Keep Going

I'm enjoying the practice of these little illustrations or what would you call them?? I'm not that crazy about my little people (see yesterday's post also ) but I can evolve. I think everyone has their own unique little people. Like I can draw other people's people, and I like them better, but they are not my people. If you watch little kids draw who aren't copying somebody else, they'll have a very unique people. At some point we start trying to make our people look like other people's people and we can't- so we give up. It's just a theory of mine. I see it as a fingerprint, a signature - our own little people - sounds funny, I know but it's fun to play with. Some of us just can't give up.

I'm making chap-stiks, candles, air-fresheners, and filling tea orders today, along with all my other to-dos. I wanted to paint so that's why you're getting my little people -especially this one.

Monk Magic

Sometimes picking a sketch for my daily art journal can be a most intriguing experience. It only happens every now and then when I am open to the concept but sometimes I let an image pick me. Like - if I see a repeated image, read of it, hear of it in the same day - then I "feel" I'm suppose to try to draw that image. Something, Someone inspires me....(bear with me to the end of this)

Well, that's how it happened with this monk. I like monks. I have used them before as imagery. But this time, I tried to draw "why" I like monks. They seem prayerful, intense, intriguing, historical, silent, passive, courageous, martyred, - those kind of words are the force behind this sketch.

Much later in the day, (not by coincidence) I'm reading and come across this quote: "Being an artist is like being a monk; you have to be willing to forsake comfort and desire for the greater good of your work"- Jason Robert Bell

This is a watercolor painting I did months ago from my Mary Ann Beckwith's class.

It's not finished. I could sure use some suggestions on how to finish it.

Anyone can use these images. I got them from this site . They encourage you to use these images of Burmese monks to promote freedom for Burma and its people. Though monks normally don't get caught up in politics, the monks in Burma silently and passively marched together with the people to protests their murderous government and many were killed, beaten and tortured because of their involvement.

By the way, do you know why they wear saffron (reddish,orange) robes? Well, there are lots of stories but the main one that always comes up is originally they would go to dumps and scrap piles and gather old rags for their clothing and then dye it in the cheapest dye available which was a deep orange powder (saffron) from the crocus flower.

Anyway, do you believe that you can be "inspired" by Someone? We use the word so casually. But one of the definitions for "inspire"is: to be guided by divine or supernatural inspiration. When we say the writers of the Bible were "inspired" by God, it means literally in Hebrew that their writing was God-breathed. Is it possible that God's breath still permeates in us/around us to do some certain thing? Wouldn't it elevate the things you do if you knew for certain that He was behind the thought or action? Should we be more open to His promptings? Did God nudge/urge me to draw this monk? Does that sound silly or even sacrilegious to you? I would like to believe that He influences me in my actions, even as He leads me in creativity. What do you believe?

Meet the Greek Graces

GRACES: Three Goddesses of Charm and Good Humor. Like the MUSES, they inspire artistic creativity. The daughters of APHRODITE (goddess of love) and DIONYSUS (the god of wine) their names are AGLAIA, the Radiant, EUPHROSYNE, the Joyful, and THALIA, the Flowering.

If you've perused my blog much you know I was blessed to go to Greece in March. I love Greek mythology. And these women were some of my favorite images on Greek pottery. That ugly painting I did yesterday, provided me with left-over paint that I think made a good art sketch for my journal. I love do-overs and redeemable things. I love turquoises and golds. And I was happy that three graces: Radiant, Joyful and Flowering showed up and helped me out of a funk. Try letting these girls run around your studio or (kitchen) or wherever you need inspiration.
What can you come up with? Send me your link so I can see.