I'm not sure about you, but when autumn hits my creativity becomes electrified! I want to draw all day and especially into the night, when creativity hits best. I made a little collage of some of the art that has been inspiring me most.
A trend I have been seeing a lot of on Instagram is the idea of letting go of perfection. Lines don't need to be straight, colors don't need to blend seamlessly, you're allowed to make a mess. Maybe it's something I have noticed because it is something I have been trying to practice myself. Some of my greatest art "heroes" are Grandma Moses, Maud Lewis, and Mary Singleton. Their art is often described as "folk art" or "naive art" Since the pieces, visually, lack complexion. Maud Lewis proclaimed that her art was a "world without shadows" How freeing is it to paint without the burden of needing to be perfect?
So, I hope this month you can challenge yourself to practice painting wildly and freely!
Other highlights for October. I just sent off the final artwork for one client and began work on another project! I recently read the book Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall It is the fictional story of a real life abandon farmhouse discovered by Sophie. She walks us through a heartfelt story about the family that might have lived there. The last line of the book reads "And now they will live here, in this book that you hold, like your stories will, so long as they're told."
It had me feeling very nostalgic about drawing children's books. 90% of my clients are self published authors, many who are finally getting to turning their family stories into a physical version. I have illustrated a poem about a little boy calling his cousin a "NERD!" and how it made them all laugh. Now, the cousin has since passed on but the family gets to read their story and laugh again.
I illustrated a story about family traditions at Christmas. Now each year this family gets to gather around their tree and read their story together. Then, with their grandchildren, and great grandchildren and so on.
I illustrated two stories about the special evening walks a little girl gets to spend with her mom and her dad and the things they see and do. Will she read them when she is older and say "I remember that!"
I helped illustrate the stories of pioneer ancestors immigrating across the Atlantic and their hardships. It is to honor them for their sacrifices. Their stories will not be forgotten.
Some of my strongest memories from growing up is hearing my mom share stories from when she was little. Then when we ran out of those stories, we read chapter books every night before bed. The power of storytelling!
-My recent guilty pleasure is Desperate Housewives. I know this came out ages ago, but this is my first time watching it and I am equal parts confused and intrigued.
-Mushroom Scouting. This is not mushroom hunting, because I do not harvest any of the mushrooms I find. But, I have been taking lots of pictures and uploading them to iNaturalist for fun!
-Rereading the Little House Series. Later this month we have a special trip planned for Pepin, Wisconsin!
Σχόλια