Doodle!

Way back in November, I took a Creative Doodling class with Traci Bautista. Did I blog about it....? I'm not sure....I know I've mentioned that I can't doodle worth a doodle, and that I flunked the class, but I certainly didn't post any doodles, at least not ones created by moi. Even with Traci starting the doodle for you, I had a hard time getting it. It was a great course, well worth the money, and Traci is fabulous. I just didn't think it worked for me.

ANYWAY, I pulled out one of the sketchbooks I have and found some doodles I had done...doodles I did....sounds odd either way! Hey, they weren't half bad for a grown woman! Any kid could do better but it's been a long time since I was a kid. And since I seem to have found this new sense of I-don't-give-a-damn, I think I'm going to post them. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I did making them because I have lots more!

These were done in combinations of regular crayon, watercolor crayon, markers and Tulip fabric paint. This was just to get us used to doodling. It wasn't until I started using color rather than plain black marker that I started to like them.

Background was sprayed with Glimmer Mist just for the color. I thought if I didn't shake it up I wouldn't have much glimmer, and I didn't.


I need to go back and outline the flower in this one so it can be seen. The stem of the flower turns into an arrow and pierces the heart.

I've been busy...

but I haven't scrapped a thing! I've done some art journaling though. Almost have a whole book done, another one started, and then there's the ongoing/neverending junk journal. My goodness have I learned a lot just by doing it! Over and over and over, I've watched videos on YouTube, Live Shows on UStream, I've taken this workshop and that workshop, and I never really felt like I GOT it. Really, truly, GOT IT! This person says believe in yourself, that person says just do your own thing, they all say "you're an artist because you (pick one...or two) say so, I say so, you create art, you took art classes, you drew this, you painted that". Well, guess what?

I'm NOT an artist!!

I never was and I never will be. I can't draw a thing, the only painting I ever did was by numbers, and if I were graded on all of the workshops I've taken.....ohh, a dismal failure...I can't even doodle.

But I'm having FUN trying, damn it! Yes! I like playing with paint and paper and stamps and colors and cutouts.....sounds like scrapbooking doesn't it? To me, it's very much like scrapbooking, I'm just not adding family pictures and trying to make them look pretty. Don't get me wrong, here....just because I don't consider myself an artist doesn't mean art journalers aren't artists, because most of them are. They're fabulous artists. People like Kelly Rae, Christy Tomlinson, Traci Bautista, JournalArtista, Inkwell, all fabulous Mixed Media Artists that I admire and have learned from.

Geez, my pages wouldn't hold a candle to what these women do. If a page looks good, I had a lucky day....or several days, as it takes me a while to "create" anything. The good news though, is that I'm finally seeing some improvement in what I'm doing. Maybe I'm getting it afterall because it feels like a light bulb went off, or it's the wonderful workshop of Christy Tomlinson's that I'm taking now. It's making a lot more sense to me.

More about these artisans and some of the workshops I've taken later.

Your Doodles are Gorgeous!

Artwork by Traci Bautista

Ever looked at a doodle and thought it was beautiful? I have. I've been looking at a LOT of doodles lately and they're downright awesome.

I signed up for a workshop with Traci Bautista. A doodle workshop. A majorly cool and fun doodle workshop. I'm stunned by the pages displayed by students before me...I swear to God...they're gorgeous. They're doodles, and they're freakin' gorgeous. Who knew?!

Yeah, I think you need to check her out...talk about inspiring! I'm really glad I signed up for the doodle class...now I'm loving the 24 Holiday Inspirations on her blog.