Let’s Make Some Bad Art, Said No Artist Ever!

When I teach a class often nothing goes as planned.  Very rarely do things always go as I thought they would so thinking on the fly is a must for me.  I mess up at times because I am human.  I am not perfect so I don’t think everything will go perfectly.  I always have a basic plan in mind but veering off the track is what I love most about teaching Art and Zentangle!

I read a saying “Done is better than perfect.”  As a former perfectionist type of person, I can relate to that saying.  It is sometimes easier to make excuses to not do something especially at the risk of failure but doing nothing is worse, in my opinion.

I once painted a huge crest at the former Canadian Parachute Centre in Trenton, ON up high on the wall.  Up close I could see the small white gaps in the black outline of the crest but from far away looking from the floor those little white gaps were not visible at all.  My plan was to go back up on the skyjack and fix those little gaps but I never got the chance.  It is a good thing because although I think about that painting often it doesn’t bother me like it once did.  It reminds me to let go of perfectionism, the killer of joy. I am proud of the artwork I created for CPC.

We often compare ourselves to others or our art to the art others create.  This is also the killer of joy because we are all individuals so we need to be true to our journey in art and in life.  Our artistic journey will always be different than other artists because there is absolutely no way we can copy any art exactly.  Each artist has an individual style whether they realize it or not, it is there waiting to be revealed.

Artists often tell me they don’t have a style but when I view their art I do see their wonderful style!  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We tend to forget that when we are creating.  When our art does not meet our personal standards we can be disappointed with the results.

I encourage you to look at your less than perfect art as a learning experience.  When has everything gone perfectly in your life?  That is exactly the point, we all face challenges everyday.  The choice becomes what will we do with our life?  We tend to focus on the “bad” art over the hundreds of pieces of really great art we created.  Just let that bad art serve as a reminder that even the best artists can make some less than stellar art and move on.

Not everything has to be perfect.  Sometimes the art that you think you don’t like turns into art you love.  That is the beauty of creating.  Enjoy your journey because it will be very different than anyone else’s.

ART FOR SURVIVAL Means Navigating Your Artistic Journey Your Way, Every Day!

ART FOR SURVIVAL means navigating your artistic journey your way, every day!

When people think of what my logo/trademark means they may assume that the words ART FOR SURVIVAL means that doing the bare minimum is enough.  That could be true for some, but for me, ART FOR SURVIVAL means I have arrived!  I know as an Artist that I must create daily to live the life I want.  I believe I know what I need for my selfcare.

How do I know what is right for me?  I know what my heart wants, creating art daily.  Art could mean drawing, painting or venturing outdoors to take some photos.

I think that it can take years to really understand what a person wants out of life.  Making the most of everyday is essential for me.  My family always comes first before everything, even my art and business.  We support each other in every way we can. 

There is no magic formula for everyone to live the life they want.  I have learned that to truly live my authentic life means I must listen to my heart.  If there is any doubt in any choice I made or make, I don’t choose to do that thing.  Choosing what is right for me takes more than saying yes.  Sometimes it means saying no because about 10 years ago I learned a very important lesson.  I was saying yes way too much.

I was burned out from saying yes without thinking of how yes could impact my life.  When I started saying no, people wouldn’t listen to me saying no because I always said yes previously.  I stuck to saying no and in fact made up a little sign with the word no in a frame to remind me to only do what was important to me. 

In my last blog, I wrote about how I choose opportunities.  I don’t jump at every chance that comes my way.  I carefully weigh how any opportunity will impact my life.  Some fantastic opportunities come my way if I wait for the right time.  Sometimes there is no right time, only time itself.  Time does not wait, it keeps ticking on however, I don’t think of time as a bad thing.  I think of time as a measure of how I want to spend my life.  Spending time doing things that spark joy is how I want to spend my life!  Thinking positively is essential in my art practice and life too! 

Sure, I get weighed down by challenges at times but then I dust myself off with renewed energy to tackle anything with sparkle!  My word of the year is Sparktackle!  To me, Sparktackle means that I will feel a spark to ignite my creativity then I will tackle it!  I wanted to choose a quirky word that was special to me.  There is a word Sparktacular, but I chose not to use an actual word, something close but not exact.  Sparktacular means extremely sparkly and spectacular at the same!  2025 will be full of Sparktackle for me!

