michele

i {heart} hearts

I find it amusing the way I fixate on certain things.  Like hearts.  I love to draw hearts.  I also love finding hearts in things...like the little heart shaped stone Price brought me on his way home from school years ago.  He used to bring me a stone or pebble every day...one day it was this little heart so I kept it and now over 25 years later it is still a treasure.

I really wanted to do something for our local art show.  It is such a fun week and I wanted to participate.  I thought I would doodle something.  Remember I am not an artist and I am not one who is time sensitive.  I just work along at my own pace and if I am lucky enough to finish on time...Good!  If not...there must be something I can do to make use of my "art".

So it was with the art show.  I doodled 5 pieces.  You have probably seen them all on here or on face book.  None was quite right for  Art and Soul.  Then I taught my first doodle workshop here at the shop.  I had a little exercise as part of the workshop.  Everyone made 9 little tiles with only two requirements, each square must have a border and each square must have a heart.  Hearts are easy to draw and I think we all love them so that was the exercise.  Following the workshop I put my little tiles on cards.  They were cute.  I drew more tiles and put them on additional cards.  Cute.  Then I had a brain storm.  What if I drew another set of tiles and used them as the basis for a larger (not large just larger) piece.

First I made a grid on a 9X12 inch piece of cold press watercolor paper.  The grid was in 2.5X 2.5 inch squares. (I know it is hard to see but it is there)

Next I drew a 2" heart template and traced that heart into each square so every heart would start out the same size.  I centered it by creating centering lines on the grid as well as on the heart.

( Dennis took this picture of me working & I don't hate it so I am including it)

I put one black heart on every other square and added a little detailed border.  The blocks without the hearts were colored black.

I added a red and white check background and a thin black border to each of the squares with a heart.

TIP: I have never been a huge copic fan but the copic black sketch marker was the best for this project.  I also used a copic crimson for the checked border.  The fine work was all done with prismacolor .01 and .005 markers.  I love these markers for detail.

Next I cut out six hearts using the heart template as my pattern.  I also cut out six
2.5 X 2.5 squares as my tiles for the black squares.  Each tile was doodled with the heart and border.  They were each give a black outer border and utilized the same colors as the rest of the piece.  Now two tiles were identical but each remained part of the whole.  The individual hearts I cut out were each colored black.  I then cut out a second smaller heart for each of those squares and doodled them leaving the background white.

This is a closeup of these layered squares.  I have popped up both hearts over the background square.  The dimension is perfect for this project.  I did change the checked background for a polkadot background...too many checks was less effective.

Doodle and color the six tiles...each one should be unique and should have a checked background.

Pop up the tiles in the black spaces.

Finish by placing the small doodled hearts in place on the black hearts.

That is the piece of doodle art I wanted to put in the art show...I was a little late submitting it but the best part is that now I have this little tutorial to share with you.  I want to make a couple of suggestions.  Try watercolor paper.  I love the weight and texture.  I love the way it accepts the ink.  Try copics for good opaque color saturation.  Make your own doodles (they don't have to be hearts) and enjoy the process.

    

    
   

Happy Doodling!

michele

what is {art}?

I have been having this conversation with myself and others.

friend: "That is really nice Michele.  I like it"
me:  "It is fun.
friend:  "You are such an artist"
me:  "No...this isn't art.  I am just doodling"

Why is it that #1 I have a hard time taking a compliment & #2 I don't think what I do is art?

When I see some of the work of my favorite artists like Joanne Sharpe, Stephanie Ackerman, Joanne Fink, Kelly Rae Roberts, Jenny Holiday, Lisa Kaus and Christy Tomlinson I have no doubt that their work is art.  When I look at my doodles, canvases, and other things I think it is something else, something less.

Yesterday I doodled two pieces.  I like working on larger scale pieces even though I didn't think I would.  I started small.  I like the comfort of a little 4x5 piece.  I use those little pieces for cards an other little things to give away.

Lisa is my best friend and she thinks what I do should be displayed at the local art show this year. 

