It's Christmas (card) Time Again

My post from last Christmas, "It's Christmas Time Again" is making the rounds on the Internet, especially on Pinterest. It's fun to see people enjoying it. I love sharing and inspiring people with my work, but I do worry about theft.

some thoughts on seeing, politics, and art

A value study done with ink

Art is all about seeing. Everyone thinks they see just fine but they quickly learn when trying to do art that seeing, really seeing, must be learned.

A Look At Playing

As a follow up on the sketch I showed you last post, I wanted to go into a little more detail.

FAC And Running

I'm sorry the blog has been quiet and that I missed the Friday Art Challenge last week. The truth is, I need to focus on some other things in preparation for some changes this fall

It's Friday!

And time for another Friday Art Challenge. I must confess, I'm burning out on this. I've allowed my life to become very busy again. This is a recurring theme for me. And honestly,

Friday Art Challenge

I try to do these challenges and schedule them ahead of time, but...sometimes I'm not that efficient.

I Want it NOW!

This morning I was tracking a package online to see where it was. UPS tracking is a beautiful thing. It's almost like being with your package on its journey.

FAC-It's Still Friday-I Have Time!!

So, another busy week with some lazy mixed in. Seems to be feast or famine with activities happening all in one week.

Friday Art Challenge-was a challenge

I really struggled with the Christmas in July prompt. Not because I lacked inspiration.  Apparently, they start stocking the stores for Christmas--in July--no joke!

FAC-It's That Time Again!

Digital salt and pepper shakers and Pen sketch by Maria White

This week was special. Something about the quick six day five minute sketch challenge was a win/win for everyone who gave it a shot.

FAC and Sketchbooks

It's that time again! Welcome back to the Friday Art Challenge. Last week I challenged you

In my last post I said I would try to do the carrots in pastel. I had a vision.

My Ramblings and the Friday Art Challenge

I'm sorry this is getting out so late, but I'm better than last week!! I wanted to include some thoughts on what's going on with me and a little about my FAC offering. First, let me tell you what's new.

Friday Art Challenge

It's not midnight yet so it's still Friday!!

Friday Art Challenge

I've been a bad girl, haven't I?  I put the "C" post together and scheduled it for the week I was gone, but didn't realize I would come home on the next Friday and be too tired to post a challenge! Then last week I was recovering from my vacation and preparing for a week long visit from my oldest son and I just plain spaced it out. Which goes to show that if you get out of your routine, it can be hard to get back into it.

I have done my challenges at least, but have not photographed them yet. I will try to do that in another post this next week. I am really lucky I didn't forget to post this challenge since the kids are still here!! I want to keep this up for at least a while longer, for myself. To keep myself in the game, as they say.

I wanted to give a shout out to two friends/artists who have taken the challenge and run with it. These ladies would be Kelly and Maria (accent on the a). I have been awed by their work. I will post Kelly's "in the box" work this week for all to see. I thought it was inspired!!

So this week, since I am two weeks behind, the challenge is "two". Give me your interpretation of "two". Again, I look forward to your vision of such a simple prompt! Good luck and good art!

An InLinkz Link-up

Friday Art Challenge

Hopefully I am enjoying a well deserved vacation and doing my Friday Art Challenge on a beach!! I have no idea what I'll be doing but you can bet there will be some sketching involved at least.
So your challenge this week is simple. Make art using the letter C as your inspiration. That's it kids--get to work and I'll see your amazing work when I get back!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Friday Art Challenge

As I said, I am going to be on vacation next week and while I will schedule posts I may not be able to post my own work until I return. We will see about time and wi-fi.

Outside Your Box

It's the week before my vacation, so I shouldn't even be doing this stuff, let alone writing about it!! But don't you just know, when you should be doing other things-really important stuff-that's when the inspirations strikes?!!

Friday Art Challenge

So last week I was lazy and decided to give myself the week to work on it. This is the beginning stage of watercolor under painting on pastel paper. That paper is really hard on the brushes by the way! 

Friday Art Challenge

I was never much of a Prince fan. (An American Pop/Rock star) I mean, I liked him o.k., and I knew his songs but I wouldn't say I was a big fan.

Thoughts on the Friday Art Challenge

Here is the finished product from the Eye's challenge. This is Ernie. Ernie, meet my creative friends!!

Ernie

I've had a lot of positive feedback on FAC. But what I've heard too, are some reservations.

Friday Art Challenge

Happy Friday Art Challenge people! Well this challenge is going well for me-but I can see that I have not been the only one who struggles to get her art made!

Friday Art Challenge

Welcome to the Friday Art Challenge! Hey we are on week three and we are picking up speed! I'm getting better at posting those links and working out the bugs. 

Friday Art Challenge

I have another Friday Art Challenge for you! This week you must create something that starts with the letter B. Don't get too comfortable with the alphabet and thinking you know what next weeks will be because I won't be using that theme every time.

New Year's Resolutions in April!

It's taken me three months to implement my New Year's resolutions.  Mostly because I rarely keep them long and they produce no lasting change, so I think "why make them if you never keep them"?  But if we never endeavor to change, will we?  Yes, we will.

Friday Art Challenge Update

Never EVER underestimate my determination to get a thing done! (I say that for my own benefit) Despite my great technological backwardness I was somehow able to figure out a way to get this done without great expense or (much) trauma to me or you. I'm pretty proud of my resourcefulness!! Now lets just hope it works as well as I think it should!!

