Wow, thank you so much for sharing. This inspires me to look into doing an online writing course of some sort...
It is so interesting to see how covid and the lockdown fit into this story. What a crazy thing we all went through. I did no writing at that time, the lockdown started the same week I went on maternity leave with my first baby. So suddenly there was no support or company, just us and the anxiety of being able to get all the baby things in time.
Ah, to say everything turned out well in the end would be disrespectful but, we got through it.
Thank you so much, Ani! And wow, go for it with the online writing course - I'm so happy to hear that!
Gosh, that's such a massive thing to go through during lockdown - just wow! Having a baby - and indeed your first! - in such extraordinary circumstances must have been an unbelievable challenge. Awesome!
Haha it was a challenge but I had nothing to compare it to! As contrast I had my second in more normal circumstances and came to appreciate the quietness and isolation we were afforded during lockdowns, now my in laws visit every single week and it can get tiring 😂
Being more practical and scientific I did physics as my artistic and creative genes are low in number! However I was deeply moved by the presentation and background to “My Body”. It really summed up the last few years.
Thank you so much for this absolutely lovely comment - I really appreciate it! It's lovely to hear this from the perspective of someone who had picked physics over art! 😊
So many emotions!!! Some teachers should be shot! Sigh. And COVID!!! (And it’s doing the rounds again! But it’s up to each of us as individuals to decide how we protect ourselves and others). And all that extraordinary art! Fascinating seeing how external factors affect the finished image. Such a good read. Thanks so much dear Rebecca. Sending heaps of hugs and best wishes. 🤗🤗😃😃🌼🌼
I'd've happily chucked that blackboard rubber straight back at the physics teacher Mr B, Beth, but the art teacher didn't do me (or herself, or her career, frankly) many favours either!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment - I really appreciate you! 😊
Gee, and here was I thinking that you were just a fantastic and interesting writer! Holy smokes, you are a good illustrator. I was impressed by what you did for your class.
I wish I could say that I personally got into better shape during covid. Well, probably I got more muscles in my right arm by lifting up a glass of wine.
I literally wore pjs most of the days of covid. And purchased them through companies online.
Luckily for me I have a gazebo in my backyard, so I could have people come over and sit outside. Even in the winter as long as we had blankets it wasn’t too bad. However, I sorely missed my grandchildren and I will never get those lost months back.
Awww Julie, that's ever so kind of you - thank you so much! 😊
I think my excessive lockdown fitness regime had arisen from a scary combination of boredom and my compulsive nature to do everything either to the nth degree or not at all. Mind you, plenty of wine was drunk here, too. 🍷
It's great that you were able to have people over to sit outside, but I'm so sorry that you'd missed so much precious time with your grandchildren. 😘
Oooh I love this! My life is a bit unsettled now (nothing bad!) but I’ll definitely keep it in mind for a better time. COVID changed how we made art/processed through art, I know my own practice has changed.
Thank you so much, Alison! I count my lucky stars that I'd signed up for the course when I did, because developing my art practice did so much to carry me through those Covid lockdowns. Funny how the universe works sometimes.
I'm sending you some settling vibes across the North Atlantic. Hope all's well. 😘
I can't wait for the free 'Care December' course to start! From what I could see when I signed up there are already a few introductory videos available ahead of the start date - when I get more than five minutes at a time to myself I'm going to dive in! 🥳
I just signed up for “Care December 2023”! So thank you for that link.
I’ve been looking for something to get away from the main-stream media. The political season here in the US feels like the beginning of Covid did, except without the lockdowns. That was when I turned to my first ever watercolor class online. Then in person the next year wearing a mask--or not. It was a choice by then. (The governor of our state of Maine knew how to adult and most of the people here were mask compliant.). But I digress.
I’m looking forward to doing art with journaling. I have a lot of journals I also made the second year when I got into bookbinding. Then into making “junque journals”, as I liked to call them. And I bought my first Gelli plate a couple months ago and have fallen in love with all the possibilities of mixing media with that.
Yay Gail - I'm so glad you've signed up! I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
I remember your fabulous post in which you recounted making art out of found objects using your Gelli plate - it was absolutely beautiful. I'm linking it here so that anyone reading this comments thread can see: https://gailsawyer.substack.com/p/doo-bag
Wonderful that you'd seized the opportunity to take an online art course during the lockdowns, too - and that you went on to participate in person. That's really wonderful to hear.