 ART FOR SURVIVAL Means Navigating Your Artistic Journey Your Way, Every Day!

When Opportunity Knocks, Do I Always Answer?

As an Artist, Graphic Artist, Photographer and Writer, I receive a lot of opportunities.  How do I know if an opportunity is for me?  I don’t jump at every opportunity because I carefully consider how an opportunity would fit into my schedule.  I am very protective of my time.  Being considerate of how a certain opportunity would impact my life is the best thing I can do for myself and for the person offering me an opportunity.  Not every opportunity that comes my way is for me, that I know from over 40 years of experience as an Artist, Graphic Artist, Photographer and Writer.

How I consider if an opportunity that comes along is for me, I ask questions first.  I ask a lot of questions to the people or person involved or to myself.  Is it a good opportunity for me?  If I don’t feel it is a good opportunity for me, I pass on it.  If I do feel it is a good opportunity for me, then I ask more questions.  Finding out exactly what the new opportunity for me is all about is most important before I commit to it.

I receive a lot of people contacting me for free Art classes for their organization.  My feeling is that I will not give anyone I do not know a free Art class, no matter how deserving the organization.  I do give to charities and organizations I know.  When running my business, I must be very careful how I spend my time.  I cannot always give free Art classes because I wouldn’t be in business very long if I gave a lot of Art classes for free.

Taking the time to really look at an opportunity that comes my way is vital.  I cannot fill my life up with opportunities no matter how great they may seem.  So many opportunities do not even happen after I have invested effort, money and time into them.  That is just business but for an Artist, it is very frustrating.  I value my time.  There are so many ways I love to spend my time, and it’s not always spent creating art.

I always discuss new opportunities with my husband Billy because he may see an advantage to an opportunity that I don’t see.  In the end it’s my decision on how I spend my time.  I am not a person who likes my life to be crazy busy.  I like to have somewhat of a schedule but not written in stone because things always come up that may need my attention. 

To the Artists who take my classes and invest in my products, I give them my full attention.  I am always available for any Artists who need advice with anything art related.  I invest in myself by purchasing new art supplies regularly so I can offer Artists who purchase my classes and products options when creating.

My focus as an Artist is to promote my art, classes and products.  I truly believe that my products I create in my Art Studio are very special because they are created by me with love, not mass produced.  The opportunity for me to create my own line of paper tiles for Art and Zentangle style Art was born out of the need I had for something different to draw on.  I love colour!  I am not one to look for opportunities, I make my own!  That is the way I live my life as an Artist and a woman, I create opportunities for myself when I can’t find what I would like out in the world.     

My "Escape To Zen" Tiles Are Created With Love!

Do you create art in your sketchbook or on a tile?  I create art in my sketchbook at times but most of the time, I draw on my own “Escape To Zen” tiles.  I love paper!  Making a choice of what to draw on is sometimes a big choice for me!

No matter what your preference is of what you draw on, I think we can all agree that quality paper makes your art the best it can be!  I carefully research what paper to use for my tiles because many artists simply don’t have time to find out what paper is best.

I have always loved paper since the days of fancy stationary.  There was a beautiful stationary store called Notables in Edmonton, AB that I loved visiting.  Notables closed down a number of years ago.  I remember going there and looking at all the gorgeous paper they had.  I bought a beautiful sketchbook there that I still have not used!  Incredible, I know!

Your art simply will not be the best it can be with poor quality paper.  Many artists simply don’t know that quality paper is probably more important than quality coloured pencils, for example.  The paper you draw on is very important because it makes or breaks the quality of your art you create.  You may be thinking, this may not be true?  I have found that I can get great drawings from inexpensive coloured pencils like Crayola for example on quality paper but I cannot get a more expensive brand of coloured pencils like Luminance to give me a great result on poor quality paper.

Why is this true?  It is because of the way the coloured pencils behave on a certain paper.  If you like a paper with a slight tooth or texture when using coloured pencils then you may not like certain poor quality brands because the feel of the paper or texture is not helpful when colouring or drawing.  I can tell immediately when I feel paper if it will be one I will like.  That’s how I know.

