Waiting For A Seed To Grow

Hello teeny tiny seeds

Today is my creative day!  I love my creative days.  I get one full, or almost full day a week that I can just create!  However, today I decided to do something different and spend the time with Steve and the kids.  We are making it a creative garden planting day.  So off to the  garden centre we go to see what we can buy for seeds and plants.  Trying to pick out plants, seeds, and flowers with three little ones isn't exactly an easy shopping experience.  After Anna's little fingers reached out a few dozen times to pick all the pretty flowers, I was beginning to want to hurry this family outing up!  With lots of space for the kids to run around, they decided to occupy themselves with picking up all the fallen flowers (which later turned into a nice table piece for the kids).   A whirlwind trip, with a few bathrooms breaks in between, and we accomplished the first step...finding our seeds and plants.

This is my kind of plant!

 After seeing this I will never draw grass the same 

Little hands planting.

Step Two: planting!  Staring at these little seeds in my hand, I am really amazed at how small they are.  I find it mind boggling how something so small can amount to anything.  But the truth is, the smallest of seeds can turn into something great (a mustard seed is of the smallest, but birds actually come and make their nest there).  Who would have thought a little seed would have that effect.  Putting these tiny seeds in the ground made me think of the little seeds in my life.  How many times do I plant a little seed that seems like nothing (such as helping someone, encouraging someone, or  even painting a picture and giving it to someone).   But yet as I think of the garden, I see that little seeds do grow and they grow into amazing plants that bring nourishment to us.  Sprinkling the seeds in the ground, I pray that they are protected from the harsh elements of the world, that they will reach their full potential,  and produce more than what I could ever have imagined so that many can be blessed.

  Keep planting!  Small seeds do grow into something beautiful!

 Step three: waiting!  In this season of my life I feel like I am planting lots of little creative seeds.  I have to remind myself a seed takes time to grow.  As I watch it grow, there are things this little seed requires from me.  Developing what is inside of me creatively is a big part of growth for me.   So is not allowing myself to be discouraged when the seed of creativity is not growing at the speed or the way that I want. However,  my biggest challenge in all this is waiting!  Who likes to wait?  So much goes through my mind during the wait time.  Is this really going to work?  Will it ever amount to anything?  What about all the weeds around it that damage or kill it?  If I am not careful, doubt and disbelief can crowd the very reasons why I have planted the seeds in the first place.  I planted in faith believing that it would grow into something greater.  Hello patience!  I welcome you in my heart as I wait in faith.

A little water and some sunlight and you are on your way.

Now for my high-lite of the day!  Garden gloves take hold of the paintbrush!  I have a secret plan for the garden (shhhhh... I'll run this by Steve later).  I am making a section into the doodle garden.  Nope, I will not be painting the veggies!  But I plan on making it into a doodle land, equipped with flowers and lots of doodles. With that in my mind, paints are a needed part of planting the garden.

This chair is about to get a complete make-over!

Hello garden chair! You are going to fit in nicely around here!

A Story To Be Told From Doodles

The picture that started the idea for my book.

Lately I have been putting a lot of my creative time into creating my first children's book.  I have ventured out into this new thing and I am learning some valuable lessons.  When I first decided to do this I thought, how hard can it be?  I mean, you can write and illustrate some pretty basic books if you want to.  Kids like simple!  I sat down one afternoon and wrote my whole 32 paged book.  I had an idea that was inspired from a doodle and went from there.
The first part seemed fairly easy.  Then I began to illustrate, and well, this has been a whole other story! The first thing that happened was I noticed myself beginning to strive.  I was trying to come up with pictures that would fit the text that I had already written and it wasn't as easy as I had hoped.  The more I tried to fit the text, the more frustrated I got and the more I got on the striving wheel.  Bye Bye fun,  which isn't good because the book was supposed to be about having fun! (thankfully the record button wasn't on).

I felt like a machine trying to plough hard ground.

I don't know about you, but after I have a run on the striving wheel I feel unmotivated, uninspired and really don't feel like continuing.  Trying to create when you are not inspired is very difficult.  I decided it was time to take this matter to my prayer closet.  After pouring out my heart, I realized there was a lot surfacing.  My striving wasn't just happening in my creative time, but also in my day with the kids, homeschooling, and trying to keep the house somewhat tidy!

