An artist using a sketchbook always looks like a happy person.
~ Roger Ebert
There are many different studies and research projects that all come to the same conclusion – art is good for you. Creating art is one of the easiest and quickest ways to get into a meditative flow state, into “the zone.” And anything from scribbling doodles to painting intricate, realistic details will get you there. It’s been shown that sketching or doodling while in a meeting or taking notes can help you retain the information better, and to see connections between facts at aren’t directly related. Not that we need one, but while it’s Inktober there’s a ready excuse to carry a sketchbook around with us daily, to help us reap those benefits.
- I’ve been following Kerby Rosanes work for years now and am continually re-fall in love with his work. He works mainly with ink, pens, and markers to create his doodle world – so I thought he’d be perfect to share during Inktober. He’s published a few coloring books, shared some sketchbooks, and more. If you enjoy details, drawings, imagination, animals, or patterns, be sure to check out his website and explore his work. (And, yes, he drew the background image on his website.) A lot of his projects have the process pictures if you want to see behind the scenes of a sketchy illustrator’s work.
- Hoping for a rain delay? – #TownPlazaMural – Watching the weather reports has been bitter-sweet this past week. We’re excited to see the rain arriving but also disappointed about the chance of missing painting days. So far it’s all worked out – raining on days we’re not planning on painting, but we’ll see how it works out over this weekend! There’s also a bit of pressure on to beat the temperature – for the paint to set it requires enough time at a high enough temperature and we’re racing against the clock – both daily and seasonally. But, we’re going to make it! As always, it’s so exciting to see the progress each day and we can’t wait to see what results this weekend will bring. (There’s even been more added since I took these photos!)
- Poetry. Cowboys. Parade. This Saturday you can catch the Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering Parade if you mosey on downtown to Main. The parade starts at 10:00.
- Meditative Landscape Painting with Patrice DeLorenzo – Patrice is holding a workshop for intermediate and advanced painters on Saturday, November 10 from 10:00am – 4:00pm. It will be at Artifacts Gallery in Farmington. For more information contact Patrice at (970)799-8838 or email patricefineart@gmail.com. To reserve one of the limited seats call Artifacts Gallery at (505) 327-2907.
- Have you been drawing this Inktober? – If you haven’t heard of it yet, Inktober is a 31-day drawing challenge that started in 2009 with the simple goal of getting back to drawing. Basically, pick up a pen (or marker, or brush, or…) and create one drawing for each day in October. Calligraphy, drawings, cartoon characters, whatever catches your fancy. Personally, I’ve gathered my supplies and have a list of ideas (separate from the prompt suggestions) but haven’t started yet (see the PS as to why I’ve been a bit busy this month). That’s ok, though… I’ve got all month to have fun playing around. And don’t worry about not knowing how to draw or being “correct” or “fancy” in your doodles – I’m going to be drawing a lot of stick figures! 😀 Remember, the goal is to get back to creating and to have fun doing it!
How often do you find something that’s easy, fun, cheap, and good for you? For the price of some scratch paper and a pencil/pen you can start sketching, which is good for your mental health in a variety of ways. Or pick up a stick and draw in the dirt. Or get a really nice drawing pad and your favorite pens and markers. The options are endless but the end result is still a healthier you – no matter how the drawing itself turns out. Enjoy the journey!
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Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew
P.S. – Have you heard the big news? I’ve been hinting that something was in the works, and it came to fruition last Friday.Jeramiah sold the Art Supply House…. to Matthew! It’s an exciting time for both of us, and for you. Rest assured, the store is going nowhere and the only changes we’re going to make are to offer more and focus on building the Durango art/creative community further!