My Letter Art Class...

I have been having such a "learning to fly" time with this on-line class.

I am very precise with my work. Hard for me to go out of the lines, let go. Harder and harder for me to break out and do messy stuff. Think it is a product of getting older.

Anyway, this class is about drawing big, swoopy letters, piling letters on top of letters, using thick and thin pens, writing off the edge of the paper. It is about creating background papers using paints and reinkers and sprays (that spray a different way than planned and now there is spray on the counter and Joanne (the instructor) tells me I should take another piece of paper and mop up the overspray to create another background). It involves using stuff I have had for months (years) and not had time to break out of the packaging and use (fear factor). She doesn't want me perfect- she wants me to make mistakes and then use them to make art.

Just writing this makes my blood pressure rise. Waste supplies just to fool around. EEEEEKKKKK!

It has been good for me. I have a purpose and a reason to get up every morning this month. 29 days of visits with Joanne Sharpe, either on video or photos, her cheerful voice telling me to try out all those pens, use bristol and water color paper, doodle (when did I lose my ability to doodle), color outside the lines- in fact there are no lines on what I am doing, draw lines after I color, (there are no stamped images that I need to do perfectly and cut out exactly). This is down right scary for me and I will have to practice this long after the classes end because it is so good for me.

The ultimate goal of the class is to show me how to do daily art journaling in notebooks that are colored and illustrated by my own hand. Some of my pent up stress is leaving with each broad free hand stroke that I put on paper. If I can't free myself of stress at work then at least I can lighten my load with markers, alcohol inks, fountain pens and colors all over the place.

Photos will come. I'm too busy swooping and flying. Thank you Joanne Sharpe for giving me another outlet.

And thank you for visiting and sharing some of my happiness.

Did I mention that I am taking a two week on line class with Tim Holtz in a month? Now that is happiness.