So what was the solution?  How did I get off this striving wheel?  I needed to let go!  RELAX!!  Go with the flow!  As much as I may think I am somewhat a free spirit, I can get caught up with my agendas!   Who am I fooling?  Just because I don't write them out, that doesn't mean I don't have one in my head.   I decided to go back to my daily doodles, colouring in pictures that I liked, and I started to get some ideas for the book.  It meant being flexible with the text and even being willing to let go of what I had previouly written.  As I did this guess what happened?  I said hello to inspiration again!  I saw a new dynamic happening!  I had a creative story, but now I had a chance to bring even more creativty to it by seeing what unfolded in the drawings.  It reminded me of peeling an onion and each layer was getting to the very core.  I realized that I had formed a box around what I had written, and my doodles were taking my story out of the box to the next creative level.  And through all this my spirit came alive again and I began to have FUN, the much needed component for writting a childrens book that is called ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

My bubble blaster coming to life.

I also began to pay attention to things around me that were catching my attention and inspiring me creatively.  I recogonized that God was planting things all around me to help direct and inspire me for this book.  I just needed to slow down and notice.

The bumblebee buzzer done in a doodle.

Here is an example of me trying to fit something into my text.  I was working on illustrating a page about a scene with an elevator and that's what I had written and I really liked the concept of what I had written.  I went through pages and pages of doodles but there wasn't anything that remotely looked like an elevator.  Instead there was one doodle that kept catching my eye.  I really didn't know how to use it with the elevator scene.  It looked like a giant bumble bee.  Later that day I was outside with the kids when I noticed a big bumble bee.  I began talking to the kids about this big bumble bee. The picture of the doodle came to mind and there, in that moment, I got an idea an idea for my elevator!  As much as I liked the elevator, I realized it wasn't part of my story.  But the giant bumble bee buzzer was!  Really, who wants to ride an elevator to the top of the world when you can ride a bumble bee buzzer.  I re-visited my doodle and was amazed at how fitting this doodle was for the illustration.  Yes letting go is a good thing!  Can't wait to see what will come this week!

Funtasical birds showed up in my doodles.

Found a wing-backed chair to add to the story!

Meet the Slopester Copter, the ski lift for the slopes.

So doodles, you are making your way into my new children's book.  Who would have thought?  There is a story to be told!

Gourds? What Can I Create From a Gourd?

A Gourd is a plant of the family cucurbitaceae.  The term refers to many species and subspecies, many with hard shells.  That's the Wikipedia definition.  Mine...it's some kind of hard looking plant that you can make cool things from.

Wow!   I am learning a lot from doing this blog!  Gourds were definitely not something I planned on blogging about.  But when inspiration comes, go with it!

Before Africa, I had never heard of a gourd.   I must have slept during that part of school!  My first introduction to a gourd was when I purchased one at an Africian market.  I thought I was purchasing a soup scoop.  It didn't look like your typical soup scoop and that's what I liked about it, not to mention the fact it cost me pennies.

My African friend informed me it was a gourd, that it grew locally in the field, and the Africans used it for many things.  I packed my gourd soup scoop in my suitcase and checked it through Canadian customs.  Over the years I scooped many soups with it.  Eventually it got used enough and I had to say good bye to my best soup scoop ever!   And that was the end of my gourd experience!  Until...this week!

My parents and in-laws took a trip to Pensilvania, and my mother brought me back a heart warming gift for taking care of their cat!  Guess what it was?  A gourd!  But not to be used for a soup scoop.  Apparently they make lovely bird homes and, not to mention, a nice canvas as well.   I guess she figured a gourd needed a little of my artistic flair.  Who needs a sketch book when I've got a gourd to doodle on!

My father-in-law (a born entrepreneur) saw a business opportunity at hand and purchased a packet of gourd seeds.  He plans on planting a field of them.  So it looks like I may be working in a gourd patch next spring, harvesting gourds with my paint brush and paints.

 After doing some searching around my house, I realized I have more gourds around than I thought.  These are some that have been made into instruments.  No wonder I never knew we had them.  Music is not my department.

A coat of white paint to start

Paint pen marker adding some doodles

Every gourd needs!  Some colour!

What would a gourd patch look like doodled?

So what exactly is this?

Steve using his handy tools to empty out the seeds.

Ta-dah!  It's a bird house!
I wonder what kind of bird will make his home here?

A doodle bird of course!

Doodle Inspired Prints

As you may know by now, most of all my inspiration comes from my doodling.  Finding some quiet time in my day, where I take my black felt tip pen and freely doodle.  Just freely allowing my pen to 

move around my white page.  There is no right or wrong way to doodle. It's just fun and freeing.  I don't have to make pictures out of what is on the page.  I purposely choose marker so that I can't erase any lines, otherwise I would be trying to erase jiggly, wiggly bouncy lines, and so many of those lines have inspired something more in me creatively.  Those lines make up my style!   They're what is coming out of me!  So many times they even reflect what I am feeling or going through. (I just don't always know it).  So for all those who have asked me how to doodle, I just say pick up a pen and allow it to move.  Your lines may be very straight, small, big, or shapes.  As long as they're you, its good!  After I am finished doodling a page I will often go back and flip through my sketch book to see what may be hiding in my doodles.  Lots of times there are little creatures, sometimes little worlds have been created without me even knowing it.  Sometimes there are even words hidden (not intended) and a message for me.  I then see which ones I am inspired by and begin to colour them, which then leads to paintings or prints.