Oh, thank you Rebecca, for the kudo’s and for posting my link. So thoughtful of you. I look forward to next month, what a great way it will be to end 2023 and the one year anniversary of “Lucy”- my new hip. 😉
How beautiful! I also love that you made space for pleasure reading. I've forced myself to do that over the past two weeks and it's made such a difference!
You're so kind, Jillian - thank you! Hurrah to reading for pleasure - I'm so glad that you're making time for it, too. 😊
I used to read all the time as a child and teenager. Then - to my subsequent regret - I chose to study literature in three different languages for my A levels (aged 16-18) and went off reading for a very long time. I would read books every now and again, but never terribly consistently. These days - and it's a shame - there is so much reading material so readily available without having to pick up a book. I read Substack, blog posts, news sites, the Saturday Telegraph, all kinds of things, and I very often find it easier to seek a scroll-fix by grabbing my phone or my iPad rather than stretching for a book.
I'm so glad to have made a place for books in my life again. 📚
It's wonderful how intentional you've been about reclaiming space for creativity in your life. I keep telling myself that I'll one day "find time" to paint and draw again, but it's really something we have to set aside time for, deliberately. Congrats to you for making the most of it :-)
Awww, thanks, Jacquie! I don't know what it was in 2019 that had nudged me back to both reading and art, but they're beautifully complementary, and I'm still enjoying both on a regular basis. My daily reading is non-negotiable, and that's great, but one of the reasons I started my 'Art & Treasures 🖼️' series of posts was to encourage me to make at least one piece of art a month (although I'd love to establish a more frequent regular practice!).
I'm rather behind on a few things right now, and although normally I have my monthly A&T post in progress at least a couple of weeks ahead of my desired publication date of the last Saturday of the month I haven't yet started my next one (with six days to go!). Still, I've been thinking about it and planning it for a while, and that's already given me such pleasure even before I've picked up a paintbrush! 🖌️
Love your artwork and the stories behind this particular collection. Interesting to see how it was so influenced by the strange days of the lockdowns. It was lonely and depressing time for sure.
I found it so interesting to look back at my art journal over the last few days in the context of the pandemic, because at the time I felt I was just making the art without really thinking about its connection to it. It's only with hindsight that I've been able to draw (pardon the pun!) some of these insights, and I've learned so much about myself in the process of writing this post. 🖼️
A talented writer AND artist. I love how you journaled using art and the outcomes are beautiful. I especially love the cow not quite in the picture, symbolic of how you were feeling.
That day up on the South Downs with the cows was so magical - they're such gentle creatures, and I enjoyed being in their space to sketch them. To be honest they were the ones leading the show - they wanted to get up close and personal to us, and it was lovely. Eventually I settled down and sat with my back against a fence post, and picked the most still of the herd to focus on (much easier to draw than one that was moving)! I like how she's looking into the scene, just like I was.
I'm so grateful for your kind words - thank you. ☺️
Rebecca, I did click the link and will take a close look. Some time ago, with no precious training, I began courses in acrylics with an artist I've written about here: https://innerlifecollaborative.substack.com/p/will-kemp-artist-and-teacher-extraordinaire. A truly meaningful process. I'm now focused on watercolor and find that the most challenging medium and the most ethereal. The non-verbal nature of the work in both mediums does seem to help the invention in my writing, but who knows? Thank you for this excellent post. xo ~ Mary
Wow - thank you, Mary - I've just clicked through to read your linked post, and I've just been having a look at Will's website. Wow!
Watercolour is such a beautiful medium, but like you I consider it the most challenging! With watercolour I find it much more difficult to get the results I want than I find I can get with acrylic. I enjoy using acrylic paint because of what I'd call my 'more is more' (!) approach to art - I can mess around with it and rub paint off when it's still wet, or paint over it, and it's very forgiving.
I'd love to experiment with gouache one of these days, too.
This resonated with me on so many levels although at times in reverse - I took Physics and dropped art despite a long lecture from my art teacher who thought I should carry on. I completely lacked creative confidence. In fact it took me until my mid forties (when I found photography) to discover that I am in fact a creative person.
