Freedom and setting myself free!

As you may know from my last blog post, I've been taking part in a 7 day miniseries challenge. I'd posted the first four days so here's what happened next!

This is day 5. I wrote free spirit then covered it with swirls, which is a technique I have used before. I see it when faced with a lovely large canvas that I was given and I felt intimidated by, so I wrote on it, then painted over it. I knew the messages where there but you couldn't see them, so the painting, or in this case the drawing, has to speak its own message!

Day 6 and I'd had some useful feedback via the Facebook group that was set up for the challenge that perhaps my free spirit was getting a bit trapped! It certainly feels rather squashed and the swirls have become rather heavy. 

Day 6 part 2! This is a collaboration between my and my mini artist! At 16 months old he is just beginning to make marks, so I held his hand and we did some scribbles together. This was an 'ah ha' moment! He picked the colours that grabbed his attention, and just placed the marks where he wanted, even if they were on top of each other, without worrying about balance or composition. I wanted to be this free!

Day 7 all my own work this time! I used pencils, just picked the colours I liked and tried to copy Simon's mark making technique. It was very freeing, although I did not that I wanted to try and make it balanced!

Here's the whole mini series starting top left and heading down to bottom right.

I learnt that I need to really chuck out the 'rules' that I have in my head, and it definitely takes me to another place creatively. Don't do what you think you ought to, try and go with feelings or intuition! Exciting to see where I go next!

Free spirit, swirls and a seven day challenge

As I have mentioned in a previous post I had signed up to a mini 7 day challenge on this website http://taraleaver.com/  It's been great to see what others have been doing via her members only Facebook page, and I have been encouraged by others comments. It's also nice to encourage others. 

The challenge is to create a series of art works, which is not something I did very often until I did my art foundation course, and learnt to repeat and refine my work, and to explore other possibilities. I am not the best at sticking with things, preferring to move on rather than revisit, so it was a useful and frustrating skill to learn! 

So what have I been doing? Well we are now on Day 4 and here's what I've been up to! I used the free spirit drawing I'd previously done as a starting point. It's on this blog post http://joscreativeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/days-away-time-to-play-and-making-gifts.html

Day 1 using thin pens and exploring text. I like how it flows, but it is a bit wispy and doesn't have the strength or boldness I want. Interesting to explore my ideas in words though.

Day 2 I got out the sharpie markers and mixed text, swirls and stars. Flowed much better, colours much bolder. Not sure about the dots.

Day 3 I used coloured pencils. Not as flowy due to the texture in the paper, and not as bold. A worthy experiment, but not the ideal medium for this image. Like the 'flow across the page'.

Day 4 back to the sharpies and I joined all the swirls up so the flow was even better. Interesting to do as I had a certain small person demanding bits of banana I between swirls! Working while he eats his dinner is good in that I can sit with him (we eat later) but it isn't exactly uninterrupted!

It'll be interesting to see what happens next! We have been continuing with our Harry Potter filmathon, and I so want to capture some of that magic. I also want an immediacy and a sketchy look. I am wondering how the swirls would work as a monoprinting technique.

Day 5 here we come! 

Inspiring and nurturing creativity...and pasta

I've got a bit distracted...I decided on Wednesday night that I wanted to watch Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I loved watching it again but it meant no evening to do much creative. Then we decided to keep going and watched most of the Chamber of Secrets last night. 

When time is limited, sometimes you have to make a choice. I had to choose sit and immerse myself in a great film that's a real favourite or spend some time doing some drawing or sewing. Tough choice, but both have their benefits. Although I didn't get to do much creative, watching the film topped up my sense of creativity and magic and possibility. Creativity needs to be fed and natured, not just by doing it yourself, but also by enjoying the work of others. After my last blog post with the free spirit drawing, a friend recommended a song of that title by her favourite band. I had a listen and downloaded it because it captured some of what I am trying to capture. Inspiration comes from many places. 

So have I done anything creative over the last couple of days?

I did some more work on the gift I am making, but no photos!

I also made pasta bolognese in the slow cooker. Simon enjoyed it, but me and Adrian decided the sauce was good but slow cooked pasta is not so great!

Here's the leftovers for Simon's dinner tonight!

Days away, time to play and making gifts

We've been away for a few days so I haven't been able to post, or indeed had much to post! But now I'm back home here are a few creative things I've been doing.

