Inspired by some sketchy sunday behaviour

Posted on April 23, 2013 by artistically afflicted

I am always amazed at how my mind can wander when drawing. I should sit and write down all the crazy ideas that run through my head just for a laugh, but I cringe to think what I would sound like.

My latest idea to keep my creative juices flowing freely is to be computer free on Sundays. No web surfing, email, or.. gasp…no social media. I want to spend the day focused on the here and now.

My hope for this time-out day is to be creative. I don’t have a problem being creative,I know that starting is the key to my success,however, I do find that I am more creative and productive when my mind is free and open. I tend to be easily distracted by the computer and I find it can be very disruptive to my thought process. I am learning to love the feeling of being disconnected.

So, my latest idea is to spend Sundays sketching and sharing on Instagram and, of course, here on my blog.Please join me here on Instagram – I will follow you back.

My original plan to hashtag sketchy sundays(#sketchysundays) unfortunately will have to be changed. For a laugh you can check out my floral doodles amidst some other sketchy sunday behaviour. I swear those other photos were not there when I originally posted to it!I am having my own laugh about the extent of my ‘sketchy” behaviour – maybe if you are lucky I will pop out a nudie for you instead of my usual floral doodle.

After some more careful research I have decided to call it #shareyoursketch.

A creative space to share your sketches,inspiration,mindwork and even your finished product! It doesnt have to be on Sunday!. I love to see how other minds work and what they are inspired by. I also love to see what they can produce from all their inspiration. You have to admit we are all a very talented bunch so please…share away!

#shareyoursketch …now on Instagram and twitter too.

Have a great week. It’s beautiful and sunny here and hopes are high that it is going to stay this way.

p.s. Thank you for the great response to my shout out for “creative process” submissions. I am looking forward to featuring others in my community here. I am just in the process of figuring out the details and just the right questions to ask. I will keep you posted!

Inspired by Papercut Art

Posted on March 15, 2013 by artistically afflicted

I am happy to announce that my large-scale papercut art is almost done! 19″ by 25″.

I am really happy with it. I can see myself using alot of the shapes and patterns in my surface patterns.That’s next weeks post:)

I am still undecided on my finishing touches. There is quite a bit of detailed cutting I can do.I am debating whether to leave the birds as white space or more detailed. I am also considering leaving more white space around the edges.I think I will for now until I decide how to frame this. I quite like the white space leading into the intricate cuts.

I have found this great new paper by Canson Studio called Mi- Tientes Touch. It’s beautifully textured pastel paper and comes in a great palette of colors, perfect for placing behind papercut art.

My next step is to find a unique way to frame or display this. I am going to have to protect the paper so thinking a plexiglass type box. However, I would also like it to be very organic, so thinking wood and airplane wire. Hmmm…a visit to Pinterest may be in order. I know I will find some inspiration there. Any suggestions?

Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement on Facebook when I posted this on my page. I always appreciate the support and encouragement I find there.
March break begins today.Yay! We woke up to 30 com of snow yesterday! Just when you think it’s the beginning of the end, it all starts again.Whistler is hopping!

Enjoy your weekend!

A pattern a day – #365 patterns

Posted on March 8, 2013 by artistically afflicted

I am one month in to #365patterns and the creative ideas are still flowing freely! I have been building up my hand drawn motif collection and daily patterns are coming together as collections. My goal to be creative everyday has been accomplished.

#365 patterns is a fun project developed by Melanie Burk of Fifth & Hazel and Alma Loveland of Ollibird over on the Caravan blog.

The rules are easy – create a pattern everyday and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #365patterns. No one is keeping track! (you can create as often as you wish). I have taken my participation quite seriously mind you ,so prepare to see me there everyday. It is just how I like to roll. I am also really enjoying the Instagram community over there.

I thought I would share some of the work I have been creating. I am happy to say I have been learning lots from this practice.