It was interesting to get a little insight into Wanderlust, I've signed up for 2024 despite still having no confidence in my artistic abilities!
Janet, it's so interesting that you picked the subject I hadn't, and didn't pick the subject I had! Creative confidence - or the lack of it - is such a big deal, isn't it? I struggle with it too.
Wow, were you already signed up to Wanderlust, then? That's brilliant! I went on to do a second year of it, Wanderlust 2021, too, but took a step back from it when we were about halfway through (thankfully each course comes with lifetime access to it, so I'll catch up with it one of these days). Guided art is often much easier than coming up with an idea for a piece myself!
I'm absolutely certain that you'll enjoy the course. Do report back, won't you?
I've just subscribed to 'Wandering Aimlessly' - what lovely posts. ☺️
Thanks for following my Substack and for your kind words, you've made me feel guilty about my lack of posts!
I signed up to Wanderlust early in September when there was a big launch discount, I must admit I'm quite good at signing up for courses, watching the videos and not doing anything so I'm going to have to make a real effort to do this. Yes I'll report back, perhaps I'll even write on my Substack about it 🤔
My pleasure! In fact I'd read some posts and commented before I'd noticed that they were published last year, but they're still terrific! Don't feel guilty!
Oooooh, well done for snapping up the early bird discount to Wanderlust - nice one!
It took me a little while to get into how I would approach the course when I did it, so I know exactly where you're coming from! I got into a routine of reading the lesson and watching the video on the day it was released - oh, and unless it was pages and pages and pages, I would print out the handout to read a few times - and that would all get my creative juices flowing! Lessons were released on Fridays and I would then spend some of my weekend on my project, and maybe sometimes finish it off during the week. I loved adding to my spreads over successive days - I'd leave my art journal open so that I could spot where I might want to add things.
(Sometimes life got in the way, of course! But hey, I'm human!!!) 🤣
Great story. I think this is the first time I've ever heard that a teacher threw things at students. That's a shocker. If that happened in today's times, I would hope the person would be fired.
Your artwork:
As you know, I do abstract art (I'm back doing it again. Yeah!!!! More on that soon.) and I love the "let fire inspire" artwork. It's my kind of style.
I like how you did the drawing of you on the "My body" art scene.
The black and white is exquisite. I like the way the white tree plays off of the background.
And what can I say about the flowers? The colors are amazing!
So many inspiring works of art here, Rebecca. I'm positively cringing at your school art experience and am so relieved that the creativity within your persevered! What talent that teacher nearly wrecked, and thank the stars for M! The glass work is remarkable, but I do see more of what I believe to be YOU in the mixed media works you are creating now. It seems you've found your way to the freedom of expression you wanted all along. Thank you for sharing your journey. Oh, I signed up for the Everything Art course. Though I'm not confident I'll be able to focus on it in the way it probably deserves, I figure even if I only manage an exercise or three it will help me revive the artist in me that has been hibernating for years.
Thank you so much, Elizabeth! Teachers have a lot to answer for - both Mr B the physics teacher nor my art teacher earned very many gold stars from me, that's for sure! 🤣
I'm so pleased that you've signed up to the Everything Art course - that's wonderful! I do hope you'll enjoy it. I found my first experience of mixed media art so liberating. With the kind of art that I explored through Everything Art I found that I could stretch my own artistic voice rather than follow a school-like 'do this... do that... and it needs to look like THIS' kind of approach. I'm sure you'll love it - do report back, won't you? 🎨
Wow, thank you so much for sharing. This inspires me to look into doing an online writing course of some sort...
It is so interesting to see how covid and the lockdown fit into this story. What a crazy thing we all went through. I did no writing at that time, the lockdown started the same week I went on maternity leave with my first baby. So suddenly there was no support or company, just us and the anxiety of being able to get all the baby things in time.
Ah, to say everything turned out well in the end would be disrespectful but, we got through it.
Thank you so much, Ani! And wow, go for it with the online writing course - I'm so happy to hear that!
Gosh, that's such a massive thing to go through during lockdown - just wow! Having a baby - and indeed your first! - in such extraordinary circumstances must have been an unbelievable challenge. Awesome!
