Personally my real-life workload apparently never stops (although I get a couple of months off from lawn maintenance) and I've never managed to successfully do any sort of journaling. I did Inktober a couple of times, but even that got away from me.
I love the idea of a series in my journal and the idea of drawing some of the ornaments on my tree. Thank you for the inspiration! Also, it seems like such a simple thing, but a light bullb came on when you said that a series doesn't have to be every day. For some reason I am constantly having to be reminded that there are no rules and that my journal is mine-- anything goes! That's the best thing about it, so I'm trying to get less picky about it and just enjoy the freedom of a creative space that can be anything I want it to be. :-)
My favorite knick knacks are the set of Santa plates I made for my children when they each turned 3. Their little handprints make me happy every time I pull them out of their wrappings.
Definitely white lights. I like the clean resting point amongst all the riotous color of the holidays.
I’d like to take the grandson to see all the Christmas lights. We did it last year so I’m wanting to make this a tradition.
Love the nutcracker series. I meant to comment last week. My daughter was given a nutcracker from Germany by her in laws. A beauty of a guy in lederhausen, the grey leather shorts, with a backpack and felt jacket. She hates these creatures. When she moved to London where she lived for 13 years I was the keeper of the nutcracker. I returned him to her and her family now she is back home. Her kids can enjoy him. I wish I had drawn him when I had him.
I started drawing some ornaments over the years as well. I was a folk artist and spent much time focused on the holiday season. I did Santa and snowmen in all sizes on wood or as cut outs. Some even life size. I taught classes as well. It made people happy and some still have those pieces I did.
As life changed and I had to downsize. I turned my focus to paper and kept only a few my old pieces.
A favorite is a big wood piece I did of a pull toy of a Santa riding a chicken pulling a wooden Christmas tree. It brings me joy. This year I pulled him out and seem to have lost the wagon for the tree.
White lights only but enjoy seeing colored on other peoples houses.
I signed up for Care December with Kasia Avery of Everything art. It is free but donations are welcome for a non profit she supports. The color will be blue as the focus.
I am finishing off a year long project with Joanne Sharpe. December is the last chapter. I love red and green and snowmen and created my first page asignment quickly.
No tree this year. My new cat would no doubt destroy it with her curiosity and dexterity. I will be happy with lights and some greenery from the woods on the patio.
Thank you Amy for your beautiful writing and the fun nutcracker illustrations. Your journals are treasures! So glad you share bits. I would love to sit on the couch and go through every one of them.
I will paint my usual snowmen cards for a few people. Each year I say “no more!”
This reminds me that my oldest son had an obsession with them when he was young and we have a collection of them somewhere. I had the boys pull the Christmas decorations out of the attic this year and I wonder if they purposely didn’t bring them down. Teenagers are too cool for nutcrackers, apparently. I’ll have to get them down myself, I guess. 😊
My favorite Christmas knick knack is a set of figurines that my mom gave me. One is Santa on the phone in his night cap and the other is a little boy calling with his list. My father was a lineman for the phone company and this was our “homage to the phone company” decoration every year throughout my childhood. Maybe I’ll post a photo in the Sunday coffee chat.
Thank you for sharing this. I love so much about it, the images most of all, of course, but also this line: "I associate December in my sketchbook with softness, with something light and whimsical, with something quiet and reflective." I love the feeling this line gives me as I read.
Gail - I didn’t realize you had done folk art that way at one point. That’s very cool. You are so prolific in your art making though. I love seeing what you are up to, and I am glad you are doing Kasia’s course and have enjoyed Joanne’s year-long class. The kitten definitely has turned things topsy turvy! I hope you do have lights in play somewhere. I am sure those who receive your snowmen cards love them! Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
White lights because they go with everything else!
Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses
Positive word: Present or savor. I just want to enjoy the moments that I can and not rush through the season.
Sadly, I might not put a tree up this season because of our new cat, just as Gail mentioned earlier! I’m considering filling up my China cabinet with ornaments because that’s my favorite part of Christmas decorating. I love remembering the old days and friends and the kids when they were little with the ornaments.
Of course drawing one a day (or 5 a week or whatever) is a wonderful idea. I just need to get them in a safe place!
