#Shareyoursketch with us on Instagram!

Share your sketch with us! #shareyoursketch on Instagram

I love to see how people create. What mediums they like to use~ pencil, pen, ink or paint.I love to see how characters and motifs are developed. I love to see how people come up with ideas and what sparks their imagination. I also love to see all the different variety of lines and textures used.  I think it’s a great way to get inspired and learn from others.

doodling my surroundings @artisticallyafflicted

I am in the business of making motifs. It takes a lot of time doodling and mark making. Time to practice and try new things. I need all the inspiration I can get so thought it would be fun to try and get others to share their work. Here is what is inspiring me lately on #shareyoursketch.

Heather Dutton (@hangtight) of Hang Tight Studio shares proof that inspiration can come from anywhere. This quirky character is the result of a blob of coffee spilt on the floor.  Heather is pretty active on Instagram. The next two are also some sketches that Heather shared.

Some more doodles waiting to get turned into pattern..

Mary Tanana (@groovity)  of Groovity Designs shares her tropical doodles, a result of her time in Make Art that Sells. I believe these were used for the tropical fusion bloghop which you can see here  – beautiful!

I love this giraffe all zentangled up shared by Angelica Venegas. (@portallerdepapel). This drawing was done by her daughter Rocio.  Her zentangle work looks fantastic here and has inspired me to try some of my own.

Here is another zentangle sketch courtesy of Aryanda Septian (@Ariyandaaa) from Indonesia. Her Instagram feed is full of beautiful sketching, shading and lots of portraits. A whole other world I have yet to explore.

This hipster, shared by Lori Leissner (@leissnerart) just makes me smile. I love his look and his poodle pooch companion. I could see this character developed in so many ways. Lori was in a very loong meeting when she shared this.

Sketches can be in color too! I love this one by Pam Keravuori (@pamkeravuori) created while  hanging at the waterpark with her young daughter. That made me laugh – I first started doodling while spending many an hour at the park with young children in tow. There is lots more color and wonderful type on her feed.

Feeling inspired? Come and share your sketch with us then!
I will be posting some here on my blog every week so that others can get inspired and make new friends on Instagram.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Inspired by print & pattern – geometrics

Have you heard the latest, greatest news?

Marie Perkins of the infamous Print & Pattern blog is publishing yet another book to add to her ever-growing, wonderful ,collection of print & pattern books!

This one is all about geometrics!

Time to get out your pens and paint! Lots of time left to get working and submit. Due date is September 7th, 2013.

“We will be using the term ‘geometrics’ loosely with all kinds of abstract shapes, motifs and patterns (and not just those using exact mathematical style geometry) being included. “

I am not sure if these are considered geometrics, but once I started it was hard to stop! I like to think of it as the zen of doodling.

I have started a few patterns because that’s how I like to work, but thinking I may submit some collage art as well.

“We are looking for patterns, illustrations and prints that use circles, squares, triangles, chevrons, stripes, dots and dashes, polygons, facets, and all other kinds of imaginative shapes”

I am liking “imaginative shapes”..snowflakes?

Not really sure if these are considered “geometrics”. I may have to get a second and third opinion before I submit.What do you think?

I did enjoy the process and I can see adapting these towards Christmas. No work is ever wasted!

A little more on the geometric side of things…

How about some paper collage turned pattern? Lots of opportunity to play around with ideas for this one!

I really like the idea of pulling these out again and re-working them. They have always been one of my favorites because they remind me so much of the paper collage work I love to do. I think these have some directional issues, but once worked out would fit quite nicely into the category.

I am sure you also have some old geometric prints or pattern that could be renewed!

Need some Inspiration? Try these Pinterest boards
http://pinterest.com/darnitalhoward/geometric-patterns/

http://pinterest.com/sarah_bagshaw/surface-pattern-circles/

http://pinterest.com/sarah_bagshaw/surface-pattern-lines/

http://pinterest.com/juliehdesigns/inspiration-line,mark,texture

For more information on all of the Print & Pattern books , have a look at the Print & Pattern bookstore on Amazon.  Be very, very careful – it is highly addictive. Lots of visual eye candy! Don’t forget to visit her blog too for daily doses of inspiration!

Well, the summer is quickly coming to a close here in Whistler. The days are definitely getting shorter and the blankets and fireplace have come out for patio entertaining. I am a bit sad, but also a little excited. I like to treat Sept 1st as my second chance. A chance to re-assess my direction for 2013. A chance to accomplish all the goals I set out to achieve at the beginning of the year.

I am happy to say that I think things are running along tikkity-boo!

See you next week!

Inspired by mark making

Some weeks are just harder than others to create. Last week was one of those weeks.

Some weeks I just get brain overload ~ I want to draw and create too many things. This usually happens when I am pressed for time and have other priorities looming. A definite form of procrastination. I call it productive procrastination no time is left wasted.

I started seashells,sailboats and surfboards..but nothing was catching.Not even flowers which are always my go to.

So,in search of simplicity, I finally decided to do just that ~ keep it simple. I lay my journal and black pen out on the kitchen counter and dedicated the week to mark making. Whenever inspiration hit I doodled some marks…Drive by doodling.

I often find myself needing texture and backgrounds in my work. This applies to both drawing and painting. I find it quite handy having a reference list of marks that I can refer to in times when my mind goes blank.I also need more coordinates for my patterns. Interesting marks and textures make great coordinates. They also make great geometric patterns.