Haha it was a challenge but I had nothing to compare it to! As contrast I had my second in more normal circumstances and came to appreciate the quietness and isolation we were afforded during lockdowns, now my in laws visit every single week and it can get tiring 😂
LOL re in-laws, Ani! That's really made me laugh! 😆 And congrats on both little 'uns. 😊😊
AP.
Being more practical and scientific I did physics as my artistic and creative genes are low in number! However I was deeply moved by the presentation and background to “My Body”. It really summed up the last few years.
Thank you so much for this absolutely lovely comment - I really appreciate it! It's lovely to hear this from the perspective of someone who had picked physics over art! 😊
So many emotions!!! Some teachers should be shot! Sigh. And COVID!!! (And it’s doing the rounds again! But it’s up to each of us as individuals to decide how we protect ourselves and others). And all that extraordinary art! Fascinating seeing how external factors affect the finished image. Such a good read. Thanks so much dear Rebecca. Sending heaps of hugs and best wishes. 🤗🤗😃😃🌼🌼
LOL! I think that's a little extreme with teachers. I had to laugh when I read that. 🤣
I'd've happily chucked that blackboard rubber straight back at the physics teacher Mr B, Beth, but the art teacher didn't do me (or herself, or her career, frankly) many favours either!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment - I really appreciate you! 😊
Gee, and here was I thinking that you were just a fantastic and interesting writer! Holy smokes, you are a good illustrator. I was impressed by what you did for your class.
I wish I could say that I personally got into better shape during covid. Well, probably I got more muscles in my right arm by lifting up a glass of wine.
I literally wore pjs most of the days of covid. And purchased them through companies online.
Luckily for me I have a gazebo in my backyard, so I could have people come over and sit outside. Even in the winter as long as we had blankets it wasn’t too bad. However, I sorely missed my grandchildren and I will never get those lost months back.
Awww Julie, that's ever so kind of you - thank you so much! 😊
I think my excessive lockdown fitness regime had arisen from a scary combination of boredom and my compulsive nature to do everything either to the nth degree or not at all. Mind you, plenty of wine was drunk here, too. 🍷
It's great that you were able to have people over to sit outside, but I'm so sorry that you'd missed so much precious time with your grandchildren. 😘
Oooh I love this! My life is a bit unsettled now (nothing bad!) but I’ll definitely keep it in mind for a better time. COVID changed how we made art/processed through art, I know my own practice has changed.
Thank you so much, Alison! I count my lucky stars that I'd signed up for the course when I did, because developing my art practice did so much to carry me through those Covid lockdowns. Funny how the universe works sometimes.
I'm sending you some settling vibes across the North Atlantic. Hope all's well. 😘
Rebecca, you are such a talented artist! Thank you too for the link to the Everything Art course, looking forward to learning more. 💜
Awwww Mya, thank you! 😘
I can't wait for the free 'Care December' course to start! From what I could see when I signed up there are already a few introductory videos available ahead of the start date - when I get more than five minutes at a time to myself I'm going to dive in! 🥳
I hope to do the same! Finding the time to complete the course will also be a challenge but I am determined to give it my best!
Thank you Rebecca!
I just signed up for “Care December 2023”! So thank you for that link.
I’ve been looking for something to get away from the main-stream media. The political season here in the US feels like the beginning of Covid did, except without the lockdowns. That was when I turned to my first ever watercolor class online. Then in person the next year wearing a mask--or not. It was a choice by then. (The governor of our state of Maine knew how to adult and most of the people here were mask compliant.). But I digress.
I’m looking forward to doing art with journaling. I have a lot of journals I also made the second year when I got into bookbinding. Then into making “junque journals”, as I liked to call them. And I bought my first Gelli plate a couple months ago and have fallen in love with all the possibilities of mixing media with that.
Thank you again!!❤️
Yay Gail - I'm so glad you've signed up! I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
I remember your fabulous post in which you recounted making art out of found objects using your Gelli plate - it was absolutely beautiful. I'm linking it here so that anyone reading this comments thread can see: https://gailsawyer.substack.com/p/doo-bag
Wonderful that you'd seized the opportunity to take an online art course during the lockdowns, too - and that you went on to participate in person. That's really wonderful to hear.
