Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
~ Robert Fulgham
I have always loved wandering about the aisles of art stores (so my job is awesome!) And, as you may guess, I have a pretty good collection of art supplies – and I always get excited about new ones. Sometimes I have to remind myself to put those supplies to use. That collection, sitting on the shelves of my studio, is better for so much more than dust collection. It’s easy to think of them as too precious to use, to fear “messing them up”, and to wait for just the perfect idea for them. But the muses seem to look for people who are working, who are actively searching for ideas.
- I continue to be surprised by the amazing artists that I run across, even though I shouldn’t be. Molly Perrault was pointed out to me by Kristen and… wow! Her work is stunning, and then you realize that “All works are 100% recycled magazine paper. No paint is used in this process.” (She does paint, you can see some here, just not as a primary medium.) And if any of the mountain scenes look familiar? “After a series of fortunate happenings, Molly now resides in the picture-perfect mountains of Telluride.“
- The Scrapbook Nook‘s schedule this month is pretty abreviated due to holidays. There are two more classes this month: Saturday the 15 at 10am they’ll be art journaling with favorite materials from this year and Tuesday the 18th at 10 they will be making the last of their Christmas cards for the year.
- The Winter Solstice Artisan’s Market at the Durango Arts Center is still going on! 28 local artists, beautiful pieces… what’s not to love? Swing by and check it out, if you haven’t already! The DAC is open Monday-Saturday from 10-5 until Dec 22.
- Friday was Noel Night – Durango’s Christmas Party! It certainly lived up to the title… there was a crowd that filled Main Street. I greatly enjoyed checking out Studio &’s Bizarre Bazaar and had a great time chatting with the artists – I even picked up a few things that happened to capture my eye!
- Local creative Business spotlight – Beads and Beyond – We have a few businesses in Durango that focus on supporting local creatives. Beads and Beyond offers beads, gems, and chains; pre-made jewelry; handbags, wallets, toys. They also offer classes (and will work around your schedule!) Have fun and check out Beads and Beyond at 840 Main Ave.
- I think that a daily sketching habit is especially important to any sort of creative (and daily journaling of some sort for un-creatives, if there were such a thing). So this article especially caught my eye last week – I especially liked #2 (and even wrote a post about that on my personal website) and enjoyed flipping through the sketchbooks listed in #4 (this one and this other one). That daily sketching habit is exactly the type of “searching” that muses are looking for when they have an idea that needs to come to life.
- And if you need some more inspiration – here are 7 tips for starting a sketching habit. (The Very Large Sketchbook that was featured in last week’s email might not be the ideal place to start sketching, but the 600 pages will give you more than enough room to play around!)
- It’s not too late to join Patrice DeLorenzo at her Winter Color Painting Workshop on December 29th at Seed Studio. $125 includes all supplies. The dynamic and subtle color relationships that create atmosphere and light will be our focus in this fully guided workshop. The colors that surround us in late fall and winter are perfect for this class. These five hours of instruction, guidance, painting and personal attention will allow you to relax and trust your own creative intuition. For more information contact Patrice at 970-799-8838 or patricefineart@gmail.com.
- Featured product – Coloring Canvasses – These coloring canvasses are designed for use with markers but can also be used with paint! Designed by Johanna Basford – you may have seen her coloring books (on our shelves tomorrow) they’re great for gifts! We have two different sizes and a variety of designs on-hand.
Many of us have holiday breaks coming up. Take advantage of available time to play with those supplies. Dig out that un-used sketchbook and make the important first mark. If you receive art supplies as gifts, don’t hesitate to use them – as pretty as a brand new tube of paint is, it’s far more enjoyable to actually squish out the paint and create something with it. And, sure, you’ll use up the ink in your favorite pen – but you can always get more, and maybe even find a new favorite pen!
Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew
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