

Marbles, beach balls, bouncy balls and playground balls.

See the Creative Prompt page if you have questions about this project.

Post the direct URL where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog post, Flickr, etc) in the comments area of this post. This practice will keep all the artwork together. If I find art or pictures by other artists on this topic, I may post them in the comments as well.

There is more information on the recently updated Creative Prompt Page.

Art is Simple: Make Something

Linda M. Poole, part of the creative prompt ‘team’, posted this on her blog. It reminds me of another similar work by Dana Barbieri, which I posted about on June 8.
clipped from lmpoole.blogspot.com

blog it

Taking simple elements, such as letters and making something out of them is a great place to start if you are creatively stuck.

Creative Prompt #19: Journey

Are you on a creative journey or a journey that involves planes and luggage?

What inspires you when you travel?

Here is a lovely poem about a journey which I found at Poem Hunter:

Journey to Be by Mark Slaughter

I think I’ll journey out some day to wondrous lands afar,

Or even chart a journey to a distant blazing star.

But rest assured that where my journey sees to take me to,

Always know that when I go, this journey takes you too.

–

We’ll start our journey out from here by horse and cart of old,

The seaside docks – and journey pauses – where we shall behold

A noble schooner for the journey primed to launch as planned:

To sail with dolphins cross the seas then journey back on land.

–

And so our journey goes by foot to conquer mountains tall:

A chapter hence the journey reached, with scenes that should enthral.

But when we tire, let’s rest our journey, stretched in fields of flowers,

And bathe atop the mountain from the journey – autumn showers!

–

Refreshed our journey takes a turn – we’ll venture back for home,

But first we’ll let the journey take a tangent just to roam.

And in the winding route, this journey’s bound to bide content,

But most of all take heed – let’s make our journey life’s event.

See the Creative Prompt page if you want to know how to participate in this project.

Post the specific URL or deep link where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted in the comments area of this post. It is an easy and good way to keep all the artwork together.

There is more information and inspiration on the Creative Prompt Page.

Sketching #18: Moon

Moon #1
Moon #1

I did the first moon prompt response after doing one of the drawings with the facade of the building. I wasn’t terribly happy with it, especially as I did more drawings and became one with my PITT pen.

I have to say that I kind of like doing the same drawing over and over with minor variations. It gives me the opportunity to work through some kind of drawing. I would love to do series of quilts and I have some, but they take so long that I don’t really see it as practical. Of course, I’ll never be bored!

Moon #2
Moon #2

I did a second moon prompt response after I did the sun drawing, because I thought they needed to be a set.

Making Inspiration Your Own

Batik Fabric, detail
Batik Fabric, detail

So, this post is about what inspiration can do for you if you look at an inspiring object you long enough. I have been in that kind of mood lately. The “What if” mood. The light has been the way I like it, too, not too glary and not too grey. I have been seeing everything through this light and have been inspired by it all lately. The machine quilting I did on Beach Town last weekend was a direct result of some lines I saw while driving the previous Friday. It is a good reminder for me to look around.

I pulled this batik out of the blue bin for the variety of projects that require blue. For some reason, it ended up on my desk with the detail (left) front and center. For days it lay there. For days I looked at it. For days it lurked in my peripheral vision.

Then, the other night, I just sat down and drew it. When in doubt, what else do you do?

Drawing the Blue Batik
Drawing the Blue Batik

This is what I drew. It doesn’t look the same without the color, other motifs and thicker lines. Still, I like the various elements. It is clear to me that having a variety of sizes of tips on my black pens would be very helpful.

In looking at this version, I wondered what the design would look like if I straightened the lines out a bit.

Blue Batik Extrapolation
Blue Batik Extrapolation

In the drawing to the left, I started too far to the right and had to cut off my drawing. I am trying to go with the process and be flexible. Again the thickness of the pen was a problem for me, but I can always do the drawing again later with a  thicker pen.

I thought I was finished, so I put the drawing book away and folded the fabric, though I left it on my desk. The way I folded it, however inspired me further.

Batik Ice Cream Cone
Batik Ice Cream Cone

I folded the fabric so that the detail motif (blue, above) was almost exactly in half. It made me think of a symmetrical version of the design. tried what was on my mind. Even though I didn’t finish the whole thing, I can see what I was envisioning. I just wanted to get the idea on paper.

As you can see, looking at something over a period of time can make your mind work with the inspiration in different ways.

Creative Prompt #18: Moon

Moonlight.

Howling at the moon.