I started this doodle drawing before we went away. No plan, just drawing what comes to mind. I've been musing on the idea of free spirit, of being less weighed down, or making life lighter and more fun.

I added a bit more here. I'm not keen on the lower right hand corner, but I may do more, or just leave it as it is. I also let Simon help and you can see his contributions on the left hand side.

I am also working on a gift for someone, so I can't post anything here other than this little teaser!

It's been ages since I did any cross stitch, and I have compiled a design from a book with some text for this gift. Pictures when it has been given to its recipient!

Oh, and I did create one more thing...

When I took the weekends catch up laundry off the airer, Simon crawled under it to get a toy. Cue to make a tent with a tablecloth! He sat and had a 'cup of tea' in there and posed for a photo before being off and about in his usual busy way!

Future plans include 

- a mini course doing a series of drawings, signed up for via this website http://taraleaver.com/2016/08/mini-painting-series-7-day-challenge/

Should be fun!

- doing some monoprinting, perhaps when my gift is finished

- this list of toys

I love to think about what I could do, getting it done is harder! I have very detailed plans somewhere for a Doctor Who themed quiet book, which may never get made...but planning it was half the fun! 

Starting a new thing, and finishing an old thing

The last two days have been full of preparation for a new thing. Strictly speaking I'm not starting a new thing, as it's a journey that started in about November last year, when I decided to become a childminder rather than go back to teaching!

Today was the day of the Ofsted pre-registration visit, where they come and spend a couple of hours checking you have child locks, know which end to put a nappy on a bay, and are aware of how to spot a toddler terrorist. I may be kidding about some of that...but only a little!

Anyway, the lady who visited us was very friendly, and encouraging. She waded through all my paper work (3 folders of paper!) and did the tour of the house, and said...she would be recommending me to go on the register! Ofsted now check her report and make the final decision, but I feel like it's done now! My new career as a childminder will be starting very soon! 

So all this creating a good environment and 3 files of paper has left not much time for other creativity, until tonight when I finished something I started over the weekend.

Here it is...

It's a Bible journalling page which I've had a mind for a couple of weeks. We're working our way through Luke's gospel at church and hearing about the stories of the rich ruler and of Zaccheus helped me make some links and comparisons. 

The rich ruler thought he was perfect. He had obeyed the law entirely since he was a boy (our vicar pointed out that the rich ruler was lying about this, and for some reason that had never occurred to me!) and he wasn't prepared to change his lifestyle and give away his wealth to follow Jesus. Zaccheus knew he needed Jesus, he knew he had done things wrong, but he was prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to see Jesus. He was a man of wealth and power but he shinned up a tree! He gave away his wealth by his own volition, Jesus didn't have to ask him. 

What a contrast! I know I sometimes forget I'm a sinner, just like the rich ruler, I know I can be unwilling to give away the things that hold me back, just like the rich ruler, but I hope I would also be willing to shin up the nearest tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus, just like Zaccheus, and that an encounter with him would inspire me to change my life, just like Zaccheus.

The image shows Zaccheus up the tree, which is all my own, and the rich ruler in the front, looking sad because he was very rich and did not want to give away his wealth. This image is copied from this website http://ministry-to-children.com/skit-the-rich-young-ruler/ 

I'm pleased with the shading, with the composition and with making a link between two bible stories that I have known since I was a child, and had become probably over familiar with. A new insight always feels good, like a precious nugget of something wonderful that has come your way.

Quilting and cooking

Here's what I cooked yesterday, to welcome back the wanderer! 

Moroccan chicken from the Good Food pressure cooker cook book. (You can just see it in the background)  I did it in my electric pressure cooker, which I love and is one of the most used kitchen gadgets. 

I also made this in my food processor, another much used kitchen gadget!

A blackberry and clotted cream shortcake! I spotted the recipe on Facebook and shared it with Adrian who said 'yes please!' It's a BBC Good Food recipe and you can find it here. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2857/blackberry-and-clotted-cream-shortcake-

Both were delicious! 

And here's some better photos of Simon's I spy quilt. The idea is to have lots of fun print and then play I spy with all the pictures. I made mine a snap and I spy quilt so I had two squares of every fabric, so we can play matching and spotting! I used a disappearing 9 patch pattern. I backed it with fleece.