Friday Challenge

So I may have put my cart before my horse!  After putting the challenge idea out there I realized there is no way to upload photos of your work to my comments section on this blog. I have since been investigating other options but none (besides having a website built specifically for that) seem to be presenting themselves.  There is always facebook, but I know all of you are not on facebook.  And while I did get a few responses in favor of doing it, it was not overwhelming, so I will not be paying money to build a site for this idea!

So here's my thought.  I will post the idea's here so you can have the challenge for the week.  If you want to upload your work-which is really the whole idea-you can follow me over to my facebook art page and post it there.  (You could always just get on facebook if you aren't already and only friend my facebook page!)  Look up Michellemorrisart. I may set up another facebook page just for the Friday Challenges if it becomes at all popular.

If anyone has any ideas how to make this work somewhere else I'm open to ideas. And I will keep investigating. I'm really sorry!  There are so many outlets out there that I just wasn't thinking about the limitations of my blog or that I would have issues with interactive posting of photos!

And now for the very first Friday Challenge: (drum roll please!)  Let's start with the letter A. That's it-just create a work any size any medium any subject that starts with the letter A. I have one in the works and I will post it by Monday!

It's great to have a challenge and I look forward to trying this out with many of you!

Friday Art Challenge

Please note: If you liked the new blog Caring For Dad and you get this blog in your inbox,  you will have to subscribe to get the new one as an email. I did not want to assume that since you read the art blog you would also want to read the caretaking blog, so I did not transfer this email subscription list to the other blog. You can easily sign up on the right sidebar at the top of the new blog. As always, I thank you for reading either.

I have a couple of new posts in the wings for Living a Creative Life but it takes a lot longer to whip these out because I have to create and/or photograph the art to go with the post!  What is an art blog without ART??  I can tell you now that as I promised I will review those books I bought myself for Christmas (I'm nothing if not slow!) as well as tell you about some online classes I have taken. I enjoyed them and I hope you will enjoy reading about my impressions of them.

In the meantime, I've been toying with an idea and would love some input.  Are any of you interested in having an interactive type of art dialogue?  My idea, which is not an original one to be sure, is to put a challenge out there every Friday for you to tackle over the next week.  The idea is to inspire you to create art in new and different ways on a regular basis.  We would then post them here on this blog or my facebook page and have a sort of show and tell. I am hoping this will keep me as engaged in creating regularly as it does you!!

Please don't forget to sign up for the other blog since you won't get that feed from this one, and do let me know if you think you would like to do and or see a Friday Challenge!  Maybe we start tomorrow?

New Blog: Caring for Dad

Because of the response to my posts on Care-taking, I decided to start another blog.  A blog just about caretaking, which for me has become a "sacred duty".  (I read that somewhere early on about caretaking and remember thinking "yeah, ok, right! It doesn't feel too sacred!")  I have struggled with my art blog and it not being the place for these kinds of thoughts, and while I felt my readers were accepting of it, I'd like to keep the two separate. Living a Creative Life is important to me and is about art, being an artist, and all that entails. It got confusing and too personal for what this blog was originally intended. I had two choices: keep my thoughts to myself or find another outlet. I struggled with being so personal and vulnerable to such a wide audience.  Why?  Why should I record my struggles and make my journey so public?  I found two solid reasons.  I have had many responses from others walking the same path who said they found comfort in my words.  Second, because it has been cathartic for me as well. Since, I do not journal with a pen and paper, (I aspire to, but it takes too long. My ADHD personality can't take the time to write slowly enough that I have anything that resembles anything other than scrawls across a messy page!!)  typing, yes, typing is for me!  It flows almost as fast as I can think it, is easy to correct--and gloriously comes with spellcheck!!  This is my place. 

So I am beginning another blog about care-taking and it's many issues, challenges, joys and blessings.  I'm not sure what I will call it yet, so for now it's called "Caring for Dad".  It's content will be my thoughts and any help I have learned/recieved that can help others in this journey. It will also be a place where I will also speak of the spiritual aspect of my journey. I am a christian, so this will be part of my offerings. I hope it will be a place  I can not only journal my thoughts and experiences but also a place others find help and comfort.  I won't sugar coat it, but I will share both the trials and blessings.  So if you are interested, follow me to my other blog.  Caring for Dad. 

Hedging My Bets

The other day I came home after my early spin class to find my dad was sitting at the table reading the paper unaware the teapot was burning to the stove.  

Never Stop Learning

Your brain is a thinking organ that learns and grows by interacting with the world through perception and action. Mental stimulation improves brain function and actually protects against cognitive decline, as does physical exercise.

Something Old and Something New

After an unusually warm winter, February brings with it some cold air and some snow.  The Midwest has these dreary grey skies that get old for me about now.  I admit I get a little stir crazy this time of year. Just give me some sun, please and thank you.

What Moves You?

I haven't blogged about caretaking for a while.  This blog is, after all, about living a creative life and my caretaking is about me personally.  But art is life, isn't it? I mean we draw from our experiences to make our art.

It's the Little Things!

Years ago I bought a beautiful leather purse, big enough to carry small painting tools.  The problem with a purse like that is the bigger the purse, the more I carry.

Everyday Art

I saw this picture posted on my Facebook feed by the son of one of my "besties". (noun-plural for one of your best friends)