Working with Perspective in Riley's Book

Scott provided a venue to interpret perspective.  His book allowed me to process the most recent 'perspective' I am experiencing.  When you are used to moving non-stop, slowing down is extremely difficult.  In terms of the art, I realized that I am much better at flowers and more abstract designs.  I find it difficult to shape and draw realistically, showing the 3rd dimension.   I look forward to working on it!  Thanks, Riley.

Inspired by Ikea

This week I had Jonaca's book, which has no theme, which means anything goes. I used a coaster I bought at Ikea to stamp the leaves on my page and then drew and coloured roses on tissue paper and glued them on to the page. I have used Ikea coasters and placemats for printing with my kids before, but I haven't used them for my work before.  I can't tell you how curious my students are about seeing me work in the sketchbook. They love to ask if I have done my 'homework'.

I love soccer as an alternative to work, which is the theme of Kelly's book: "I really should be working." I made a collage of soccer images which are important to me, and then I wrote memories around them. On the next pages, I tried to make an outline of the images to explain them a bit.  What fun!

Harnessing Synergy in Heidi's Book

When looking to create synergy with fabric for Heidi's book ("Textiles:  Color, Freestyle, and Synergy in Art"), I couldn't help but notice that I was experiencing synergy first-hand.   Some of my initial ideas (a quilting patchwork, a collage of ribbons) were dead ends. They just didn't feel right.  It wasn't until I honed in on this dotted fabric that things clicked.  Why?  I have no idea.  It's not like I have a thing for polka dots.  That's just weird.  By chance though, when I cut the fabric, it frayed, leading me to peel away some of the strands.  An idea was born.  It reminds me that when we create (art, writing, etc.), we need to experiment, explore, and be willing to start again.  Because when we trust in the process synergy is bound to happen.

"The Hamster Wheel of Life" - Exploring in Sandy's book

I love Sandy's first sketch and her theme: The Hamster Wheel of Life.  At this time of the year especially, I often catch a glimpse of our calendar, my eyes bug out and I think, "Seriously?! It's the end of April already?!"  May is always a wash.  And then it's June, and I finally breathe and I promise myself that next year, I'm going to be better at guarding my time and being balanced. Sandy's first sketch perfectly captured the myriad ways our lives often get us stuck on that hamster wheel, and her (awesome) line "strive to be the toad" inspired my collage.  Sandy reminded me that I need to stop moving so much;  it is important to plant our feet, take a breath, and take in what is around us.  Whenever I do this, I am always overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude.

My creation is a collage consisting of thank you notes received, thank you notes we've had printed (that's our lake up there in the top right - 25 teaching days away, but who's counting?!), and the stamps and paper we use to make our own.    I also used some stationary that looks busy to me, with all of those spiralling little wheels, as part of the back drop, reminding me to step off the wheel, take a moment, and be thankful more often.

Goodnight, Mr. Joshua. (Emily's sketch)

The moment I saw Josh's book, I thought of Goodnight Moon.  The Maxim magazine sitting by his bed represents how he might have entertained himself while bed ridden.  The flowers and balloon represent all of the people who were thinking about him and reached out to him while he was recovering.  Lance Armstrong jumping over the moon represents two things: 1) I figure Josh was so drugged up at some point for pain management that he might have hallucinated a few things here or there; and 2) Josh's world was momentarily shattered just as Lance's was (although I realize they are very different circumstances).
I decided to stick with a pencil sketch since that is how Josh started his book; I enjoyed the lack of pressure to spice it up with color.  

My theme is 'Mathematica'.  I created a tessellation and tried to fill each with something a bit softer than the hard edges.  The spotted one is a ray (in case you were wondering).  

Empty Space

I received the The Mystery Sketcher's book two weeks ago, and the art work was a delightful patchwork of designs that I mimicked in this embroidery piece.  Originally, I intended to complete each of the squares with different designs, a way to practice different stitches.  However, I ran out of time, so decided to focus on the four corners, giving myself permission to leave it incomplete.  But then, I decided to look at this piece differently and see the empty spaces as intentional.  I need those empty spaces in my life-unscheduled time for family, friends, and myself-to do with what I want, or to do absolutely nothing at all.