I have a few nutcrackers that would be fun to draw, too. I have a mariachi one that feels very Texan that you might enjoy a picture of for your drawing this season. If I get that box out soon, I’ll send you a DM on Instagram.
I don’t have a lot of history with nutcrackers, but I was in our local production of the nutcracker. I was one of the parents in the party scene and it was so much fun.
My favorite ornaments are a collection I have of needlepoint ornaments my grandmother made. She made one for us each year when we were growing up.
White lights are my favorites, although all lights are great.
My favorite Christmas decoration thing, was (strangely enough) a manger that we had. My family is not religious at all, so I don’t know why we had it. It had these super cool wooden people and animals, and I loved to play with it. I wish I still had it.
My favorite Christmas song is a holdover from high school, Bandaid - Do they know it’s Christmas.
"This is wisdom I have gained through the years. This is what I have learned about myself. Time spent drawing and documenting life is my version of self care."
There are many other types of nutcrackers besides, the soldier guy. I prefer the simple metal jaws.
Try as I might, Amy, I’m not really digging the illustrated part of the journal. I think my spacial art is more in photography. As always, I enjoy your meandering mind.
I love seeing your nutcracker drawings, both in color and black and white. We will be putting our tree up this weekend, and you have given me the urge to draw ornaments. I feel they are such magical little objects, Christmas time can have many glimmers. A favorite ornament I have is a painted salt dough gingerbread man that I made with my mom when I was probably only a toddler. It is about 45 years old and still in once piece. I hang it up each year even though it always feels a little risky! A risk that is worth the joy of seeing it there. The other part of that favorite ornament as that I have ones that my kids made when they were that age, a special tradition.
I love the idea of art journaling and drawing as self care. I can very much relate to that.
Again on nutcrackers. I remember having my photo taken by my daughter with a life size nutcracker at a German Christmas market. Alas I looked everywhere and could not find it! Oh well through it could be fun to see again.
Personally my real-life workload apparently never stops (although I get a couple of months off from lawn maintenance) and I've never managed to successfully do any sort of journaling. I did Inktober a couple of times, but even that got away from me.
This is an interesting tradition you have here.
I love the nutcracker series.
I love the idea of a series in my journal and the idea of drawing some of the ornaments on my tree. Thank you for the inspiration! Also, it seems like such a simple thing, but a light bullb came on when you said that a series doesn't have to be every day. For some reason I am constantly having to be reminded that there are no rules and that my journal is mine-- anything goes! That's the best thing about it, so I'm trying to get less picky about it and just enjoy the freedom of a creative space that can be anything I want it to be. :-)
My favorite knick knacks are the set of Santa plates I made for my children when they each turned 3. Their little handprints make me happy every time I pull them out of their wrappings.
Definitely white lights. I like the clean resting point amongst all the riotous color of the holidays.
I’d like to take the grandson to see all the Christmas lights. We did it last year so I’m wanting to make this a tradition.
Love the nutcracker series. I meant to comment last week. My daughter was given a nutcracker from Germany by her in laws. A beauty of a guy in lederhausen, the grey leather shorts, with a backpack and felt jacket. She hates these creatures. When she moved to London where she lived for 13 years I was the keeper of the nutcracker. I returned him to her and her family now she is back home. Her kids can enjoy him. I wish I had drawn him when I had him.
I started drawing some ornaments over the years as well. I was a folk artist and spent much time focused on the holiday season. I did Santa and snowmen in all sizes on wood or as cut outs. Some even life size. I taught classes as well. It made people happy and some still have those pieces I did.
As life changed and I had to downsize. I turned my focus to paper and kept only a few my old pieces.
A favorite is a big wood piece I did of a pull toy of a Santa riding a chicken pulling a wooden Christmas tree. It brings me joy. This year I pulled him out and seem to have lost the wagon for the tree.
White lights only but enjoy seeing colored on other peoples houses.
I signed up for Care December with Kasia Avery of Everything art. It is free but donations are welcome for a non profit she supports. The color will be blue as the focus.
I am finishing off a year long project with Joanne Sharpe. December is the last chapter. I love red and green and snowmen and created my first page asignment quickly.
