Art

10 ways to keep your New Year’s Resolution

| Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

newyearsres

  1. Make a resolution you want to keep, not one you think you should keep.
  2. Clearly define your resolution, so you know the steps you have to take to “keep it.”
  3. Be realistic. You can build on your resolution over time. If your resolution is running – don’t expect to run a marathon the first week of January. But you can expect to build up to a 5k over the course of the year.
  4. Keep visual reminders around. I left my sketchbook on my night stand. Every time I saw it, I remembered I wanted to fill it.
  5. Spend money to motivate you. Throughout the year, I buy new art supplies and I feel guilty if I don’t use them!
  6. Keep a journal or blog to keep track of your progress. You’ll enjoy reading old entries and seeing how far you’ve come. Blogging greatly motivated me to finish my creative projects. I felt I owed it to anyone reading!
  7. Schedule time to do the things necessary to keeping your resolution. If it’s “eat healthy” you need to make time to shop and prepare healthy meals.
  8. Tell people, especially the supportive ones! The more people you tell, the more accountable you will feel.
  9. Celebrate the milestones – 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, a year!
  10. Don’t stop at a year. If it is a resolution worth keeping, continue after the year is out and build on it. I am more excited about my creative resolution 2015, then I was 2014!

10 things I want to try in 2015 and links to those who inspire me!

| Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

linocutsupplies
I can’t wait for 2015! (my creative resolution.2) There are so many things I am excited to try! The above image is the Christmas present I bought myself (see item #1).

Things I want to try in 2015:

  1. Linocut. It seems like a lot of work but the results are awesome! I am inspired by Andrea Lauren who I follow on Instagram (@inkprintrepeat). Check out her nutcracker – amazing!
  2. Lettering (“modern calligraphy”). I’d like to continue practicing my lettering. I follow @illustrationbyj on Instagram. She recommended Tombow markers which are awesome!
  3. Online workshops. There is so many resources online and I’d like to take advantage of them. I’m thinking about this workshop on modern calligraphy.
  4. Painting on dark paper. I love this look and I want to try it – check out my pinterest board to see!
  5. Doodling, especially flowers and wreaths. I’m so inspired by @kristinnohe on Instagram. She fills her journals with beautiful doodles.
  6. Video! I love seeing the progression of a project, which is why I often show my steps. I’d love to show you this in video form.
  7. Patterns. I’ve wanted to try this for awhile. I am inspired by glizadesign.com.
  8. Maps. I’d love to create a whimsical map. I love Linzie Hunter’s style.
  9. Digital Brushes. I am a Graphic Designer and don’t often like to mix my art with my computer work, but maybe it’s time?! There is so much cool stuff you can do.
  10. Watercolor Parties. Friends, watercolor, a glass of wine – what could be more fun?!


What new thing are you excited to try this year?

What I’ve learned in the 2nd half of 2014 (about myself and art)

| Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

joy
At the 6 month mark of My Creative Resolution I wrote a post entitled “What I’ve learned about art (and myself).” As I sat down to write this, I reread that post, and I realized a lot of those items are still the important things I’ve learned this year. But I do have a few items to add. Those “6 month” items were mostly about art. The items I am writing now, are what I’ve learned about myself.

  • I love working square
  • I love adding ink. This is so surprising to me! I used to think adding all those lines seems so tedious, but I’ve found – you get into a zone.
  • Watercolor portraits – soften the edges so the skin doesn’t look blotchy.
  • I love being creative. I love having a project in the works, or ideas for new projects, or both!
  • I’m affected by the seasons. I can’t help being inspired by what is around me, whether it’s Spring flowers, Fall leaves, Winter’s evergreen trees, or a day at the beach.
  • I like being spontaneous and working on what inspires me in the moment. I found my weekly checklist to be too much after a while.
  • In the past I was frustrated with wanting to develop a style. Now, I’m embracing the journey. I’m in no rush, and I’m having fun doing it.
  • I’m no closer to selling and I’m not sure selling is for me. I don’t want to be filling orders or creating sellable things. I want to create what I’m inspired to create.
  • I love blogging – see more below.