One of these kids is not like the other ones

Betsy's "Outliers" themed book arrived in my hands as I was thinking about writing. I was wrestling with the balance of humor and tragedy and working on personal narratives that I worried would make my readers wince (but made me chuckle). I was also listening to a lot of David Sedaris and Anne LaMott. After all these weeks absorbing wit and self-deprecation and also pondering how to write memoir and not be disgusted with oneself, I decided--enough already--and let a little dirty laundry air. Some of us were slow to gain wisdom. I spent most of my 20's on a runaway train of folly and now-hilarious choices. The result is a silly clothesline of nine former dates: Flip the card, read the narrative, and find the outlier!  (Becky)

Rhian's entry into Amy's reinvention journey

I am married to an amazing man, have two incredible sons, my father and brother are my role models. I was the first girl born into my family for what  (apparently) seemed like generations. After high school, I chose to pursue a degree in math & science and from there fell in love with the idea of teaching high school math: a heavily male-dominated subject area if ever there was one. I have, for most of my life and career, been outnumbered by the male of the species in most situations. As wonderful as all of the males in my life are or have been, as my own sons get older and require less from me, I find myself rediscovering the girly-side of me. Always there, just well hidden behind being "one-of-the-boys". I love Amy's theme of reinvention, as I feel am in a state of reinvention in my life right now. Working with a new team of fabulous women (and a couple of lovely chaps, too!), meeting new friends, having the types of new experiences that moving to a new city and job affords you, I am enjoying rediscovering my girlie side again; simple pleasures and joys not forgotten, just shelved for a while. Looking at my contribution to Amy's book I am reminded that I really need to find some art supplies….black pen and coloured pencils were all that were at hand J

Orchids by Heather Rodocker

Heidi exploring in Heather's book

I was so happy for Heather's theme of "Exploration". I'm really into trying to do something of my own design in quilting. Quilting usually has lots of formula and instructions, but I just love freestyle, texture, design. Anyway, I used muslin as a base to explore going crazy with my stitching. Then I topstitched with black. I wasn't sure when I should stop, and maybe I shouldn't have.... As I was sewing the black topstitching, I felt a little bit like I was playing "pong", that very first video game we played on our TV! Are you all old enough to remember that?

Playing with Perspective

One thing I love about art is how it allows me to live beyond my own experience.  Artists invite me to see the world differently by exposing me to their images, designs, and ideas.  In turn, I always come away with greater awareness, deeper appreciation, and more compassionate empathy.  In short, I am changed for the better.  

That's why I chose perspective as my theme.  Through art, our own perspective grows.  And while I can't wait to see what you'll come up with for my sketchbook, I know that our collective images, designs, and ideas will change us all for the better.

Bloom Where You Are Planted

My theme is to choose your attitude, and choose one that is positive.  This hasn't always been part of my personality; in college, one of my nicknames was "bitter". But recently, I've made a concerted effort to look at the positive aspects of choices and decisions made rather than focus on what is wrong with ...... (fill in the blank with professional directives, family drama, or body image-the list could go on).  I'm tossing judgment, especially when that judgment is directed inward, and is typically harshest.

I also love to embroider, but I wanted to expand my repertoire and add different stitches-just have fun with the pieces.  At night, my family loves to decompress with one another and watch old episodes of Survivor.  This is a great way to be creative while spending family time.  If the pieces don't come out as I envisioned, which they never do (the critical part again), I am not going to dwell on it.  It was fun and light-nothing too serious.  And that's how I want my life to imitate art!

Exploration

I chose the theme of exploration because I am a novice explorer in the world of art. I never considered myself artistic or creative, but more recently, my definition of those words is expanding. I also thought that I couldn't learn how to draw, but after taking an art class through Groupon last year, I've changed my mind on that too! (This also reaffirms my belief that all kids can learn.)

For these reasons, and because I like to learn new things, I said yes to Becky's sketchbook fun. So off I went to Art Friend to look for supplies. Knowing nothing about art supplies, I just explored the aisles and ended up with a basic graphite pencil set and a set of watercolour pencils that intrigued me. Using Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life as inspiration, I created the above. I played with the pencils and water and saw the results. If I did it again, I could do it better...and that's the point, right? Happy exploring everyone!

