MARCH Creative Challenge
For the month of March I’m creating daily work to benefit The Central Vermont Refugee Action Network. To sponsor me, please click here!
March Creative Challenge Day 1. Yellowstone National Park: There really are Bison and Geysers everywhere!
Here’s how this is going to work. My goal is to make something 6 days a week for the month of March. My goal is to do my best to keep up with this challenge and I also have a busy month ahead so this will be interesting!
Today, I’m wrapping up my last day on a family trip in Yellowstone National Park, which has been fantastic. This morning over a cup of coffee I filled a sketch book page with some snapshots of Yellowstone.
Day 2: Yellowstone snapshots
This morning I crashed out a quick sketch in the hotel room before heading to the airport in Bozeman. We’re just about to rush out of the room. I set my timer for 20 minutes and probably went over by 5 more minutes or so. Time limits really can be great. They make me focus less on the little decisions and just keep drawing. I used a Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen and no pencil.
Day 3: Yellowstone Snapshots with a quote about Reality in relation to Quantam Mechanics.
I’m currently reading Helgoland By Carlo Rovelli and this quote, well, really pulls it all together. Our existence is relational. I can read that quote over and over again and it keeps me wondering. As do Bison and mountains and steaming geysers.
March 4th
It’s my birthday today! I made it around the sun once again. I have gratitude for my family, my friends, a good job, a roof over my head and food that is plentiful. For my 2nd grade library class I read Swimming Toward a Dream by Reem Faruqi and illstrated by Asma Enayeh about Yusra Mardini who was part of the first ever Olympic Refugee swim team in 2016. While they were browsing I took a minute to take it all in, all these curious kids reading and looking for books.
This page is a collection of mountain and nature scenes. For the past drawings I was relying on photos and these came from my head. I was in a hurry -I crashed these out over a cup of coffee around 5:45 am and I think I listened to about 3 or 4 songs, so the whole thing was in under 20 minutes. It was a rush, but sometimes you get what you get. Thanks to all of you for following along!
March 5th
Well, I guess this is where the rubber hits the road. The artist has a long day, the list still isn’t done, gets tired, and says: “Ufda!” Contemplating the cozy pillow waiting there in that nice inviting bed occurs. I’m just saying. Could be an option. So here you go folks, the solution: Do anything, even if it’s a little bit. I went for some nature sketches and a reminder. Inhale, exhale, repeat. Begin again. Notice the heart in the middle of Repeat. I spelled repeat with an extra a: reapeat. The quick workaround was adding in the heart which turned out to be a nice metaphor: The heart is in the middle of exhaling and inhaling. Maybe the actual heart? Our metaphorical heart? Nobody knows. I got three panels done on this page. Not much, but not nothing. Sweet dreams everyone, that pillow is calling! Thank you for being here. I’m grateful and thinking of each of you.
March 6th
Greetings from Sudbury, Massachusetts. We’re staying with my in-laws for a weekend soccer tournament for the kiddos. Only in New England do they plan outdoor soccer games in March. It was a busy work day teaching my pathways class to 5th graders, planning the upcoming school book fair and jamming out my grad school homework due Sunday night. (I created four MARC records from scratch, which I suppose a seasoned librarian could do blindfolded and hanging upside down, but I’m still learning this stuff!) All of this is to say, I anticipated a busy day so I spent about 5 minutes drawing the wild eyed owl this morning over coffee before hitting the ground running. (I need to do some work fixing that later on -look for the changes in a future post. Apologies for the poor quality photo taken at predawn light.) Some days you get five minutes. Gratitude for every minute at the drawing table. Which makes me think of a quote my old friend and swim coach Steve Coniaris turned us on to: “Ichi-go ichi-e: One meeting, one chance." Let’s see what tomorrow holds. I’m hoping for an early morning cup of coffee (Mimi makes a mean cup of French Roast strong enough to knock out small animals) which will fuel a morning drawing.
March 7
I fixed the owl’s eyes a bit using Deleter White #2. I added 4 more panels. I think eventually this page may benefit from some colored pencils. I’m off to the soccer tournament. Freezing rain last night so we’ll leave early. Again, an outdoor soccer tournament in New England? Really? Anyway, my kids love it and I heard We Are The Champions playing from one of the kids’ devices so I think they have plans to win.
March 9th
I’m a little frustrated. I finished this page and just got to the point where it’s not turning out the way I wanted, or the ideas are getting redundant, or maybe both. That’s ok. This is part of the creative process. Sometimes it means it’s time to move on. It’s also just been a busy time and there is a part of me that would just love to spend more time on this daily project. That’s OK to. So, What to do. Go to bed and start over tomorrow. I think tomorrow I’ll try a new direction, maybe by looking back at old projects or old sketchbooks. Who knows. See you tomorrow! Thanks for being here!