My use of scale and repeat have all improved.I am trying to work with all forms of pattern making – block, half drop and random.I am working with florals,geometrics, abstracts and trying my hand at conversational prints too.It’s the perfect place to experiment and see what flies.

I have been trying to push myself out of my color comfort zone. It’s always easy to gravitate to color combinations that you love and find easy. My goal has been to try more and different color combinations together. I can tell you that there have been days I have created a fine mess! I am still at the stage where I work best with 2-3 colors and their tints. I would love to be more daring, but still need a bit more practice combining it all.

My daily pattern making has motivated me to approach my surroundings with eyes wide open – always on the lookout for new inspiration, textures, and motifs that can be applied.It has encouraged me to combine different motifs into collections.

What I have found most rewarding (and very interesting) about #365patterns is that it has helped me to discover my true style. When I stay true to my style, this pattern making process comes very easy to me.I feel happy and content with my designs. When I try to work with other styles that are not “me”, I feel uncomfortable, frustrated and always thinking…this is just not me. It has been an interesting discovery. Does this make sense?

Think you might be interested in joining us? You can start anytime!
Please come and friend me over on Instagram. I love a little bit of visual stimulation and would love to see your pics!

Inspired by love in the air

Posted on February 14, 2013 by artistically afflicted

Love is in the air around here. My son is sitting at the kitchen table making a beautiful valentine ~ for someone else.

My hopes for a handmade card have flown out the window. He is crushing on another girl. I had to run out tonight and buy her heart chocolates! Lucky girl.

Both my husband and daughter are away, but fortunately I have a few of my bestest girlfriends visiting so, please don’t worry, there will be lots of love around this household.I think I may still have a valentine or two coming my way.

I have spent my week playing with paint chip cutouts and hand-drawn hearts in all shapes and sizes.I have tried some different color combinations, but pink seems to keep sneaking in.

My goal to create a pattern a day for #365patterns has been going really well. I am 11 days in and learning tons.I just finished Laura Coyles Automatic Pattern course and I can’t say enough great things about it.Pattern making has just become a lot easier, more seamless!
Pattern a day has oddly put my creative journey into perspective. It takes time popping out these patterns and I only have so much time in a day. So while I want this journey to be well on it’s way~ I have accepted that it’s going to take time and I have been content with my daily progress. I like having something to show for my efforts at the end of the day.My portfolio is slowly increasing in size, I am developing my style and thankfully loving this process every step of the way.

I am really liking this color combination. I love pink, but I tire easily of it.I am loving yellow greens these days.

There are a lot of hearts flying around this household…

I hope your week of love is wonderful. It is a bit of a silly holiday, but it never hurts to spread the love around, so why not!?

Sending lots of love your way.

Inspired by valentine love

Posted on February 12, 2013 by artistically afflicted

Who doesn’t secretly love a valentines card? A little hit of color in the middle of winter.

I have my hopes set on a big, homemade card covered in pink tissue paper and lots of glitter. I think those days may be over, but you never know.I know they can read – lets see if they actually read my blog.
Remember these?
I love the emerald-green feather ~pantones color of the year and a feather motif~right on trend for 2013, but made 10 years ago!
This is last years card from my teenager. Hastily put together with a sharpie on plain white paper and placed under my pillow the night of feb 14th. I laugh now, but this was delivered after a rather curt speech from me about lack of appreciation etc.

Hmmpff- at least it was something.
Gone are the days when they would excitedly present me their homemade cards.

My homemade valentine cards(efutos) are going out to good homes this week. One is being mailed off to the aforementioned, my lovely daughter, Olivia.It’s her first year away at school and I know she will be secretly pleased to receive a pretty valentine in the mail.

I admit it may also be a bit of payback as her mail tends to circulate the house before it actually gets to her. I am sure lots of eye rolling will accompany this card in its travels!

The other is…sorry, undisclosed the moment, but only because I want it to be a nice surprise.

Pretty paper packages enclosed.

