Dandelions and Bad Art

Dandelion in ink and wash

The themes for the week were Dandelions and to Make Bad Art. Years ago when I was feeling creative, I would make lists of things that interested me and write them on a stack of business cards. Then, when I wanted to art but didn’t have a subject, I would shake the sack and pull out a random prompt to work with. Along those same lines now, I’m using a spin-the-wheel app that lets me add what ever I want to it. I just spin the virtual wheel and BOOM a prompt to brainstorm with for the week.  That’s where the dadelion theme came from.

Spin-the-Wheel App

Then I just go into free style mode on what exactly that means… Is it a literal dandelion? Is it a Dandy? Is it a lion? I chose for it to be any member of the Aster family like chicory

Pocket sketchbook with an ink drawing of Chicory and a scientific description of the aster family and where to find chicory in Texas
Chicory in fountain pen
Sketches of dandelions in my pocket sketchbook, done in fountain pen.
Dandelion sketches in ink

As for the make bad art, I sat down and listed a hundred or so slogans I’ve seen tossed around pertaining to art improvement and started listing them. This was the top of the list. It’s not really encouragement to make bad art. Nor is it an implication that your art might be bad. Instead, it means your focus should not be on making good art, but just on making art. Even bad art. Especially bad art. Bad art teaches you something new. Everytime you engage in your creative processes, you learn something, but you learn more when you have challenges and mistakes to review. So, make bad art.

These two themes came together on The Artistic Biker Live! last Thursday when I painted dandelions in the art journal. I realized that I should have made the background more dramatic and there should have been more splash in the colors and shadows of the asters. All in all it was a good time. I streamed it straight to youtube and left all the hair-dryer paint drying in. :)  You can watch it here:

The Artistic Biker Live!

Renaissance Man, or, A Faire to Remember

My kilt and wings

A couple of weeks ago, the family and I went to the  Texas Renaissance Festival and had a great time. My wife and I dressed up a bit, the kids went all out, and I got to spend the day experiencing fresh air like a true Scottsman.

Selfie with the fam!

This past weekend, while the wife and kids were in Oklahoma visiting the inlaws, I decided to take another trip up to the fair for the Yule celebration. Because I was on the bike (Azula) and also because it was 41F that morning, I did NOT wear my skirt. I bundled up nicely and even so, I was cold enough that I’m sure I could have been a glass cutter.

Me and Azula at the fair motorcycle parking lot

I fought procrastination the whole morning. I bought the ticket online the night before and all morning long I regretted it. I kept trying to convince myself that I shouldn’t have spent the money, that it was a long ways to go in the cold on a motorcycle, that it wouldn’t be as much fun by myself.

I couldn’t have been more wrong about any of it. I had a lovely time walking around, looking at the sites, meeting and talking with so many beautiful people, and eating some really good foods. It was a wonderful opportunity to fuel my creativity tank.

Link to all the photos I took at the fair that turned out good.
I created a page to upload all of the pics I took that turned out good

The link above has all the photos that turned out good, and the link below will take you the youtube for the video: https://youtu.be/PFl-V3zS_j0

Weekly Update 28MAY2015

The Videos

S6E33

I’ve spent some time in Louisiana this week and sat on a cool patio in a soft rain while drinking ice cold beer and eating hot crawfish. PURE BLISS! Thought I’d paint about it in my journal a bit. The Sexy, Red-Headed Darcy named our crustacean Steve

The Longy: Can’t get enough of watching paint dry with us? Me neither. Here is the 90 minute LONGY.  https://youtu.be/NgnWN5_w2TQ

The Quiche: It’s pronounced “Quickie”. If you would like to see the process at high speed with me and the family singing a song along with it, then the 3 minute Quiche is for you. https://youtu.be/RyrbM_FewKo

The Easels: Each week my fabulously talented friends send in photos and videos of their works for me to share with you. Hopefully, it inspires EVERYONE to create something. This week we have Kelly Byrne, The Sexy, Red-Headed Darcy, Pamela French, Jamie Lynne and Jay the Viking.  Click Here to watch What’s On Your Easel! https://youtu.be/qukLE4y5oas

The Easels

Speaking of the easels, I up and left town with laptop in hand to edit this post and get it out for the website and the newsletter, but failed to bring any of the cool easel photos with me. They are all on the desktop that we usually broadcast from. I don’t want you to miss them, so expect a supplement newsletter in the very near future.