A Little Lost. . . .

"But I'm Still Here"

Altered Golden Book Cover & Canvas 

Ever been in an art funk? When your Muse not only decides to take a hike, but also seems to be giving you the Bird on the way out the door? Yep. That was Me. For what felt like an eternity . . . . So I gave it a rest. For much longer than I would like. Now, I did try to create but every time I did, well, let's just say it wasn't pretty. And yes, perfectly reasonable (and normally rational) adults can have tantrums . . . . I am living proof.

So when I read Christen Olivarez' Letter from the Editor in the latest issue of Somerset Studio, I felt as if she was talking directly to me. She discussed the idea of being paralyzed by perfection (yep) and that when we over-think things (um hum), we can stop ourselves in the process. She underlined this point with a beautiful quote from Julia Cameron: "Art is not about thinking something up. It's about getting something down." 

So I did just that. Tried to get something down. I made a little collage. And put it away. I started to scrapbook (which is another subject 'cause it's been years since I've scrapped anything for my own kid). And then threw it away. And then I eventually did what I set out to do in the first place: I played. For reals. I picked up a piece of canvas fabric ('cause it was the closest thing to me), ripped it into a small square and went to town. I didn't even seal my drawing as I normally would before painting because I couldn't be bothered . . . but in the end, I broke the curse. And my Muse is back. Although she is in trouble. Leaving me all high-and-dry like that . . . .

Okay, okay. Lesson learned. 

Have fun playing,

Kristin xo

The Countdown. . .

True Colors: A Palette of Collaborative Art Journals

A Somerset Studio Publication

As the countdown to The Summer of Color begins, I wanted to share with you what I believe to be a must-have in any art lover's book collection. It is a favorite of mine, and one which has given me hours of inspiration over the last several years.

If you're not familiar with it, True Colors was published by Somerset Studio back in 2003. As event originator Lynne Perrella states in her introduction to the book, "One Saturday morning, in Spring 2001, I got the idea to gather a group of journal artists together to explore the significance of color in our lives. I suspected these artists had an equal regard and appreciation for the topic and would relish an opportunity to express and share their observations"(p. 7). In the end, not only did fourteen other amazing artists sign up to participate, but a beautiful book full of color and creativity was developed showcasing their results. 

If you're eager for our event to begin and want to get a jump start on your color journey, I highly encourage you to check it out. Of course, you need not have the book in order to participate, but if you find that you must have it like I did, you can find the direct link here. 

Only three weeks left until our own exploration of color through The Summer of Color blog event. . . check back next Monday to watch one of the most amazing videos of a group of artists working with color that I have ever seen . . .

Kristin xo