Wednesday 21 August 2019

What I've been doing in the last 7 months ....

Hey there! It feels strange to write on my blog again! So many months have passed, and it felt completely natural not to blog anymore. But lately I've started wondering how everyone's doing and who is still out there in the virtual world. Also, I made a promise to keep you up to date on what I've been doing :-) So here I am!


journal page

Those of you who subscribed to my newsletter already got an update of my digital sabbatical. As it turns out, the extra time I should've had by not being so often on the internet anymore wasn't spent creating and experimenting and painting. It just kinda disappeared into daily life things and duties. Which is a pity, but on the other hand maybe this was just what I needed. There was less stress, so that's a positive.


The first three months of the year I  painted quite a bit. The last weekend of February I taught a live weekend workshop artjournaling, and most painting was done as a preparation for that.
Here's a journalpage I finished during that time:


In April I had an exhibition, and for that I finished one painting, and about 15 small woodblocks that were given to visitors of the exhibition. Here's the painting:

"Summer Dreams" - 40x40 cm - mixed media

And some of the woodblocks:

 




I find that for paintings lately I seem to go more to these kind of negative space paintings, while leaving my intuitive work for my art journals. I really enjoyed working in my journals. I experimented with 2 kinds of spreads: one more collage, of wich this one is an example:


And one more intuitive, like this one:


And then my exhibition started, and I was done with painting. Just like that. Too many other things going on, nothing in the future that required me to finish a project, no need to get art ready to post on social media... While I enjoyed the fact that I could just relax and didn't need to prepare anything, after a while I started to get this nagging feeling that I should do something, that I should get out of this slump and start using my art materials again, before they all dried up.

So in July, when I went to Lissbon for one week with my daughter, I took my doodle-book with me and "forced"  myself to work in it in the mornings while my daughter was sleeping in (she's a teenager, they seem to be physically unable to get their ass out of bed in the morning ...) Well, in reality I only had to force myself the first day. After that I couldn't wait to get out of bed and start doodling again.


I am now finishing all the doodles I started last year, and will use these for my new 2020 calendar. That'll give me an incentive to keep going and make art part of my daily routine again. And I'm hoping I will also find time to paint, so I might even be able to make 2 calendars this year!

In October I will be teaching two workshops about lettering. Here's an example of a journalpage I did while experimenting with different ways of lettering:


I have in-progress pics of most of the spreads I showed here, but since this is already such a long picture-heavy post I won't show them now. I might do so in later posts though, if you're interested.

Sooo, that's a bit about what I've been doing artwise this year. Sorry for such a long post, but I guess that's inevitable when you only blog once or twice a year ;-)

Don't know yet when I'll be back, only that I'll be back. I will be visiting blogs this week, see what everyone's been up to. And I'll also link to Paint Party Friday later this week.

To keep up with an old habit: here are some funnies and thinkies :-) (yes, I'm still collecting them!)










Well, that's it for now! Not sure whether there's still somebody out there reading this, but if you are: thanks for still being here! 
I'll be back! 
♥♥♥


22 comments:

  1. Welcome back! Glad to hear you took the time to 'do nothing' (mostly) cuz we all need to chill once in a while. Love seeing your art again tough, I missed it! :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Welcome back! Thanks for the update.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Glad to read your blog again. I like those block prints

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looovely, I enjoyed so much to read your post and your paintings are amazing as ever! I have not blogged in a long time, and had to visit my blog today as well, to be able to comment here, to adjust new things/settings etc, which nearly made me have a headache! ;) Thank you for sharing your lovely art work! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. all your new pieces are wonderful but my favorite is the haunting one, the one of the woman's face, your second piece you showed. So mesmerizing. Nice to see you back even just a little, it's good for the soul to do art. Love ya, and so glad to reconnect my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh i have thought of you so often Denise... so happy to hear from you! Brilliant art as always. The wood blocks are very cool and interesting. hard to juggle so many things in life sometimes isn't it... but you're still doing art, putting it out there and teaching workshops along with everyday family life- so pat yourself on the back my friend! Thanks for the added funnies at the end:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. welcome back and yay for more colour!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good to see you around again and catch up. Wonderful art, as always. Happy PPF, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh its really lovely to see you here once more ... Welcome Back!
    Beaut to read about what you've been doing and also to see the art you've created. Always so imaginative and inspiring. Happy PPF... it's been lovely sharing it with you :D) Sue xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. How nice it is to hear from you and see your wonderful work again! Hope you will share some of your lettering after your workshops. Do you use markers or your brush? (I know, I should take the workshop but you are too far away). Welcome back! Happy PPF

    ReplyDelete
  11. You have been busy, nice to see yr fabulous art here again.
    Love most the woman portrait (second on page). Expressive and gentle.
    Happy PPF and weekend xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Welcome back with your fantastic artwork!
    Happy PPF~

    ReplyDelete
  13. I missed seeing your work. Welcome back.
    Happy PPF

    much🎨❤🎨love

    ReplyDelete
  14. So nice to hear from you and your adventures. Congrats on the exhibition and for following the whispers these past few months, doing what feels right. Happy PPF from Number 22 :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I enjoyed reading your post and you've been super busy by the looks of it! You are an enormously talented artist.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wonderful post and such creativity ~ all marvelous ~ favorite is the BW doodle ^_^

    Happy Day to You,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello Denthe! So lovely to read your post. I'm happy you are creating art and keeping busy. It's okay to take long breaks from the internet. I did the same for a long time. I'm so happy to hear that you are teaching! so exiting. I wish you all the best with everything you do. Do what makes you happy and keep making that breathtaking art of yours. Congratulations on being features in PPF! you are amazing! Much love and positivity, Maria

    ReplyDelete
  18. You've been missed girl! So good to see you and read about everything that has been happening! All your art is truly amazing!! I so love it! Time goes by too fast! Keep smiling and being you! Big Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  19. By the way, you asked about the statue on my blog, I bought it. I didn't make it!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Welcome back :) ! Enjoyed your post and both the intuitive journal pieces as well as the pieces with negative space composition - and of course the funnies, much appreciated!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello my dear dear friend! What a fabulous post to check in with Denise!!
    First off, that last funny is me to a T! and it seems like I am with you on the whole time away thing...away from art, taking care of everyday and sometimes mundane things! And when I do get to creating, I don't ever want to stop, for fear of not starting up again!
    I do miss chatting with you regularly and I have missed your inspiring art. I really love the new collage style you are using- very cool indeed! But I always will also love the intuitive art that you create- this speaks to my soul!
    The folks who visited your exhibition were very fortunate to have received those wonderful block art pieces from you! You are so generous!
    Well, I have many things to do in the house before heading out to pick pumpkin and gourds and the last of the yellow beans.
    I fear the cold weather has returned and the days are getting shorter :( Nothing i can do about that though~
    anyway, good hearing from you and I miss the Dickens's out of ya!
    Sending so much love and Huge ass hugs! xx

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to comment! I love hearing your thoughts about my work. Because I am getting too many spammer comments, l have to use Captcha, sorry. Hope this is not a problem for you !