Apples vs. Oranges

See Photo Credit Below

From time to time I can really get myself into a creative 'funk'!... and unfortunately, February has ended up being a very 'funky' month for me. As much as I love having access to so much arty inspiration & creative community online... if I'm not very very careful, I start comparing my abilities with other artists & end up feeling blechh about me! (...and yes, I'm sure that blechh must be a real word and not just something I'm making up!).

So... it was interesting that I stumbled on this quote yesterday:

"Comparison is the thief of joy."

- Theodore Roosevelt

Hmmmmm... Well, thank you Theodore... I really needed to hear that! In my mind, I know that this is true... but my heart forgets from time to time.

When it comes right down to it, I have a choice to make every time I enter my creative online community. I can hold my arty talents up against the talents of others and evaluate how I measure up... or I can choose to embrace joy by refusing to compare. Instead, I can appreciate how uniquely the Lord has made me while also appreciating & encouraging the giftedness of others.

Thank you Lord for reminding me once again to trust my thoughts, my talents & my heart to you.


photo credit: Apples & Oranges - They Don't Compare via photopin (license)

I'm not usually a 'joiner' but...

...one of my online art friends recently let me know about a fun art challenge, and I've decided to jump in! It's called Doodle-a-Day (thanks to Etsy seller, Ello Lovey!). Every month, a new list of prompts is published for each day of the week. I thought this challenge went along well with my own personal mini-challenge. Kinda nice to have a prompt to get the old creative juices flowing!

Now obviously (what with life & all!)... I'm not going to be able to create a finished doodle each day of the month! But I decided to pick a few words from the list that jump out at me, doodle my little heart out, & post the finished doodle on my PholkartStudio facebook page. Knowing me, I probably won't be able to resist making these more than doodles. It's sort of like reading a good book... I want to know how it's going to come out in the end!

So, here's February's list if you'd like to play along too!...

My very first doodle was for Feb. 8th... ROBOT. I decided to stick with the size & the border I've been using for my own challenge... and this is what I came up with. Kinda reminds me of when I made a robot Halloween costume for my son... except his involved a whole lot of aluminum foil!

 

This little cutie was doodled on smooth #300 Bristol paper & inked with a Micron pen, Copics, Prismacolor markers & Prisma colored pencils.

The 'Draw Everyday' Mini-Challenge

I'm blessed to be a member of a little online art group. It's a 'safe' place where we can share the many ups & downs of being creative and marketing artwork.

During the month of January, some of us are doing a mini-challenge to encourage us to draw or be creative every day. Sounds simple, right?... Well, that's what I thought too!

So, I decided to doodle a tiny card each day... sorta my version of the illustrated calendars I've admired online. I wanted the whole process to be straightforward, portable & simple... so I cut some 4x6" cards in half & decided each card would have the numbered date & be done in my favorite Prismacolor markers & colored pencils. I envisioned each doodle taking less than 10 minutes (ha!).

The little 'Man In The Moon' above was the first to doodle its' way off my pencil. Believe me, he took LOTS more time to create than I'd thought he would! (...This is supposed to be quick & easy, right?).

Day Two found me out of town & staring at the blank card from my ziplock 'travel bag' without a clue about what to draw. Thinking "winter", after a long while I finally came up with this chilly penguin. Two down, 29 itty-bitty cards to go...

By the time Day Three was over & not one pencil scribble to show for it, I knew it was time to switch over to 'Plan B'... 'Draw as often as you can & don't worry about it. Just Keep Drawing!!' ...So that's my game plan & I'm sticking with it!

The opinionated perfectionist who lives in my head has already been ranting about the 'cuteness' & originality of my little cards. Not only that, but she's completely outraged by the scan quality of these little pieces of art. No worries though... I have banished her from my studio for the duration of this challenge. I can still hear her knocking... but I'm not letting her back in!

Back To DigiStamps!!

Photo Courtesy of Big Stock Photos

It's Back to School time again already (really, where did the summertime go???). I seem to have done a lot of non-blogging over the summer... but heh, who's keeping count anyway? Not me... though I must admit it feels good to be tapping away at my keyboard again this morning. I do love to write!  :)

Over the last month or so, I have had a BIG change of heart... and I've decided to reopen the PholkartStudio Etsy Shop with my digital stamps for paper crafting. Yup, I know!... It surprised me too!!

After I realized that creating original art & offering it on Etsy was just NOT going to work with our current life stage (traveling often to care for an elderly parent in a rural setting), I put my shop on vacation so I could re-think my "Art Plan". And what I discovered was, when it came right down to it, I was enjoying learning new things on Zazzle, but I really missed the sense of community I feel on Etsy.

I had basically dismissed the idea of ever again offering digistamps (yes, a little extreme of me, but I tend to be a bit "all or nothing.") Since the last time I offered digistamps though, Etsy has added an instant digital download service... pretty nifty-neato!  :)  No more emailing digital files to customers by the seller... It's now instant & automatic! I know you're gonna LOVE it!!

So... I decided to put a few of my digistamps in the PholkartStudio Etsy Shop. And then I put a few more in there too...

"Back2School"

...and in no time at all, I had filled up the 'shelves' in the PholkartStudio shop & was brainstorming what fun designs I'd create next!

Welcome Spring!!

Photo Courtesy Big Stock Photos

I don't know about you... but SPRING could not come quickly enough for me this year!!

Now, I know as a "North Carolina Gal" I really have no room to complain! While the Northeast was being covered repeatedly by snow this winter, we were mostly just cold & soggy, with day after day of gray skies... Nothing multiple layers of warm clothes & an extra pair of wooly socks couldn't cure! Oh!... and LOTS of hot coffee!!   ;)

Truth be told, Wintertime is always challenging for me. Like so many other artists, I struggle with depression... and there's nothing like soaking up some early spring sunshine to lift my spirits! My studio is on the south side of our home... definitely the best place to be year 'round to catch Mother Nature's warm glow when the sun does peek out!

"Kite Flying Lessons"

Back one gray day this past winter, when I was especially yearning for spring, I asked my arty friends on facebook if they could suggest some SPRING Ideas that I could illustrate. I really needed some help in pulling my imagination out of winter's chill & back to warmer weather. And they gifted me with a loooong list of inspiration!... as well as the encouragement that YES!, there would be spring again!

...And that's how "Kite Flying Lessons" was "born"... An itty-bitty piece of artwork that reminded me again of my need for the encouragement of creative friends and the hope of SPRING! 

I {Heart} Handmade

One of the wonderful things about being an artist today is being able to easily access other artists & their inspiring work online! I'm a HUGE introvert... and though I longed for creative community for many years, it wasn't until I started offering my art on Etsy that I began to actually "meet" other artists. I have loved talking design & colors & techniques & arty tips with these generous & inspiring friends! Many have really taken me under their creative wings and helped me learn & grow as an artist!... I will always be grateful!  :)

I thought I'd share some of my current Etsy "favorites" with y'all!... The list just keeps growing as I make wonderful new discoveries on Etsy everyday. I hope you'll click on the thumbnails above & go exploring with me!... It's amazing to see all the beauty & creativity there is to enjoy in this handmade world we live in!