IF: "Impossibility" (Sold)

This week's IF prompt was the word impossibility. I pondered this for a bit and thought at first I would post nothing, as it was impossible for me to think of anything I wanted to illustrate. And then, the old Perry Como song "It's Impossible" stuck in my head. I decided to illustrate the last line from the lyrics of that song.

I stayed with my whimsical illustrating style since I am having so much fun with it. The drawing was executed in pencil and painted in using acrylic paints and pens. I had a blast! I hope the cheerfulness that I felt and the essence of this painting will bring a great big smile to your face and a few butterflies for you hope-ful romantics out there.

"...But to live without your love would be impossible". from the Perry Como song "It's Impossible".

All smiles....
debbie

Prints of My Work...

Thank you to everyone of you who has been so encouraging. I am delighted to be illustrating again! It is such a freeing experience....a wonderful escape from the daily-ness of life. I have had several friends ask about prints of my work. It is something I am pursuing and am flattered that my illustrations could possibly grace the walls of your home, office or church. My artwork is still in the re-discovering process...the fledgling stages. As my style continues to develop, and my artwork becomes more cohesive, I will pursue printing. In the meantime, please ENJOY!

IF "Fleeting"

The IF challenge this past week was "fleeting". The first thing that came to my mind is how time is all too fleeting. I chose to illustrate this in transparent watercolor using my whimsical style of illustration.

The old adage "Time flies when you're having fun" is the title to this illustration. I had great fun with this challenge. I hope it brings a smile to your face as well!

Remember to take time to smell the flowers, chase butterflies and watch beautiful sunsets, for as we know, time is all to fleeting!

Happy day!

debbie

"Stuck"

I am feeling creatively "stuck". I don't know why. Just stuck!

I want so much to be able to creatively express myself. Some days it comes so easily. Lately, not so much. Perhaps I am putting too much pressure on myself to find the perfect expression of a subject. I want to branch out...I want to spread my wings and push myself in new directions. The artist in me wants these things. The perfectionist in me fights with the artist in me.

I wonder...are the two mutually exclusive?

There are those artists, of which I am not, that can completely create with reckless and careless abandon, allowing their free thoughts to express themselves effortlessly.
There are other artists, of which I am probably more like, who enjoy control of their medium and subject taking great care to express their passion in great detail.
I look at the art created by both....and of all the artists who fall in between these categories...and I appreciate their love of life and their fearless expression of that passion.

For now....I'll relax...perhaps study some of my favorite artists...enjoy my weekend...until I'm UN-stuck!

Have a fabulous weekend.

IF "Subtract"

Well, I have been a bit remiss at keeping my posts up to date. It's funny how real life tends to creep into my creative time. Ideally time would not be divided into real life and creative life...I'm still trying to find the balance therein.

The IF challenge for last week was "subtract". I had immediately felt inspired and excited about this challenge and had a fun illustration in mind to produce for this exercise. The medium I used was my old "tried and true" graphite pencil and eraser. My subject was taken from a photo of my oldest daughter at her Pre-Kindergarten graduation. The actual photo does not have her holding the tooth that she was missing so I added that to emphasize my interpretation of "subtract". The big gap in her beautiful smile minus two teeth, did not subtract from the joy she showed that day!

Have a creative and amazing day!

Delighted!

I am so delighted to those of you who have welcomed me back into this world of creativity!! It is a wonderful family we have to be among so many gifted and giving people who truly enjoy the beauty of life and so willingly share it with others. I am looking forward to growing with all of you and learning from those of you who have commented on my first little exercise. I hope you will come back often and I know I will enjoy visiting your blogs and websites, savoring in this amazing journey together!!

Have a lovely day!

The wee small hours of the morning....

It is 1:40 AM and as many of you creative souls out there certainly understand...sometimes this is when our juices get flowing and sleep eludes us.

I have been pondering some of the obstacles that have kept me from "doing art" for the past several years. There have been many reasons and excuses that prevented me from creating at certain times in my life (and many of them were quite legitimate) however, the number one obstacle I have faced is the fear of failure. The "what if it doesn't turn out right" and the "I don't know where to start" excuses that I, and maybe some of you, have dealt with during the beginning of a piece. I think what I have learned is that perhaps it isn't the end result or "the piece" I should be concerned with, but the experience of doing. Letting the act itself be the joy and not the end result. After all, I have never finished a portrait or any piece of work and have said to myself "this is perfect".

It's kind of like life itself. If we allow ourselves to get caught up in the "what ifs" and the "if onlys" in our lives, we are preventing ourselves from the true joy that comes from living in the moment and truly experiencing life. We become just another body marking time and being caught up in the fears of living.

I want to "BE" in my life....the artist of each moment!

I want to approach my art in a new and fresh way. The art is in the giving and receiving of the creative experience and not being imprisoned by the technical aspects or frozen behind the "viewfinder" of the end product. I want to find joy in the discovering!!

In"joy" your day today!

"Intricate" for Illustration Friday

This week's topic for Illustration Friday was "Intricate".

This is my first illustration in close to nine years. I have recently set-up my new studio and am just getting back into illustration, paint and collage after a long time away from the creative process.

I thought I would do a color study as part of the illustration for "Intricate" that would incorporate the intricacies of color and value. I scoured through magazines as my source for color, values and pattern and cut each little square out individually. I then glued the squares to my canvas loosely based on a color and value scale. I wanted to break up the monotony of the grid by introducing an organic shape to the center. I painted a rose to illustrate the intricacies in each beautiful petal. It was a great excercise for me. I would love to hear your feedback.

A New Beginning!

Wow! here i go...embarking on a new venture. Life as a blogger. Yes, it's true... i am a newby to this whole blogging world, albeit an eager one!

A little bit about me...

I am a native Texan, born and raised, having lived there my entire 45 years...until now.

It was almost 25 years ago when I was embarking on my life's journey of becoming an artist, a wife, and the mother of two amazing and wonderful daughters. After thirteen years of marriage, I found myself in a terribly tumultuous divorce that left me as a skeleton of a person. My art had long gone by the wayside. Over the past nine years, since my divorce, I have grown in so many ways and yet my art has eluded me. I excused my absence from the creative process as being "too busy" or " it just isn't my season in life yet". I have worked very hard at different jobs to make life work for my daughters and myself. We have endured and survived some very rocky roads. I have a strong faith in God which has sustained me during those dark and lonely times. I am also thankful for a loving family who have been and continue to be my strength.

A few weeks ago, my family and I moved to Kansas (yes, where Dorothy and Toto, the Scarecrow...etc...). I am rediscovering my passion for creating again and now have a working (albeit a fledgling) studio from which to begin expressing myself! I decided to start this blog as a way of expressing this new "season of my life". Be a partner with me in this journey of self-expression and creativity. It's a bit scary...a lot exciting!!!

Welcome to my blog!