Revisiting with Color

Recently, I've been looking at some of my work and decided to revisit some of them.

It was suggested after my last post that I add color to all of the stack drawings.  As requested, you can see two of the stacks colored below....

Stacked Boxes with Color

"WENDY" stack with color.
I'm afraid WENDY may be a bit lost with all the color.
I do like coloring the background, that's different for me with my designs.

I also revisited the Mystery Woman.  Not sure I'm finished with her, and may start again...but she's so mysterious she just isn't talking to me much, I do wish she'd tell me what she would prefer.

Mystery Woman with Color

For all of the work above, I scanned the original images and have been playing around with the colors on Photoshop.

With all of my health issues, it's nice to be able to lose myself in my art.

The Meniere's has been being nice lately.  When I do feel a bit of vertigo, it either doesn't last long, or my medication has been keeping the nasty spells away.

I'm still having some balance problems, but I'm only 1 1/2 months into my 3 month recovery.  I'm still very hopeful this surgery will help reduce the vertigo attacks to the point that I can be more active.

Trying hard to get back in the swing of things to create something every day, even if I don't completely finish something, I try to do a little every day.

One day last week I created a new recipe for Chicken Alfredo.  I'm so happy to be getting back in the kitchen again.  I haven't been able to cook every day, but I'm cooking much more than I have in the past few months.  (another way I like to create!)  

Creating art comes in many different forms.  I enjoy drawing, painting...all kinds of art, but I also enjoy cooking, and gardening.

  

What kind of creating do you like to do?  

A New Year...time to get Creative.

After my surgery on December 1st, I couldn't do much creating for some time.  December was not a month for being creative.  Well, not artistically anyway.  I did have to get creative about things like, how to get to the bathroom, how to take a bath, what I could eat....creation abounded, simply not any I could easily share, or that would really mean much to anyone but me.

I find it very hard to get started posting again after I've been away for a while.  But I'm doing it!

The little bit of drawing I've done recently has taken days to do each piece, instead of completing something in one night.  The slosh head feeling and migraines have not been friendly to me.

I saw on someone's blog (darn'it I can't remember who) that they tried something called Repeated Stacking Patterns they saw on The Rainbow Elephant.  So I tried my hand at it to get me started again.  It has been fun.

Hope you Enjoy.

Happy New Year!  Stack Design.

This was my first Repeated Stacking Pattern,
and in a lot of ways it's still my favorite.

First Pattern colored with Photoshop.

Stacking Boxes....or maybe more presents!
Celebrate Christmas all year long!
I think I should color this one, looks like it'd be fun.

Playing with my name.
Just being a kid again.

Wrapping up November.

I may not have been able to post every day, but I did try to create, something, everyday.
Sometimes even the smallest doodle can be a great accomplishment.

My husband has only once asked me to draw something for him.
He asked for a butterfly design.
I'm pretty proud of this one....he likes it a lot too.
Next, I'll play with some colors for it, but I really like it as it is.
(This took me a couple of days to complete.)

This Doodle was done in three parts, over three days.
I can tell exactly where one day started and another began.
The moods definitely change from one segment to another, and it has little cohesion.

Some of these things I'm surprised I'm showing,
 but even silly little critter sketches can help me feel better on days when it's difficult to even move my head.

Thinking about headaches, and surgery coming up tomorrow.
This was a very therapeutic sketch.

I just drew a shape, and it became this Silly Goose.
I love the cute little expression he has about getting a gift.

Another sketch from a shape I drew.
I can't decide if she's in pain, singing, depressed....or perhaps she just slipped and bonked her head. 

Barbershop Quartet Singer.
Another drawing that started a just a little shape, and turned into this funny man.

Starting to think about Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

With this, and the next couple of sketches, I was experimenting a little with some portraiture.
I must say, it's nearly impossible for me to get proportions right when I'm lying down.
(see how the eyes are straight)

I

This was still in progress,
She would end up with a cool design cloth draped over her head, but the eyes are too far apart, I may never get back to her.

I don't even know why I'm sharing this one with you.
She is so out of proportion.
I admit the angle is a bit odd, but there are so many corrections needed for this piece,
I think it'll probably be time to just start over.

 There were a few more sketches, and a couple of things that are still in progress that I've been working on a little.  My ladies - Nature, Freedom, and the Mystery lady - have all hit points where I'm not sure what to do next.  I keep trying things on the computer to see if I'll like it before working on the original drawing, and nothing is working like I want it to so far.  But I have been working on them....I'm sure they'll show me who they want to become soon.

Tomorrow is surgery day.  (I guess technically today, I didn't notice it was so late!)
I have to be at the hospital at 11:30am.  Surgery is at 2pm.  Not sure how much art I'll be getting done for the first few days.  Hopefully, at least a silly little sketch or two!
But I need to remember to

You may remember this drawing I posted earlier in it's black and white version.
I think the color adds a lot!

For those of you who don't know, and are somewhat interested.  The surgery I'm having tomorrow is on my left ear, and will hopefully help control the vertigo I've been having.  I had this same surgery on my right ear nearly 2 years ago, we think it helped control the vertigo being caused by that ear, if it works for this ear, I could be looking at more days up right!!