Artemis is the Greek goddess of the moon.

You are the moon.

Paper moon.

Over the moon.

See the Creative Prompt page if you have questions about this project.

Post the direct link or URL to where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. blog or Flickr) in the comments area of this post. It is a good way to keep all the artwork together.

There is more information on the Creative Prompt Page.

Sketching #17: Here to There

Sketching #17: Here to There
Sketching #17: Here to There

I have been drawing studies in my journal as my designs get more complicated. I also have been doing studies of parts of the drawings as I try to work out the perspective and proportion of elements. In this drawing, I found that I didn’t know how to draw a bicycle. I had to go and look up where the main parts of a bicycle connect to each other before I could draw it.

Creative Prompt #17: Here to There

How do you get from Here to There?

Where is here and where is there?

Do you read the Here2There blog by Amy and Opal?

See the Creative Prompt page if you want to know how to participate in this project.

Post the specific URL or deep link where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted in the comments area of this post. It is an easy and good way to keep all the artwork together.

There is more information and inspiration on the Creative Prompt Page.

Creative Prompt #16: Sun

You are my sun.

Sunrise.

Sunset.

Apollo is the Sun god in Greek mythology.

Helios pulled the sun across the sky every day in Greek mythology.

See the Creative Prompt page if you have questions about this project.

Post the URL where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted in the comments area of this post. It is a good way to keep all the artwork together.

There is more information on the Creative Prompt Page.

Creative Prompt Response #15: Exploring Squares

Amy of Creative Mom Podcast posted a picture of one of her ATCs. It was the ATC response to the March ATC project she does. I think the prompt was Lucky, but am not sure. I kept thinking about that ATC and the squares and wasn’t able to get them out of my mind.

CB2 Wall Decor, May 2009
CB2 Wall Decor, May 2009

THEN I saw a piece of art that resembled the ATC in the CB2 catalog and knew something was happening. Last hursday night, in the midst of the complete chaos into which my life had devolved, I went upstairs, opened up a sketchbook, which is too big and thus intimidating, and drew some connected squares. Then I went, rummaged around in my scrap basket and got some of those blues of which I am so fond lately. I cut them up into squares and glued them over the drawn squares.

My Squares, May 2009
My Squares, May 2009

Then I closed the book, did my exercises and went to bed.

The whole experience was good. A little surreal, but good.

Update 5/30/2009 – After reading a magazine I was reminded of some quilts by Denyse Schmidt that also look like the above works. One is a quilt called What a Bunch of Squares and the other was called Mental Blocks.

Creative Prompt #15: Square

A cube.

A box.

A plane with 4 sides.

Are you square? Do you live on a square? Do you walk or gather on the town square?

There is more information and inspiration on the Creative Prompt Page, which I have been updating fairly frequently.

Post the specific URL or deep link where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted in the comments area of this post. It is an easy and good way to keep all the artwork together.

See the Creative Prompt page if you want to more information how to participate in this project. You can also click ‘Creative Prompt’ in the tag cloud and see more prompts and responses.

Sketching #14: Queen

Creative Prompt Response #14: Queen
Creative Prompt Response #14: Queen

I didn’t realize how hard this prompt would be until I posted it. I thought of the series of drawings (are they a series??) that I have going and my heart sank. How would I fit this word into the series?

Then, during my creative binge over the weekend, I had a glimmer of an idea. I let it roll around in my head until finally it jelled. Then, I thought about how I would draw it.

When I sat down to do it the drawing today, it was done except for putting pen to paper. I really had done the whole thing and knew exactly how I would put it on the paper.

I finished and found that it was too boring. It was the perfect time to look through some of my previous efforts. I took the opportunity to add some details from previous drawings and I hope the details will add continuity.

I have mentioned her several times, but as I listened to another Creative Mom Podcast, I have to thank Amy for inspiring me to draw by speaking so eloquently about it. Thanks for taking the time, and expending the energy on your podcast. I appreciate it.

Creative Prompt #14: Queen

Are you the queen of a mythical land?

Are you a queen in hiding?

Queen Bee?

Queen for a  Day?

Quilt Queen?

Craft Queen?

Queen Mother?

Queen of Hearts? of Spades? of Clubs? of Diamonds?

See the Creative Prompt page if you want to know how to participate in this project.

Post the specific URL or deep link where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted in the comments area of this post. It is an easy and good way to keep all the artwork together.

There is more information and inspiration on the Creative Prompt Page, which has recently been updated.