I watched the art video yesterday evening and am glad I did. It was not very different from an earlier one encouraging us to play with the paints just going with our instincts. It linked to the previous one though as the focus was also on where we have come from. This morning I woke with various ideas about doing an abstract painting based on my photos from the beach yesterday. I decided to do it without looking again at the photos, but just trust my instincts. That way I would not get caught up in trying to be realistic.
Overall I am pleased with the results. I did an initial drawing of the basic shapes using crayons that are not affected by water. I would recommend them as they are very good at blending and comfortable to hold. I used the end of a candle for the water line. This is it:
I then did watercolours and again used the crayons for details. The final details were made using metallic felt tip pens. I think I overdid it a bit on the ‘frame’. The rough outline in yellow was unintentional – I thought I’d picked up an ordinary pencil, but it was a watercolour one. I am pleased with it but can also see bits that could be done differently and better. However, I must be kind to myself: I am learning. And most importantly, I enjoyed doing it. It was fun.
Our questions for today are:
- Question: What color(s) remind me of the most joyful, creative version of myself?
Answer: Easy – Yellow. - What am I afraid will happen if I say YES to more play… in my art and in my life?
Answer: Not so easy. In art it may lead to just doing abstract pictures and I will not take the time to learn the techniques for more realistic pictures, eg landscapes, and water. In life – my life is very busy and I work long hours leaving little energy and time. If I spend more time playing with art etc, what will get left out? I have set aside Tuesday evenings for art group when it meets (currently not due to Covid) and in theory I spend some time on Saturdays doing art and my own thing, but often that gets gobbled up in preparation for Sunday worship and other parish related things. My one day off each week is mainly spent with my husband. I realise that if I made it a higher priority and scheduled time for it and if I valued it highly enough I would make the time. I make time for prayer as that is the foundation of my life and work. - This is obviously something I will need to keep under review.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 