 I may just do it if I can afford the entry fee and if there is a catagory for "not really art...just doodles"  I think I am safe from the art show cuz I looked and that category is not listed. 

 Nevertheless I have five pieces ready for color.  I don't want to color them until I have a really good black and white copy to use for making "color me cards" for the shop.  After that I will color the originals, make really good copies of them and file them away. 

I feel like I have something here but I don't know what it is or what to do with it.

So what is art?

Is is my playful doodles?

Or is that reserved for those other artists.  The ones that create pieces that fill my heart with joy and wonder.

Can anyone {even a small girl in a great big world} be an artist? 

I recently received a beautiful book from one of my favorite artists.  Her name is Vicki Boutin.  Her book is "Creative Foundations".  Get this book!  It is amazing and inspiring.  It has me so inspired.  I am inspired to do things I don't usually do.  To try things I have never tried.  She is an artist who shares and so are all the other artists I so admire.

I began doodling because I took an online course by Stephanie Ackerman and it encouraged me. 

I think each and every one of these artists give more than their vision of the world...the educate and inspire.  That is just what I want to be.

So while I don't think of myself as an artist yet...maybe I will.  Maybe someday I will think I am more than just a little girl in a great big world...maybe I will consider myself a little artist in a great big world.

always,

michele

P.S.  The quilt piece will be part of the advertising for Magic Valley Quilt Walk this coming September.  I am very excited to have a small part in this amazing event.

 

{exercise}

I love to exercise!

I feel good about myself when I exercise.

I feel accomplished and self-confident when I exercise.

Right about now some of you who know me are thinking...she has lost it.  This is the beginning of the end.  It was nice to know you but the white van from the funny farm is on its way and they are taking you to nice place with locks on the doors.

I am not a physical exercise kind of girl although in an emergency I have been known to walk across the street for a pepsi.  What I do exercise everyday is my imagination.  It is like stretching for a race for me.  I have to keep it working and working well to do the things I love to do.

Almost a month ago I taught a little doodle workshop.  I have wanted to share some of the techniques with you so I took a few pictures of one of the exercises we did in class.

For this exercise you will need:

9-2.5X2.5 squares either drawn on a sheet of paper or cut into separate pieces.
a pencil
black marker (flair by papermate, sharpie pen-fine, 01 micron, etc.)
colored markers, pencils or other colored pens

On each square you will draw a frame and a heart in the middle of each frame.

The frames should be a little different of each square and each heart should be unique.

(click on the image to the left to enlarge it and see what I have done.)

Once you have drawn each doodle on each square in pencil go over it in black.  Add more details as you are doing this to make each one unique.  Your doodles can each have a different theme or tone.  It is yours so do it your way.

Now you will pick out 3-5 colors of pens or pencils to color your doodles.  Color in each little square until all are complete. 

Feel free to change up the colors if you are not feeling it with the ones you have chosen.  Art is sometimes breaking the rules!

If you have cut apart your square already you can use them as the focal point on cards or on a scrapbook layout.  If you have not cut them apart you still can or leave them in a sheet.

I turned mine into cards.  I loved this little exercise and I hope you will too.  It is fun to see what a little doodle can do!

always,

michele

{creative} lettering...

Are you one of those wonderful women?

Don't think...just answer.

Are you?

In my doodles I use thoughts and words to express my intent.  I want to share some of my tips about creative lettering so you wonderful women will learn to love your handwriting.

BLOCK LETTERING

I LOVE block lettering....It is bold printing with an attitude.

In the image above you will see several different ways of creating a fun block letter.  You can certainly do more or less.

Tip 1

Keep you letters straight up and down...not slanted.  You can tip your letters but in my humble opinion a block alphy look best straight.

Tip 2

Use your pencil to make the block letters.  Outline with black and fill in any way you like.  If you are working with black and white use a really good white pen like the SIGNO pen to go over the black.

LOWER CASE BLOCK

This is simply a sample of an easy lower case block alphy.  You should adapt it to your style.

