Bright Colours, Giraffes, and The Story So Far

It’s been a curious week. In a good way, mostly. And in some rather bizarre ways.

But here’s the thing: that’s January. I’ve felt this way about this month since I was quite young. By Now I mostly roll with it and let it BE. It’s working and I’m happy.

After December’s daily posts here, it appears I’ve let myself post infrequently. Thus the title… I’m going to combine a couple of things, toss it up, and let it BE a salad of sorts!!

It is wondrous to get swept up in a wave of Something New & Slightly Scary. 2013 Year of the Giraffe with Carla Sonheim has BEcome such a wave. I’ve long proclaimed my inability to draw, drawing giraffes has been telling another story.

And when I take these drawings and scan them to share with others taking this class, I get a real charge out of fidding with them digitally. I don’t think I ever realised the possibilities of digital art BEing what would prove my CAN’Ts are really CANs!!

This morning, while enJOYing the luxury of DOing laundry practically AT HOME [thanks to my front house family letting me DO it while they are off at work and school and whatnot] I started fiddling a bit with some giraffes I’ve drawn.

Kind of like eating M&M’s…

As I was playing I remembered this week’s Artist’s Play Room theme of BRIGHT COLOURS and I was over the moon… This colouring I’d done then scanned and fiddled with a wee bit here…

BEcame this…

. 

Then this... 

And finally this...

Definitely bright colours, definitely giraffe drawings, and last yet nowhere near least, wonderful installments on 2013’s intention to make art every day, play hard, and even get a little “out there” from time to time…

And, just to keep up a tiny bit with The Story So Far… I’ve been savouring Your Daily Rock from Patti Digh and really letting myself imagine and dream and explore and ponder WITHOUT feeling compelled to Write It All Down. This is HUGE and delicious as I tend to think I have to “leave my mark” wherever I’ve been and, imagine that, I don’t!!!

Today’s really set me to thinking, though, as I DO spend so much MUCH MORE time walking these days, and it’s a nice sort of meandering thing to consider. 

As the day has been unfolding I have noticed the little things, the way Gracie chooses for our walks, the ways I think we “should” go when she clearly wants to exercise her right to choose, and how often it happens that we wind up running into someone or having a glad experience simply BEcause of our two wills making an opening!!

Life is full this year. This January. For me.

I am using the month to sift and to sort and to see what happens.

I am letting myself BE surprised.

And most of all, I am simply enJOYing it…