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Good-bye, 2014!

12/31/2014

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OMG...I did it! Creative EVERY day in 2014!
Three years.

1095 consecutive days.

I made art.  Every. Single.  Day.


And I just...I don't know where to start.  Making a commitment to making art every day has changed my life.  I cannot think of my day without thinking about what I am going to create...what materials do I need to gather...what time will I work on my daily piece...making art has become a part of my daily routine.  


I had a fellow art teacher ask me about this whole daily art thing...and I said I would write a blog post. And I did.  Well...I started it. Then I let myself get caught up with mid-term exams, holiday shopping, Christmas...and finally the excitement of NYE and knowing that I had completed another full year of making art.   But I never 'finished' that document...but here is what I started; Click here. (Beware, it's in 'Jenny-speak'...which means it is all over the place!)

One thing I constantly beat myself up about (and also relish)  is my own self-imposed organization and inventory of my work.  This is something that I have been doing just for me but now I am actually in the process of doing for Gallery 2014 (Miss Sharon...I am working on it!) .  The first year I did the CED Challenge I created an on-line document, kind of a catalog of my work.  (CED2012-JLG Artwork) I remember staying up working on that document for a frenzied couple of days...the final day I didn't go to sleep, finished the document then drove to the beach to watch the sun rise.  Awesome, right?  The only thing is I feel like I should have done that every other year, too...and I havent'...so then I get kinda bummed out.

Maybe I will make a document at some point for 2013 and 2014...but for now I just made a big ol' mosaic of images...this is most of the work, not all of 'em...and ya gotta look really close because there are some mosaics within mosaics...but most of the daily work is there.  

Most of it ;)
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Santa Baby...

12/30/2014

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Santa baby...yer done.  The Santa's Helpers series I mean.  And while we're at it- 2014, too...well, almost!

I am going to post a separate post about this past year of making art every day...but for now, I want to just write a little bit about the series I just finished...My goals for this series were to maintain cohesion within the pieces, I think that I stuck to that.  That being said, I kind of wish I would have developed the girls more, some kind of transformation...but then it would not have the overall cohesion that I originally wanted.  And that is something that I am working towards in my daily art, to hopefully work towards some larger goals that I have for my work.

I haven't really done a great job keeping my blog up to date, relying on my Instagram images to fill in the blanks and show my works in progress and random creative happenings.  For the most part, I have made myself be at peace with this, but I do feel bad when I neglect my blog...this is part of my documentation process and therefore part of the art making for me.  So I am going to work on that...but for now, here are the remaining pieces in the series, including the one for December 31, 2014:
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...art from December 18-31st...I can't believe I just finished my third consecutive year of DAILY art!!!!
One reason that I didn't keep up with the blog is...well...Christmas break.  John and I did some traveling while we were home, spent time with friends and family.  I actually let myself get some rest and I am pretty excited about that.  I made my daily art during this time, but nothing extra.

Well...except a commission that I delivered before I left for NC...and I am happy to report that the client(s) loved it!
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Commission...I was contacted about creating a painting of this man's wife, along with a quote that is significant to them. When he showed his oldest son the in-progress pic he shouted out "Mommy!" and...ummmm...yeah. I felt like I got review from a fancy art critic, maybe even better! It was a Christmas gift and she loved it!

Okay...that's it for now...more tomorrow...errr...I mean later today :)
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Warm Weather Wishes

12/17/2014

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PictureIt's beginning to look alot like Christmas! (in Florida!)
Winter break...almost...here.  

And I cannot wait.


This time last year, it was much different.  Not to get too into it, but I needed that break to survive- to get back to being me, to be away from negativity and stress.  This year...just looking forward to visiting with friends and family...sleeping in...making art...and hopefully some pool time.   John and I ventured out to the pool area today- first time since we moved in.  Man, we were missing out all this time!  We pledged to try to make it out there (or just outside) more.  After all, that's why we suffered through the heat in South Florida this summer...to enjoy 70+ temperatures in December!