STICK ALPHY

I love a stick alphy for almost any small journaling.  It is fun and funky and easy..It is also perfect to mix and match with other alphys. 

Tip 3
Vary your pen width to make this alphy more interesting and draw attention to "intension" words.

Tip 2 (again)
Keep you letters straight rather than slanted and tip them from side to side.

FLIRTY ALPHY

You can use your handwriting to create a fun and flirty alphy by straightening it out and filling it out.  You will be amazed by how much fun you can have creating this out of your own handwriting.

Tip 4
Start with a pencil and practice until you have something that makes you go wow!

Tip 5
Practice, practice, practice!

Tip 6
Go over all the tips and apply them to all your lettering...use lined paper until you are comfortable enough to wing it!

And if you still need help we have a spot left in the doodling class on March 10th...just one spot...is it yours?

By the way...did you answer?  If you didn't answer yes, why not?
I say to the people I love, "I wish you could see yourself like I see you...you are so wonderful, so talented, so amazing...you are perfect to me."

So if you said no..."I wish you could see yourself like I see you........"

always,

michele

 

 

countdown to {doodling}

I am getting more and more excited to do this "doodle with me" workshop.

In getting ready I have been inspired by quotes from friends on FaceBook.  It was a gift of a quote from Carol Jones that inspired this little doodle. 

I decided it would be a visual aid for the workshop so I couldn't color it until tonight...now it is in full color...what do you think?

I also mentioned on FaceBook that I would put up some tips for doodling after the workshop but I have two I want to give you now...

#1 get yourself a good pencil and a great eraser.  I am not a mechanical pencil girl.   I love a wood pencil, a white eraser and a kneaded eraser, and a pencil sharpener.

#2  Have a variety of permanent black pens to write and draw with.  I love a zig writer, a variety of sharpies in fine, extra fine and standard, micro tips in all sizes...I love black pens!

#3 Use lined papers when you want to.  I use them to practice my lettering.  I sometimes doodle on lined paper and if you are a little anal about having straight lines lined paper will help you.

#4  Practice, practice, practice.  It will be fun and you will become more confident as you practice...I know this works because I feel confident enough to teach this workshop and share some of my work online. 

always,

michele

bordering on obsession

I think by this time you may know I am finding great joy in doodling. 

Those who really know me may even say this is {bordering on obsession}.

It is true.
It is also true that that is not necessarily a bad thing.

I have recently realized my tendencies toward the obessive.  It is part of my DNA.  I say that because my sister is also a victim of this. 

I started to think of all the creative outlets I have become obsessed with over my life-time.  We had the normal creative tools as children (I am including Patti in this because it is better with company)...finger paints, crayons, pencils, etc.  Our mom was a marvelous seamstress.  She let us take her scraps to make doll clothes.  See like I said typical.   I have tracked the point when it became more obsessive to my 1st grade year.  I had rhumatic fever and had to be home and in bed for weeks and weeks then after I was unable to play with the other kids {insert sniff if you wish}.  My mom was decorating something - no idea what- but she needed hundreds of tissue paper roses.  She bought me boxes and boxes of pink and yellow tissues to create the roses.  For weeks I made roses and when there were no more roses needed I still made them.  So I am blaming my mom...not really but it was the beginning.

Later in life there was embroidery, fabric, wood, paint, scrapbooking (duh) and always paper and pens.

So doodling has a long history in my life.  It was something I could do at little expense in college...something I could do that was quiet as a child...something I could do to create learning opportunities for my young children and now it is something I do because I love it.

Next month I will be teaching a doodling class at the shop.  It is a big step for me because I don't think of myself as an artist in this respect.  I think of myself as a doodler.  Maybe that makes me perfect to do this or maybe I am just hoping to share the joy.

In the meantime...I will practice if you will.

always,

michele

you are my world

I think many of you know I have been somewhat actively involved on pinterest.  If you have not looked into this virtual bulletin board you absolutely must...it is a lovely diversion.

