{autumn colors} 35/365

“Fall has always been my favorite season. 

The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, 

as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”  

~  Lauren DeStefano, Wither 

Day 14...Art Every Day Month

My first day of "Mess" - the first assignment I tried was covering the page with something sticky then sprinkling on something powdery...



I didn't want to use the expected - glue. I was going to use honey, but nope - out! So, I decided to use strawberry jam and smeared it around the pages. Then I sprinkled powdered sugar and pepper over top the jam.



Here's the close up. The pepper in the strawberry jam looks like glitter...

Day 13...Art Every Day Month

I have decided to start working on the book "Mess" by Keri Smith. I feel like I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to create something each day with the Art Every Day Month Challenge. These creativity assignment in the book are short & sweet, so I won't feel like I'm overwhelmed.

"Contemplating and actively participating in imperfection occasions where we open to failure) brings to us a freedom because it allows us to relax and enjoy the ebb and flow of life. Life does not always bring to us things that are “tidy”. There is beauty to be found in the mess."

I am finding it very challenging to make the time each day to create something (and updating this blog too) - maybe I should re-think my idea of creativity. Does it have to be creating a piece of art? Or can it be living with awareness...noticing the small things?

This book is all about creating and letting it be imperfect...and finding the beauty in it!

Here's to my first MESS...

Link to Keri Smith's website: http://www.kerismith.com/

Day 12...Stop trying to be perfect!

I wanted to post this article on perfectionism that was written about Brene Brown's book "Gifts of Imperfection". I came across Brene's blog called Ordinary Courage a few months ago and immediately became enthralled. I had never thought of perfection in this way - a way of disgusing ourselves - tucking away those flaws behind the picture of perfection that you portray to the outside world.

We get sucked into perfection for one very simple reason: We believe perfection will protect us. Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment, and shame.

Letting go of our prerequisites for worthiness means making the long walk from "What will people think?" to "I am enough." But, like all great journeys, this walk starts with one step, and the first step is practicing courage.

The root of the word courage is cor -- the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage had a very different definition than it does today. Courage originally meant to speak one's mind by telling all one's heart.

I just love this definition of courage...SPEAK ONE'S MIND BY TELLING ALL IN ONE'S HEART...love, love, love it. With art, you feel like you are bearing your heart to anyone with whom you share what you create - practice courage - speak your heart!

Link to the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/01/give.up.perfection/index.html?hpt=C2

Link to Brene's blog: http://www.ordinarycourage.com

Day 11...Art Every Day Month

Just a little something to go with a quote that I found by Rumi...

"On a day when the wind is perfect, the sail just needs to open and the love starts. Today is such a day. ~Rumi"

Day 9...Art Every Day Month

Surprise, surprise - I changed it again! Now, I can finally leave it alone. It was just seeming too matchy, matchy or organized...something!



The first page, I added some more designs to it since it just felt a little too blah. Then I discovered, if I put tape on the book pages that were glued on and pulled it off it would give it "aged" look, which interestingly enough became the theme for the pages!



The second page, I didn't like how my quote looked, so I tore it off. It made an interesting design underneath by pulling off some of the color and paper. I then re-wrote my quote with more whimsical, free flowing lettering.



Here is a close up of my quote "life is the art of drawing without an eraser". In the close up, you can see I have added "reclaiming my creative spirit" to my sword that is piercing a large heart.



And, finally, I used the reverse side of the original quote that I ripped off my page to re-do "my journey begins here...". When I turned over the paper I had removed from the page, it had an aged textured to it, so I put it to good use.



What do you think? I dig it! :-)

Day 8...Art Every Day Month

My "art" today is a picture I took yesterday while outside on a beautiful day in November. You don't get many warmer & sunny days in Michigan in November, so you say "thank you" and ENJOY it!!

I have always been enamored by trees and the colors of Autumn! There is something about the deep, rich colors and the strong, textured branches of old trees. You can not help but think what they may have "seen" over all the years of their exsitence.

Autumn is definitely my favorite time of year - a time of year where things slow down & families come together. It is just a comforting time of year - leaves falling, fires burning, early evenings, family gatherings - a time of reflection & solitude.

I enjoy and make a point of noticing the beauty around me each & every day - flowers, sunsets, clouds, moon, sunrises, leaves, birds - there is so much magnificence if we just take the time to look and appreciate it. One great memory of my children growing up was when one of my sons came running in the house to get me because there was a rainbow outside. It warmed my heart to know that they will take notice of and appreciate the splendor God displays for us every day.

As Emerson so beautifully puts it...

"Nature is the art of God." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Never lose an opportunity to see anything that is beautiful. It is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile." ~William Cullen Bryant

Take time & notice...beauty surrounds you!

Day 7...Art Every Day Month

Let me just say, I'm SO excited that I've posted 7 days of art! Last year I signed up for the AEDM challenge, and that's as far as I got - signing up.

