Today's Sketch

Strawberries in winter, fresh from the Farmer's Market (one of the good things about living in Texas). I wish you could smell them!

New Year, New Resolve

Out with the old, right? I'm not sure what there is to "out," but I have some new resolutions for this year. My "word" for this year is HABIT. I want to make a habit of

1. creating art every day (I'm following the sketchbook challenge);
2. keeping a design book (I have one all ready to go!);
3. setting long-term goals and short-term tasks that will move me toward those goals;
4. keeping up with my blog, both so that I can stay in touch with my virtual communities and record my progress;
5. cleaning up after myself (I'm starting with a clean and organized studio: Yippee!).

I think that's enough to focus on at any one time, don't you? Last year I didn't make any New Year's resolutions, falling in with the "I don't believe in resolutions" crowd. And guess what? I spent an entire year unfocused, unproductive, and artistically flailing around. I substituted buying supplies for doing work. I became isolated. So I knew I had to do something differently this year.

You'll notice my list is not detailed. Typically, I write myself a letter every year on my birthday (Feb.) about what I want to accomplish, where I want to go, how I might get there (did I even write one to myself last year? I won't know until my birthday, when I open that special journal and remind myself about what I hoped--or neglected to hope--would happen in the coming year). I'll save the details for that letter, though I'll probably be pondering them in the back of my mind between now and then.

I see the list I've included here as a kind of touchstone that I can return to when I'm not sure what to do next.

Today's work is a sketch I did this morning; it's not good, but that's ok. I've resolved to do quick, daily (sometimes watercolored) sketches to start my day off right, and to focus on getting the work done, not getting it done perfectly or beating myself up because these are not great:

So what about you? Are you making resolutions this year? Setting goals? Making lists of things you want to do? Or are you ok winging it?

Present Tense

So I DID get a few things done over the summer . . . now that that's clear, fast forward to this week!

Here’s what I’m working on now:

Dyed fabric. I’m trying to get solids, because I’m reading Jean Wells’ Intuitive Color and Design. She uses a lot of solids in her work, and I love the way they look.

I used the gallon plastic bag method and squished a lot, but I still got some mottling:

I machine-pieced this quilt top a couple of weeks ago. Then I thought I would try some needle-turned appliqué. Why? Well, this is going to sound silly to some people: I love certain TV shows, but I get bored watching them and need something to do with my hands. I really enjoyed the hand-appliqué process and think I’ll do more of it. I’m using the methods from the Becky Goldsmith & Linda Jenkins Teach You to Applique the Piece O' Cake Way DVD, and it’s really not difficult at all:

I think I’ll hand-quilt it, as well.

Finally, I’m taking yet ANOTHER online class—this one with Jane Lafazio on her watercolor sketchbook techniques. Here are my first watercolor sketches:

 

 

I love these little sketches because they are quick and there’s no pressure, but I learn a lot about color, highlights and shadows, white space, composition, etc. Look for more of these in the next couple of weeks!

Is everyone excited about the Houston Quilt Show???!!!