Art Challenge

Art Therapy

/ Tamara Brown / 3 Comments

I see it’s been a little over a year since I’ve posted on Paints in the Parks. 2024 was a year of thirds. The first third saw me beginning the 100 Day Project again using gouache as a medium, only to lose my way after fifty days. Then on April 8th before watching the moment of totality from our back garden, I finished the eclipse drawing I began in 2017 during the last US solar eclipse. However, my wish to focus (my word for the year) on completing unfinished projects ended there unfortunately.

Except for a few lingering construction projects in the garden, I spent the second part of 2024 enjoying what I had created in previous years. I cleaned out the rusted metal and broken pottery unearthed in our backyard and hung up the odd bits that amused me on the grid of my patio trellis. The line of volunteer sunflowers along our bungalow became sculpture to me and still stands in the winter winds, a perch and shelter to birds while it casts interesting shadows on the house.

The final third of the year I spent focused on other creative pursuits like writing and cooking, preserving the abundance from my garden in interesting new ways. I tried creating herb bundles with different materials like rosemary. I also dusted off my ten-year-old Lumix digital camera with the hopes that I will finally read the manual and learn to take some better photos and possibly video.

Which brings me to 2025 and the start of another 100 Day Project at the end of February. I have been participating in an Instagram daily prompt so far this year and I’d like to create art from whatever I photograph each day. These would be small drawings and quick sketches to practice my line drawing with pens, pencils, markers and even crayons. In addition I’ve been reorganizing my art supplies and have a few canvases and pastel boards I want to use.

And last but not least, I hope to explore the world of videos and perhaps post a few on my YouTube channel this year. This project will require some education with iMovie which is intimidating and intriguing at the same time. As the world becomes darker and more chaotic, I find that art and creativity are more important than ever as good therapy and a much-needed lifeline.

Stay tuned.

The Daily Draw

/ Tamara Brown / 2 Comments

In my last post I had begun my 100 Day Project with daily word art. So the big question still remains–did I finally finish my 100 Day Project? The answer is YES I DID! On June 1st I proudly crossed the finish line with my word art compiled as a marvelous daily journal. Here are a couple of highlights from the Project:

Since this daily draw project was so successful (and I’m a glutton for punishment) I decided to take on the Inktober challenge with prompts for each day in October. Pen and ink was my first love, so it’s been fun to return to black and white with very little color. This art is all about texture, hatch marks and composition without relying on the color wheel. Here’s two of my contributions from Inktober 2023:

The question is, will there be more in 2024? One hundred days may be a bit too much, but I won’t rule out a monthly or weekly drawing practice in the coming year. My hand/eye coordination is not what it used to be when I was young but even the great masters got a pass in their senior years as longevity took its toll on dexterity and vision. At least I could benefit from the cataract surgery that wasn’t around for Monet. On the other hand I don’t have as good of an excuse for my blurry lines and shaky shapes, only my charmingly wonky style!

Back to the Drawing Board

/ Tamara Brown / 4 Comments

So far 2023 has brought renewed health and interest in art after 2022’s 100 Day Project came to an abrupt halt when illness derailed all my plans for the rest of the year. The long creative drought through many dark days has encouraged my love of all things bright and cheerful this year. I’ve finally taken to heart my own message that I repeated like a mantra throughout all my Arts in the Parks programs: don’t worry about mistakes and above all JUST HAVE FUN!

To honor my mantra I’m participating in 2023’s 100 Day Project challenge by creating word art (any subject, any medium) for 100 days. Without the restrictions I normally impose on myself, I’m actually eager to complete a quick drawing every day lasting no more than fifteen minutes while listening to my favorite radio shows. And suddenly twenty days have flown by!

Here’s two from the beginning:

Each day I sit down and draw what comes to mind and realize that my daily scribbles are becoming a sort of graphic diary, if nothing more than a note on the weather. I’ll be able to look back and see what I was thinking or doing on a particular day while I practice better hand-eye coordination and color choices.

Like baseball players in spring training, I’m limbering up my art muscles for a creative season in the garden with plans for colorful garden art and structures. Of course the operative word will continue outside too. Let’s have FUN this year!