finding my way back

I promised myself that I wouldn't make another blog post until I actually had some ARTwork to post. It's been a long time coming -- almost two months actually -- but I am finally re-entering 'the creative zone'. It's a lot harder than it looks! Like a pianist who hasn't tickled the ivories for weeks on end I knew the first day would end in frustration and fatigue, but I was ready for it. My first drawing, done yesterday, is now proudly framed by the blue walls of the recycle bin.

After my disaster the snail mail arrived and, serendipitously, a package from one of my favourite New England artists. John has a knack for choosing just the right thing at the right time and in the package were a paper-covered Moleskine sketchbook and a 000 Koh-I-Noor refillable technical ink pen. Such tiny, perfect lines! Working in a new medium was just the thing to get me 'looking' again -- and as all artists know, it's all about the looking. (Ain't nuthin' more impotent than lookin' good.)




Furthermore, another of my favourite New England artists recently returned home from the Grand Canyon with a treasure trove of photos from the inside walls of the Hopi House, which, knowing my passion for aboriginal designs and patterns, Michelle generously emailed me for my playtime hours. Some mini pen-and-ink sketches, scanned and digitally coloured, completed my first day back.


When I was going to bed last night I noticed this painting, which is hanging above my bed, and it occurred to me that I could further my tune-up process by using the underlying composition with some of the Hopi motifs. So, today, I took some of the Hopi animals and doodled some more in my new Moleskine, then scanned and coloured the sketch. A painting in its future? Unlikely.


I'm a long way from all the way back yet, but at least I've made a start!