Drawing on quality paper is a blissful experience!  If you have spent hours and hours on a drawing then when you are burnishing your coloured pencils your poor quality paper rips, you know how devastating that is!  This is why I started my own tile line.  Some paper is simply not meant for all mediums so I change up my paper types so that the artists who purchase my products are able to try a wide variety of paper types.  If I buy a paper type and it doesn’t measure up to my standards, I do not use it for my products!  Quality is everything to me and my business!  That is how you know my products will be the best!  I take my time to make sure my products are great so you are happy!  I always want to do my best even if that means more time developing my products!

From drawing paper, mixed media paper to watercolour paper, all the paper I use is superb quality because why would I want to sell something that was simply not the best?  I stand by my products to be different than the normal types of tiles out in the world.  I created my tiles because I didn’t like some paper types that other tiles used.  I am very particular about the types of paper I use because I draw a lot.  Drawing is my all time fave artistic pastime. I love designing new tiles with different ways to colourize my tiles on unique types of paper that artists may not know about. If you haven’t tried my tiles yet, why not try them? I know you will love my “Escape To Zen” Tile Line!

Colour Intuition

When you think of colour, do you think there is a right and wrong way to use colour?  In your art you should always trust your intuition especially when it comes to colour.  You could read endless books to find out about how to put colours together, how to use a colour wheel and so on but when you trust your intuition with colour, something magical happens.

 I have taken all kinds of art courses about colour.  I have all kinds of books on how to mix colour too.  I rarely look in those books or look at references as to how to mix colours because I trust my intuition when it comes to colour and colour mixing.  Whether it is mixing colour with coloured pencils or acrylic paint, the basic principles are the same.  How you mix your colours is a personal choice.

 Some people like to start with dark layers and layer light colours overtop like with coloured pencils for example.  In my opinion that creates too much work because you then must go in and try to make the dark areas lighter if you want to create lighter areas.  An easier method is to start with a light layer of a colour then add progressively darker layers to create depth. 

 When painting, I leave my white areas white then I paint the rest of the canvas the colours I want it to be.  I layer starting with my lighter colours or white then add in darker colours from light to medium to dark the same as I would when I use coloured pencils.  This is to ensure I have bright colours within my painting because if you paint everything dark from the start it is difficult to get that bright white back from the original canvas colour white.  If you want, you can paint white acrylic paint on top of the white canvas to add a layer of paint on top of the bare canvas.  I add white to my white canvas areas if it needs it but sometimes, I just leave it.

 My point here is that your method of choosing and mixing colours is your choice.  I have been told by many artists the way I was painting was wrong.  I think it’s just different than the old school way of painting so of course they may see it as wrong.  I tend to think there is no right or wrong way of painting or using colour, only sometimes people who only see things can be done one way. 

 If we could only create art one way, the world would be a very boring place.  Colour is meant to be celebrated, explored and played with!  Once you trust your intuition with colour, you will never go back to using a colour wheel.  As for all those books I have, I do look at them occasionally, it is to look at techniques, not copy.  I have my own magical method for choosing colours and colour mixing, I am extremely confident in my artistic ability because I trust my intuition!

When it comes to colour, my tiles make it easy for you to jump into colour!  If you haven’t tried my tiles yet, why not try them now?  My tiles are created with love in Alberta, Canada!

Supporting you, our Artist friends and customers!

I love owing my own business because that means I can operate my business the way I want to, with my husband Billy’s advice and help.  I am not restricted as to what I can and can’t sell within my business.  With some branded products I previosuly sold, I was never allowed to have any of those products on sale, ever.  

With my business, I can help my Artist friends purchase my products by having a sale.  For the entire year of 2024 all of our Tile Packages will be on sale for buy two tile packages and receive one free surprise tile package with all GST and shipping included as long as all tile packages are mailed to the same mailing address.

We may occasionally have a buy one tile package get one tile package free like we did on Valentine’s Day 2024!

We previously supported many causes through our business, donating art, money, products and time since we first started our business in 2002.  In the past two years, we have realized that instead of giving the way we used to, we would rather give deals to our customers.  We realized that many people would love to support our business and us but they may be on a budget.  This is partly why we decided to have a year long sale in 2024. 

Why shouldn’t we pass some savings onto our customers?  Although we are an incorporated business, there are just two of us running our business, my husband Billy and me.  We have spent 21 years building our business and along the way we always found ways to give back by supporting people who have supported us.

