Inktober

I'm joining in with Inktober over on instagram for the first time this year. The only rules: draw something every day, and they have to be done with ink, although you can use a pencil to outline first.  You can post with #inktober or #inktober2016

I decided to just go for it and draw with ink straight off. I'm using a book I made out of gelli-printed envelopes, so the size and shape is a challenge, too :)

Above is the first drawing, done in Copics, finishing touches using a white gel pen. This is a left-handed, five minute sketch.

Day 2 - the head of a flamingo. Uniball and Sharpie.

Day 3: a waterlily done with a uniball pen.

Day 4: a grasping hand. Uniball. 

Day 5: a pair of eyes. Sharpie, Uniball, and gel pens.

I'm posting daily on instagram, but doing a weekly round-up here on the blog. Are you joining in the fun? Some of the artists are absolutely amazing!

Gratitude

It's always good to practice gratitude. We had good reason to do so at the end of last week: the entire state lost power at about 4 in the afternoon. Yes, the entire state. That's about one sixth of the land mass of Australia. We were blessed and grateful to have a gas hob, wind-up torches, a log fire, and plenty of candles. 

We were only without power for 6 hours in our suburb. Others got power back more quickly, but some are still without. It's not until something is gone that you realise how much you rely on it.

So don't take anything for granted, and be grateful!

What does love require?

What does love require? At this time and in this situation, how can I act with love? A good question to ask before opening your mouth. A pause before speaking or acting is well worth the time.

It's Friday, so there must be a paint party! I had fun with paint through stencils, paint removed through stencils, paint on a gelli-plate, paint with a brush, and paint used straight from the bottle :) I'm really pleased with all the little details and layers of complexity in this page. (You can see them in the close-up photos below).

For those of you on instagram, I will be joining Inktober for the first time this year, posting an ink sketch every day through October. I've decided to just go for it and not do any pencil drawing beforehand, but get straight on with the ink. Find me there @sojournertracy.

Opportunity for community

Most of us enjoy some level of community. Even we introverts like to spend time with others as long as it's not too many, too loud or for too long :)

But community needs to be worked at. It doesn't come easy and it isn't always convenient. As someone who has moved to the other side of the world, away from everyone in my network, I know that it takes hard work and deliberate action to connect with people. It takes time and sacrifice. It's uncomfortable because it requires vulnerability.

But it is worth taking the opportunities that present themselves. It is worth the discomfort, the inconvenience, the hard work. It is worth it because we all need to feel connected.

Postcard swap

I'm in a postcard swap with Lynda Shoup on instagram (@lynda-shoup, @sojournertracy). When I work smaller than A4, I tend to work in series, doing several pieces at the same time. So here are the postcards. Haven't decided which will go to Lynda yet, but they'll be in the post soon.

Anyone else want to swap? Let me know by email or via instagram and we'll swap addresses.

Plenty of light

The journalling on this page reads: There's plenty of light for everyone, so don't put others in the shade.

Too often we vie with each other for what we perceive to be limited opportunities. But the success of someone else takes nothing away from me. There is enough light for everyone, so we can celebrate successes, whether ours or those of someone else. Let's not compare ourselves. Let us, instead, cheer each other on.

And as it's Friday, we can cheer each other on at the Paint Party. Come and join in the fun.

Sometimes you just have to play

Sometimes you just need to play. No need to have a result in mind, just enjoy the process, getting painty fingers and calming your heart.

Fun with circles

A little time-lapse video for you today of making the sort of circle patterns I posted here. I had already drawn several concentric circles and  lines to split them into 8. You could split them into more sections if you wanted to. I want to have a go at ten-point flowers soon. 

Just a little bit tired...

I'm sure we've all felt like this. And it's OK to admit it. Some days I just feel a little bit tired.

 I drew the face from a magazine picture. The pose was unusual and when I'm tired I don't feel very competent. So this page was drawn with my non-dominant hand. That way I can just let go and not worry about the results. Once the drawing was done, it felt fitting to do the writing with my left hand, too. The style seemed to suit the theme.

Creative architecture

We are blessed to live close to a heap of lovely beaches. Whenever we go for a walk on one, I feel like I'm on holiday :)

We walk with our heads down, looking for treasures. Last time we were on the beach at Grange we found two of these shells, both 10cm (4in) long and undamaged. I love the variety of shells to be found and the knowledge that each one was a home. What beautiful architecture!