What I love about blogging:

  • It motivates me to create.
  • I love working on new projects. Each new idea sparks more and more ideas.
  • I enjoy writing.
  • I like thinking about my process – what worked, what didn’t, what was a happy accident, or a mistake to learn from.
  • I love the community and feedback.
  • I’m inspired by and learn from other bloggers and I am honored when someone says I do that for them.

I am bursting at the seams with ideas for making My Creative Resolution better, for me and you, in 2015. I hope you’ll join me as my creative journey continues. 🙂

Pressure and Painting

| Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

beachshot
For most of this year, I haven’t put pressure on myself to create “frame-able” pieces. I started the year working in my sketchbook because that really took the pressure off. Eventually, because I was using watercolor, I graduated to nicer paper, but I still approached each piece as playing and having fun – just seeing what I could make. The only “pressure” was to finish the painting and I like to think of that as the motivation that blogging has given me. With no pressure, I’d sit and play and often be surprised with the results. Sometimes I’d like the final painting so much, I’d frame it.

But now, I’ve started a project that I already bought a frame for. (My mother asked for a beach painting for Christmas.) It changes how I think as I work. Every step of the way I’m worried. In the past I worked around the “mistakes” because it didn’t really matter. I only had to please myself and I was happy just being creative and finishing. Now I’m stressing about the final product. Will she like it? Will other people like it?

Thankfully it’s for my mother! I can’t imagine the pressure if it was a commissioned piece! I remember as a kid, I drew the ugliest picture I could, and showed it to my mom. When she said it was beautiful and she loved it, I said, “I knew it! You always say that!”

She said, “Maybe I always think that. Just because you think it’s bad, doesn’t mean I do.” That got me thinking. Maybe to her, my “ugly” picture was beautiful – especially because I made it.

Feathers

| Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

feathersfinal
A while back, I painted a feather by accident. I was trying to paint a sunflower and the center bled into the background. I tossed that version to the side and finished a different one. Every time I looked at that “mistake,” I saw a feather. Eventually I used ink to turn it into a feather. Since then, I’ve realized how interesting feathers are. They’ve been “hip” for a years – I know I’m not onto something new!

The other day when I was running I saw feathers lying on the sidewalk. I snapped a photo and later started painting them. I had a lot of fun creating the texture of the background. After I added the ink, I almost wished I hadn’t. I thought I may have ruined it. But, I added more watercolor and a shadow to the feather and it started to pop.

My Steps:

First I did a light outline of the feathers in pencil.
Then I worked on the background. I splashed and splattered.
feathers1
feathers2feathers2b

After the background was completely dry, I painted the feather.
feathers3

Then, I added ink to the feather.
feathers4

I added more color to the feather and a shadow. See the final at the beginning of the post.

Forgotten Projects

| Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

forgottenprojectsjar
I love starting a new project, but inevitably my enthusiasm wanes and it’s hard to stick with and finish the project . As I look back on my creative projects this year, I’m surprised there aren’t more abandoned projects. I know the reason why. It’s because of you! If I was working privately and not filling you in on all the details, I would be a lot less motivated to finish. So thank you!

I’m of two minds on forgotten projects. One part of me wants to finish them. But the other part of me, thinks I should work on what inspires me. A happy medium between these two “minds” is probably the answer. So, as part of My Creative Resolution 2015, I will (every so often) select a forgotten project and finish it.

I can’t promise I’ll pick these projects at random, or how often I’ll do this – but I do promise to keep you posted. 😉

A few forgotten and unfinished projects from 2014
Dandelion, acrylic 
dandelion

Girl Digging, acrylic
girldiggingrev

Beach Girl, illustration style in progress. Last version – watercolor
beachgirl3

A few abandoned watercolors:
abandonedw

and

A Mirror (that’s buried in the garage), that I was going to sand and paint the frame in an interesting way. It’s been there since June.

BTW – I refuse to add to the “forgotten” list – Christmas Dioramas and House/Door Paintings because I will work on these again! If I remember.