Day 18

Tough day. I could create a new reality show: Survivor - Cubicle. After a encouraging talk with a good friend I felt better and got down to drawing. A little half hearted but good for me. Not looking forward to tomorrow but TGIF.

Gina

Day 15/16/17

Three, three, three posts in one!

Two late nights at the office and I had no energy to for drawing. So today, while there was chaos around me and I was waiting on the next directive, I used the time to make up my drawing a day backlog.

First, since I "fell off the wagon", so to speak. The ART wagon that is.

…then another Zentangle. Both done with a fine point Sharpie that bled a little on the cheap paper of my office notebook.

Tonight another Zentangle using a new pattern from the web site.

Tomorrow, more chaos and probably more overtime, too. Arg.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Draw Everyday for a Month process. I know I am.
Gina

Day 14

And it's back to the coffee shop theme. THIS is where I prefer to buy my coffee. Fair trade, organic and so fresh. Black gold...

After meeting a couple of friends at a ceramics show I went to my favourite coffee shop. I have to confess, I stopped in at Starbucks first - they have the better social buzz but it was packed. So I opted for the quieter place and it probably suited my mood a bit better. This is the view from the back corner facing the expresso machine. I had the corner to myself but had to listen to one of the staff who clearly knows everything about everything. Yikes. Had to plug into my iPod to shut him out.

It's been a cranky weekend - can you tell?!? Definitely out of sorts and trying to figure it out.

Wow, two weeks done, haven't missed a day yet, even if I didn't get the blogging done that day. I did take some photos when I was out and about yesterday so maybe I will use some as inspiration for the days to come. One thing I did notice was all the REALLY small houses that dot the country side. I'm so used to seeing huge house all tucked up tight together. I am a fan of the small house so it was refreshing to see them all.

Happy Day 14,
Gina

Day 13

My day trip out to the country side was not quite what I intended. It clouded up, cooled off a bit and the small town that I headed out to see was so much smaller, sleepier, than I thought it would be. Just a cluster of about half a dozen places at an intersection. The coffee shop was the place I looked most forward to going to and it was... OK. If you don't have a specialty coffee (latte, cappuccino, etc.) then it was "french press" in 3 sizes. Which leads one to believe that you actually get a french press of coffee. Instead I just got handed a mug of coffee. ?? Good coffee and I then I asked if I could buy coffee by the pound or half pound. The gal looked at me quizzically and said that I could order it. I explained that I just wanted coffee to take home with me and she then told me that they sell it in reusable mason jars. Like that concept but I didn't even bother to ask if they ground it there and she didn't offer. Interesting...  I had some of the coffee this morning and it's excellent. If I can find it in the city, I would buy it again.

After driving around to a couple other small communities, I head back to the city with a sour stomach and a migraine. I just couldn't seem to find a place to settle in and read or sketch.  I found a coffee shop in town and waited until the start time of a movie I wanted to see. Still no sketching, but I finished my novel. When I got home I did this. It feels like something organic and slightly alive, the way coral is, slowly growing and changing. It was very meditative.

Happy creating,
Gina

Day 12

This tangle looks like I felt at the end of a long week - messy, disorganized, haphazard. Once again, falling asleep in front of the TV after doing the drawing. Bad habit but it feels good at the time.

Today is Day 13, the sun is out and it's supposed to be 11°C - wow! I missed the last two gorgeous days  -- stuck in the office. I didn't even get out for my measly 1/2 hr lunch. I think this calls for a day off, a road trip maybe. Some plein aire sketching seems in order.

Enjoy the day!

Gina

Day 11

  

Good afternoon... I completed this over breakfast - OMG, I'm ahead of the game! Scooping a few minutes out of my day to finish up here. It's been an intense few days at work and I'm looking forward to going home on time tonight and making a nice dinner -- trying a new recipe, coconut curry chickpea something-or-other. The recipe looks delish. 

I've had a couple of people approach me about working together. I would love to form some working relationships and eventually launch out on my own. It's always about $$$$$$. Making ends meet when going from a salary to freelance. I just keep putting it out there and looking for connections to help it happen.