March 10
Today’s creativity happened at work. Our library book fair is coming up and I needed to get some signage up outside of the library. I enlisted help from my friend Randi, a para at the school, who seems to be everywhere all at once helping anyone out. It’s so wonderful to have wonderful colleagues. Creative tip for the day: It’s helpful to have friends in your corner!
I sketched out the letters and we cut them out and got them up in about a half hour. It’s simple, but hopefully effective. It’s been so many years now that I’ve created signs or signage or T-shirts like this and the good news is that I’ve gotten much faster at it, and it’s always fun.
March 11
For the upcoming book fair for my little library, I want to make some book plates for people who purchase books as a gift for the library. Here are some sketches. I think I’m leaning towards one or two. How about you? In my research I came across this cool website featuring macabre book plates. Gotta love research!
March 12 Part 1
I’m making progress on the book plate design. This is the sketch, on nicer paper, which I’ve already messed with many times, but I think I’m figuring it out. Had to call my buddy Josh who gave me some edits and of course steered me back to Edward Gorey, which I can’t believe I didn’t even think of to begin with. That’s what friendship is all about -to help us think of all the little things, to remember who we are and what we know, and how to stay on the path.
March 12 Part 2
After reading I Know How To Draw an Owl, which is a beautiful picture book less about drawing owls and more about an unhoused student living with her mom in their blue car. What the Kindergartners really took away with the story is that they love owls, so we drew owls. Some perks to being a librarian with a bazillion years of having been an art teacher. Super fun to get to drawing with these kiddos.
March 13
Making progress with the bookplate. Here it is in its current state. I need to do some more erasing and then probably clean levels up digitally. I’m pleased for the most part. I think it perhaps needs some contrast. Those side leaves were intended to be filled in black and then I got to drawing and couldn’t resist keeping them as an outline. But it always helps to stop looking at something for a while and then come back to it. Have a good weekend everyone!
March 14
Here are two more iterations of the design using procreate on my iPad. I like the black leaves, they provide contrast. I tried adding in white veins and it got a little too detailed for me but I may try again tomorrow. The color design is fun, but not cost effective as I will end up using the school printer. That being said I could probably sneak the prints in but you know, think of the community. By the way, these are red clovers, the Vermont state flower and despite the name, they aren’t actually red. They are quite vibrant so I tried to match that here. I’ll be taking the allowed day off tomorrow, so see you back here on Monday! Thanks!
March 16
Working on another book related project, but really just playing around. Text is such a fun way to iterate, practice line work, and simply be present in this moment. I started all of these with pencil lines and then went over the lines with my Tombo Fudenosuke brush, which has turned out to be a really fun pen. My buddy Josh gave this to me as a gift a year ago and it has been a trusty tool. Thanks to everyone for following!
March 17
More bookish things. Is it clear what I’m working on here? Sketched during a faculty meeting. Taking inspiration from my old art teacher colleagues from my SF days: Rodney and Grady and Karen who always drew during faculty meetings. I think my pen is running out of ink. Lasted a whole year.
I am grateful for: art tools and the ability to buy them. I’m grateful for a few minutes to scribble down my thoughts. I’m grateful for my students today; especially the ones who struggled to hold it all together. I’m grateful for my family. I’m grateful for you, who are taking the time to read this amidst your busy day. I feel it. I’m grateful for the few minutes I will have to read before bed. (I’m still working on Helgoland by Carlo Rovelli. What a splendid and challenging read.) Speaking of Quantum Mechanics, I’m Grateful that my quanta is holding together today! ..Which makes me think of a Fiona Apple quote from her song I Want You To Love Me:
“I know that time is elastic
and I know
when I go
all my
particles disband
and disperse
and I’ll be back in the pulse.”
Thank you friends. Good night.
MARCH 18
I didn’t get into my sketchbook today. The day got long and now I’m getting ready to do some reading just before bed. The first image is of the finished book plates in sticker format. I’m pleased with how they came out.
The second image is an explosion of text based on what I was guiding my students with. Stuff like this seems sort of run of the mill but it takes creativity to make. One of my first mentor teachers, Dennis Estrada, was the first teacher to talk about building curriculum in a way that is similar to writing or making art or making music. He said that it is special, that it takes effort, that it is rewarding, and that it wears you out. Just like making art. I’ve never forgotten that. Anyway, We’re working on an independent research project and these were my talking points about how to add to their draft with my 6th and 7th grade. Maybe you can apply it to your life tomorrow. Try it out: What is your essential question? Is it still relevant? Are you learning new things or copying boring facts? How can you make this inquiry fun? Find three new things/topics/ideas in your research today.
After work, in Montpelier, I saw a fox run by and I think I really needed to see that fox. How do foxes always know when you need them to run in front of you? Is that their trickster nature? Are they mind readers? It makes me want to draw foxes. Maybe tomorrow night!
The final photo is of my 2nd graders reading after picking out their books to check out for the week. They were lost in other worlds and I love catching them in their imagination.
