Day 7 of my Creativity Challenge! All day, whether you are writing or drawing, USE YOUR LEFT HAND (or your non-dominant hand). This exercise challenges you to bypass your hard-wired default mode…which in turn opens up space for new possibilities, hence CREATIVITY! Creative thinking and doing can be born from breaking our own scripts and patterns so we can see the world in a slightly new or different way.
Today is day 6 of my Creativity Challenge and today we are going to draw BIG! Grab some chalk and draw something bigger than you–on your driveway, patio…anywhere. You might use small repeated forms to make something huge–move your body as you work. Don’t think just doodle. Be free as you work. Be present with the drawing…let it draw you.
| A painting of mine from this year called The Ecstatic Beauty of It All (Carrie Bloomston) |
I wrote in the last post here about the “idea” of colors. I also wrote about how we are instructed early by painting teachers to never use paint right out of the tube. This is such an important point and I want to explain it further here as it applies to every area of art, design, sewing, crafting, etc.
So, you know when bloggers and designers say they are working on a top-secret project and they can’t talk about it? And you know how you always think…hmmmm, I’ll bet she’s writing a book…
…well, ah-hem…I’m working on a top-secret project!
I am so excited to announce that my newest pattern, The Nest Quilt, is finally available in my shopping cart HERE as a downloadable, printable PDF! Come and get it!!!!
Be wild and free like a bird as your create this quilt…gathering scraps and placing them with a washable school glue stick. You’ll create an art quilt you can cuddle under–or a wonderful wall hanging–in just a few simple steps. Break some rules with this fun, fast, and crazy-raw collage quilt. How many eggs does your nest need?
Phew! We are back from International Quilt Market in Portland and I really only have one thing on my mind: gratitude. Holy crap was it a crazy, fun whirlwind! People really seemed to respond to my new patterns and fabric collection, COLLAGE, for Windham. I am blown away by the kindness and integrity pouring out of the whole team at Windham Fabrics and could not be happier with my choice to produce fabric with them.
| shine. 11″ x 15″. Gold leaf, mica, oil, and emptiness on paper. |
The ecstatic beauty of it all…
| The ecstatic beauty of it all. Ink and acrylic on paper. 17″ x 14″. |
| Be So Brave – 11″ x 15″ – January 2013 (Ink and collage on paper) |
dear, world–
after a long,
long pause,
am painting again.
will need your help:
your galleries,
your support,
your kindness.
need reminders to
be so brave.
need to be empty.
but this time,
beginner’s mind it’s not.
for all of my love of not-knowing
how to do things,
i’m afraid i’ll have to own up
to this one-
that i know this tongue-
that this language begins
where nouns and verbs end.
and to be unafraid.
and to play.
wish me luck.
see some older work here and here.