You Can Not Use It Up

Creativity that is...they say the more you use the more you have. I am finding this to be true. VERY true and I am very happy about that fact. When I first started The Sketchbook Project I was scared to death I would not have enough ideas to fill all the pages and I would just end up scribbling with crayons on the remaining pages to get it done by the deadline. (That or I would just give up and not send the book in at all.) I counted all of the pages and made a list of ideas. Every idea got written on a sticky note and put on a page in my book. At first I did not have enough ideas to fill all of the pages which of course just reinforced my fears but I started to work on the ideas I had and as I worked new ideas came to me. Onto their sticky note and into the book they went. Eventually I had an idea on every page and I almost could not believe it. I double checked to make sure that the same idea was not on two pages. As I continued to work even more ideas came to me. Some of the sticky notes got removed from the book and replaced with new ones. Those that I removed I stuck on the wall in my studio. The deadline is January 15, 2013 but I am almost done with my sketchbook which turned out not to be a sketchbook at all. It's really a multi media art journal if I have to put a label on it. When it's done I will share all of the pages like a proud momma shares photos of her first baby. Which in all honesty this is my very first project since declaring myself an artist and there is a part of me that does not want to send it in. I have a feeling I might cry just like the day I sent my oldest son to kindergarten. Until I finish it I will share a page from my inspiration journal...yep, not only are there enough ideas for my sketchbook there are enough that I have three other art journals in progress!

For this page I just wanted to play with mixing colors. I intended to use only red, yellow and blue to create all twelve colors on the extended color wheel. I chickened out and added the three secondary colors as well as blue-green. I did do a lot of mixing on the page and learned a lot about color theory. I just used my fingers to mix the paints right on the pages so it was totally fun which was my other objective! Then I wanted to play with the black and white India Ink I had just purchased. When you blow on the ink through a straw it spreads differently on acrylic paint that it does on gesso or plain paper.  I didn't get the result I was looking for with the white splotches but I learned something new.

Thanks for stopping by and if you feel moved please leave a comment. Your words mean the world to me!