Today I am grateful for the sunshine despite the cold, I am grateful for how excited my son is with his new haircut, I am grateful for that fox that woke me up, I am grateful for my family, I am grateful for my cozy sweatshirt in my cozy house, and I am grateful for you.
I listened to Watermelon Sugar High by Harry Styles like three times today. Yeah, I did that. Don’t know, just needed that little boost. Keep it up, Harry, we all need your watermelon sugar high.
March 19th.
As promised: Vulpes Vulpes. Very quick and messy sketches. Foxes are definitely worth exploring!
March 20: Conversational Nature of Reality
When I first started working in libraries I noticed that there are always notes everywhere. In books, behind books, under books, on the floor, on shelves. I guess writing begets writing. I made a decision early on that these notes must mean something. They are clues that the universe is sending me. This makes me think about something poet David Whyte calls "the conversational nature of reality." He says that you have expectations of the universe and then the universe has expectations of you and somewhere in the middle, where you meet the universe, reality happens. We put forth our effort and we listen to the universe and pay attention. We think (it is probably more accurate to say that we hope) that a certain thing will happen, and then, something else happens. Something not in the plan. We adapt. We respond. We course correct. We move through that process again and again. He describes this as a process of acceptance. I love this concept. And, I'm really bad at it. It's really hard for me to accept. It's one of those practices that I believe in but I'm simply very bad at actually doing and yet I keep trying it. Like meditation. And not eating donuts. So when I find these notes, I wonder what happens if I join in the conversation. Follow the lead. Ask what the note means.
Which leads to today's drawings. I found the note pictured above in my little library. If you can't decipher it, the note translates to: "Protect the dragons". I typed that into the internet machine and used what images I found to create some drawings. I eventually also did general searches for other dragons. I also looked up Crested Geckos because we have one in our house named Moxie and she is basically a little dragon. Note which of my dragons above look like mutant geckos. This was a fun process. I’ve drawn dragons before but somehow I felt more open to it today. Drawing always goes better when you are open to it. These may want some watercolor added.
Gratitude. I am grateful for my morning coffee, which was not my usual brand and didn’t taste great. Still grateful. I’m grateful for my beautiful sunny drive through the Vermont mountains on the way to work and grateful for the two inches of snow that dumped in the afternoon. I’m grateful for the support of this project. I have gratitude for the meditation I did before the sunrise. I have gratitude for the hard things going on that make me realize what I am grateful for. I’m grateful for the dragon note.
March 21: There be Dragons
I’ve added watercolor and some black outlines which I used with a variety of tools. I used an ink dip pen for the upper left green dragon and the one to the left of her. The center dragon was just a watercolor brush with Payne’s Grey watercolor. The green dragon on the bottom and the dragon to the left was done with my Fudenesoke. I left some pencil lines as they are for some of the dragons because I thought the line work was good and variety is the spice of life. Super fun to add color to these. Thanks to all of you for your support. We’re getting into the last week of this challenge, believe it or not. Have a lovely weekend and go draw some dragons.
March 23
Back after a day off..This one is in order From sketch book to digital output. I took a photo of the image and then dropped that into Procreate where I used and Apple Pencil to clean up the lines and play around with color. Still needs some clean up on that bottom E. This is going to be something…Not sure what. But got the idea and had to try some iterations. Any favorite color combos? I kind of love the red and white myself. Remember: Read All The Time!
March 24: Waves and Particles
I’m almost done with the book Helgoland. It’s a really nice edition. It’s small and I love the cover, designed by Jason Booher. I wonder what the editor told the designer. “Hey, can you design a cover about this non fiction book which lays out the mystery and beauty of quantum mechanics?” Often in publishing the illustrator or book designer does not talk with the writer. Almost never. Even in picture books for children! When I learned that I was shocked. Anyhow, as I read this book I kept looking at the cover and I really admire it. It’s a really simple and beautiful solution. I began to ask myself: what the heck would I have done if it were my job to design the cover? I kept thinking about it every time I picked up the book but just couldn’t come up with anything. Which made me think about how hard it would be if that were actually my job, because those deadlines are usually very short. About a week ago I was on my commute home and the answer just popped into my head. Waves and Particles, an essential conundrum of Quantum Physics. A solution popped into my head. Use a drawing of waves (I have countless of such drawings in my sketchbooks) and then drop a dark color onto that and cut that top layer away to reveal what is down at the core of the illustration. Then remove “particles” of the top layer so that there are both waves and particles. So the top image is the cover of the edition I’m reading (there are others if you google them) and the bottom image is my mock up. Just for fun.
March 25
More dragons. This was an attempt at tessellation like shapes, although technically not tessellations since each shape is different and doesn’t repeat. So, puzzle pieces? Not quite sure. Didn‘t really work for me but a fun exercise nonetheless.
March 26
Some clean up still required but these book marks should be ready to print for next week’s Library Book Fair. I’ll print these, cut them up and have them available for giveaways at the book fair and to use as labels for teacher wish list books.
