The 100 day project Week 9 (Day 57 to Day 63)

Hey there, creative friends!

How is your 100day project going? If yours have been like mine, you would have had ups and down along the way. I remind myself, daily, that I am doing this challenge for myself and that is why I can keep going. But will tell you this, once we get to day 100, I am definitely taking a break.

Lots of people tell you that you have to draw or write every day, but it can be exhausting. Creative work involves a lot of decision-making and that requires mental effort. Even though I have already written more than 50,000 words so far this year, have a novel coming out at the end of April, a novella coming out in July, and have made several artworks, I don't create every day.

So here are this past week's projects.

Until next week!

💜 Linzé

Day 57

Mini books to use in a junk journal. I plan to put them into pockets on a tag which I still have to make.

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Day 58

I found brass clothing things in a PNA this morning and just had to try and use it in a paper project. So I made a tag. The metal thing is at the top of the tag - the ribbon is tied to it.

Have no idea how it's used in sewing. 😏

Time: 1 hour

Day 59

I started a new drawing with carbon pencils. They are darker than graphite, but remain matt. I used both Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black and Faber-Castell PITT pencils.

Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Day 60 to Day 63

I spent most of the week writing. On Thursday (Day 61) I had to have my car's windscreen replaced, and decided to wait while they did the work. I did watch while they removed the cracked glass, but not when they put in the new one. The removal process wasn't something I had seen before.

The rest of the time, I worked on the story.

Time: 8 hours

Cheating the Muse - Letter W

Hey there, fellow creative!

Today, we are talking about our WIPs, the unfinished works in process. I have a few of those lying around, and I'm sure you do, too. A WIP is not a problem because it remains a WIP until a creative project is done.

But sometimes, they don't get finished because we lose interest or it simply doesn't feel right. That is okay, too. The question is: what do you do with that unfinished project? Do you keep it? Tear it up or cut it to pieces? Or you could put it away somewhere and return to it after a period of time.

I am a fan of the last option. It is not always the solution, but a little distance and perhaps time helps to get some perspective. The insight can provide clarity or finalise the decision to start over or get rid of the project. I am more in favour of reusing a canvas, but you do you.

Stay creative. Until Monday!

💜 Linzé

Cheating the Muse - Letter V

Hey there, fellow creatives!

Do you hoard your expensive art supplies? I confess that I do to some extent. In my previous job (I am now self-employed), I earned a massive salary for which I am grateful even to this day. That salary allowed me to buy the best coloured pencils, watercolour pencils, and watercolour paints that I cannot afford today.

Back then, I bought the sets, and since these highest-grade materials are available in open stock, I can replace only the colours that I use up. But I haven't used up anything except acrylic paints and acrylic mediums. My acrylic paint brands are not recognised outside of this country, but we are fortunate that they still are of high quality.

The imported materials pose that hoarding problem: they are available, only very expensive.

I use all my art materials, but I am definitely not pulling out the Caran D'Ache museum aquarelles for group projects or sketchbook practice.

For artwork that does not need to be lightfast, I use student-grade materials, especially coloured pencils. When I use the big guns, I appreciate what they bring to my art to level it up to the highest level.

I have learned something valuable even with student-grade materials: my skills don't depend on the price of the materials. I can draw and paint with student-grade materials just as well, and maybe even better than with the best materials, because I don't rely on the materials to create but on my skills and continued practice to keep improving.

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

Cheating the Muse - Letter U

Hey there, creative friends!

As we get nearer to the end of the alphabet, choosing a theme makes the letters more challenging. Then, the word unstructured popped into my brain.

I see this as a means to explore and experiment. There is no plan. No commission. No reference to paint. Of course, a reference can be used as inspiration, but not to copy. We are going to do just that as our next project in my art group.

It is a more expressive way of painting and is difficult to teach. I will give directions to the members who want to try it, but none of our efforts will look the same even if we use the same reference.

I love this kind of painting, but we will see if the rest of the group agrees once they have tried it.

Lots of fun to do, but with an unexpected and often surprising outcome.

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

Cheating the Muse - Letter T

Hey there, creative friends!

Sometimes we run out of ideas. Or we want to try something new or different. In times like these, I do a lesson or a project presented by someone else. I am sure you have done those as well.

They are fun and easy because the thinking and planning have already been done by the artist presenting the project. My favourite artists to learn from are Tamara la Porte for her mixed media work and Paul Clark for his watercolour and ink. (Their YouTube channels are linked in their names)

Last week, in the Letter O post, Lissa mentioned that she sometimes makes the same mistake more than once because she forgot about doing it the first time. I used to do that until I came up with an idea so I didn't have to remember everything. As someone who paints and draws in various media and does mixed media, I find remembering everything exhausting.

My solution: I have two sketchbooks. A small A5 landscape-bound sketchbook where I plan paintings for competitions. Competitions have themes and rules, so I plan my entry with this sketchbook. Colour palettes, composition thumbnails, and other ideas I might have. Once the painting is done, I go back and make notes on what worked, what didn't, and how I could improve the next time I use that medium or idea.

The second sketchbook is for practising a skill or making notes during an online lesson about a medium or technique. At this point I haven't created an artwork yet, so the notes (sketches or collages) will be helpful before I make a mistake.

This is not a perfect solution, but it saves time, so I don't repeat mistakes often. New mistakes are learning opportunities because I like to experiment. Although not ideal, learning new things makes for better art skills.

How do you keep track of new things that you learn?

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

Cheating the Muse - Letter S

Hey there, fellow creative!

For all my confidence in my abilities as a consulting engineer, artist and writer, the one thing I don't do well is marketing my art and books. Other people do the engineering stuff, or potential clients find me by word of mouth. You get the point, yes?

It's not that I don't know what to do; I just don't spend the time to do the work. There is a tiny post on Instagram, which is the extent of my marketing efforts. (My Instagram) I prefer doing other things with my time, like painting and writing the next book.

Okay, this post is not about any tips to cheat the muse, but as mentioned a few times this past few days, I have a surprise for all of you.

My new book, Tiger Gold, is coming out on 30 April, but it is available already for presale at only 99c. The publication price is $7.99.  You need to provide your email in return, but I don't have a newsletter any more, so there won't be any emails from me. Spam or any other kind. Ever!

You can find the special presale link to Tiger Gold only here.

Don't click the link to the right of my blog, it will not go to the presale discount offer.

Thank you for visiting today; I truly appreciate all of you 💜

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

Cheating the Muse - Letter R

Hey there, fellow creative!

I was not inspired when the letter R came up on my list. Until a few hours ago, I had no idea what I was going to write about. I even Googled a few ideas, but not the AI version. I am not a fan of AI for writing. Anyway, I spotted a few artists' names next to recycling art, and I went, I do that!

Most people associate recycled art with big and bold sculptures, and those can be awe-inspiring. But that is not what I do.

Nope, I stick to small things. Let me give an example. When diamond dot painting became a craze, I wasn't keen. Until about October two years ago, I decided to try a project featuring a peacock. I loved the colours.

I finished it, and it was fun, but not for me. If you had done these, you know they would give you loads extra of those tiny plastic dot things because losing them is too easy.

Stuck with the extra dots, I contemplated throwing them away because I didn't plan on doing any more diamond dot paintings. But, I decided to participate in a national art competition again, and would you know it, those dots were just what I needed.

No, I didn't win, and if they run it again, I probably won't win it either because only portraits have won. I don't paint portraits. But to get to the end of a long story, you never know what you can or cannot use in art. Even those tiny plastic dots! 

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

PS: Don't forget to visit tomorrow. I have a special surprise just for my blog visitors.