I hope everyone has a lovely week. Sending you lots of valentine wishes xo

Inspired by winging it!

Posted on January 30, 2013 by artistically afflicted

For this weeks Illustration Friday ~ wings.

This is a motif I have been meaning to explore more. The opportunities are endless here.There are so many facets of the wing to be explored ~ movement, texture, weight, the beautiful delicacy, all the lovely lines,color…

I was reminded of a post I made over a year ago about a beautiful book I stumbled upon at Anthropologie. The link is here, but I will show you some pictures to peak your interest.

Designer Belan Mena inspired me by her practice of taking everything she discovered about the moth and breaking it down to its fullest.It’s a concept I love and mean to practice more. It’s also a concept that I need a bit more patience for!

I laugh at myself because I take these themes so literally. I hear wings I see butterfly wings. I am practicing my thinking outside the box but it can only come with more patience and with more work. So my goal for the next week- wings. If you want to see wings explored come back for a visit! Will keep you posted on my progress.

Back to my entry for this weeks Illustration Friday.

Butterflies for children. I am building my portfolio and whats a portfolio without some bright, colorful butterflies and flowers.

I love taking time to explore Illustration Fridays’ site at the end of the week. It’s a very talented community and I guarantee there will be some very creative ways of interpreting wings.

I will be back on Friday with this weeks efuto ~ also inspired by wings.Drop by and say hello and I just might send one your way.

Inspired by random acts of kindness

Posted on January 25, 2013 by artistically afflicted

Look at the little ray of sunshine I found in my post box. Nestled in between boring old bills,a couple of flyers and a newspaper was this lovely.

A beautiful, hand painted efuto from Eva Marion Seyffarth, a designer I met through the ABSPD course I recently took. To my surprise I also found a little something tucked inside- a collection of different types of paper. It’s no secret that I love paper so this was super thoughtful!I would have taken a pic, but I was pretty inspired to get at it.

She even painted the back! DUH- I don’t know why I didn’t think of that on my original efutos!? Needless to say, but my whole envelop is now fully preened.

I have been spending my journaling time painting, spraying, stitching and generally exploring new ideas on my growing collection of efutos. I am loving this process as an envelope is only so big and therefore easily completed in one session. I am thinking of it as a little art therapy for me these days.

I continue to spend a lot of time at my computer designing patterns and prints so this is a welcome distraction and time to get my hands messy. It has also helped spark a few ideas for surface pattern design. I love the handcrafted approach to surface pattern and plan to dive deep into it as soon as my working knowledge of illustrator and photoshop increases.

I have started to include a little pretty package of some of my favorite scraps to inspire the receiver to make their own efuto and send to some happy soul.Thank you for that inspiration Eva!

I have to admit it makes me really happy to send these envelopes to random people who have warmed my heart in one way or another ~ My little token of appreciation.Thank you!

Leave me a comment and one may just find itself in your mailbox!

Have a wonderful weekend.

The Little White Book of Surface Pattern Designers

Posted on January 23, 2013 by artistically afflicted

Its live! The Little White Book of Surface Pattern Designers is here.

Eighty, talented designers from all over the world. One online, visual directory for all your surface pattern design needs.

I love this concept created by Gill Eggleston of Pattern Addict. She had each of us create an Efuto (more on those here…) Each envelope was stylishly created by the designer with all of our contact info and then curated by Gill into a wonderful, online directory. A great way to find new design talent!

It’s a pleasure to see ~ a designer directory with some beautiful content and contact info too!

Look out for a Second edition launching in March!

Like The Little White Book of Surface Pattern Designers Facebook page. (You will have to sign in under your own name and search it)

For more info on The Little White Book of Surface Pattern Designers please contact Gill at info@findnewdesigners.com

My entry:

Life continues on here in snowy Whistler. I have to say that 2013 has had no shortage of fun. We have travelled to another ski resort-it’s very refreshing to ski somewhere else.My son had two podium finishes in his freestyle skiing competition.yay! We have had more guests and have more to come. I am also super excited about my girls ski week here in February.I will be sure to include apres ski boot dancing pics here on my blog for your viewing pleasure!