My trusty fine tip pens

My favourite markers

                                               Here are some of the prints that I have done.

I am amazed to see what I can create from what seems like nothing.

8X10 prints ready for framing

                                     

Why not doodled greeting cards

perfect for invites or to send a fun note

All this to say, doodle!  Doodle from what comes out of you and enjoy the process.  Don't try to figure it out just have fun.  You were made with such uniqueness that is ready to burst out all over your page. I would love to hear any feedback from your doodling adventures.

From Doodle to Painting

orignal doodle with crayons

This week I have really been longing to just get my paints out and turn some of my random doodles into paintings.   I did a doodle a while ago and I really liked it.  I decided to colour it with some crayons and see what it would look like and guess what, I liked it.  So I took it one step further and painted it out.

When I was done painting it I felt so much joy!  The joy was coming out of a place of freely creating something that was inside of me.  It was so unique and different and so random.  I loved it!  Nowhere else could I find another copy. I like the fact that it had been birthed out of just freely drawing.  If I were to sit down and think up a painting, I would never had come up with this scene!  My analytical side of the brain would have gotten in the way.   But to me, this painting doesn't really have to make sense.  It's just bringing out a heart of fun!   I have decided to call it 'Flying Lessons' simply because it's what comes to mind.

Flying Lessons (Acrylic on canvas)

As I have been flipping through my sketchbooks, I've been having fun re-visitng my doodles.  It's like going on a treasure hunt.  I find lots of little pictures hidden in them.  I've grabbed my markers and started colouring in some images that have inspired little characters and other paintings that are still to come.

                                             A SNEAK PEEK INTO MY SKETCH BOOK

Primary colours and fun! reminds me of kindergarten

What will you be?

Where do you belong?  In the sea I think!

I keep seeing an interesting character finding his way in the city.

Found this guy peeking out of my doodles.

More funtastical paintings to come from these doodles!  No time to spare.  When the inspiration hits, so my paintbrush must hit the canvas.  So much for an early night!!

Finding inspiration from a whimsical world

Whimsical: unusual, in a playful or amusing way not serious.



I have always loved whimsy! Maybe because I have come to realize I am somewhat whimsical.  I've loved looking at artwork that has a whimiscal feel to it.  Things not always painted as you would really see them.  A world of pretend that looked like fun to enter.

I never really thought of the world as whimsical.  I never really thought of nature and all its beauty as whimsical either until I really started to pay attention.  If whimsical is unusal, then what I fixed my eyes on everyday seemed pretty normal to me!  That led me to thinking, what if I had never seen nature before?  What if miraculously my eyes began to see?   Would everything look normal?  or unusual?

Putting on a new pair of $5 magnifying funky glasses, I went out and began to really look at the trees,  the branches, the flowers, the clouds, the grass, leaves and guess what?  I found whimsy in all of them. There were bends, curves, twists, lumps, and bumps, and plenty of colour coordinating.  I giggled at all  the jags and zig-zags.  It made me think of  how much fun it must of been for God to create all that he did.  I soon became aware that nature is anything but normal.  All around me there was unusual, amazing creations.  They spoke of fun and of play to my heart . This called for a whimiscal photo shoot because I am inspired to create whimsy things from things already whimsy to make something funtastical.

Off  I go on my whimsical photo shoot

Hello whimsy nest, you must be one fun bird! Thanks for visiting our yard

There almost looks like a leaf bug is hiding in this playful looking grass

This is an interesting picture that I obviously edited a little.  Steve had run across a whole farmers field to snap this while me and kids waited in the van.   I had spotted this tree from the highway and loved it's whimsy nature.  The picture itself wasn't all that clear.  But this is the outline.

Steve got in on the photo shoot and captured some cool creations

Now that's my style of tree

Normal looking leaves but what really is normal?

My favorite pic of the day! The hamburger cloud coming to invade the earth!  Could really be inspired to write stories form the clouds alone.

  Not to forget my playful whimsical little daughter, taking a picture of me while I snap one of her.

She dressed herself with her sisters purses all 10 of them.

So the question is, what to paint from all my finds?  My sketchpad is calling my name!