What does this have to do with my art?  Nothing?  Everything?  I dunno.  Just excited. 

Okay, just wanted to share.  Oh, and here are the latest pieces in my 'Santa's Helpers' series.  I posted a fun lil' video of today's piece on Instagram, stop by and check it out if you get a chance!

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December 15-17th
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Warm Weather Wishes

12/17/2014

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Diy: DRESS FORM Christmas Tree 

12/14/2014

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I am in an art teacher group on Facebook (it's AMAZING!  Looooove!)  The other day someone posted some pics of dress form Christmas trees...and it made me remember the ones in the displays when I used to work Victoria's Secret back in the day...

Then I started to think...I have a dress form...

So I made one.  It cost me about $15 to make, now granted...I already had the dress form and unlimited access to sparkly thangs...but maybe it will inspire someone out there!

I am going to use my new dress form Christmas tree to remind and motivate me to create some more FASHION ILLUSTRATIONS!! 
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Oh Baby, Baby!

12/14/2014

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It's been a minute...been busy with school, some mild ailments, and working on inventory for Gallery 2014...which, turns out is a HUGE task.  

One thing that I want to revisit (because it related to something in today's post)... some paintings I made over Thanksgiving break for my sister-in-law, Maria.  The aunts hosted a baby shower for her and I made some custom paintings to match her super-cute bedding.  The paintings might look a little plain right now, but once she announces her daughter's name I am going to either paint the initials on the paintings...or have some vinyl cut to apply to the paintings. (Dear Giselle, if you are reading this I love you....ummmm...maybe I can bribe you to help me?)  Right now I am thinking that whichever route I go with the lettering I want to use a deep pink/magenta, in a curly, fun font.

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My beautiful SIL, Maria! Can't wait to meet my new niece in February!
Which brings me to another mom-to-be...John's cousin, Krista!  There was a baby shower for her yesterday and once again, one of the gifts from me was custom art!  Her baby shower was definitely south Florida style, ocean-front view in an amazing clubhouse.  Not only was the baby shower Noah's Ark-themed, but that is also the theme for their nursery.  They also picked out really cute bedding for their little boy's nursery, so once again I created some custom artwork.  I pulled some of the animal images from the picture of the bedding on-line.  I like the little canvases that I painted the animals on- they are small square canvases that can be hung or even stacked liked blocks.  For Krista's paintings I had thought about adding initials (...their lil' boy will have FOUR initials!) but I decided against any lettering, that way she can have more options for how to display the paintings.
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Another beautiful mom-to-be, Krista! She loved her custom nursery artwork :)
Turns out...even though I have been on a really weird schedule this weekend (PM naps, waking up at 9-10pm, staying up til 3AM) so far I have been pretty productive.  Every once in a while I treat myself to some new canvas- last week I bought this awesome square assortment of five canvases (MAJOR sale!) so I started some paintings on those in the wee hours Friday night/Saturday morning.  Seems like whenever I work with a monochromatic palette I always opt for blue...and I probably had blue on my mind with the baby shower the next day...regardless, four blue paintings are in-progress...hopefully I will get those finished up today or this week and also start/finish the last canvas, which is the smallest one in the grouping. When I started the first painting (the largest one) I was thinking ice/snow queen.  Then as I worked I began thinking about 'snow angels'. Doubt I will be making any of those down here in Florida but when I was a kid I remember making them when it snowed.  Of course I am focusing more on the angel herself rather than the print.

Side note, the only thing that folks don't talk about with snow angels...when you get up your whole backside is soaking wet (if you had wet-NC snow!) ....then you are FREEZING! Brrrrr! 

Just some (random) thoughts I had while I worked on those.

Also on Saturday, I sat down to work on my daily art and catch up on some episodes of Project Runway All-Stars. While I was working I felt the urge to work on a fashion illustration...it's actually the first and only one I had made this year which is weird because for the past two years I have made about a hundred each year.  I am not sure why I never did this year...but I may try to get a few done before the end of 2014...stay tuned...
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...the morning light on my in-progress paintings...catching up on PR and my daily art...and my first fashion illustration of 2014!
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December 2014 Theme...