It’s been super busy!

Starting to get a wee bit concerned about all of those New Year Words I am striving to live by. Need to get cracking on all of my goals for this year!

How are yours coming along?

Cheers!

Inspired by… the lovely,lush and radiant,emerald

Posted on January 10, 2013 by artistically afflicted

It’s lively. It’s radiant. It’s lush.

Introducing Emerald, Pantone Color of the Year for 2013.

Today I am joining together with a group of designers from all over the wold in a bloghop celebrating Pantone Color of the Year~ Emerald.

I hope you are arriving here all the way from Leeds in the U.K~ from surface pattern designer Emma Frances Designs blog. Emma creates -she sews,sketches and loves her camera. I think we would be good friends if only she lived a little closer.

If you would like to hop back right to the very beginning then please feel free to jump to Gill Egglestons Pattern Addicts site.

I love the color green.I live in a mountain town surrounded by every shade of green.Green in my art work though? Well, that is something I always find challenging!

I was hoping to combine it with hits of color like red and pink, but I just couldn’t seem to find the right match. I am really looking forward to see how everyone else used the color in combination.I am curious to see their perspective. Hoping to pick up a few tips along the way!

A special thank you to Rosie Martinez-Dekker of Believe Creative Studio.She has done a wonderwoman job curating todays bloghop.

Up next is Elixabete Ariztegieta of Eli Risty Design. Eli is a textile designer based in the lovely town of Donosti, in the Basque Country.

I have more Efutos and a special post about the Little White Book of Designers coming up next. Stay tuned!

Inspired by ~ my word{s} for the year

Posted on January 4, 2013 by artistically afflicted

I am not sure if this is a good way to start the new year but I am re-posting {gasp} I am re-posting my own post mind you!

I am blogging over at Tigerprints new youblog and wanted to share my love for the word of the year to all so doing a bit of double duty here. If you have a moment, please go and have a look~ designers worldwide having their say on design.We have just started, but I have a feeling it’s going to be great.

I would also like to share this with my Fly-Tribe group who are doing their annual word of the year blog hop. Its always interesting to read what words are inspiring others. Have a look here to join in!

So without further rambling, here it is ~ my 2013 {pstt..it will be bright and shiny!} post.

Blank slate of endless possibility

It’s that time of the year where, amongst all of the holiday chaos,I feel the excitement and need for new beginnings. A new start and with that some new year resolutions. The typical resolutions come to mind ~ eat less and better, exercise more, go to bed earlier….

Unfortunately, none of these resolutions really excite me on my quest to become a better me.. and, in typical fashion, by mid January I fall into my old habits.

A few years ago I was introduced to Christine Kanes word of the year. I love this concept and thought I would share it with you in hope that you may like it too.

The premise is simple – one word that encompasses your intentions for the year. One word that brings you clarity, a word that will attract what you want, regardless of the how.

A word that contains energy, images and meaning, A word that your heart and soul gets excited about

I am ignoring the how and concentrating on the what and why of my resolutions.I am concentrating on possibility and opportunity. A belief that what I wish to happen, will happen.. (It probably wouldn’t hurt for me to cross my fingers as well)

This process may sound a bit daunting. A feeling I can attest to as I sit here surrounded by words! Do not fear ~ she has a very handy worksheet here to help you on your way.

I have always had difficulty coming up with one word so over the years I have created a collage of relevant words that all resonate with me. These words are designed to capture the essence of all that I hope to accomplish in the upcoming year. They help to serve as gentle reminders. I keep them close at hand,ready to reflect upon, as I go about my daily life.

Wishing you lots of good health and happiness this new year.

Make it your year to shine bright!

Artistically Afflicted

Category Archives: art