Lá 'le Pádraig

Busy today with all sorts of green things...mainly moving my compost heaps, to be honest!
But I did take out all my green beads and assembled them into a seasonal necklace, which I have named the Forty Shades of Green.





Then dessert for the seasonal meal, the traditional tricolour of jelly.
A small thing, but mine own.

Catch-up

I did some more drawing on Thursday, just sketching in the evening.

On Friday I did nothing really. I met a friend for lunch in Galway and talking creativity:) I also browsed the art supplies in Easons (simple pleasures - I am going to buy a book of pencils in greys and browns) and bought a sketch book. I love art supplies. When I went home I did one awful drawing and that was it. I was just too tired....

Yesterdy we went to Ennis to see Oliver! Colm was in the chorus and Hilda brought along the kids. Afterwards we went for a meal - it was a lot of fun. We came home last night and I played the bongos for a while. And C wore his new jumper!

Today (Sunday) I drew a little more and made a lovely dinner (not boasting, it was) and even invented a recipe.

Next week I am thinking I will dust off my sewing machine and/or try to learn a stringed instrument.

Wednesday

I decided to do something other than drawing today. I was thinking I was getting lazy and just picking up a pencil to sketch everyday. Not that it is a bad habit to get into to but I wanted to change things up a bit. I used to love knitting but got out of the habit. I started a baby bootee the other day but this evening decided to tackle "the albatross jumper". This is a sweater I started 2 years (!) ago for Ciaran. For months it has been nearly done except for a bit of the collar. I couldn't bear to finish it because the collar wasn't going the way I wanted it to so I hide it away. He has been very patient about the wait.

Finally I slogged through it tonight, cast off and wove all the ends in. I just have t0 block it tomorrow or press it.

Tuesday

I drew again last night - Ciaran when he was watching a match, a plant and a guitar. I like the way I am picking up a pencil and sketching at the drop of a hat but I think I need to change it up and do some other type of crafts now.

Art weekend

Well I went off to Leitrim, to the totally charming Lissagarvan Studio; two pleasant days of sketching and painting with the careful, attentive and delightful teachers, Audrey and Cathy Reynolds.
The first day we did miniature sketches in the morning of a still group of natural materials: quite an interesting exercise because of the small scale. Later we painted a still-life all in tones of one colour, blue: a challenge, sometimes a frustrating one, but full of interest! Every student produced something quite different.
Here's my effort, showing first the group and then the finished painting.


As for my efforts to copy a nude in oils, they didn't turn out well at all: the first one I scrubbed out in frustration, the second attempt turned into a bleary mudpie of bland colours, wrong angles and mushy paint.
But oil is a very forgiving medium and I am resolved to prop the offending daub up on my easel and bash away at it at least until the drawing is right or near it. Watch this space!

Monday

Did some more sketching today! More cat drawings.

Then for dinner I did cheesy savoury stuffed pancakes. I made the recipe up as I went along so I am counting this as being creative:)

Weekend Creativity

I was afraid I'd find it hard to be creative this weekend due to a cold and headache and a general under-the-weather feeling/malaise. However it went better than I thought it would. First, on Friday evening I bashed away on the bongos. I hadn't touched them at all in February after being very enthusiastic after I got them for Christmas. I looked at some tutorials on the internet and tried to follow them. There seems to be a lack of good tutorials though. I am working on technique and rhythm.

Then on Saturday I felt even worse and slept all morning and read in the afternoon. I decided I had to do something and decided to bake a cake. But then I had a creative breakthrough! One of the cats was asleep beside me on the couch and just like that I decided to draw her. I grabbed a pen and notebook and did it there and then. No rooting around for pencils and paper and second-guessing my self. Then I drew her again and again and after I drew two of the other cats. I can't believe I enjoyed it so much! It's a long time since I sketched for fun. Usually I'd talk myself out of even opening a sketch book because I'd know I would be unhappy with the result. I did quick strokes to try and capture their essence rather than getting every line right.

I am convinced because I had been in the creative frame of mind I just went for it and did the first drawing.



Today(Sunday) I drew some more and have a notebook beside me in case I want to draw again.

Laying the table

All I did today was preparing materials for a weekend away in the country at an Art studio, where I hope to try some copying of nudes in oils. To this end, I gesso'ed some pieces of plywood and hardboard to prepare a surface for oil painting. Bundle up rags, bottle of turpentine and one of white spirit, selection of brushes and a palette and there, I think we're sorted. Oh, and mustn't forget, the tubes of paint and a roll of tissue and some drawing equipment and something to protect clothing: oils get everywhere!
If the results are any way worth seeing, I'll post them here when I get back!

Kicking off...

Kate did a mandala in watercolour...not a classic Indian one but a version of, circle-in-a-square with a rainbow ribbon winding through: I'm calling it Rainbow Breath.

I regularly draw mandalas as a way of releasing creativity in a meditative way: and also to freely use art materials so as to stay loose and in practice with them.
Doing something creative every day for a month will be quite a challenge...but well worth it!

Hello!

This blog is to chart the progress of Personal Creativity Month where we endeavour to be creative each and everyday in the month of March! I came up with the idea to kick start my creative spirit which has faded a bit lately. Hopefully by the end of the month, being a little or a lot creative every day will be a habit:)