I've been busy still trying to declutter the art room in order to make more room for different clutter! I am making headway, just slowly. On a small shelf next to my chair was a stack of books and so I took the pile down to see what all was there. It was a stack that I spent last Winter with and many days out on the deck last Summer.
I had a horrid case of Cellulitis in my leg (actually both legs) and ended up from late Fall until late Spring in bed or doing couch duty, staying off the legs. So I ordered these books and along with these were also numerous Cloth Paper Scissors, Somerset Studio's, other various how-to art books and sketch books, pens and pencils and last but not least always a novel or 2 to read and a book for Found Words! There was barely room for myself and tiny doggy to get in that bed and I always had to unload it each night! The pages of these books are all marked and dog-earred although I can't say I did DO any art to show from them. I think it was a matter of too much all at one time. My mind flowed from one idea to the next and couldn't settle on any one thing for very long. About the time I thought I decided what to try, a new book would come and I'd start all over again. So, in one of the books I found this scrap of paper as a bookmark along with many other scraps starting supply lists! In one of the books I had come across a exercise of drawing with your LEFT hand. Right! Hard enough to learn with the right, let alone the left. So, in still trying to be brave and showing the bad, I scanned this scrap and thought I'd show it. Using my left hand is hard enough but trying it while sitting in bed surrounded by piles of books and a dog is another thing!
Give it a try sometime! It's so hard but fun.
The main books by my side were: COLLAGE JOURNEYS (a practical guide to creating personal artwork) by Jane Davies, TAKING FLIGHT (Inspiration and Techniques to give your Creative Spirit Wings) by Kelly Rae Roberts, MIXED MEDIA SELF-PORTRAITS (Inspiration and Techniques) by Cate Coulacos Prato, COMPLETE GUIDE TO ALTERED IMAGERY (mixed-media techniques for collage, altered books, artist journals, and more) and right at the end came Somerset APPRENTICE! Of course, there's still other books waiting in my Amazon Wish list but I'd say if you want any books to get started, these I listed are just awesome and I can't really pick a favorite.
Part of decluttering in the art room is having to get rid of years of painting publications (how-to & patterns). I have toted these magazines with me from state to state and town to town. I sat last night going through 5 containers, leafing through each magazine. Each one, all the way back into the early 80's brought memories of where I was and my life at the time, good and bad, happy and sad. I even lamented the books and supplies I had to leave behind a time or two! It took all evening but I do have a bare spot on the media shelves and a huge box is filling to be given away because I just cannot throw these items away.
Even if I don't use my books or supplies every day, just sitting and being surrounded by them make me happy and give a sense of well being. Do these things do this for you?
3 comments:
Oh My, it takes a lotof time, then I start over and in one afternoon I have a clutter again.
Right now napkin snips all over and words laying around. Two little boxes with cuttings that can be used now and then, I add more cuttings in a day then I take out. I had both knees relaced some time ago and had to recover from that, I didn't know about mixed media yet then, only a little. I have those magazines around also, and I look at them and maybe use a tiny bit of information then go my own way. they are a comfort like you say.
You do well with the left hand, I am getting very bent fingers in my right hand and the fingers have knobs. So ugly.
I worked on two napkin things with envelope additions today. Worked hard it seemed.
Shoveled, baked a cherry pie, scrubbed the floor.
About time for bed. Emelie
I loved reading your post and am inspired to do some left hand drawing - what a great idea !!
Gosh, you are better with your left hand than I am with my dominant hand! Course, you could probably draw with your toes and be better than me! ROFLOL I can't even draw stick figures.
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