Joyful — 52-cards project #15

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Joyful — 52-cards project #15

This was one of those weeks without appointments, errands or obligations. I started every weekday outdoors exercising or hiking with friends, I spent good time in my art studio—and it’s spring. It rained twice this week, which here in California drought-land is a true blessing. All the land is bursting with new growth.

I believe in joy. I believe that Life is brief and amazing and we are here to experience as much joy as possible.

This week for my 52-card project, I thought about

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Did you read with me—The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs

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Did you read with me—The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs

his is my monthly Read With Me project and I hope you’ll join me! No commitment. No wine and cheese parties. If you want, simply read the book for the indicated month (see image to left) and then look for a post about the book here on the blog around the 15th of the following month.

I won’t write a formal review. I’ll just share what I found compelling (or not) and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments (but again, no commitment).

Ok, so here we go: The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs.

This post is going to be short and sweet. The Lost and Found Bookshop was

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How to pick up where you left off in your art practice

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How to pick up where you left off in your art practice

Yesterday I talked about the challenge of keeping up with my art practice while traveling. Today, I want to say a few words about returning.

At home, I commit to creating every day. I try to draw every day in my sketchbook at a minimum, and on good days I also work on art projects in the works—and recently, I’ve added blogging to the mix.

It feels great! It took years to find my way to both the commitment (i.e., this is important to me so I’m going to make it a daily practice in my life) and to the systems (intentions, goals and routines) that keep me creating and moving forward.

And then, I go away on a trip and not only do I struggle to create on the road—which I know requires doubling down on commitment—but I completely lose momentum when I get back home to my art practice.

No, not just momentum. I can’t even remember what I was working on! I look around

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Routine, momentum and art practice interruptions

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Routine, momentum and art practice interruptions

I do love a vacation—I do—but I can’t quite resolve the pain of breaking away from my art practice. It doesn’t matter for how long I go away, it might be a quick four day weekend like last week to southern California or several weeks to a destination further away, there’s this huge disruption not just to my time, but to my attention.

I lose my focus and momentum stalls. Both on the road—where I struggle to take time for art—and when I get back and forget what I was working on before I left.

Every vacation.

If you have an art practice, do you struggle with this? It’s really frustrating!

I’ve been working on solutions.

Today I will focus on the problem of taking time for art while on the road. I enjoy

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Sea creature - 52 Cards Project #14

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Sea creature - 52 Cards Project #14

We got lucky and rented a house four doors down from the beach (in Ventura) during a heat wave this week. There is nothing better than being on a California beach during a heat wave! Perfect temperature. I got to spend many hours walking on the shore, looking for “treasures”, and just sitting in the sand.

So of course the theme card for my 52-Week Cards Project this week had to feature the ocean. And my heart. Because I am—for sure—a sea creature.

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This collage grid makes my heart sing

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This collage grid makes my heart sing

This was one of the warm-ups that I completely lost myself in last week. The work is rough and the paper in this sketchbook is thin so you can see marks coming through from behind. It’s not by any means complete. It’s just a drafty warm-up grid of collage sketches.

But. I love it so.

Part of every art journey is discovering who you are as an artist. That’s part of the fun. Trying new subjects and mediums in different ways, different contexts and slowly learning your own preferences. Learning what it is you like to make—no, have to make—and how.

This is the creative journey. And I believe this is how we find our natural, innate style.

So this little grid of collages

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Weekly Warm-ups - Abstract Collage

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Weekly Warm-ups - Abstract Collage

Last week I decided [daily warm ups) to restructure daily warm ups in my art practice to see if I can overcome the obstacle of, well, not doing it. While I know intellectually that warming up with simple practice exercises primes the well and adds important play and practice time, I avoided warm ups more often than not.

So last week I tried my new approach, which is to

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