The surgery is called Endolymphatic Sac Enhancement Surgery.  The endolymphatic sac is located right under and too the back side of your ear.  For people with Meniere's this sac fills with too much fluid and that creates havoc with the delicate "balance" of things.  (pun intended)
You can go here http://www.pehni.com/patient_ed/endolymphaticsac.htm  to read a little more about the surgery.  It's very hard to find exact information about it on the internet.  I think that is because different doctors do this surgery in different ways.  Some decompress the sac, some add a shunt, some simply remove the bone and create a larger area for the endolymphatic sac so it can expand without leaking.  This is what my doctor does.

Looking forward to creating more as I heal.

AEDM - Catching up. Days 6 - 13

I really have been doing some kind of art work every day, but I haven't been well enough to scan it and post about it.  Today, I'll be catching you up on what I've been doing

November 6th
Started Coloring this Hope design, afraid the word is getting lost.
I think this may just be too busy. 

Design Nov. 6th

Design Nov. 7th
Exploring Paisley.

2nd Design Nov. 7th
A bit different from my normal designs.
I like part of it, but not all of it.
However, I do like the more simplistic elements of this design.

Design Nov. 8th
Discovering Blue Ink.
Colored inks seem to look better on this off white paper.

Design Nov. 9th
Not crazy about how this turned out.  I like it better before I colored in the circular area.

Design Nov. 10th
Another exploration with Paisley.

Design Nov. 11th
Originally this was going to say "Respect", I made the letters too big for the paper.
I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I thought Rest would be a good reminder for me.

2nd Design Nov. 11th
This is a bit different for me, just plain and straight forward.
However, the red makes it look a bit angry, that wasn't what I was going for.
I'll try again for a better Strength design.

Design Nov. 12th
Just started doodling, and this came out.
I like this one, reminds me of a Sepia Toned print.
Reminiscent of the Art Deco period.

Today, Nov. 13th, I had a horrible migraine,
and the tinnitus coming from my left ear was so very loud.
I drew how I was feeling.
Not a pretty picture, but it made me feel better to get it out.

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http://creativeeveryday.com/art-every-day-month

This post is part of Art Every Day Month.

AEDM 5 - Letting go of the Inner Critic

My friend Judith Westerfield has a wonderful blog called Creativity to the Max.

Judy is a licensed Marriage, Family Therapist, Certified Clinical Hypnosis and Guided Imagery Therapist.

She teaches workshops in Creative Therapeutic Expression.  (I wish I lived close enough to attend them!)

Luckily for us she has a page on her blog for Tutorials.  I love going to her Tutorials page and letting myself go.

Last night I worked on Funsson Lesson #1.

Getting Rid my INNERTIC (Inner + Critic = Innertic) - 

For detailed instructions please see Judith's Tutorial page....plus you'll find lot's of other creative endeavors you can work on.

First she gives you instructions on how to create your INNERTIC, then comes the therapeutic part....

This is my INNERTIC:

My Innertic, "Mr. Notgoodenuf"
With messages I have for him written all around.

When you finish drawing out your Innertic, you finish it off.  First tell it off!  Write words and phrases that you want to tell your inner critic...hurt his feelings - make him leave you alone.

Next you destroy him!  That's right, scribble all over him, tear him up, heck...feed him to a goat!  (not one of Judith's suggestions, but if I had a goat that's what I'd do.)  

Get rid of your Innertic.

If he starts coming around again...repeat this exercise.

Free yourself from your inner critic!

This post is part of Art Every Day Month and NaBloPoMo..

Mystery Lady continues. AEDM #4

I had a very bad day yesterday physically, so I didn't get to do much art work.

I've added a little to the Mystery Lady....

Background created in Photoshop

Mystery Lady Sketch added to Background.

This post is part of NaBloPoMo and Art Every Day Month.

Art Every Day #3 Mystery Lady Begins

I've begun a drawing of a Mystery Lady.  I still need to color her, and clean her up.

Here she is so far:

sketch and outline of Mystery Lady

This Post is part of NaBloPoMo and Art Every Day Month. 

Hearts Card Design - Art Every Day #1

On November 5th, my father-in-law is getting married.  We are thrilled for him and his bride.
I find it so heart warming that these two found each other.  Both are in their 70's, both lost their spouses about 7 years ago.  Here's to you, John and Margaret!!

I won't bore you with the many, many designs I went through trying to create the perfect card.  Of course, I still don't feel like it's perfect, but the wedding is soon, and hubby likes it, so it's a go!

I created the same card in color and in Black and White, we both liked the colored version, but it didn't print well, (I colored it with Photoshop, and we need to get some ink for our printer.), and we thought the Black and White was classier so we went with that.  Here's both:

Two Hearts - Black and White

Two Hearts - Color

Feedback is always encouraged and appreciated.

Thanks.

This post is part of NaBloPoMo and the Art Every Day Challenge. 

Happy Halloween!

Today is Halloween, my favorite holiday!  Unfortunately, this year we haven't been able to celebrate or decorate like we normally do.

