We made a lot of trips to the local library when I was a kid. Some of my favorite finds were anything by Bill Peet. Looking back at the stories and art I see playfulness, lively lines, a quirky sense of humor, and fun use of color. Some favorites were:...
Sep72016
Inspiration from Childhood
Aug242016
WorldCon 2016
MidAmeriCon 2 (WorldCon 2016) has come and gone. I had a lot of great experiences and conversations. One such experience was a conversation I had with a wonderful jewelry artist and writer. I asked her a bit about her creative process (her piece titles are wonderfully evocative). One particular...
Aug32016
Losing Steam, Regaining Momentum
The piece is almost done. It just needs that something more to finish it up but I’m losing steam. Here are a few things that have helped me reinvigorate myself to finish a project. Try and go back mentally and emotionally to that initial seed idea, or nugget that...
Jul282016
Is it Finished?
How do I know when a picture is done? I’ve been working on some new paintings lately. I want them to be the best that I can make them (with the skills I currently have), and at the same time they need to be done. I could paint, and...
Jul132016
Different Words Same Idea
I had a great conversation with another artist about the different ways we think about the same picture construction tools or methods. He thinks in terms of carving form out of space. I currently think in terms of building up form from the flat surface. They seem to be...
Jul62016
Is Your Media in Your Way?
In the context of getting ideas out and working out a picture, one of the things I learned at The Atelier was that maybe the media is in the way. There are many things happening when I’m generating ideas and working out a picture (I’m guessing others have a...
Jun302016
The Creative Process
What I mean by creative process is the process used by anyone who’s making something or finding a solution. This evening I’ll be participating in a panel discussion titled “Creative Process Across Disciplines” at CONvergence. (Sorry, you’ll need a membership for the convention to check out the panel). It’s...
Jun152016
Using Crayons to Create
Frustrated with getting marks on paper or keeping a journal? Here’s one idea to help ease the frustration: crayons! Yup, wax crayons. Here’s what I noticed this does for me: It changes my mindset to one more of play time, a child-like mind of exploring and just being and...
Jun82016
Artistic Development
I asked an artist once how he developed his latest style and way of working. He shared his thoughts which I thought were helpful and maybe you’ll find them helpful too. His most recent way of working was markedly different from what he created in previous years. I was...
Apr202016
Creative Confidence
I’ve been curious about creativity lately: where it comes from, stumbling blocks, how to develop it, how to sustain it, how it works in different disciplines. First I heard about the concept of “creative confidence” through a TED Talk with David Kelly titled How to Build Your Creative Confidence....