IS HAND LETTERING A CHALLENGE FOR YOU?

It always has been for me.  For ages I just didn't like my own writing, but I've changed my attitude.  After all, no one writes just like me.  As no one writes just like you.  Like a fingerprint, it is your own unique "signature."  Just one of the many ways God made us each different.  So just decide to start liking it and some practice really helps so I think this video will improve your hand.  Enjoy. 

Faith Journal by Valerie Sjodin

Be Friends with Failure

 As artists we always have this interior critic running a dialogue.  "Is this good enough?"  You're not really an artist."  "Should I really be doing this?" This little cartoon will help your perspective.  Click the link below to go to "doodle alley, comics that nourish."

Be Friends with Failure

BIRD BOOKS # 2, REPEATED PER REQUEST

My dear sweet husband did this on digital format for me.  So nice to be able to show the whole book at once.   It was fun to do and includes some work from art friends and some of my own little pieces.

DOODLING ON MY SHOES

 Last week we were required to take our car out of the country to re-register here.  So what do you do when you're trapped in the car for hours on end? 

 We live near the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, which is fairly central in the country.  So anyway we go is a drive.  Since my sweet husband Jeff likes to drive and since I like him to drive, I'm free to come up with projects to do on the road or where we're staying overnight.  This was one of several. 

 I haven't decided whether I'm done or not, but I haven't moved forward either with it since returning.  Any suggestions?  I'm open to ideas.  Hope you like them.  For anyone who's wondering, they were done with Bic Mark It permanent pens.  In addition I used a Gelly Roll pen in white Uni-ball Signo to clean up some of the places my hand lost control (bumps in the road).

Blessings from Ukraine,  Coleen

HOPE

Just playing around with my pens.  "For thou are my hope, oh Lord God: thou are my trust from my youth."  Psalm 71:5

DRAWING ON A BUDGET FROM ABOUT.COM

http://drawsketch.about.com/cs/tipsandideas/a/cheapdrawing.htm

ROCK PAINTING

Alright, I don't know why I have this fascination with arting on rocks, but I've been doing it lately.  This one sits in a rather out-of-the-way spot in my garden amongst the greenery.  Like a surprise waiting to be discovered. Maybe using rocks has to do with that they are free or that they are more permanent than paper?  I don't know, but I have several smaller rocks (than this) in process on my window sill in the living room.  My dear sweet husband sometimes quips that my art is taking over the whole house.  Hmmm, one giant studio, that's not a bad idea.  Kid's have flown the nest so one bedroom has become my sewing/beading room.  His office (not much being used) is another possibility.  Of course, I'd have to be more sneaky about niggling my way into there.  Maybe I could just take over one bookshelf.  Do you suppose he'd notice?  I mean, what can one say about giving up one little shelf, right? 

CITY SCAPE DOODLING

 Everybody does it, in some form or another.  You probably did it when you were in school listening (or not) to that boring teacher.  In fact, it's been found that those that doodle can actually absorb more while they are doodling.  Yea, right, tell the teacher that.  So this is just one of my playful, childlike ways I relax.  I'm not a big TV fan and I don't play computer games, but I can do this while the TV is on and enjoy both more.  These were done in winter.  Now my days are spent in preparing for elder camp and kid's camp.  Doing crafts for both...so fun, but lots of prep.

Don't ask me why these photos turned out so weird.  They weren't that way in my files, but blogger decided to make them even more whimsical than they already were.