Here's the finished quilt draped over the sofa.

Here's some close ups.

I quilted either side of the seams.

Here's the back.

I even put one of my labels on it!

I'm really thrilled with how it turned out. And of course I have two more quilts in the planning stage!

Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes!

This weekend has been a little odd - I'm writing this on Sunday morning - as Adrian has been away, leaving just me and the little guy to amuse ourselves! So what did we do, and did it involve creativity?

No smoothies for a start! I joined the boy and had cereal and toast breakfasts, but I think I was less messy than him! (I hope so anyway!)

No dinners either! Fish and chips on Friday - Simon loves both! And leftovers on Saturday.

Trip to the park Saturday morning with Aunty. Good conversation and fun, which always energises me. Somehow, for me, things seem better, funnier etc if you can share them with some one, either at the time, or afterwards! Perhaps that's why I like to make art? I like to share my feelings and experiences!

And my evenings?

Friday was creative in that I worked in paperwork for my childminding business. I don't really call writing policies creative, but it is working towards the life I want to create I suppose. I'd still rather not be doing it though!

Saturday was fun! I'd set that aside for creativity and did the following...

I finished the I spy quilt! Yay! I'll try and get some better photos, but this shows that I gave it a test run and snuggled up in the sofa to do...

These are blind contour drawings, where you look at the object, not at the drawing! I've recently started following this blog http://taraleaver.com/ and she offers a free drawing course! Free! Drawing! Got to be worth a try, right?

So this was the first lesson, and it was fun. It reminds you to look and frees up your hand to move. Drawing definitely needs practice to get better.

Tomorrow's post will include food...I'm welcoming my big fella home with a nice meal! 

Coloured scribble and snickers smoothie

Today I am posting about smoothies because I tried a new one yesterday, mostly because we'd had raspberry based smoothies for two days, then I went and bought some more raspberries, but I wanted a change! (I could have got strawberries but I thought, yum, I like raspberries, then realised we'd had a rather raspberry heavy week! At least it's all healthy!) 

Anyway...snickers smoothie! Three bananas, three teaspoons of peanut butter, three teaspoons of coco (not drinking chocolate!), a couple of handfuls of baby kale and some almond milk. (I always fill our blender up to the 3 cup mark, once I have put the other ingredients in, but it's about 500ml)

It was very yummy! Probably because it's not quite a healthy as our normal smoothie, but still healthy!

I also did some scribbling with coloured pens yesterday.

I wanted to see what some of my previous scribble techniques would look like if I used colour. I really like the circles! 

I also started a kind of zentangle, but as they are a very specific technique and I have messed about with it here, I'm not sure it it strictly speaking a zentangle, more a filling in with patterns and colours! If you're not sure what a zentangle is, this website has some good information http://tanglepatterns.com/zentangles/what-is-a-zentangle

Interestingly it felt a bit restrictive so I may not finish this one. I feel at the moment that I want to be a bit more free, a bit more random, a bit more go with the flow!

If you want find out more I can recommend this book about zentangle, which helps you get started and helps you develop and personalise the technique. You can get it on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Zentangle-Day-Relaxation-Inspiration/dp/1592538118/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1471592610&sr=1-1&keywords=one+zentangle+a+day

I don't get any money for plugging Amazon (I wish!) but I do love to share a good resource...it comes from being a librarian's daughter! 

Have a fun and creative weekend! 

Erm...

Erm...well...yesterday was a busy day, spending time with friends, then out line dancing in the evening. So what did I create?

I made a breakfast smoothie, but no new recipe.

Dinner was stuff out the freezer, so no real creativity there.

And that's it. No time for any sketching, or sewing, or baking. 

But I had lots of fun anyway. So I have learnt that though I need creativity in my life, a day off is not the end of the world, especially if it full of fun stuff! 

Scribbles and visions

After my doodles on Monday I did some more doodling, trying out shapes and just going with whatever came into my head, no plan, no design.

It's so nice to just get drawing again!

To inspire me further I bought this book, all about drawing with red, blue and black biros! Perfect for this time of life, when I might just have those lying about the place, when I don't have time to get out lots of paints or want the 'help' I might get from a certain small person, when I don't want fabric full of pins lying around everywhere in case it gets stepped on. It's full of good starting points. I can't wait to try some out!