Oh, thank you Rebecca, for the kudo’s and for posting my link. So thoughtful of you. I look forward to next month, what a great way it will be to end 2023 and the one year anniversary of “Lucy”- my new hip. 😉
Such a pleasure, Gail. 😊 And hurrah for Lucy! I'm so thrilled for you - I hope she's made a huge difference! 😘
How beautiful! I also love that you made space for pleasure reading. I've forced myself to do that over the past two weeks and it's made such a difference!
You're so kind, Jillian - thank you! Hurrah to reading for pleasure - I'm so glad that you're making time for it, too. 😊
I used to read all the time as a child and teenager. Then - to my subsequent regret - I chose to study literature in three different languages for my A levels (aged 16-18) and went off reading for a very long time. I would read books every now and again, but never terribly consistently. These days - and it's a shame - there is so much reading material so readily available without having to pick up a book. I read Substack, blog posts, news sites, the Saturday Telegraph, all kinds of things, and I very often find it easier to seek a scroll-fix by grabbing my phone or my iPad rather than stretching for a book.
I'm so glad to have made a place for books in my life again. 📚
It's wonderful how intentional you've been about reclaiming space for creativity in your life. I keep telling myself that I'll one day "find time" to paint and draw again, but it's really something we have to set aside time for, deliberately. Congrats to you for making the most of it :-)
Awww, thanks, Jacquie! I don't know what it was in 2019 that had nudged me back to both reading and art, but they're beautifully complementary, and I'm still enjoying both on a regular basis. My daily reading is non-negotiable, and that's great, but one of the reasons I started my 'Art & Treasures 🖼️' series of posts was to encourage me to make at least one piece of art a month (although I'd love to establish a more frequent regular practice!).
I'm rather behind on a few things right now, and although normally I have my monthly A&T post in progress at least a couple of weeks ahead of my desired publication date of the last Saturday of the month I haven't yet started my next one (with six days to go!). Still, I've been thinking about it and planning it for a while, and that's already given me such pleasure even before I've picked up a paintbrush! 🖌️
WOW! Rebecca your mixed media art is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing with us and giving me inspiration to keep going. :) Have a fantastic week!
Awwww, that's so kind, Julie. Thank you very, very much. I love that you're making art too - it's such a fun thing to do, isn't it? 🥳
It sure is and I'm happy I'm willing to learn and try!
Love your artwork and the stories behind this particular collection. Interesting to see how it was so influenced by the strange days of the lockdowns. It was lonely and depressing time for sure.
Thank you so much, Jim! 😊
I found it so interesting to look back at my art journal over the last few days in the context of the pandemic, because at the time I felt I was just making the art without really thinking about its connection to it. It's only with hindsight that I've been able to draw (pardon the pun!) some of these insights, and I've learned so much about myself in the process of writing this post. 🖼️
A talented writer AND artist. I love how you journaled using art and the outcomes are beautiful. I especially love the cow not quite in the picture, symbolic of how you were feeling.
Thank you so much!
That day up on the South Downs with the cows was so magical - they're such gentle creatures, and I enjoyed being in their space to sketch them. To be honest they were the ones leading the show - they wanted to get up close and personal to us, and it was lovely. Eventually I settled down and sat with my back against a fence post, and picked the most still of the herd to focus on (much easier to draw than one that was moving)! I like how she's looking into the scene, just like I was.
I'm so grateful for your kind words - thank you. ☺️
Rebecca, I did click the link and will take a close look. Some time ago, with no precious training, I began courses in acrylics with an artist I've written about here: https://innerlifecollaborative.substack.com/p/will-kemp-artist-and-teacher-extraordinaire. A truly meaningful process. I'm now focused on watercolor and find that the most challenging medium and the most ethereal. The non-verbal nature of the work in both mediums does seem to help the invention in my writing, but who knows? Thank you for this excellent post. xo ~ Mary
Wow - thank you, Mary - I've just clicked through to read your linked post, and I've just been having a look at Will's website. Wow!
Watercolour is such a beautiful medium, but like you I consider it the most challenging! With watercolour I find it much more difficult to get the results I want than I find I can get with acrylic. I enjoy using acrylic paint because of what I'd call my 'more is more' (!) approach to art - I can mess around with it and rub paint off when it's still wet, or paint over it, and it's very forgiving.
