I want to paint it

white. Or why I haven't been drawing much lately. You see, last December I decided that this year was the year I was going to tackle our much neglected house with a few home improvement projects. Then the Professor added his own projects to the list and well, that has made for a pretty busy summer around here.

One of my projects was to refresh our living room. I had acquired these great end tables and a coffee table from a friend several years ago. (Hi Beth!) I had told her that if she were to ever get rid of them that I would like them. So when she replaced them with something new for her house, it was me or the donation pile and I gladly took them off her hands. We had talked about refinishing them but never seemed to get around to it. So last winter when I was brainstorming ideas for our living room I got out some magazine pictures I had saved over the years for inspiration. Looking through them I realized that a common theme to all of those saved photos of interiors was painted furniture. It turns out that I really like painted furniture. A little sanding, a couple coats of primer and paint later and I have new white tables for our living room.

Another big project has been some major de-cluttering. Bags and bags and bags of books have been donated to the library. It now feels like our book shelves can breathe. The bedroom closets and the attic are next. A dozen years in a house and so much stuff accumulates. Lately I have been reading about minimalism and find it a very attractive concept. But can two artists and a creative 12 year old come anywhere close to being minimalists? "Artist" and "minimalist" really do sound like opposing concepts. We are in the business of making stuff. Yet it seems like a worthy goal if for nothing else than the freedom of space for creativity to happen. Aside from the minimalist blogs listed in my side bar under 'Lifestyle', here are a couple more I have found that are also good reads.

miss minimalist
The Minimalist Woman
and this blogger, A Big Creative Yes,  recently had a great post on clutter and creativity

Some things I have learned and re-learned

" In a great man's work, at its fastest, no line is thrown away, and it is not by the rapidity, but the economy of the execution that you know him to be great." - John Ruskin


Being open to possibilities for creative exploration is not always easy. Consistent practice is important and it is worthwhile to set some goals. As long as those goals are not so rigid that they are either impossible to attain or create burnout before they are achieved. You never know where new inspiration will come from or in what form.

Here are a couple of books that have helped me rediscover the creative process. The first, by Dory Kanter,
Art Escapes: Daily Exercises and Inspirations for Discovering Greater Creativity and Artistic Confidence
is packed with ideas to get those creative muscles working. Most of the exercises were things I knew, but had forgotten while I was busy doing stuff other than creating art. It was a pleasure to be reminded of the simple activities one can do in small, managable bits each day that will lead to greater creative discoveries. Kanter also gives instructions for making your own sketching kits so your supplies are always together and ready to go with you.

Another book I spent some time with this summer is John Ruskin's
The Elements of Drawing
This is a 1971 edition of his original book published in 1857. Written in his straightforward way, John Ruskin outlines the steps needed for observational studies in drawing from nature. Although dated, I still gleaned practical advice from Ruskin's text and some timeless gems of wisdom.