No tree this year. My new cat would no doubt destroy it with her curiosity and dexterity. I will be happy with lights and some greenery from the woods on the patio.
Thank you Amy for your beautiful writing and the fun nutcracker illustrations. Your journals are treasures! So glad you share bits. I would love to sit on the couch and go through every one of them.
I will paint my usual snowmen cards for a few people. Each year I say “no more!”
PEACE
Oh, the nutcrackers! Love.
This reminds me that my oldest son had an obsession with them when he was young and we have a collection of them somewhere. I had the boys pull the Christmas decorations out of the attic this year and I wonder if they purposely didn’t bring them down. Teenagers are too cool for nutcrackers, apparently. I’ll have to get them down myself, I guess. 😊
My favorite Christmas knick knack is a set of figurines that my mom gave me. One is Santa on the phone in his night cap and the other is a little boy calling with his list. My father was a lineman for the phone company and this was our “homage to the phone company” decoration every year throughout my childhood. Maybe I’ll post a photo in the Sunday coffee chat.
Have a wonderful week 💖
Thank you for sharing this. I love so much about it, the images most of all, of course, but also this line: "I associate December in my sketchbook with softness, with something light and whimsical, with something quiet and reflective." I love the feeling this line gives me as I read.
Keep writing. It matters.
Gail - I didn’t realize you had done folk art that way at one point. That’s very cool. You are so prolific in your art making though. I love seeing what you are up to, and I am glad you are doing Kasia’s course and have enjoyed Joanne’s year-long class. The kitten definitely has turned things topsy turvy! I hope you do have lights in play somewhere. I am sure those who receive your snowmen cards love them! Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
White lights because they go with everything else!
Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses
Positive word: Present or savor. I just want to enjoy the moments that I can and not rush through the season.
Sadly, I might not put a tree up this season because of our new cat, just as Gail mentioned earlier! I’m considering filling up my China cabinet with ornaments because that’s my favorite part of Christmas decorating. I love remembering the old days and friends and the kids when they were little with the ornaments.
Of course drawing one a day (or 5 a week or whatever) is a wonderful idea. I just need to get them in a safe place!
I have a few nutcrackers that would be fun to draw, too. I have a mariachi one that feels very Texan that you might enjoy a picture of for your drawing this season. If I get that box out soon, I’ll send you a DM on Instagram.
I don’t have a lot of history with nutcrackers, but I was in our local production of the nutcracker. I was one of the parents in the party scene and it was so much fun.
My favorite ornaments are a collection I have of needlepoint ornaments my grandmother made. She made one for us each year when we were growing up.
White lights are my favorites, although all lights are great.
My favorite Christmas decoration thing, was (strangely enough) a manger that we had. My family is not religious at all, so I don’t know why we had it. It had these super cool wooden people and animals, and I loved to play with it. I wish I still had it.
My favorite Christmas song is a holdover from high school, Bandaid - Do they know it’s Christmas.
"This is wisdom I have gained through the years. This is what I have learned about myself. Time spent drawing and documenting life is my version of self care."
I'm no longer religious, but still...Amen!
💛💛💛
There are many other types of nutcrackers besides, the soldier guy. I prefer the simple metal jaws.
Try as I might, Amy, I’m not really digging the illustrated part of the journal. I think my spacial art is more in photography. As always, I enjoy your meandering mind.
I love seeing your nutcracker drawings, both in color and black and white. We will be putting our tree up this weekend, and you have given me the urge to draw ornaments. I feel they are such magical little objects, Christmas time can have many glimmers. A favorite ornament I have is a painted salt dough gingerbread man that I made with my mom when I was probably only a toddler. It is about 45 years old and still in once piece. I hang it up each year even though it always feels a little risky! A risk that is worth the joy of seeing it there. The other part of that favorite ornament as that I have ones that my kids made when they were that age, a special tradition.
I love the idea of art journaling and drawing as self care. I can very much relate to that.
Again on nutcrackers. I remember having my photo taken by my daughter with a life size nutcracker at a German Christmas market. Alas I looked everywhere and could not find it! Oh well through it could be fun to see again.