I'd love to experiment with gouache one of these days, too.
Agree, Rebecca, but my obsession with watercolor has me in its hold. I may write about this when the memoir is done.
I look forward to reading about it, Mary! How lovely. 🖼️
This resonated with me on so many levels although at times in reverse - I took Physics and dropped art despite a long lecture from my art teacher who thought I should carry on. I completely lacked creative confidence. In fact it took me until my mid forties (when I found photography) to discover that I am in fact a creative person.
It was interesting to get a little insight into Wanderlust, I've signed up for 2024 despite still having no confidence in my artistic abilities!
Janet, it's so interesting that you picked the subject I hadn't, and didn't pick the subject I had! Creative confidence - or the lack of it - is such a big deal, isn't it? I struggle with it too.
Wow, were you already signed up to Wanderlust, then? That's brilliant! I went on to do a second year of it, Wanderlust 2021, too, but took a step back from it when we were about halfway through (thankfully each course comes with lifetime access to it, so I'll catch up with it one of these days). Guided art is often much easier than coming up with an idea for a piece myself!
I'm absolutely certain that you'll enjoy the course. Do report back, won't you?
I've just subscribed to 'Wandering Aimlessly' - what lovely posts. ☺️
Thanks for following my Substack and for your kind words, you've made me feel guilty about my lack of posts!
I signed up to Wanderlust early in September when there was a big launch discount, I must admit I'm quite good at signing up for courses, watching the videos and not doing anything so I'm going to have to make a real effort to do this. Yes I'll report back, perhaps I'll even write on my Substack about it 🤔
My pleasure! In fact I'd read some posts and commented before I'd noticed that they were published last year, but they're still terrific! Don't feel guilty!
Oooooh, well done for snapping up the early bird discount to Wanderlust - nice one!
It took me a little while to get into how I would approach the course when I did it, so I know exactly where you're coming from! I got into a routine of reading the lesson and watching the video on the day it was released - oh, and unless it was pages and pages and pages, I would print out the handout to read a few times - and that would all get my creative juices flowing! Lessons were released on Fridays and I would then spend some of my weekend on my project, and maybe sometimes finish it off during the week. I loved adding to my spreads over successive days - I'd leave my art journal open so that I could spot where I might want to add things.
(Sometimes life got in the way, of course! But hey, I'm human!!!) 🤣
Beautiful artwork Rebecca!
Great story. I think this is the first time I've ever heard that a teacher threw things at students. That's a shocker. If that happened in today's times, I would hope the person would be fired.
Your artwork:
As you know, I do abstract art (I'm back doing it again. Yeah!!!! More on that soon.) and I love the "let fire inspire" artwork. It's my kind of style.
I like how you did the drawing of you on the "My body" art scene.
The black and white is exquisite. I like the way the white tree plays off of the background.
And what can I say about the flowers? The colors are amazing!
Keep up the good work!
Awww Matt, thank you ever so much for such a beautiful comment - I really appreciate it!
I'm delighted to hear that you're back making your abstract art - will you be showing some in your posts? It would be great to see!
🖼️
I can definitely show some in my posts. Probably be posting on Notes too.
😊
So many inspiring works of art here, Rebecca. I'm positively cringing at your school art experience and am so relieved that the creativity within your persevered! What talent that teacher nearly wrecked, and thank the stars for M! The glass work is remarkable, but I do see more of what I believe to be YOU in the mixed media works you are creating now. It seems you've found your way to the freedom of expression you wanted all along. Thank you for sharing your journey. Oh, I signed up for the Everything Art course. Though I'm not confident I'll be able to focus on it in the way it probably deserves, I figure even if I only manage an exercise or three it will help me revive the artist in me that has been hibernating for years.
Thank you so much, Elizabeth! Teachers have a lot to answer for - both Mr B the physics teacher nor my art teacher earned very many gold stars from me, that's for sure! 🤣
I'm so pleased that you've signed up to the Everything Art course - that's wonderful! I do hope you'll enjoy it. I found my first experience of mixed media art so liberating. With the kind of art that I explored through Everything Art I found that I could stretch my own artistic voice rather than follow a school-like 'do this... do that... and it needs to look like THIS' kind of approach. I'm sure you'll love it - do report back, won't you? 🎨