The gesso dried and I did add some words to my Knight. I have posted a close up so you can see some of the them - Faith, Courage & Inspiration - things I definitely need with my art...and life!

Two other little things I added to my journal page...

What's next? Hmmmm...can't wait to see!

and, "my journey begins here..." - ONWARD!

Day 6...Art Every Day Month

Today is "Constructing Your Soul Armor" for our journals. This poses the question - what does your creative spirit NEED more of to be nourished & protected? We were to find a Knight in Armor to protect us on our journey and incorporate the words we feel we need to protect and nourish us on this page.

The Knight in Armor I chose was riding a horse with a long javlin. I added the definition of "inspire" to my page (recycled from a card a friend has made for me) and the quote from my blog. I love this comparison of art & life in this quote!!

I used markers to make my Knight more colorful and used gesso to white out some areas to add my words. (Note to self - need new markers!) Sadly, several of my markers have dried up...a sign that I have not been using them!

Here is my Knight & Pg. 2 as I wait for the gesso to dry to add my words...

Day 5...Art Every Day Month

Ch-ch-ch-changes...seems to be the theme for the first page of my art journal. It has went under a metomorphisis to become "like me", but now, I feel it's more of what I was envisioning! It still seems like I could do more, but it can continue to be a work in process as I go along (kinda like me:)!

I found this art quote and need to keep it in mind when creating...it's not about being perfect - once again, that is why I chose the title to my blog - a lesson to be learned and embraced.

“Creativity means letting go of trying to be ‘perfect.’ It means being willing to be wild, silly, and downright outrageous.” -Christine Mason Miller

On Sarah's soul journaling site(www.souljournaling.com) she says it all so "perfectly"...

"Allow your art to be silly. Allow your art to be ugly... ugly doesn’t mean it is bad. Art doesn’t have to be pretty, impress your friends, or match your bedroom set. Allow your art to be whatever it wants to be. Only when you listen to that “true” voice will your art begin to come alive."

I think I'm being told something!! :-)

Here - once again - is Page 1 of my journal...

Day 4...Art Every Day Month

Ok...I wasn't really feeling the first page of my journal. On the soul journaling site, Sarah states "I want anyone who picks this book up to know WHO it belongs to. This is YOUR book!!" Soooo, today I started over and it seems more "me".

I went to the store and found a used book with pages that were yellowed - loving the color - or discoloration. I thought about adding a real light coat of gesso, but I really like the look of the pages. Maybe a brown wash? I think I'm going to look at it awhile and see what I think I should do next. Hmmm...what about gray? I'm really into gray these days - love gray, brown & mustard yellow together. A thought.

I will add more tomorrow...

Day 3...Art Every Day Month

My journal & art journey continues...

The next step was covering the pages in gesso. I have never used gesso before, so I was excited to try it. It covered the words I had written and the book pages lightly. I wish I would have circled my words in a darker color than yellow so they would have been more apparent thru the gesso. Now I know!

After the gesso dried, which I waited for impatiently, you were to title your first page "This Book Belongs To" and write your name over & over. I used my "proper" name Sandra, my every day name Sandy, and my favorite nickname Sam.

I think I may add more to it tomorrow, but here it is for now...

Day 2...Art Every Day Month

One of my biggest concerns for this challenge was thinking of things to create each day. I have been wanting to start an art journal, but have never made the time in my day to do it...now is the time!! I enjoy writing, but art & writing - love the idea!!

I found a wonderful blog at www.souljournaling.com that has prompts to start a journal. I thought starting out following prompts will alleviate my fear of not knowing what to create...then lead to my own ideas as I get in the groove. Just begin & the rest will follow!

The first prompt is to glue pages of a book to the first three pages of your journal and circle the words that stood out to you. Then you were to write how you were feeling on the next three pages. Well, I didn't follow the directions to a tee...kinda like my cooking - never follow a recipe exactly either! :-)

I circled the words then began writing them in my journal. In turn, this lead to other words that have meaning to me. Here is my work...



On to Day 3...:-)

Day 1...Art Every Day Month

Today begins my challenge of the "Art Every Day Month" challenge at Leah Piken Kolidas' site called Creative Everyday (www.creativeeveryday.com).

I have been wanting to add more creativity back into my life as it has once again taken a back seat to everything else. Being creative is something I love...something I can loose myself in - everything else disappears. It is one of those things that won't let you say "no" and ignore it - it keeps tugging at you. Art brings out a side of me that I want & need to express.

This challenge is perfect timing to all the changes that seem to be happening in my life - positive changes! Now is the time to challenge myself to create art and incorporate it back into my life.

This blog is my journey...my beginning to realizing imperfection can beauitful too!

My art for today was creating my blog header. It was actually quite humorous to create an imperfect header, leaving the glue and mess, while searching for the perfect letters to use for it. I was soooo picky on which letters I chose for it to appear imperfect. Beauitfully imperfect...


Visit the Art Every Day Month challenge site at: http://creativeeveryday.com/art-every-day-month.com