Precious Living Stones: 2015 - A Year of Sowing!

It was hard at first, to pick my word for this year! I couldn't think of one for a bit. So I made myself a tea and sat quietly for a while to reflect and look forward. What did I see this new year being for me? I knew I wanted it to be about growth but I wasn't sold on that particular word.

I knew I wanted to challenge and stretch myself. This year I have chosen to take part in The Documented Life Project by Art to the 5th. To take part in this project is completely free! Through a series of weekly prompts for the entire year - you end up creating your very own art journal. The talented artists at Art to the 5th have come up with some wonderful ideas to stretch your creativity and build your art skill. Anyone can take part all you need to do is sign up (you can use the links in this post). It doesn't matter if you have never done 'art' before. I have always loved art, and we keep nature notebooks so journalling my year through art appealed to me - very much! As I began to think about it, I wanted my year to encapsulate this theme of growth, using my journal as a opportunity to be intentional about it. I came across a picture depicting seasonal art on line a while back (there are all sorts of ones out there on DIY Art Pinterest boards, see here for the example I patterned mine from). I had wanted to paint it on canvas but it didn't happen for 2014. I decided then, that it would be on the cover of my art journal and I settled on the word 'sow'. I would like this year to be about sowing seeds of new habits and olds ones made anew. As I work through my art journal with the weekly prompts from The Documented Life Project I will fill it with all sorts of things: poetry, scripture, riddles, reflections in the days of both joy and struggle, song, music, prose and of course, art. I have always been drawn to creating and doing art but have never had the opportunity until this time in my life to stretch myself and explore my creativity.

I am looking forward to this season of sowing.

My art journal came from amazon and is the Ranger Dylusions Dyan Reaveley's Creative Journal
- the recommended journal by the Art to the 5th Academy. I treated the cover with gesso (a couple of coats) and bought some acrylics at the Dollar Store. I was very nervous to start it, because I didn't want to mess it up! One of the ladies on the FB group for The Documented Life Project said if I made a mistake or didn't like it, I could just add gesso and start again. Problem solved! I decided to relax and have fun! Have fun I did!!! I had a lot of fun. I took the colours I wanted as my backdrop for the seasons and mixed them to either soften the colour or brighten it, using a wider paint brush with wide strokes to add the backdrop. I let it dry and added my tree. I used more mixed colours to create some texture and variety for the tree. I also used a skewer to add some thin strokes I wanted to create with other colours. Fingers were good for blending little bits of paint! I used q-tips for the round 'leaves' and tooth pics dipped in various colours to compliment and add a variety of colour inside the leaves. I used what I had on hand and thought about what I could use to create the effect I wanted. Some of the kids playdough tools looked appealing. I tucked that away in my mind for another day and art project!

I didn't use a you tube video this time around, although I am certain I will utilize them in the future to encourage techniques and variety.

Above all, I enjoyed myself immensely. It was both relaxing and satisfying. Looking forward to doing more as I learn to cultivate through the seasons of growth this year.