Ketchup Day!

When I was teaching local children's classes, we would occasionally get behind and would have several unfinished projects stacked up.  When that happened we would have a Catch Up class day.  The cute thing was that the kids always thought I was saying Ketchup Day and they thought that was the funniest thing they'd ever heard.  I have been absent for many weeks from this blog and am behind on several posts. And for that, I apologize.  I guess that makes this a Ketchup Day!

 My weeks have been full, my moments have been full, my 'to do' list has been full, my desk has been full. But in the midst of all this fullness, I have been without many words for sharing. Do you find that sometimes when life is just full all around you, that you become quiet in self defense of it all?
I do.
But I am back today with a renewed resolve to be faithful here as blogging is much more fun and a much more positive experience than other social media, in my humble opinion.

Blogging feels more like having someone to tea and then visiting their house to do the same. Much more pleasant than everyone chattering at once.
In spite of my quietness, I have been busy. I've been working on promoting the workshops for The Graceful Artist. I've started a big project of my own art blended with art journaling. I've recorded some new workshops. I am thinking of creating a new Wind and Honey website as the original is designed in iweb. Apple no longer offers this software. When this computer dies I will no longer be able to edit my current website. And my computer is getting pretty old.

I've been doing some review work for Jerry's Artarama. I'll be sharing those with you. I do receive the products I review from Jerry's. But, as I am a terribly honest person, I only tell the truth in my reviews. So, perhaps they will help you with some new products. 
And on top of it all, I am helping my daughter Kate plan her Fall wedding. 

The orange door

Poet has been off work for a week and we chose to stay home this year.  We are working on some projects that we want done but never seem to have time for.  When we moved into this house a year ago, the shutters were orange.   Now, my fellow OSU Cowboy fans, please don't send me letters on this.  But, as much as I love our beloved Cowboys, I really am not fond of orange.  So, finally we've painted those shutters and I imagine the neighbors are breathing a sigh of relief. 

The orange shutters

 

The new shutters

The new blue door!!

Another project Poet is working on is the antique ice box given to me by his father, my father-in-law.  It was promised about 20 years ago but only received recently.  It has sat in a workshop for a long time waiting for its place of honor in my breakfast room.  I should have taken before photos but I forgot.  It had a lot of missing paint and what paint it had was chipped and rusty.  I promise to post photos when its finished.  You will love it.

And so, for now, I am just popping in to say hello again and to let you know I will be more faithful to join you here.  A review for an art supply will be coming soon.




Wind and Honey Creations
Creative Pencils - Online Drawing Lessons

Invitation to Artful Prayer

I would like to invite you to Artful Prayer, the Journaling workshop I will be teaching at The Graceful Artist. It is an ongoing video workshop blending art journaling and prayer.  We will have discussions and the opportunity to ask questions.

We will be looking at ways to enrich your prayer life and to create a mixed-media look with the simplicity of artist's pencils.

I would love for you to join me.


 
Wind and Honey Creations
Creative Pencils - Online Drawing Lessons

Living A More Creative Life Part 2

As promised I am continuing with the Living A More Creative Life series.  I will first approach this topic from the perspective of those who do not claim to be artists but who desire to live a more creative daily life.  These ideas can be helpful to anyone and everyone.  Then later we will look at the need to rekindle creativity in the life of the artist.

Before we proceed any further let's get one thing out of the way.  I know what you are thinking, and YES, you can!  Over the years when people learn that I am an art teacher, I receive one single response most often.  Oh, I could never do that.  I'm just not creative.  But you know, that simply is not true.  I know, I know.  I've heard it over and over - You just don't know me.  Why, I can't even draw a straight line.  Well, I've got news for you.  Being creative has nothing to do with drawing a straight line.  That's what rulers are for.  After years of being a teacher I can tell you that everyone can learn to be a more creative person, to make more creative choices, and to think in a more creative way.  We may not all be commissioned to paint cathedral ceilings in the next few years.  But we can ALL be creative people.

In the last post on this subject I mentioned that creativity is breaking out of accepted patterns and solutions in order to find a new way of doing something.  Everyone can do that.  It is just a matter of reminding yourself to stop and think before you continue, once again, down that same ol' thread bare path. So what is your area of creativity?  How does your mind work?  Where do your thoughts go?  Renoir once said that a work of art "must seize upon you, wrap you up in itself, and carry you away".  Maybe visual art is something that is within you and you don't realize it.  Perhaps you long to create in that way.  Maybe today is the day to begin trying.  Perhaps you should check with me about online classes or The Graceful Artist.  Or perhaps visual art is not your area of creativity.  Perhaps it is not the way your mind works.  What is it in life that, as Renoir said, seizes you, wraps you up, and carries you away?

Creativity is a way of life, a way of moving your thoughts in a certain direction.  You can begin to incorporate creativity into your way of thinking in simple ways. Stop warming your water for tea in the microwave.  Use a tea kettle - maybe one that whistles when the water is hot.  And even better yet, pour your tea from a nice tea pot.  Are soda's your favorite drink?  Take just a moment and pour it out of that plastic bottle or the styrofoam cup and drink from a glass - a real one made from real glass where the ice clinks when you drop it in.

Put a candle on the table when you eat dinner tonight - even if you are alone.  Listen to music rather than the news while you prepare your meal.  Use glass mason jars to store your refrigerator items rather than plastic.  Keep your cotton balls in a lovely vintage tin.  Its a simple change.  But every time you get a cotton ball out, you get to enjoy a creative stop in your day.  These kinds of small changes in our environment and our days actually only take a moment but they begin to shift our mindset toward a more soulful and creative way of living and thinking.

These are just a few simple suggestions to get your imaginations running.  You will want to find creative embellishments to add to your life, to your days, that fit your personality and style.  They may not look like the ideas I have.  They will be uniquely YOU.  As you think of other ways to begin incorporating creativity into your daily tasks, please do comment here and share them with us all.

In the next post in the Living a More Creative Life series I will talk about bigger more life changing things that you can do to bring creativity not only into your own life but into the lives of others.

 
Wind and Honey Creations
Creative Pencils - Online Drawing Lessons

Black Friday News

 

You have the opportunity this weekend to save some money while staying at home in your comfy chair!  Just think... Black Friday savings and no crowds.  You don't even have to get up early.  How fun is that?!

Creative Workshops is having a Black Friday sale.  If you purchase my Pencils 101 workshop, you will get the Pencils 201 workshop for 1/2 price!!  You could buy it for yourself and then again for a gift to a friend.  Then the two of you could work through it together.  That would be lots of fun.  You can inspire each other.

And then at The Graceful Artist, there are 3, count them..., THREE drawings for prizes over the Black Friday weekend.  Each prize is a stash of enticing art supplies.  Oh, the things you could create!  You can find out all about those prizes and how to get your name in the pot several times, by going to the Graceful Artist blog.

Have a very blessed day of thanks whether you are in the USA celebrating the tradition of Thanksgiving or if you are just a person filled with gratitude.

Wind and Honey Creations
Creative Pencils - Online Drawing Lessons