• How Grid Drawing Can Improve Composition
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How Grid Drawing Can Improve Composition

    As it is the month of Inktober, I wanted to share with you about how grid drawing can improve composition. I have spent a considerable amount of time this year working on my drawing and painting skills. One realization that I have had is how much I rely on grid drawing in my compositions for drawing and painting.   Learning…

  • How to Use a Dip Pen
    Techniques

    How to Use a Dip Pen

    As this month is Inktober, I wanted to share with you about how to use a dip pen. Using a dip pen is one of the skills that I have learned this year and it has had a huge impact on how I draw and how I approach drawing. Using a Dip Pen With all the different pens out on…

  • My Experience with Therapy
    Artist's Journey

    My Experience with Therapy

    With World Mental Health Day coming up on October 10, I wanted to share about my experience with therapy in improving our mental health. There are some strange beliefs about therapy. Such as you only see a therapist when you are mentally ill or an emotional mess. I do not believe that this is true. I believe strongly in psychotherapy;…

  • Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness
    Artist's Journey

    Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness

    With Mental Illness Awareness Week occurring this week and with World Mental Health Day on October 10, I wanted to talk about misconceptions surrounding mental illness. Mental illness is an uncomfortable topic for many people. I find there are usually 3 reactions. The first is avoidance from those who are uncomfortable talking about it. The second is that of understanding…

  • Mental Illness Awareness Week
    Artist's Journey

    Mental Illness Awareness Week

    With Mental Illness Awareness Week coming up next week I wanted to talk a bit about how we can make the most of this time. Perhaps mental illness is something that you don’t struggle with, but many people do. In my city, since the pandemic there have been a lot mental health issues. There have been more suicides, domestic violence…

  • Urban Sketching for Self-Care
    Artist's Journey,  Techniques

    Urban Sketching for Self-Care

    We all need activities to help with our self-care practice. I recently took up urban sketching for self-care and I’m finding it’s a great tool for exercising mindfulness. What is Urban Sketching? What is Urban Sketching? If you are not familiar with the practice, it is about drawing on location and sharing the stories of the places you live and…

  • Art Journal Project: The Courage to Be Seen
    Art Journal,  Artist's Journey

    Having the Courage to be Seen

    Have you ever had moments where having the courage to be seen is difficult? In my mindfulness practice this week I created this art journal project about how we can be brave in our lives and let ourselves be seen.  Having Courage Having courage is rarely easy. We may upset people that we care about. It might mean making some…

  • Objects that Encourage Your Self-Care Practice
    Techniques

    Objects that Encourage Your Self-Care Practice

    Do you have objects that encourage your self-care practice? One of my favorite objects is the fountain pen. I love to write and journal so the pen is an important part of my self-care practice. I use the fountain pen not just in my journal, but also in creating art, so it is an important and versatile tool for my…

  • Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images
    Projects,  Techniques

    Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images

    Today I wanted to share with you a way of adding your own art to stencil images. Many of us struggle with our drawing skills, so we often use stamps or stencils to help us create images that we are happy with. I was working on a scrapbook page recently and wanted a focal image that was larger than any…