I also got this book.

Well, maybe I don't mind fabric with pins lying about in certain places, like behind the closed door of the spare room where I have my sewing corner! Plus it's just full of cute ideas I could adapt and make my own.

It's always tricky when you get to a certain level of expertise and in a way you don't want another step by step book as you have the techniques already, but they are good for ideas, and you can adapt them.

I like to have a vision, to have ideas for what I want to work on next, and I think that has been missing for a while, as my vision has been all about the house. Now is the time to re-envision myself, to think about my hopes and dreams.

One thing already in my plan is some monoprinting. This is a cool, quick, fun technique. Here's a quick YouTube tutorial from a guy called the Snake Artist...the video has got some snakes at the beginning so if you don't like snakes...the tutorial is good though!

https://youtu.be/El6aIKAIvTA

Tracey Emin, who is one of my favourite artists, has done lots of monoprinting. (If you google it you will find some stuff that is not suitable for kids, just so you know!) 

Here's a longer tutorial that she's done, which is more the technique I've used.

http://www.ideastap.com/IdeasMag/the-knowledge/sky-academy-southbank-show-masterclasses-tracey-emin

Just need to find where I put all my printing stuff when we moved...

Doodles and dinner

Yesterday was a rather paper heavy day, but not in a fun, creative way! Instead I was busy preparing policies and procedures for my childminding business.  I suppose it could be viewed as creative, because I am making something, but for me, it's a bit like mopping the kitchen floor; yes, it helps create a clean and welcoming home, but...

Perhaps I am missing out on something here? Perhaps these tasks that I deem boring, repetitive and relentless have creativity in them, or at least are building blocks to creating something bigger. The policies are needed to create the successful childminding business, with my vision of fun, creative, home from home care I want to provide. Mopping the kitchen floor means my home is clean and so I can cook without giving anyone food poisoning. It is also part of the tidy up after being creative in the kitchen, never my favourite bit of any creative project, but unless you tidy up, you haven't got space to do something else, or enjoy what you've done.

So what creativity did I have space and time for yesterday? 

I did some doodling on some redundant documents!

I also made dinner and forgot to take photos...again! The trouble is, by the time it's cooked I just want to tuck in!  I made chorizo and potato jumble, my own invention.

Boil some new potatoes until just cooked. I did 10, chopped into quarters.

In a roasting tin, put some chopped mushrooms, red onion, tomato slices and chorizo. I used about 100g for two of us. 

Add the potatoes and drizzle on olive oil. Add some black pepper.

Bung in the oven, on 180 for about an hour. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally to get those lovely chorizo juices on everything.

Yummy! 

Those monkeys? Nothing to do with me!

LWeekend catch up this morning!

Saturday was a fun day with a trip down to Airbourne. Lots of watching the Red Arrows, eating a yummy lunch and chilling out back here at home.

No smoothie as we had a cheeky cooked breakfast, and no dinner as we had the left overs from Friday's takeaway!

Sunday had a bit more creativity. 

Back on the breakfast smoothies again...and as this happens every morning and is basically the same recipe every morning - 2 bananas, couple of handfuls of kale or spinach, almond milk and some other fruit - I have decided not to bore you with it unless I try something different. I kind of feel that although I am making something, it is not really challenging my creativity, and is probably not an area where I want to put lots of creative time and thought.

I made vegetable chow mein for dinner. No photos as I forgot to take them! Easy recipe which I usually use for chicken or prawns but as we were having spare ribs I just made it with veggies. 

You marinate veggies, or chicken, or prawns or Quorn in dark soy sauce, sesame oil, cornflour and Chinese 5 spice. You cook the noodles, then stir fry the marinating mix (if you are doing chicken or prawn, I add spring onions, red pepper and bean sprouts at this point) Add the cooked noodles to the stir fry mix and there you go! Yummy! 

Not my recipe, I got it from this book which you can get on Amazon. Nice easy recipes, and usually not a huge list of crazy ingredients!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chinese-Food-Made-Ching-He-Huang/dp/0007264984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471243361&sr=8-1&keywords=chinese+food+made+easy

I also did some drawing.

