Category Creativity Inspiration

Keep an art journal to trace your creative pathby Cathy JohnsonArt journals open doors to our unique brands of creativity as places to plan, dream, respond to something that catches our eye and process the events in our lives. Inside we can sketch; test new colors, tools or materials; practice a variety of washes or techniques; doodle; plan larger works; try out concepts and compositions; and even complete paintings.

Any creative person has a time when the ideas seem to run dry, and art inspiration becomes sorely lacking. It’s a common dilemma that links all of the creative fields together, and plagues every artist. Whether it’s a songwriter/ musician whose tunes won’t seem to come, or an author such as myself where I suddenly have no words; a dry spell is a miserable inevitability.

Artistic Vision Lookbooks with Sandra Duran WilsonEveryone has creativity inside them but they may not recognize it. When someone admonishes their own creative abilities with, “I can’t draw a straight line.” My response is, “Neither can I. That’s why I have a straightedge.”In my book, Awakening Your Creative Soul, I explore jump-starting your own creative powerhouse with 52 art, writing, and meditation projects.

Sandy Allnock, author of Bible Journaling Made Simple and the Bible Journaling Made Simple Creative Workbook, introduces us to bible journaling and discusses how this creative worship can be an enriching and powerfully inspiring way of expressing yourself and your spirituality. Enjoy!Creative Worship in the Margins — and BeyondFaith has always been a source of inspiration for artists, and the pages of the Bible itself are a re-discovered canvas for expression.

Creativity Exercises and Practices That Will Help You Find Joy and ProductivitySome non-artists might think creativity begins and ends at the easel, but we know better. Yes, that is where plenty of artistic breakthroughs happen, but they are just as likely to occur when you are nowhere near paint or brush.

Inspirations and Ideas from Artist Prashant MirandaIllustrator, muralist, animator and author Prashant Miranda has documented his life during the last 25 years in over 300 sketchbooks. Needless to say he is the SketchKon artist and instructor we went to for an insider’s look on travel journals for artists and what kind of creativity and inspiration can come out of such a (possibly lifelong) pursuit.

This deep, rich green is fit for subjects both earthy and regal.In a sense, the name “forest green” is a misnomer, because as artists well know, leaves and mosses are never a single color, much less a single value. Nevertheless, forest green does evoke the overall impression of foliage—the sort of thick canopy that can block midday sun during a summer hike through the woods.

The holiday season is one of gift-giving from the heart. If you love painting and drawing and everything in between, here’s an artist’s wishlist that can inspire your own and give you great ideas for gifts for the creative people in your life.The Artist’s Wishlist Starts with Must-Have KitsDERWENT LIGHTFAST PENCILSAvailable in a range of 36 colors, these pencils are thick, smooth and creamy, with a beautiful dense laydown of rich, vibrant color that stands up to UVA radiation, helping your work remain lightfast for years.

Author, illustrator and founder of Sketchbook Skool Danny Gregory believes everyone’s daily to-do checklist, no matter how busy or hectic (and it tends to get more busy and hectic by the second, doesn’t it?), needs to include one more box to check: making art.That’s because a more creative you is a more happy you.

Maximize Your Space and Explore Online After an Art HiatusIt’s emotionally intense to return to something you love after years away. A lot of you have experienced that or are experiencing it now.A life gets in the way (and I mean that with love and gratitude) of art-making, and you have to figure out how reconnect with your creativity almost as if you are coming to it brand new.

Every Color Is Yours to Explore With These Fall ProductsSPONSOREDCozy up for a bit of quality creative time in the studio with these fall products. If you are looking for inspiration, look no further than your color palette. There’s pretty much nothing that gets us at our expressive best than vibrant, luscious color.

The Unconventional Sketching ConventionWow! Those of us lucky to attend the first every SketchKon are still coming down from the art-induced contact high! But I really expected nothing less. It’s what happens when you round up so many artists, sketchbooks, creative people, art instructors, workshops, art makers and their supplies, inspiring speakers and passionate community members sharing their creativity all in one place!

When you do something every day, you build your confidence and skill. This is the premise behind the idea of frequent if not daily artistic journaling. It is the opportunity to expand and work your creative mind, to practice, play and to experiment.Dory Kanter, who teaches painting and artistic journaling workshops and is one of our artistic journaling instructors, offers motivation for those of us who want to start journaling in our sketchbooks.

Who Inspires You?As artists, we almost have this innate attraction to our craft, to our need to create. And, we all have something or someone that has fueled this passion. For many artists, the works of others steer the way they approach their own art. Annie O’Brien Gonzales, author of Bold, Expressive Painting refers to these influencers as our Artist Ancestors.

“Abstract art has been with us in one form or another for almost a century now and has proved to be not only a long-standing crux of cultural debate but a self-renewing, vital tradition of creativity. We know that it works, even if we’re still not sure why that’s so, or exactly what to make of that fact.

The Beauty and Wonder of Snow PaintingsEmbrace the beauty of winter with these six gorgeous snow paintings. This group of wintry landscapes shows how unique and interesting a snow-filled scene can be. Many were painted by famous painters you will recognize, plus a few of our staff favorites thrown in.

Need new art studio playlists to listen to? Well, Network and Artists Magazine asked readers to suggest songs for the entire creative process, whether you’re warming up creativity or winding down from a seriously productive painting session. And their recommendations did not disappoint.Get ready to add some new tunes to your art studio playlists.

380 Paintings In AllWith the expansive popularity of Marie Kondo and her KonMari methods for tidying up, thousands of people worldwide are getting inspired to live more simply, clearing out their clutter and simplifying their lives and spaces. Artists — even those who love art materials as many of us do — are finding the idea of downsizing and simplifying equally appealing.

So You Love Your Art Even MoreSatisfaction is a powerful feeling. It’s fulfillment, freedom and pleasure rolled into one. Most of us will pursue and savor it throughout life when we are lucky enough to get a taste of it. It doesn’t always come easy — but you can definitely make it a habit. 1 Highly Satisfied Artists Actually Make It a HabitHabit, in the art context, is a great word.

Dozens of Art Starts from Jeanne OliverOn any given day the slightest, smallest interaction or observation can change your whole perspective or outlook. It can be the same with trying something new in your painting, drawing or sketchbook. One small change or adjustment opens up brand new creative territory.