I think that is the best part of having a business because we get to decide what and who we want to support.  Our business has changed over the last 21 years.  We are entering our 22nd year of business but our committment to community and our customers has always been our top priority!  We started our business in 2002 by helping the Military community!

I think that how we do business is very important.  We are flooded with requests from organizations and people to support their charities and events.  What many people do not realize is that we have been supporting many charities and events since we started our business as a partnership in 2002.  We don’t always advertise what and who we support because we don’t need recognition.  Sometimes we will list who we have supported but not always.  It is more important to support charities and events than it is to be known for that support.

Billy is a Canadian Army Veteran so we are listed as a recognized organization on Operation Entrepreneur, the Prince’s Trust at BuyVeteran.ca because part of our mission is to help others.  Helping others by giving to charities and causes close to our hearts is why we started our business.  

Helping our customers achieve their artistic goals with our products is the best feeling in the world!  With our business you are not lost in thousands of customers.  With us, you receive our personal attention, from us.  Not many businesses can say that.  All the best on your artistic journey, no matter where you are!  We support you!

Thank you so much, signed your Canadian Chickadee Dolly (as my friend Yvonne named me!)

On the right track?

It has been a while, well since February 2022 that I have blogged so I am attempting to get back on track with my blog. Above is a photo I took recently showcasing the fantastic fall colours, which got me thinking…

I launched my “Escape To Zen” Tile line in January of 2022. I have continued to create unique tiles in colours and shapes that are different from others I have seen for purchase because I truly want to inspire artists to develop their personal artistic style.

I include one or more Zentangle classes with the purchase of my original tiles for Zentangle art but I do not expect artists to copy my examples or instructions to the letter. Quite the opposite, I do believe that we all grow as artists when we see a way to make a particular project our own by creating it in our own way. I encourage everyone to add their personal style to their art. By giving less strict instructions, I know that artists will feel freer to be themselves in their artistic journey with me guiding them.

I have taken a lot of art classes over the years and I prefer the type of classes that allow for personal expression. I admire so many artists who I follow on social media, the artists I love are the ones who do a challenge or project differently, showing off their individual style. You know, the artists who you instantly recognize their art without even seeing their name first, that is what I want for all of you!

Do you doubt your ability or talent as an artist? We all do at one time or another! The trick is to be supportive to other artists first. I believe we need to support each other in this world, what better way than to make someone else’s day by giving them a little boost with some kind and supportive words!

Social media can be exhausting if you let it, but if you use it to connect with other like minded artists and people, you can be happy that you found your people. The people I am talking about are the ones who you connect with on a regular basis. No matter if you connect daily, weekly or monthly. Just take time to give someone else a kind word or two. Think about how you feel when someone you admire gives you some love in kind words and you will want to write more than just beautiful, or love it! That’s all good too but take the time to really admire, feel and look at what their art is saying to you! I guarantee that you will feel really awesome when you make their day!

One of the things I enjoy doing is writing something positive that will make the people I follow and who follow me, take notice and rejoice in the fact I took the time to make their day. I recently was blessed with some friends who spent time commenting on my social media, more than a couple words, long thoughtful comments that really made me pleased I have connected with them!

My artistic practice is more than creating my Zentangle classes, selling my tiles and running my business! I have to create on a daily basis, in my own way, just as I am sure you need to create in your own way! There is no right or wrong way to do our art! What we have to do is establish a schedule, yikes, did I actually say schedule? It’s true, you do need to schedule some time for your art! Otherwise you may wake up 85 and wish you did all those fun, artistic projects that you dreamed about but never did!

So what are you waiting for? Do you want to get back into creating art? Have you had a dry spell where you want to create but don’t know where to start? Just do it! Take some time for self care, which by the way is not selfish. Don’t question yourself, get out those art supplies and get making! I know so many people who tell me they used to enjoy art but don’t do art anymore, I always think why? I am not judging at all, I just wish if people knew they enjoyed art, they would just get back to creating. Art is so good for the soul!

Get back on track with your artistic journey! I know, we may veer off track or careen toward something we don’t even know why, but eventually we find our path. I have found my path! I feel fortunate I have connected with so many amazing and talented artists! I am blessed! I may in the future, get off track but that just means I am exploring, no harm in that if I get back on track eventually! Enjoy your artistic journey, it is all about you!