Lovely sunny afternoon, pleasant for November. I would love to be sitting in the window of a coffee shop, working on something fun, chatting with other patrons. I'm there in spirit.

Thank a war vet & have a great day.

Gina

 

Day 10

The second 11 hour day creating a monster iPDF. Oh my. All I keep thinking is, "this isn't what I want to do with my life." The gal I'm working with it on is such a creative little spitfire but I see her light being dimmed at this job. I hope we both find our way out and soon.

I love hand lettered pieces so this was a lot of fun. Feels a little seventies. I wonder where those platform shoes went?

Peace & love,
Gina

Day 9

Worked at the office until 8pm tonight, no real breaks for lunch or dinner. Got home, made some tea, tuned on my old friend Mr TV and got my drawing things out. I was looking forward to it more tonight than any day so far for some reason. Nice.

This drawing is in honor of Remembrance Day and all of those who sacrificed for us.

Happy creating.
Gina

Day 8

I'm trying a new Zentangle format after seeing someone's blog with all kinds of amazing free-form pieces. Very inspiring!

I had coffee with the friend I am going to do some collaborative work with. I told him of a story that's been stuck in my head for a number of years now. He was very supportive and encouraging and I so appreciate his kind words. It's close to my heart and the characters are reminiscent of my mother and my daughter. I think I forgot to tell him that part! (sorry Eric!)  Time to get it out of my head and on paper, or, umm screen.

While I was waiting, I flipped through the newspaper and came across my horoscope for the day. I say, bring it on!

Happy creating!

Gina

Day 7

So, Zentangle a day... not that's there's anything wrong with that! I'm enjoying doing the Zentangles and I suppose that is what counts. I was home all day and managed to keep the TV off until 5:30pm. I did, however, spend several hours reading a novel. Not quite so decadent but not very productive. I don't enjoy Sunday nights so much, home alone, contemplating the workday to follow. Hard not to turn the TV on for company.

Some laundry to finish now, clean up the kitchen, go to bed. G'night all...

Happy creating...
Gina

Day 6

Still catching up! Same excuse as the previous, did a Zentangle in the evening and then fell asleep watching TV. Must stop doing that. I am canceling cable shortly, the contract doesn't allow me to until mid-December. Such a waste of money for what the service offers and the billing problems. Oh my. Paying for this aggravation, no thanks! I really should stop watching the damn thing anyway.

So today is Day 7 and I would like to spend a bit more time at today's piece. And I have an extra hour with which to do it, yay!

Happy creating!
Gina

Day 5

A little late with the posting. I started the drawing on Day 5, at breakfast knowing I'd be going out in the evening, right after work. I finished it when I got home but fell asleep in front of the TV afterward. Seems I'm on a Zentangle roll! They are so fun to do.

Happy creating!
Gina

Day 4

Today was a struggle. I started this Zentangle at lunch time since I was going out for coffee with a friend tonight (Hi J9!). I only got half of it done so I quickly finished it tonight, not much joy in the process, I have to admit. I was under the gun on a job and even lunch was a bit rushed. Home now and I'm tired, a little cranky. I'm looking forward to the weekend and having a bit more time, and heart for the drawings. I am heading out to the country for an art show and hoping for some inspiration.

Happy drawing...
Gina

Day 3

I really should start this earlier in the evening... *yawn*

The other day I was looking for some illustrated children's books I had kept from when my daughter was little. Can't find them, they must be in a box in my mess of a basement. What I did come across was a Mad magazine special edition book of The Best of Mad's Don Martin that my daughter rescued from a box of my childhood books. I used to LOVE those drawings. Still do. I love the style, the crazy people with the long faces. I drew them quite a bit as a kids, was quite good a copying them. In high school I did a caricature, in the Don Martin style, of a fellow I dated. He was a handsome young man with dark curly hair, long eyelashes and was missing a front tooth that didn't seem to diminish his big, bright smile. He was a great subject for a caricature. So today's drawing pays homage to that time in my life when I would endlessly draw from those books.