I love black and white. There are no restrictions, no complementary colors to think about and absolutely no worries if they go well together. If your design doesn’t look good in black and white then there is a very good chance color is not going to be able to save it!

This is not the first time I have done this! I like to doodle and love my black pens.I am still waiting for my Sharpie pen sponsorship…
Remember to come and #shareyoursketch with me over on Instagram.

We have been hit hard with long, glorious summer-like days. We always like to say that we have our own little piece of heaven here in Whistler, B.C. and right now it’s definitely feeling that way.The mountains are full of snow, the sky bluebird and the flip-flops are out!Very unusual weather for this time of year and not to be missed.

Next week I am heading off to NYC to Surtex. Eek! I will be walking the show and just trying to get a feel for this industry that I have thrown myself into it. I am expecting to be overwhelmed.I am ready for it! Will keep you posted!

Have a great week everyone!

From paper to pattern ~ a creative process

Late night doodling. This kind of doodling makes me happy. Pen in hand with absolutely nothing to do, but patiently wait for the clock to strike midnight.

The joys of parenthood and late nights, waiting to pick up my daughter and friends from a party.Trying to think happy thoughts instead of fretting about the next 3 years ~ late night pick ups, boyfriends, and general lack of sleep. I may be a bit envious too- I want to got to parties!

Sorry,off topic – mindless doodling. I think what I love best about these drawings is their imperfection. They are downright crooked!I also love the childlike feel to them.I feel like getting the crayons out and coloring.

Scanning my black and white drawings into Illustrator and back to the computer.Deconstructing my work on paper and reconstructing into lots of different motifs on the computer.

I am slowly learning to love  playing with my drawings on the computer.I haven’t spent as much time drawing directly on my tablet/computer as I should, still preferring the feel of paper under my pens. I know it just requires some practice, but, for me, drawing is also my opportunity to be away from the computer.Time to sit in the garden or in a sunny spot by the window.

Playing with colors and forming ideas ~ putting together the pieces of the story. I can imagine these  flower motifs on a wide variety of products.

Wouldnt you love to be sporting that colorful umbrella on a gray,rainy west coast  kind of day?

Pattern making time.

There you have the start of Butterscotch Berry– a new collection , coming to you soon!

I would love to see your creative process and feature you here on my blog.It doesn’t have to be about surface pattern ~ mixed media, black and white sketching, photography~ it’s all good! I want to show what inspires and motivates you to create. If you would like to share please email me at jules@bollah.com.

A happy week to all!

Inspired by….a deadline

Oh goodness, what have I got myself into this time…

I thought I would embrace the art community. The “real” one. The one  where I live.

Up until now I have been concentrating on my “online” community. The safe one.The one where everyone wears rose-colored glasses and loves your work. My kind of community!

I applied for our upcoming Art Council “In your dreams” event . I was accepted. All good.

I started my project here. Unfortunately it was brought to an abrupt end when this happened.

RIP....rest in peace

Yes, that is a big rip in my canvas. A gentle reminder that while it is fun to spread out on the floor with your canvas, it can also be a hazard to leave it there.Wondering why I am painting on the floor and not at my easel? You must go here

The life and times of the artistically afflicted…it is a hazardous life indeed.

I am still not entirely sure how that rip got there. I have blamed the dog, my children, providence…
In time, I will accept that I am the only one to blame.

In my artistically afflicted kind of way. I can imagine that I leaned it up against something because the floor became too full with paper, glue and paint. The desk was already busy with my sewing machine. The kitchen table with my computer and journaling material…

Can it be fixed? Well, that is to be determined…all suggestions are welcome!

So with one week to go and no extra canvas hanging around, I have had to come up with Plan B

This!

4ft by 4ft doodle -y- do

A 4ft by 4ft doodle. All to be filled in by next week. Easy.. if I wasnt leaving to Seattle tomorrow for 3 days. Easy if I didn’t have to do a million other things…

Which once again brings me back to my original question.
What have I got myself into this time?(It doesn’t even fit on the dining room table!)

It is all beginning to feel very reminiscent of university..final exams…shouldnt have gone out the night before..

I can feel an all nighter coming on.

On the brighter side of things….at least I have a project for my Creative Everyday goal!

Ahh, the joys of rose-colored glasses!

Inspired by…the doodle.

I am a doodler. I have always been a doodler. I will always be a doodler.

I dont like to dish the doodle. It gets a bit of a bad rap sometimes. Images of people chatting on the phone, pen in hand doodling on a pad of paper often come to mind when I hear the word “doodle”. The dictionary also describes it as drawing or mark making absentmindedly.

a little zen time

There can be an art to the doodle though. With a little time, thought on composition and pattern it can be an artistic learning experience.It can be a fun way to experiment with mark and line. It can be  therapeutic.

In my dreams

I think of doodling as my zen time. A time that I just sit, draw and let the mind wander. No preconceived notion of anything. No stress over what color to paint beside another.  Just time spent solving the worlds problems one doodle at a time.

All it requires is paper and pen.

I am not the only one who has taken the doodle from the front of the telephone book into a form of art onto itself….Check out these beautiful drawings

1. garden, 2. Weekly Challenge No 21, 3. William Morris has a Nightmare, 4. under the microscope

Need a little creative inspiration for your doodle time. Check out one of my favorite sites, Zentangles, over here

This weeks doodle for Illustration Friday – mesmerize