Late bloomer

Small mixed media quartet piece

Here we are in September, the summer flowers are fading and the late bloomers are starting to open for the brief stretch from now to the frosts. I am starting a new mixed media course (Wanderlust) this week that sounds like it will be a good one for new skills, and fun. Taking a course was on my 2022 to do list and now was the time. This evening or tomorrow will be the perfect time to get started on the first lesson and see what transpires. I need to get back into my creative practice routine after a busy week and weekend away. Those broke up my usual schedule with ease, and if I don’t consciously get back at it time will slip away. So the chance to take this course fit perfectly with that sentiment. Fall is too short as it is to put things off.

The Gershwin

Mixed media in bold colors incorporating black and white photo.

Going through the process of thinking up new courses can be a winding one. Idea, thinking through the steps, gathering materials, giving it a go to see what works, fine tuning, and then doing the whole thing again on video. If it works on video, then editing occurs and all the related steps to publishing it. Sometimes the whole thing falls apart and there is no finished course to put out there. It happen, the idea just doesn’t translate into a course. But that doesn’t mean the effort was wasted. It just means that particular idea isn’t quite right…yet. It might need time to grow into something, or go in a different direction, or just have been a chance to work out some techniques to be used at a later date. Whatever the reason, don’t let the lack of a “perfect” result overshadow the gaining of skills.

Strength

Mixed media with butterfly , bright circles, jewels and “strength” chop mark

As part of the Creative Jumpstart 2022 course I am taking through Nathalie Kalbach’s site there are daily creative videos from wide variety of artists. Each one is designed to encourage exploring new materials and techniques. It is proving a great way for me to get into the studio every day and dig into my supplies. I am determined to expand creatively in every direction I possibly can this year, and this course came across my screen at the perfect time. It is fun to stretch myself in this way and see what I can do.

Squaring it

3 small square mixed media pieces

Small, but bold, these pieces allow you to try new techniques while working within the confines of the tiny size. It is the perfect chance to get into those tiny scraps you have hung onto. When you have a ready stash of scraps and backgrounds on hand it frees you up focus on creating. I set aside time to create backgrounds for just this reason. This open ended activity is perfect for relaxing as it can be as simple or involved as you want. For a quick tutorial you can check out my background fun video here:

6s & 7s

Colorful mixed media with “There are many good times ahead” quote

Yesterday, feeling that ongoing sense on malaise that seems to blanket life these days, I tidied my studio up and created this piece. I got to dive into my scrap stash and use up some of the many odds and ends. It ended up being a longer video than I expected as I kept finding another cool scrap I wanted to use. But that is part of the process and fun of mixed media. And my 6s & 7s were banished as a result. As I keep developing courses and videos, I continue to find neat things I want to share. You can check out this project here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf1QOmTJT7Y0UxwzakVhu8A

The quickness of August

Timelapse of mixed media project

It has been another month that has sped by, leaving bits of summer scattered here and there. As I gear up to launch the website I have been hard at work getting my filming skills smoothed out and whittling my to do list down. It is a stretch filled with the nervousness that come with leaving the comfort zone, and the thrill that keeps things moving along. It has felt like the list of things that need doing is unending, but of course it isn’t, each item checked off is another step in the process.

There is a lot of trust you place in the universe as the busywork of change is going on. You work on what you can, hire out what you can’t, and hope it all comes together in the end. It requires a new agility in the thought process too, which I have found leaves me open to new ideas and ways of doing things. Onward and upward!