Painting canvases and playing in my art journal.

Happy Monday friends! How are ya? I am feeling a bit sluggish due to the 30 degree temperatures this morning. I'm cocooned in my warm, winter coat yet again.  Winter-please go away! I'm officially ready for the sun on my face and sitting on the back deck instead of by the warm fire.  Brett and I counted up the months and we end up burning fires in the house at least six months out of the year.  I'm one of those souls who's mood can really feel a shift when day after day of cold, grey skies, or rain fills the calendar.  I've gotten pretty effective at recognizing this and adding in the joy and color my body craves.  

So needless to say, we make a lot of art in our house.  You probably already guessed that, right? I remember starting the year off with the goal of having a clean dining room table. We had been to lunch at a friend's house and their table was so spacious and cleared off they had room to set the food in the middle of the table so we could each serve ourselves.  It was simply lovely.  Although I do clear our table off a few times a week, it never stays that way for long.  The first spot the girls head to when we get home is always, always the dining room table.  Markers are quickly spilled out, dress designs drawn by Betsy, homework done, masterpieces created.  Our table is so very full of life and although it doesn't look like my friend's, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Our mantle was needing a spring lift so I grabbed some canvases for half-off at Hobby Lobby and turned the girls loose! The rainbow painting you see above is Anna's creation.  It makes me so happy every time I see it.  Kids don't stop and fear when they create, at least mine don't.  They just go for it! I have so much to learn from this.

Our Spring Break didn't go as planned.  Our plan A turned into plan B which turned into plan C.  But you know what? It gave us more time at home and that turned into the truest break I could have imagined.  One particular morning I must have sat on the porch in my robe all morning long, coffee close by.  I still adore tearing my favorite pages out of magazines and sat down with a big stack of pages to start cutting and taping into my art journal.  

My art journal is something I reach for often and like to add stickers, paint, notes, quotes, and drawings to.  I'll share some more pages soon! I've actually just finished an entire art journal and so this is a brand new one.  Is there anything so lovely as opening up a blank journal? I don't think so! If you're intimidated by a blank page, follow my lead and tape some magazine pages or photographs down first.  In fact, I think a journal would be lovely with just a simple image taped to each page! There is something releasing about creating in this medium.  It never, ever, ever gets old. 

And last....here are some works in progress of mine! I said I wasn't going to share these because admittedly, sometimes sharing progress feels like a "before/after" photo shoot and what if people don't like the after?! But, I do think it's good to bravely open up and share all the stages of creating.  I'll give you a hint.  I usually really, really dislike my paintings before I really, really like them. :) It's just part of the process!   (I happen to really, really like where these two are headed.) 

That's it for a creative look into our world lately! I can't count the hours or the joy from sitting down with my girls, letting our fingers do the talking. 

I hope you make at least 10 minutes for creating today.