AEDM 2009 day 30: it's over already?

Once again the last day of Art Every Day Month snuck up on me. I'm not ready for it to end!

I especially like how AEDM has helped me make so much progress on my Sketchbook Project monsters sketchbook. Pretty much every page has something on it, and after a little more work on the cover and a few of the pages, it will be ready to go. Well, I also need to document it before I send it off. Which means it's time for me to finally get out and buy a tripod.

As I mentioned before, I'm going to keep up with the daily art and blog posting for at least the first couple weeks of December. I have a couple of projects that I need to finish up soon, so hopefully this commitment will help move me quickly towards my creative goals.

Many, many thanks to Leah for being such an inspiration during AEDM. Can't wait for next year!

AEDM 2009 day 29: the Procrastinator

OK, so art it isn't, but I wanted to show you my little chicken in a basket drawing anyway. This is a page from a notebook I have called the Procrastinator. Each page has spaces for little drawings and other quick, time-wasting activities. Something about the sense of humor of the authors really tickles me.

AEDM 2009 day 28: hand monster

One of my goals for the coming week is to finish the monster notebook, document it, and send it off.

For missing two days of AEDM, I think I'll do two more weeks of it (including blog posts) in December. Maybe I can convince my friend Kim to do it with me. :)

AEDM 2009 day 25: even more monsters

Another one those pages that doesn't seem quite done, but on the other hand, it's just a sketchbook. Who says each page has to be done?

AEDM 2009 day 24: seaweed monster

I thought this one looked like a blob of seaweed. Or maybe coral.

Is it Sesame Street's fault that all my monsters have googly eyes?

AEDM 2009 day 23: last pages!

See this? It's the last blank 2-page spread in my whole monster notebook. I'm almost done!

There are many pages that are only kind of half-done, but still it will be a relief to have at least something on each and every page. Keeping in mind that this is only a sketchbook, not every page has to be a masterpiece before I hand it in. Here are some of the pages I'll probably work on some more:

AEDM 2009 day 22: that other project

This is what I was making the other day when I couldn't tell you what I was making: a life-sized man drawing for a bachelorette party game. Kind of a variation of 'pin the tail on the donkey'.

AEDM 2009 day 21: sparkly plant monster

If you can't use magic markers and glitter in a monster sketchbook, when can you use them?

I'm so happy there are only a couple blank pages left, plus the cover. Can't wait to finish with the monsters!

AEDM 2009 day 20: starry-eyed monster

In the background there's sort of a monster hiding in a sock drawer for Leah. :)

I spent most of today working on a bigger project, but I can't show it to you (yet). It's a surprise.

AEDM 2009 day 19: pencil monsters

I had so little time for art today. For these pages I just grabbed a pencil and doodled in my monster sketchbook. The pencil itself was kind of interesting: a standard American number-2 dark blue pencil with "1990 FBLA DISTRICT II SKILLS' CONFERENCE" stamped in gold on it. I wondered where it came from, and how it found its way into my pencil holder. I was happy to learn that it was my husband, and not I, who was hoarding 19-year-old pencils and moving them from country to country with us. Not that I haven't been schlepping 19-year-old items through four countries myself. I'm sure there are plenty to be found.

This week has turned out to be so busy with things that are not art. Not that I can complain, since most of the things are very very fun things, but still it's frustrating that I can't give art the attention it deserves during Art Every Day Month. Hopefully tomorrow I will steal more time for art, and have something more interesting to share with you.

AEDM 2009 day 18: London goauche

Last seen here, this little postcard-sized goauche painting of London is done.

I am still getting the hang of gouache. My tendency is to use it very watered down so that it behaves almost like watercolor, but that seems silly given that I'm not particularly good with watercolors. I want to keep playing to see if I can find a style that works for me.

AEDM 2009 day 17: there is a monster lurking in the darkness

Luckily I have some good suggestions for future monsters from the comments of yesterday's post. And then there was my trainer at bootcamp today...

Hopefully I'll be done with this notebook by the end of the month.

AEDM 2009 day 16: monsters dressed up like ghosts

Eh, you try filling a whole sketchbook with monsters. Not easy.

AEDM 2009 day 5: Tate Modern Monsters

Sometimes it's hard to fit in art when I'm traveling. Currently I'm in London, and I packed really light so I wouldn't have to check a bag. The only art supplies I have with me are my monsters sketchbook and a couple pens and pencils. So today I sketched some monsters from paintings at the Tate Modern.

AEDM 2009 day 4: Ahhh! Monster!

As I mentioned yesterday, I am participating in the Sketchbook Project, for which I was assigned a topic. The topic I received couldn't have been further from what I usually depict. The topic label simply reads: Ahhh! Monster!



It's ridiculous how hard of a time I'm having trying to fill a sketchbook with monsters. I keep hoping I'll loosen up a bit and find my monster groove, but so far that hasn't happened. At least I'm having some fun with it.

You'll be seeing a lot of my attempts at monsters this month. I hope they don't scare you.

AEDM 2009 day 3: Sketchbook Project

I am participating in Art House Co-op's Sketchbook Project, and AEDM has come along at just the right time to help nudge me to finish the project and send it off by the end of the month. Art House Co-op is putting together a library of small sketchbooks from artists from all over the world. When you sign up you receive a sketchbook and a topic. Can you guess what my topic is?

AEDM 2009 day 2: Tallinn in pigment and sand

This was a canvas (40x30cm) I had prepped with black gesso mixed with sand. Today I got out a few pigments, mixed them with acrylic medium, and created this scene of Tallinn, Estonia (based on photos from our trip there earlier this year). I'll probably tweak a couple little things, but it's mostly done.

AEDM 2009 day 1: thank-you card

Art Every Day Month is underway. I'm starting with a small project, a thank-you note for friends who hosted us in Toulouse last week. I could have worked on this little gouache scene for hours more, but I forced myself to declare it done and move on.

Hooray for Art Every Day

Time to revive the art blog for Art Every Day Month, hosted as always by the lovely and talented Leah at Creative Every Day. It starts tomorrow. I participated last year and really enjoyed it. Once again I'll be posting my creations daily, no matter how ridiculous they turn out.

The other fun part about AEDM is checking out what other artists are creating during the month and connecting with them via their blogs. I recommend browsing through the other participants via the list on Leah's sidebar.

AEDM month is over; now what?

Art Every Day Month was a blast. On one hand it seems like it flew by; on the other I feel like art has been a daily habit forever. I am so grateful for Leah and all the other creative folks I have gotten to know through this challenge. I have been so inspired by your work and by the sense of community that AEDM created. The kind, encouraging words you have left as comments on my work have overwhelmed me and made me smile again and again. Thank you. I look forward to continuing to follow your blogs well beyond the end of AEDM.



Over the course of AEDM I have finished at least 7 paintings and have 4 or 5 more in progress. I've filled about half of a sketchbook, a sketchbook I've had since 2004, which is now 2 pages away from being completely full. I've played around with collage, pen & ink, pastels, charcoal, magic markers, and more. Plus I managed to post on this blog 32 times, which pretty much doubled the number of posts here.

So what now? I'm going to continue with this habit of creating every day. I'd like to finish up my works-in-progress by the end of the year, and start and finish a couple more. In addition, I'd like to keep experimenting with new subjects, materials, and techniques (for example, today I played around with image transfer for the first time - the partial result of which is pictured above). I won't necessarily post about my activities every day, but I'm going to aim to check in at least every other day to keep myself accountable.

I also think I'll spend December working through The Vein of Gold, the sequel to The Artist's Way which I started on quite a while ago, and then abandoned after the first chapter. Has anyone else completed this book?