I Really Should Be Working!

The theme of my book "I really should be working!"  Which of course is what I should be doing right now, but this is so much more fun! I must get that darn yearbook finished so I can get back to my doodles.

Leaning In

The theme of my sketchbook is "reinvention", and in the case of my first sketch, I'm thinking on the reinvention of myself. 

I've had the fortune this year to step away from full-time work, and into a more hands-on role as a mum.  My year of less work has coincided with big things happening on the paid work-front - big things that make me invigorated and ready to step back in the classroom.  But those same big things, and the process of how we are getting there, have left me feeling, at times, grouchy and critical.

Recently I have developed an obsession with reading all things about women in positions of leadership, and if it's by a woman who is also a mum, all the better.   When a friend passed me this article earlier this week, and the author again referenced the tiara syndrome, all the pieces came together: I have no right to be grouchy or critical if I haven't tried to do anything about it. 

So, my sketch.  We're loving our old school Mr Men and Little Miss books these days.   The children's book, a reinvented cover for Little Miss Princess, is drawn with Crayola markers and crayons. It represents the mommy side of me (and reminds me to BUY GROWN-UP ART SUPPLIES SOON), and a lot of the fun I’ve had this year being at home with my little ones.  On the other side, we have Little Miss Princess, here reimagined as a brunette, who has tossed off her tiara.  She’s going back to work, and she’s going to attempt to throw her natural cynicism and grouchiness aside, along with that crown.  There’s no sitting back for this little miss, and she definitely won’t be second-guessing herself or her abilities. She’s reinventing herself.

Oh, by the way, she definitely WON’T figure out how to balance the work/family thing. If anyone does figure that out, there are millions to be made.

Home (?)

I chose the theme Home for my book; it was the one thing that kept coming back to me when I was trying to come up with ideas. No doubt the imminent end of the school year had a strong influence on my state of mind.

"Home" (at least for me) is not easy to define. Having been an expat for over 30 years I feel that a home comes in many different shapes and forms, associations and emotions, people and places so I chose words that spoke of home to me, or at least leant themselves to my definition of it. It's ended up looking like a page out of my diary from the 1980's though……and so it begins ;)

A clutter inspired minimalist

We're always trying to streamline and declutter our lives at our house, and yet we find ourselves crowding our art/thinking spaces with obnoxious, messy bulletin boards. I've thrown them out with every one of our moves, but we always decide we need 'em. We'll never be the people with the grown-up office space; we are still college-dorm-room-thinkers, and so when I pondered my theme of "what inspires you," I wanted to create something that looked a little like those inevitable patchwork bulletin boards I stare at when planning my next creative endeavor. Usually I need color, but this time, since coloring books are something I collect as an adult (okay, so maybe we should label ourselves farther back than the dorm...it is possible that we're still in middle school around here), I wanted to evoke those thick black lines that always inspire (and maybe save an hour or two).  --Becky

pencil and pen

I pencil sketched over the weekend and came up with this. I had back surgery in January, and it has dominated just about every part of my life. The top half shows a frontal view of a spine, my doctor's eyes, my hospital bed, and the phrase "Goodnight, Mr. Joshua," the last thing I heard before going under the anaesthesia. The bottom half shows a spine from the side and lots of numbers. Some are the weight I've lost, some are my class periods, some are my vertebrae numbers. The spines in the top and bottom show the places where the vertebrae are fused by screws and rods, and I drew those in pen. --Josh

Synergy in art

Synergy: the power that results when the combined efforts of persons is greater than the sum of their individual efforts. Abraham Maslow

Since my theme is textiles, color, freestyle and synergy in art, I was thinking about this as I created my first piece. I chose fabrics that I might not put together based on their color/style compatibility and just started freestyling. I spent a bunch of time sewing the striped fabric in a funky way....not sure I like what happened, but I am glad to have made an attempt at a new style. My favorite thing about quilting is that the layering creates a synergy. First you sew the fabrics together, then you put a backing down and quilt on top of that. Somehow, magically, this layering allows just about any design and color to work together. Synergy!