Creative Energy Journaling
Line and Wash – Watercolor Painting Anyone Can Do
Line and wash is a combination of line drawing with watercolor washes to suggest a scene. It’s a great way to get started with watercolor, or with travel sketching, even if you “can’t draw” and have never tried watercolor before!
New Watercolor Mandala Template
I know some of you enjoy using the templates I create for my Watercolor Prayer/Meditation Mandala Mini-Retreats. I created a new one that was very popular at the last mini-retreat, so I decided to share it with you here. This one has some larger open areas for you to...
Watercolor Mandala Templates for You to Use
Looking for templates so you can try it yourself? Templates are at the bottom of the Mandala Mini-Retreat class page. Last weekend's mini-retreat on Mandalas for Prayer and Meditation at Wet Paint was a wonderfully relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon! If you...
“No Mistakes” Art-Making
Do you ever make mistakes when you're working in your journal? Or doodling? Ever put down a wobbly line? Smear some ink? Drip watercolor where you didn't mean to? How does it make you feel? Perhaps a bit aggravated or disappointed? Do you ever want to tear a page out...
Digital Doodles
I know many of you have iPads (or other tablets) or smartphones. Have you ever thought of using them to make art? There are many, many fun apps that allow you to draw, doodle, "paint" and modify your photos—and a lot of them are free, have free versions, or cost only...
Get Out of the Moment
Huh? Everything you read these days seems to extol the virtues of being "in the present moment". I'm not questioning the value of being attentive, appreciative and aware. In fact, a few weeks ago, I suggested some ways to use art-making to deepen your appreciation for...
Spiral In, Spiral Out
The 30-Doodles-in-30-Days Challenge is drawing to a close, but one thing I have discovered is that everyone has enjoyed having a daily doodling suggestion (a "prompt") as a creative springboard. Since I've been on a spiral kick myself lately, I invite you to create a...
The Sound (and Look) of Music
Last week, I talked about the power of "doodling" or art-making to focus your full attention on a sensation or experience. This is one of the main reasons I make art. Not to hang something on the wall, but to enhance my experience of life. Sketches while traveling or...
The “Mindfulness” Craze—What’s It Got to Do with Art?
I want to talk to you for a minute about mindfulness. Wait! Before you hit "delete", please hang in with me for just a little bit. I promise I will get back to art and creativity in a minute. Mindfulness is trendy. Everywhere you look there are articles on the health...
New Year’s Permissions
What would you do, if only . . . ? New Year's resolutions . . . we love to hate them, but we make them. Even when we resolve not to make resolutions, there's still that feeling that now that the holidays are over, we'll get our lives in hand again, and this year do...