A few weeks ago I saw a mini story on Pinterest that captured me.  It was so sweet and simple and I could not get it out of my thoughts.  It was this:

wife: "i love you"
husband: "i love you too"
wife: "prove it.  Shout it to the world."
husband whispers in her ear: "i love you"
wife: why did you whisper?"
husband: "because you are my world"

On Tuesday I made a little sketch

I love making little sketches like this that may go somewhere or they may have already arrived.  This definately had much further to go.

 

 

 

 

 

then it became this little doodle with the whole story laid out on paper.

(I love this doodle and was going to use it for Dennis' Valentine's Card until...)

 

 

 

I finished this little card.  I can tell him the story over dinner but the message is all the same.

always,

michele

aging gratefully

I am 59 years old.

This is a delightful turn of events.

I never in my life imagined myself as nearing 60.  I couldn't in my wildest imagination believe this could be a reality I would love.  It is like every year in one specific way...I am excited to see what this year will bring.

I am so thankful for my wonderful friends and family who made this day such a delight. 

I found this quote on pinterest and felt as if it fit me perfectly.  I have grown up as much as I am willing to.  I love that I still love to color, doodle, and dance to the tunes in my head.

I love my overalls, chocolate, cheerios, and any music recorded before 1975.  (Of course I like newer music but it isn't possible to beat the Beach Boys, Beatles, Stones, and the beat goes on.)

This year I received a very special gift from two of the cutest little angels in the world.  Braleigh & Linkyn brought me a beautiful heart and a diamond ring.  I love them so much I put them in my very special art journal.  It is funny how when I was young I didn't appreciate the creative genius of these priceless gifts.  Now I not only appreciate them, they are my favorite gifts.

I had a perfect birthday.  It was filled with phone calls from my kids and grandkids (Maryn even said hi!), my facebook blew up with lovely messages from friends across the globe, Dennis was more thoughtful than ever and most of all I received the gift of another year to not grow up if I don't want to.

I also got to create a new doodle for my birthday.  It was so much fun.  I love playing with color and pattern.  It just makes me happy.

Thanks to everyone in my life.  You make everyday better!

always,

michele

lesson learned

I really don't have any steadfast rules for my goal to create a variety of "art" pieces throughout this year. 

I want to work at it every day. 

I want to stretch myself.

I want to learn.

Until today that was about all I had planned.  But the last couple of nights I have been working on something a little different & last night when it didn't turn out as well as I thought it should I tore it out of my book.  I didn't want it to take a place in my little art journal.  It wasn't what I saw in my mind & I wasn't happy with it so I didn't want anyone else see it and I didn't want to look at it either because it was a perfect illustration of how far I have to go.

I wish I could say I was mature enough to be willing to look at my little pieces of whimsey and be my own best critic.  I am not.

So today I stuck my little journal in my purse with the disappointing picture and went to work.  I thought I would throw it away there.  I thought...but something happened.  Lisa saw the imperfect picture and saw something pretty in it.  Not perfect.  Not great.  Not much.  But she saw something pretty and for that reason and my own desire to make this a journal of what I consider to be successes and failures I trimmed the little piece of whimsey and put it back in the book on a perfectly white page.  It now has a fold in a corner and some smudges that should not have been there but it is where it belongs and I have a new rule

Don't throw away your efforts...someone my find them pretty.

 

practice...practice...practice

Lisa and I have been working hard at the shop cleaning, moving and in general making the shop look shiney and bright.  We have worked so hard I go home at night and if I sit down on my "off button" I fall right to sleep.  I have found that I have no energy left to do my usual chores, but I seem to have enough to do a little doodling.  This is becoming a fun bit of whimsey for me.  Last night I tried to do a little practice piece suggested by Stephanie Ackerman on her blog.  I had a good time and let it became play.  I challenged myself to do the piece in pen rather than in pencil.  I made some errors and got a bit of a slant going but all in all I am happy with the outcome.  If you are thinking of doing a little doodling (and I hope you are) start with a little practice sampler.  I think you might find you like it.