Saving Inspiration...for Later!

 

So, a funny thing happened on the way to the gym...
Actually, it happened while I was trying to fill water bottles for the kids and I before heading to the gym.  (I was also getting my iced coffee ready at the same time.)
Gigi was jabbering at me and Noah was asking me a question.

So instead of putting creamer into my coffee...
Yup!  right into my water bottle!
Sigh, my mind is required to do so many things simultaneously, that some things just slip through the cracks!

For example, I am brilliant just before I fall asleep!

I think I have invented at least 20 mind blowing, life changing products only to have the concept disappear in the arms of Morpheus...

But the majority of my ideas are visual, and tend to be inspiration for paintings, and such inspiration happens constantly!

Finding time to paint is an ordeal, I don't have a studio, so set up and clean up are necessary each and every time...

Witness my "studio" newspaper on top of the washer and dryer...it works but convenient it is not!

Also, I have two active little ones and while I may be able to get crafty during nap time, painting is not as doable. 

 But with so much inspiration out there, sometimes my hands just itch for a paintbrush and I tingle with frustration as ideas are lost and inspiration dissipates.

My solution is my sketch book.

It may seem obvious, but just bear with me...

I paint primarily with oils, so sketching with a pencil doesn't translate well.

Markers give me a more vivid and colorful representation

And, I don't bother with perfection, in fact my sketches are borderline unrecognizable by anyone who is not me...real preschool quality!

 

But the point is to capture and save the essence of my inspiration so that when I am able to set up and really get to paint I don't stand there in front of the canvas and just blink!

There are some drawbacks to sketching...

For example, when you paint, you start with the background, and move into the foreground; this is what gives a painting it's depth and dimension,

But markers don't blend.  

You can't really color one over the other.  

So with sketches you start with the details of the foreground and fill in the background after that.

And there is no such thing as a white marker, so if there is white space in the vision of your painting...

Then you have to remember to leave that area blank in your sketch.

The sketch book gives me an outlet for my imagination and allows me to capture ideas visually...

 

even if I'm the only one who understands what I'm seeing!

So, basically, the sketch book keeps me from having creamer in the water bottle moments...
at least where painting is concerned!

 

 

 



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