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Category Archives: Nuts & Bolts & Magic
How heavy are your boulders?
My goodness, a whole month has passed since my last post … because I’ve been birthing this wonderful book, Double Take! Both versions of the book (paperback and eBook) are finished, uploaded to Amazon, ready for me to press the … Continue reading
I did a terrible job explaining viewfinders…
… but this guy does a great job. Our approaches are somewhat different, but the point is the same. He shows how to make a clear plastic viewfinder, as well as the “hole in the index card” style that I … Continue reading
My watercolors are lonely!
I’m sure you’ve been here too. It’s super hot out, or really humid, or maybe buggy, and you’d love to fit in some time sketching outdoors, but oh my, naw, maybe later… Then you think, “Maybe if I pull out … Continue reading
Posted in Book #2, Look at That! book, Sketching tools, Watercolor, Writing
Tagged brush dance, Creative Habit, Perseverance, practice, recreation, Watercolor, Writing
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The latest finished sketchbook
I just finished a sketchbook that I began back on June 15th, 2019. An educational ending to a long process! The paper in this sketchbook is one of my favorites, the same as what was in the big square sketchbook … Continue reading
Time for another episode of . . . The Restless Artist!
Today, the 23rd of February 2022, has been an unreasonably balmy day here in northern New England. Lately we have felt fortunate when the temps made it up to freezing, but today, thanks to insanely strong winds from the south … Continue reading
Being Bored is a Luxury Not Afforded Everyone
Each morning when I first awaken, I ask myself the same question: What shall I make of this day? I’ve entered the minefield of Elderhood, and it’s as jarring as puberty was. After the shock and insult of puberty, we … Continue reading
Posted in Musings on Life, My Story, Urban Sketching (On-Site Creativity)
Tagged aging, Inspiration, kylecease, Looking, meditation, Mentors, seeing meditation, wisdom
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In praise of weird-shaped containers
Sometimes all you need is a weird-shaped target area to overcome perceived obstacles. Notice I said, “perceived.” Most of time, what’s keeping us from writing, from sketching, from taking up guitar, or even harmonica is the crazy notion that we … Continue reading
Posted in Cartoons, Pen & Ink, Seeing and looking, Sketchbooks, Watercolor
Tagged Creative Habit, Creativity, Golden Mean, Inspiration, Sketchbooks
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“But in the meantime…”
I love that word, it describes a period of time that defies definition! Here’s what Merriam-Webster says: Meantime: 1 : during the time before something happens or before a specified period ends The new computers won’t arrive until next week, but we … Continue reading
Posted in 3- Magic: Art Epiphanies, Musings on Life, My Story, Tip Jar, Writing
Tagged Alison Wearing, Beginnings, Creative Habit, Habits, Inspiration, Melissa Wiley, Paperblogging, Perseverance
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The Greatness of Blue: a holiday season story
It was the 24th day of the last month of the year, snow was everywhere, and all the summer birds had long since headed south for the winter. Or so the villagers thought. The townsfolk were busy trying to keep … Continue reading
Posted in Cartoons, Musings on Life, Watercolor, Writing
Tagged Community, Creativity, Hope, Inspiration, Perseverance, storytelling, Writing Habit
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Another sketchbook completed, and what I learned
I just finished another sketchbook, six months of Sundays, literally. And because I can’t simply leave it at that, I had to go one step further and try to figure out: 1- how to shoot a one-handed video in a … Continue reading