This is how I want to be...lighter, freer, more random, more scattered. Not everyone's choice, I know! Most people want to be more organised, not more random, but in order to feel lighter and freer, I need space to be random and scattered. Routine helps a bit, but restraint does not. I kick against it, I feel anxious and suffocated, and a tiny bit rebellious! 

I also did some thinking about being judgmental. I realised I need to be less in everyone else's business, as well as being kinder to myself. (Awful to think that whatever I am judging myself so harshly for, e.g Simon's grubby face means I am not a caring mother, I probably apply to others...who wants to be that person? Not me, no sirree!) 

In the spirit of this, I printed out this colouring page.

This is a Polish saying which means, not my problem. I need to remind myself when I start getting all Judgy McJudgeface with other people that it's not my circus, those aren't my monkeys! In other words, butt out! 

Now that all got a bit heavy, so just to end on a lighter note, here is my favourite monkey in my circus!

Paint...everywhere!

Yesterday's creativity was mostly aimed at helping Simon be creative.

I made a breakfast smoothie...back to khaki I'm afraid, as it had strawberries in it!

Simon and I then did some painting. We went into the garden and I put down a plastic cloth and a big piece of paper and put some paint in a dish. I stripped Simon down to his nappy and let him get stuck in!

We had a great time! Simon preferred to paint his body rather than the paper, and he liked the paint being squirted directly on to the paper rather than in the dish. He found it easier to move around like that, and kept asking for 'bore' which means 'more!'

This was the final masterpiece, and he was so pleased with it! 

After our last go at paining like this (see my post 'plagiarism and getting messy' http://joscreativeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/plagiarism-and-getting-messy.html) I tried really hard to just relax and go with the flow, and I think I did well, as Simon was basically a multicoloured baby, and I had a fair bit of paint on me too. I'm glad we were outdoors though, as when it came time to wash off the paint I discovered it stained - Simon now has a tide line of brown round his tummy where his nappy was, and I have stained trousers! Thank goodness it was a hot day, the paddling pool was out and Simon quite likes being squirted with the sprinkler on the hose! Once the worst was off I cuddled him up in a towel and up into the shower to warm up!

As the saying goes 'you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs' and if you are going to be creative you have to be able to cope with mistakes, stains, disappointments, disasters, successes and going with the flow.

When I was doing my final piece for my Foundation diploma, I so didn't want to do an installation...it was just too art studenty. And what did I do? Take a look here http://joscreativeblog.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Foundation and at other June 2012 posts. I remember a sense of inevitability that it HAD to be an installation, as in the piece wanted it. It wasn't my choice, other than I went with it, but it was the way the art work needed to go. I hadn't really experienced that before, but it is exactly what happened. 

Smoothie...and it isn't khaki!

Here is yesterday's creativity!

It's a mango, banana, almond milk and kale smoothie...and it's a beautiful shade of green...and it's not khaki! It was also delicious!

That was all yesterday. No baking, no drawing, no colouring and a dinner of ready made pies, oven chips and baked beans. And I had a great day!

Noticing my creativity is not another stick to beat myself with, it is just noticing; no judgement, no guilt, just awareness. Good lesson learnt! 

Baking

Today I made apple, pear and blueberry muffins, in two sizes! Simon loved the little ones! Weightwatchers recipe so made with fruit not added sugar and with low fat spread. Yum! (Just as a side note, I made the easiest dinner ever because I used up my cooking energy making these...pasta with fried ham and mushrooms, covered in grated cheese)

I also made a khaki smoothie - blueberry, banana and baby kale.

I also went all arty and took some photos around the house.

I like this because the cushion was made from a t shirt I wore when I was pregnant which said 'dream big'...Just reminded me to think about what my dreams are. A bedroom without piles of clothes? Time and space to make stuff? Mmm, needs more thought!

My creative corner of the spare room...plus two cupboards full of fabric, art materials, puppets etc

Now some arty bathroom shots!

And a random brick left as a trip hazard by Simon!

Budding African violet...I think the window sill is too sunny for it!

Leftovers from the muffins!

I'd forgotten how much taking photos makes you look. My phone is full of Simon snaps, although even with him I try and get the interesting shot of him covered in dinner, or looking cute when asleep! We are so spoilt with digital cameras and cameras in our phones now. You can snap away, experiment and try things without worrying about the cost of the film. And you can delete or keep as you wish!