| It’s life. It’s interesting. It’s fun.~ Bob Ross |
Life, that is. It’s easy to get caught up in whatever-we’re-doing-at-the-moment and look back to realize that we were busy all day, just getting things done. I wanted to give you a quick reminder to add something fun on the todo list. It doesn’t have to be anything big or involved. You could celebrate a silly holiday. Yesterday was “National hot tea day”, Friday is “National Bagel Day”, and Tuesday is “Popcorn Day”. Those wouldn’t take much to celebrate but could be a nice break from routine.
- This week’s artist – Danny Hawk – whose work I just ran across in this interview. Whether you call it plein air or urban sketching, Danny’s work is fun to peruse. I definitely agree when he says, “I love having the ability to live in the here and now through sketching outdoors. After all, there’s automatically a story behind every sketch, drawing, or painting I do on location; I remember what I was thinking, the people I met, and how I was feeling.” Be sure to check out his website, youtube, and instagram for even more!
- The Art Supply House’s first Customer Appreciation Day of 2021 is coming up soon, January 30! Be sure to have your bag ready!
- Looking for a regular art practice for 2021? Here’s a guide to starting a daily sketchbook practice.
- Speaking of daily practices, here are printable trackers for 30-day and 100-day practice challenges (to help you get better).
- Not sure about starting a new sketchbook? Here’s a video of one way to start and finish a sketchbook by today’s artist, Danny.
- And since I was working through his videos, here’s a video tutorial of how he paints trees.
- Mesa Verde’s fee-free day is this Monday, if you’d like to do some plein air art, take some reference photos, or generally get some fresh air!
- Curating your (online) portfolio is a skill. Here are some tips to help you decide what/where to share.
- If you already have your portfolio online, you’re likely to have received some scam emails. Here are a few red flags to look for so that you don’t waste your time.
- This week we’re continuing to focus on brushes. Not only do we have individual Princeton brushes available, but we try to keep an array of their kits on hand. Need to grab-and-go for a particular project, or gift for someone? These are where we recommend starting.
Get caught up in your calendar and to do list? Check out BrownieLocks monthly lists of silly holidays if you need to add something more lighthearted to your recurring reminders. Or just run with a fun treat on occasion. We baked chocolate chip cookies at the store on Tuesday. How else would one test out the new toaster oven in the break room?
As creatives, we also have the chance to play around on a regular basis. Grab a sketchbook and have fun with some new supplies. Test out a new technique or material purely for the joy of it. Make a silly sketch and share it with a friend, just so they can enjoy it. Art can be serious and convey important messages. It can also be (seriously) fun and spread joy. The world always needs more joy. The world needs your art!
Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew
P.S. – As a silly reminder, it’s National Cheesy Sock Month (we have some art-themed socks for sale) and Penguin Awareness Day is Jan 20th.
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