 You know the sketchbooks you see online by artists that have a theme, and page after page is filled with beautiful sketches, creating a cohesive look? Well, mine's the opposite of that. Sticking to a theme is not my strong point - and its too bad because I know a lot of value can come from doing so. It's one of the reasons I like taking online art classes from time to time - I do better if someone else is laying out the structure for me. Regardless, my sketchbook works for me. It's the place I keep anything and everything pertaining to my art. Kind of like a bullet journal only not organized. And its always a good place to start if I'm feeling blocked.
I often collect inspiration for palettes, textures and patterns...a little washi tape and in it goes! My 'word of the year' for 2019 is 'INTENTIONAL' and one of my intentions is to spend more time drawing. So I will give it another shot to keep a book just for that, we'll see how it goes! In the meantime, I'll always have my 'everything book' for everything else! Happy Creating!
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 I don't do resolutions but I do enjoy simplification as the New Year comes through. During the Christmas break I clean out my studio so that it is fresh and ready for new ideas. I started this year by working on some pieces using a minimal palette ~ Black, white, and 3 colors (Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Paynes Gray).  Creating with a minimal palette frees up creative brain cells that sometimes get overwhelmed by color choice - leaving room for you to grow on composition, line, contrast to name a few. I was turned on to the idea after taking Laura Horn's #minimalmagic online class and it has been the gift that keeps on giving! You would think that putting restrictions on yourself would hamper creative juices, but for me it's had the opposite affect...   I tend to overdo it when there are too many choices (you should see my plate at a buffet table!). So having just a few color options opens me up to really concentrate on the roots of what I love and what inspires my artwork ~ organic lines, botanical shapes, contrast of simple vs. busy, and beautiful soothing palettes. There is definitely ART to decision making and working in this way helps me develop that muscle!  This doesn't mean I will never create with more complex palettes ~ I do love getting lost in a 'color puzzle' ~ but I see this as a place to return to and really build up my personal preferences, composition skills and aesthetics that can carry into bigger, more complex works.
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AuthorMy name is Nicole and I am a nature-loving abstract artist. My blog is a record of my process and inspirations that show up in my life. Archives
January 2019
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