12/4/2014

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With the traveling and the birthday hoopla...I am just now sitting down to write a little bit about my December theme...spoiler alert, it's inspired by CHRISTMAS!

For the past two Decembers I have created a Christmas series...so why break tradition now?  Halloween is my favorite holiday...but I do love some holly jolly, too.  

Just for fun...here is a link to my first holiday-themed series back in December 2012, http://www.photoshow.com/watch/tR3QN2cp

For this December...at first I was thinking about a spin-off of the Elf on the Shelf. My sister, Morgan, does this for my nephew and I enjoy seeing the funny antics that she comes up with.  Of course there are a TON of ideas on Pinterest and on the web...

But I don't know...I started to get a little creeped out by this lil' Christmas spy. 
 
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...this was also inspiration/motivation...Elizabeth over at Gallery 2014 liked these little pieces I made last year just for fun and told me I should make some more...so I am...they are a little bit different, but similar.
Just forSo instead of creating my series based on this little North Pole 'scout' I decided to just go with the 'Santa's Helpers' theme and focus on elf ladies.  So that is what I am working on.  I am still working with the mixed media, this time starting with water soluble graphite to create the drawing...then layering watercolor washes...then acrylic...then more watercolor washes...details with pen and colored pencil and finally cutting the gals out and gluing them to holiday-papers.  Right now I am purposefully leaving space in the background in case I want to add text to the images later digitally...planning ahead a little bit.
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First pieces in the series, December 1-4, 2014
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Pink studio tree...yassss!
And I am going to try my best to get the mixed media part done a little faster...it drives me crazy to be dragging around a bunch of lady heads waiting to be cut out and attached to backgrounds...I get all crazy just thinking about it, but that is just how I work.  

I gotta admit- I am really excited so far with the series and with December in general.  I just had a great birthDAY...heck, birthday WEEK!  And seeing all the decorations when I come home really makes me feel festive and excited.  I included a few pics of the holiday decor, lot's of little DYI touches and bargain bling...but it makes me happy.
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Little bits of festiveness all around...santa hats and garland on the gallery wall..Christmas palm with beach-themed stockings...a little plaque I made with our 'family' names on the ornaments...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!
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Have ART will Travel!

12/1/2014

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After dragging my art/art supplies across four states and back over thanksgiving break, I am back in Florida.

And I still haven't unpacked. Sheesh.

I just finished up the last two angels to complete the series.  Ending a series is kind of stressful for me for several reasons...I wonder if I pushed myself far enough....if there is cohesion within the series...if there a sense of narrative (which is just something I like)...is there a sense of  chronology....is it too random...and can the last few  pieces give the body of work closure.

I try not to stress too much, telling myself that I can go back into any piece any series at any time....I don’t do much pre-sketching- I always just go for it...so these can either be finished pieces or small pieces that maybe one day may become something else, like a larger artwork.  So for now they are just a series of pictures that I like and I figure it I make 28-30 of something I am bound to a have something good in there.

But ending the series is still tough, when I first started this this Creative Every Day thing I was VERY strict on myself, requiring that the piece be started and finished on the same day, even stressing out if it was finished after midnight.  I have gradually eased up a little, and with my mixed media work I allow myself to do the drawings each day and then revisit the mixed media part when I have several pieces started, largely because I make a mess when I do collage work...and also to maximize dry time.  


Only problem is sometimes I let too many build up and then it adds stress.

So that is the update.  Posting the final angels soon.  In the meantime I just wanted to share a few pics from my visit with granny over Thanksgiving.  My students made a whole bag full of cards, Thanksgiving, Birthday, Christmas- all kinds of fun cards and even some pilgrim hats!  I took these with me and the residents were all really happy to receive them.  So proud of my students, sharing their heARTs with others :)
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    ...just a gal trying to get this art out of my soul to share with the world on a DAILY basis...no big deal...check out my ramblings!-JLG

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