So I did a couple of silly little drawings to celebrate the occassion:

The Trick or Trick Monster

Scaredy Cat
This was drawn on paper with ink, colored in Photoshop.

I hope everyone is having a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Tomorrow starts NaBloPoMo month.  (National Blog Post Month)
I've decided to try and post every day in November.
This challenge is on BlogHer starting this year.  You can win prizes if you post every day, and you can enter as late as November 5th, but you must have post every day for the month of November.
If you'd like to join, go to: http://nablopomo.blogher.com/

I'm also participating in Art Every Day for the Month of November, hosted by Creative Every Day.
This is a much more laid back challenge.  You are not required to post every day, or even create something every single day, it is a challenge to at least work on something every day.  However, if you can't keep that up, it's alright, this challenge is simply to encourage people to create more!

You may get very tired of me this month, but I hope not.

Tomorrow I will be posting the final design of the card for my Father-In-Law and his future bride.

Posts for the Week. Much more than I thought!

When I thought about posting this week, I kept thinking...I really haven't done much.  But I was wrong!

No I haven't completed a lot.  I've been writing in my journal much more.  And I'm recuperating from a minor surgery on Wednesday.

So this post is full of little sketches, partially finished drawings that will hopefully become more, and a lot of hearts...yes, hearts...I'm trying to come up with a good design for a card for my father-in-law's up coming wedding.   I would love to hear if you like any of them...all need work, but I think some have possibilities.  Remember, this couple is in their 70's, so some things that I might normally do, just wouldn't work.

So a lot of here and there this week, but it shows that I'm still determined to create.  It really does help me get some emotions out, and to feel like I have a goal.  I believe it is so very important for a person who has a chronic illness that has taken so much of their previous ("normal") life away, we must find goals we can accomplish, and look at things a different way.  Even when you have to take things just one day at a time, you can still look to the future.  My future is often just tomorrow, or even a few hours, but it's my future, and I'll get there.  One goal at a time.

The drawings in this post couldn't be scanned, so I took pictures instead.  (many are from my journal and it won't lie flat.  Other's are from a large sketch pad that doesn't fit in the scanner.)

From my journal.  Feeling lonely.

Journal Sketch.  I tried to write a poem about my pain but it just wouldn't come.

Journal Sketch.  All about the Lumbar Punctures and Cerebrospinal Fluid Patches.
Notice the CT scan, the needles, pills, and the maze I'm trying to get out of..
Also, you might see, that I drew a broken heart, but changed it.  It's not broken, just cracked a little.

Journal Sketch.

More sketches while journaling.

yes, another journal sketch.  Perhaps I'll finish this one.
Maybe not.

Journal Sketch number??? At first I was trying to figure out how to draw a vortex, or something like it to add to a journal entry.
Then I got that freaky looking eye, in the upper right.
Which led to the other freaky eyes and such.
Stuart says it looks like a tree man. (he loves the eyes, such a funny man)

OK, I told you I did a log of writing in my journal this week.
And while I'm writing...my mind wanders, or I need to clear out the cobwebs, so I doodle.

And doodle some more.
This looks kike a really neat lady, didn't finish her middle, but she was supposed to represent my feelings about binging on any food I could find that night.  But she doesn't look miserable, like I did, she looks fun.
Does that tell me something??  

Now we are into some sill sketches.
I decided the heart I drew looked like a nose...he looks like a  pig with really big ears doesn't he?

and he led to these critters.

I must apologize this is out of focus, but my camera needed to be charged, and this  is too big for the scanner.
This is no where near finished.  Hopefully, I will someday.
It's going to be a strange forest...I think I was in Alice in Wonderland mode again.
Years ago, my husband brought me some water soluble crayons from Switzerland.  This picture looked like a crayon sketch...just add water...and what a difference.  (I think I used too much water though because it bleed a little)

Now, we start on the hearts.
Lots and lots of hearts, none of them finished.

Just because hearts are drawn close together doesn't mean they are to be put together.
These are all just sketches.  Most have not been shaded.
And the finished product will be colored.

Funny, I really thought there were even more hearts, but this is the last page.
The two in the upper right, are not meant to be together.  They just ran over each other.

Silly drawing.  Someone mentioned a whirly gig, and I came up with this.
Well, I started this, I never finished it, after all, a whirly-gig just calls out for color.
And I don't think it should have a large tentacled arm....but he just popped up.

Another doodle, just a doodle.  The stars, moon, sun,  rain, wind, earth, and life (plants).
Just a day inside my brain.

Another unfinished piece...this one may never get finished.
 Things went a bit sideways, and now I just don't like it as much.

This will get finished.
I'm making this for my neuroradiologist, because even if this doesn't work, she gave me hope.
This will have color, so you will see the word better after everything is colored in.

This post has been shared on Creative Every Day.

That's all for this week folks.  Hopefully, I'll get back to my ladies this coming week.
But it doesn't really matter what I'm drawing, as long as I'm accomplishing something.

One day at a time.

Oh and a shout out to my Fish Friends.  (you know who you are.)