Manic Monday

Ok this is the first post on Manic Monday and should be the post about how I did this month on the LIST.

This is the LIST that helps me plan-track all my TO DO's, my goals and my things to avoid.  On the first of Monday of every month I make a list of all the things that need to be accomplished this month along with a list of the regular stuff that needs doing for the week.  At the beginning of each month I will post the list and keep ya'll posted on how it's going.  At the end of the month, I will do a crititque of the progress, fix what's broke and move on.

January's list looked something like this...didn't photograph it...

1.  Blog 3 times a week
2.  Loose weight by walking regularly or otherwise "moving" 30 min/day
3.  Clean desk
4.  Reorganize the studio
5.  Sketchbook project
6.  Silly Class
7.  Start taxes
8.  Antiques to the shop
9.  Vacation
10. Put away Christmas stuff

Ten is enough.  I find that more than ten items makes me not want to do ANY of the items...seems too daunting to finish.

1.  Well that sucks....blogged like 3 times total...will do better.  I did get the blog notebook set up and actually have planned some blog posts for later one...better than nothing I quess

2.  Loose weight...not so much, see #9 vacation...did walk or clean or otherwise move for 30 minutes about 3 times a week all month.  Lost about 5 pounds before the vacation...gained them back....haven't given up!

3.  Clean desk...check

4. Reorganize studio...got it started....have space now on the table...will never be done

5.  Sketchbook project.  this month the theme is "highly prized"  Have made sketches and am ready to place them in the sketchbook.  Won't be done tonight but feel confident that I will post my 3 pages by the 10th of Feb.

6.  Silly class.  I have followed the class and have only a few pages to do to catch up.  It has been fun

7.  Start Taxes...check  JIL taxes are as right as we can get them and personal taxes are underway.  Sales tax report filed on time!  YES

8.   Antiques to shop.  Got one trip made and got the inventory up to date.  Bought more inventory and even got an etsy store set up for the vintage stuff...Over the Moon Vintage.   My daughter is my partner and she has listed the first stuff.  I plan to add to the inventory this week.  YES

9.  VACATION  Spent one glorious week at our family vacation home in Gilbert, AZ 70-73 degrees....fabulous.  It was a working vaca, getting the house set up but we had a great time...going back in March!

10.  Put Christmas away...this is a Super Bowl Sunday tradition at our house.  Got started by organizing the storage bins we use.


All in all....not too bad.  I'll work to get more done for my Art Career in February.

Stay tuned!

Art of Silliness 3

Pre-Workshop 

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Ok....I'm not as loose as some in my class, but for me...this is ridiculous!  When I couldn't get the scanner to work I chose to photograph them.   These are not "fixed at all"  so paper looks yellow not white.  These lessons are really "silly" but I think that's the point.  We all need to loosen up...our thoughts, our lives, our line quality.  

It's helping...I'll keep going...now to get on the treadmill and get that resolution underway!  Drawing is easy compared to the treadmill!  hahaha

Art JOuRnaLing....

Well I've done it now!  Too much information is at my fingertips this week.  Journal promts galore!

The Sketchbook Challenge theme is "Highly Prized" for the month of January.  I did complete some sketches but they are not what I want to use in the project.  I did set aside a specific journal for this project that will use 3 sketches each month for a year.  Watercolor or copic markers are the only choice for colorants...just to keep it simple.

Milliande.com's January Journal project has begun with a Zebra theme.  Stretching it to all it's limits.  I have been watching the videos with great interest but beyond this first sketch...and a zentangled Zebra mandala...I'm overwhelmed.  I was not prepared for all the techniques used....ok though...wet studio next week.  Snow forcast...fun fun fun!  Carving stamps...collage grounds....I'll catch up then.

Traci Bautista's prompts from her blog have started with a face...buildt with intentions, some circle shapes for day 2 and today a photo based prompt.  Whoo....alot to absorb for me.

The Art of Silliness 3 class with Carla Sonheim has been the best for now.  I have loved all three lessons so far and find that what I draw with my left hand is better,  less forced, free-er.  I will get the pages scanned or photos taken by tomorrow.

Art coop journal is coming together...no theme just more stuff.  Do the work they say....

I had decided to post my journal drawings from the week in my 3 journals but alas my scanner has decided to cease and desist and refuses to scan.

The Art of Silliness 3

Just signed up for this Online Drawing Workshop by Carla Sonheim.  I have the book (see below) and heard about the class from Teesha Moore's blog.  I am inspired to journal this year and I love the style of both these artists' sketching style that feels free and childlike...not childish, which I am apt to do alone.

My last experience with online class was not successful as I let other things get in the way of my classtime and I miss the interaction with "live students."  I want class to be successful for me so I hope to devote some real quality time to the lessons this time around.  I want to be successful in taking a class so I can feel comfortable in teaching an online class.

I need to make friends with my scanner again.  Can't quite remember how to do it.....

New Year Newness

First of all.....Happy New Year!  Welcome to 2011!  This year will be great, lots of new stuff in my life and in my work.  I look forward to the challenge and the opportunity to have followers understand my work better.

I will be blogging a lot more this year in an effort to promote my work and explain more about what I do and how I do it.  To that end, I have developed a list of blog topics for different days of the week.  If I post on say Monday's, my topic will be specific to that day's designated topic;  each day has a specific topic area and that way my posts will be coherent and easier to follow and easier for me to generate without  being too stuffy...a thing I hate.

Manic Monday----list making
Tuesday Toots----a tutorial
What's New Wednesday----new work
Think Thursday----inspiration thoughts
Factoid Friday----useless knowledge from my brain
Surprise Saturday----you got it, surprise
Simply Sunday----just stuff

I'm planning to blog 3-4 times a week.  We'll see...  Please comment and give me feedback.  I know that no one is reading this now, but I hope to get some readers this year as my art audience begins to grow from just family and friends.

I have started a series of art journals.  The mania seems to be everywhere.  A journal prompt group I have joined on Milliande.com has suggested a Zebra theme to the opening page...ok  Gotta start somewhere...I'll post a scan of my master piece later.