You Tube Videos - Do You Fast Forward?

Recently, I posted a video to an art group ... just a short clip showing how I paint skin tones ... and was advised that after 10 minutes, videos get boring. The advice to me was to utilize the fast forward option. I have to admit - I initially was insulted, taking the advice as a criticism, that I was boring!! ROFL But then ... I went back and thought about it ... and wondered if this were true? Now, I did go and delete the video from the group ... as I am still in the learning process myself ... and since bandwidth is also an issue for the site - I felt it was best to remove the 17 min clip. I thought about my favorite videos on You Tube ... the ones I watched more than once - and almost all of them do NOT fast-forward. As an artist, I do like to watch in real time...to hear the artist speak as they are going through their creative process. Videos that have a lot of fast forwarding - at least for me - do not keep my interest .. as I can't really follow along at a pace that is comfortable for me to learn. I then realized, I film videos the way I like to watch videos...in real time. What about you guys? Do you fast forward your videos? Do you prefer to watch videos that rely more on speed up and less on real time? Would be interested in hearing the pros and cons from others.

Painting with Stamps_Journal in Progress_ Part 3

Painting With Stamps_The Journal Cover_Painting Faces Part 2

Hello there! I get many emails and messages regarding painting African American skin tones .. so I thought I'd give a a close up view of how I build up colors to achieve one of the darker skin tone shades that I use.

Hope you enjoy - and thanks for watching!

Sketch of the Day

In a sketch book that I've dedicated to 15 min sketches ... here is one I finished today of my Great Great Grandmother ... it's titled "The Elder McLeod". It's based off of a picture she took when she was approx 86 yrs old.

Trying to stick to my 2013 to Persevere and Just Wing It!

Playing With Stamps_The Journal Cover Part One

I haven't been feeling well, so I didn't really feel like talking as I started on the cover to this journal. This is just an impromptu vid of how I am using my hand carved stamps to decorate an old journal cover

:

Ten Minute Sketch

In the painting world, there are funny little expressions to describe us artists and our funny little quirks.

One expression that comes to mind, and hilariously defines many of us...are those that are called "panty folders". Panty folders are the artists that follow the rules. The right brand of paint ... the correct brush ... line drawings are a must ... no rule breakers there.

I don't know if I'm as rigid in my creating - as I try to wing it as much as possible ... but I do find myself falling into the trap of "looking for rules" ... How to start...how to do it... how to...how to ... when I think I lose the point of JUST CREATING.

So, I'm back to doing 10 minute sketches ever couple of days. No thought ... no plan...I just get-to-sketching as much as I can in 10 minutes. I'm happy to say I pleasantly surprise myself as to how much I sketch in 10 minutes ... trying not to put too much though into it either.

Here's to "Just Winging It" in 2013.

Don't Wait to Create

I think I used to spend more time daydreaming about what I wanted to create than actually creating! I used to REALLY envy my prolific fellow artists, who seemed to create masterpiece after masterpiece.

Every creation seems perfect ... every posted image so perfect.

So there I sat ... daydreaming about creating the perfect piece.

And one day ... after another fantastic online course by fellow artist Sharon Tomlinson, I decided to take a creative leap of faith - in myself.

That is what this year is for me ... a gigantic leap of faith in myself. My own ideas. My own creations. Carving these stamps is that for me ... I'm taking what is in my head and putting it out there in the universe.

Affirming to myself that there is room .... for me too.

Let Your Mind Wander

Ever catch yourself daydreaming - and catch sight of your expression in the reflection of a mirror ... your smartphone screen...your PC?

I'm a big doodler, I love to journal and scribble on the odd note or in one of the many notebooks I have tucked away everywhere.

It's those daydreams that give me my most creative ideas ... and when I finished sketching this piece ... I imagined her to be caught up in her daydreams.

Playing With Stamps

For a long time now, I've wanted to see what my designs would look like in a stamp. Unfortunately, I was not able to get many answers to my questions from some artists who have successfully made the jump from decorative art to stamps ... sooooo...

I took matter into my own hands and made my own. Stamp carving on lino blocks was challenging at first, but I got the hang of it.

Stay tuned to see what I have in store for my stamps!