Thursday, March 29, 2012

Rediscovering My Roots and Rekindling the Fire (or a post in which I draw again, and get cheesy about it)

Holy interplanetary yardsticks, Batman, has it really been about a month since I blogged last?

Yep, it has.

But crazier, I have spent this last month DRAWING.

Okay, that shouldn't seem so crazy. After all, drawing is what I DO. Or at least, what I did.... and I came to the realization that the last time I picked up a colored pencil and sketched was NINE MONTHS ago. And before that, I went six months without drawing.

Let me just say, Marisa without a drawing pencil is a sad Marisa indeed. And I didn't even realize it. For a handful of years, my life was draw, erase, sell my art, draw, erase, sell my art. Since '10, however, my life has been strictly write, delete, rewrite, write, delete, rewrite, and so on - still creative, but a whole 'nother kind of creativity. And it has been solitary work, when before, I spent my days drawing at the kitchen table with my growing-up-way-too-soon kiddos.

The above samples are from the children's book project I was working on for a friend during Feb/March - a therapy book for preschoolers, as part of her dissertation. It was kind of immense. And exhausting. And the hand cramps, oh man.

But when I started drawing again, it just felt good for the soul, in a total Campbell's soup commercial kind of way.

My kids have been in heaven - drawing again has meant more time sharing table space with them kiddos -- who love tracing my pictures and coloring them in, and adding millions of details of their own.

(Annelie's picture)

And after seeing how excited the girls were with my sketches, I started digging though Ye Olde File Cabinet of Curiosities, where a stack of unfinished Elegant Snobbery sketches - a stack at least an inch thick - has been lurking since '07.

My good pal Alyssa has been pushing me to do digital stamps for ages now, and I've been smiling and nodding and completely ignoring her.

But I think it's time to start listening to the wise gal that she is, because I ADORE the idea of turning my old designs into digital stamps. And it just might prompt me to color a couple of them in, which I can pretty much guarantee I'll love doing, too.

And I know my kids'll love it - maybe even more than me.

How about you guys? Any old loves you've rekindled lately? Any loves that need rekindling?

Hope the last month has treated you kindly, folks! Happy Thursday!

xoxo,

9 comments:

leah said...

Yes, make digital stamps! Then I can stamp them on the digital journaling cards I've been making :)

Winklepots said...

Looks fabulous, as always, Marisa. :o) Yes, I need to rekindle a certain children's book I'm thisclose to finishing. ;o)

amaris glass said...

Oooh the three in the middle of that last drawing are my new faves! Make stamps of those!

w said...

i love your drawings. i have your gnomes on my wall. kearsie saw them. and she got jealous. she didn't say it or show it. but i know. i just know!

also. your kids are amazingly talented. just like you. <--- that's just gross sap. aka. cheesy-ness.

Alyssa S. said...

Wow, you make me sound all pushy and stuff. Oh wait a minute...It makes me happy to see you are doing what makes that creative little gnome that lives in your head happy :) Now finish them thar stamps...NOW!

Julie Dao said...

You are so incredibly talented! I love all of your drawings.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

I would like to kindle some love in a new WIP. This weekend, I'll be working on gathering twigs, hoping I can light a big fire over Spring Break (starting Tuesday).

Unknown said...

So very glad to have you back!

DancingMooney said...

Oh Yay!!! I had begun to wonder about you a week or so ago, and then I got busy and now I am trying to catch up with things, and here you are! I am so excited that you are drawing again... I hear ya about how you have to just get back into something, it's good for the soul. Good for you. Can't wait to see what's next. :)

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