Tomorrow I am back to the office and another thrilling day of linking/working that interactive PDF.  FUN!  not...

Happy Drawing!
Gina

Day 2

No Zentangle today, that just felt waaaay too easy. I saw a picture from Peggy's Cove in a new Facebook friend's photo album and was drawn to it, so I thought I would tackle it in watercolour and a bit of ink line. Oiy! I am rusty. Proper watercolour paper would have been better but it felt good just to do it.

I spent most of the day linking a 340 page interactive pdf. Creative? I don't think so. Such is the world of graphic design these days. Came home with a headache and some Indian take out.

It's 10pm, and I'm tired & grumpy so it's a short post and off to bed. If, that is, I can tear myself away from the home reno show that is on. Geez, I love those shows! A throw-back to my short lived interior design career.

Happy creating!

Gina

Day 1

So here's my first piece, Nov 01, 2010.

I wasn't going to do this. No, I wasn't. I was going to participate in Leah's Art Every Day Month for November 2010 on my own. No blog. No one to know if I stopped or not. I already have a blog that I neglect, why have another? Write a post, scan the drawing, geez, EVERYDAY?!! Who has time?! Not me... Bullsh*t. I easily watch a brain-numbing 2 hours of TV a night. The kid is away at university, condo corp cuts the grass, shovels the snow, cat sleeps most of the time.

Yesterday I rummaged through my letterpress studio for some paper. Found a stack of 40 or so offcuts, about 4" square. Perfect, that was easy, guess I should really do this. Last night as I waited for trick-or-treaters I decided to give one a try. I did a Zentangle. Fun, didn't have to think to hard about that one. Ok, so, I'll do a Zentangle a day if nothing else. Then I drew a lamp in the corner of my living room, then a couple more Zentagles. Maybe I could do this?!? So, today's drawing, you guessed it - a Zentangle! I love doing them, I love b&w and line.

Declare I am artist, huh? Yikes. Sure, I draw a bit, print, knit, sew... but an artist? Well, OK, a graphic artist. I usually qualify it with that. Then I get the "oh, that's so interesting!" comment. "Not really" I say, "Pretty boring, repetitive". Want me to take an someone else's design, lay out a 100+ page document using that design, tables, graphs? I can do that. FAST! Or all those technical papers I churn out? Creative? No. That's why I am here. I am an artist. I AM AN ARTIST. Dammit. I think. I hope...

As a graphic designer/artist my work is always client and solution driven and I find it hard to freestyle and just draw whatever I want. Often I can't make up my mind. I have a collection of images that inspire me, things I want to paint. Hopefully some of them will show up here eventually.

Yesterday afternoon a friend and I were bitching about how much we disliked our respective careers. I met him working at an ad agency years ago, he's now doing a master's program at a local university. One of the most talented, creative, smart, funny people I know. I asked him what he would do, if he could and be successful at. He didn't even have to think. He said "write". I love that it was such an automatic answer! He knows, that's huge. When asked the same thing I saw paint/draw. Also no hesitation but immediately followed by the thought: "yeah, right." Turns out we both have an interest in children's books so we have decided to collaborate and try to have some fun with it. Oh, boy. Came home all excited about it, now I feel confronted. Can't Zentangle my way out of this one!

As I write it is 4:30am. I woke up around 3am, a knot of anxiety in my belly. I don't look forward to going to work. Lots of office politics, one guy got let go, everyone is walking on eggshells, wondering if their job is on the line. Lots going on behind the scenes but not everyone is being let in on it. I am trying to mentally prepare for the possibility of being jobless. Freaked out about the financial implications, excited at the thought of getting out of there, finally. So, 3:30am, still couldn't get back to sleep, so many thoughts, fears. Blogging seemed like a good place to put it all down. Must say, it all sounded so much more clever in my head. Oh well. My apologies if you have actually gotten this far. Hmmm, maybe I am more suited to night pages.

Alright, first drawing DONE and blog entry, DONE. It's now nearly 6am and I'm wide awake. Still. Maybe I will just go lay down, for a bit...

Happy creating...

Gina