Thursday, January 12, 2017

The Slowness of January

I've been doing the slow putter of straightening, not just in the studio where it takes on the characteristics of an archeological dig, but in other rooms of the house, and I suppose, in my life in general. To some extent, I enjoy this process, this sorting through and filing/putting away or tossing, the rediscovery of things I'd forgotten about, the reminder of loose ends that I now have time to tie up. It does mean, though, that there is little creative progress or productivity to share for now, save my "coloring book" pocket calendar.

It too has been a kind of slow putter, taking a break now and then to study the design and settle on the next color to add. It's been an interesting endeavor, pointing up something I have known for some time is a weakness of mine, the attitude at times that a thing has to be done all at once, and if I don't have that big of a chunk of time, not starting it at all. All or nothing, which in some cases is necessary, but in  most is not. This no pressure coloring has been more enjoyable than I anticipated, and although I likely could finish a page in one long sitting, it has helped me see the value of not doing that, of taking instead a slow, thoughtful and extended approach. Those few minutes I'd steal before setting off on the next task of the day were little treasures. And I must admit, when I've pulled out the calendar when out and about, and it falls open to this first page, even in its incomplete state, it gave me a surge of joy - so colorful! And any thought of wasted effort, I decided, has not come into play because this is an item that I actually use, unlike a coloring book that would only sit on a shelf.

So January is done and I'm fairly pleased with my color choices and particularly like this swirling design. What do you think? And here is February, waiting for me to make that first color choice. I'll admit, it's overwhelming me a bit!


10 comments:

Cate Rose said...

January is definitely beautiful. These are great coloring designs, BTW. Most I don't like. You made a good choice. Carry on.

Living to work - working to live said...

I always think colouring is a bit of a cheat really, but this is making me climb down off my hobby horse and perhaps rethink. If it makes your question your artistic practice then it has to be a good thing.

The Inside Stori said...

What do I think?? I think it’s terrific!!!

The Idaho Beauty said...

Thanks, Connie. I don't think I would have bought the calendar if the basic designs had not appealed. I've seen so many of these coloring book designs that don't spark a bit of interest in me. But these struck me as both something I wouldn't mind spending my time on and a little challenging too.

I'm with ya, Hilary. My snooty nose had to come down a notch in order to embrace this in any way. I am surprised at what it is revealing to me about myself, my habits, my likes and dislikes and my misconceptions!

So Mary, if you think my first shot is terrific, are you going to put down your felting tools and join me? ;-)

Amanda said...

I like the designs and the size of the book is most appealing.

Christine Staver said...

Wow those pages are complicated. I like how you shaded the swirls. Watching you do this is getting me motivated to sketch. I might have to look for a blog where they did a sketch each day to get me moving....

The Idaho Beauty said...

Amanda, yes, I find its smaller size less daunting. It's ridiculous how easily I am daunted by size! And since I don't need one of those bigger "planner" calendar books to carry in my purse, this pocket size is really convenient, doesn't take up much room. Now I'm thinking can I also toss in a few colored pencils to work on it on the go? ;-)

The Idaho Beauty said...

Chris, they would indeed be complicated to draw out on my own but since someone else did it, I just think of them as detailed, and I like working with detailed things! And yes, shading the swirls kept things interesting as I thought about how actual swirls would have shadows. Nothing boring about working on these!

Are you familiar with Sketchbook Skool? They are running a drawing daily class right now. May be too late to sign up for it but I'm sure they'll be offering it again. In the meantime, you might do what it takes to start receiving their weekly e-mails. I find many of the tips there helpful. They redirect you to videos and blog entries on their site - almost everything very short so you can get back to sketching. :-)

Michele Matucheski said...

Reminds me of a tropical rain forest. Lush life!

The Idaho Beauty said...

So true, Michele! Or maybe deep in the Idaho or Wisconsin woods, coming upon a spring surrounded by blooms. ;-)