Music Inspiration: January Hymn by the Decemberists

Sometimes when I’m not sure what I want to work on, I will listen to music and create a page inspired by the song. I also love finding music videos on YouTube and drawing inspiring from those, whether it’s from the colors and lighting used in the video or the song lyrics. Every week or so, I’ll find a song or video to share so we can all be inspired.

For our first Music Inspiration post, I searched for “January” on YouTube, and this is the video I found inspiring:

Here are the lyrics:

On a winter’s Sunday I go
To clear away the snow
And green the ground below

April all an ocean away
Is this the better way to spend the day?
Keeping the winter at bay

What were the words I meant to say before you left?
When I could see your breath lead
Where you were going to
Maybe I should just let it be
And maybe it will all come back to me
Sing: O January O

How I lived a childhood in snow
And all my teens in tow
Stuffed in strata of clothes

Pale the winter days after dark
Wandering the gray memorial park
A fleeting beating of hearts

What were the words I meant to say before she left?
When I could see her breath lead
Where she was going to
Maybe I should just let it be
And maybe it will all come back to me
Sing: O January O

(from elyrics)

I made a video showing the page I created inspired by this song/video:

I’d love to see what you come up with!

Just A Note

Just a note to anyone browsing in from around the web: this blog is NOT the classroom for Weekly Art Date. New content is posted weekly within the classroom at Artjournaling.ning.com. We are currently on Week 4 of Weekly Art Date, but remember that you are free to work at your own pace and to start at any time. If you are a class member, you’ll want to log in there each week to see the new material. I’ll be posting exclusive videos here as well as periodic freebies for people who aren’t in the class. But for the best info and downloadable videos, you’ll want to join the class!

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January Giveaway!

Up for grabs we have three original canvases! Each one measures 3 x 4 inches. Pop over to the classroom to cast your entry for this great giveaway! I’ll choose one winner who will get all three pieces. The prize drawing will be on Wednesday, February 1st. Full year members will get a video of the making of this series from start to finish. (It’s uploading now, so watch for that later tonight.)

January Bonus Video Sneak Peek

Full year members of Weekly Art Date have an added benefit of receiving bonuses throughout the year. For January, I decided that I’d make an original piece of art for the monthly giveaway (which is open to all members of Weekly Art Date) and to make a video of the art-making as a bonus for the full year members.

I’ll post pictures of the finished canvases in the morning, when my lighting is better, but for now, here’s a sneak peek of the art in progress.

I’m working on tiny 3 x 4 inch canvases, which I bought from Jerry’s Artarama, but if you don’t have canvases, you can also work on artist trading card blanks or right in your journal at any size you’d like.

Check back tomorrow for more pictures and details about this month’s giveaway.

Sketching in the Digital Age

When my boyfriend first told me he was getting a tablet, I thought he meant a Wacom Bamboo tablet, which you use for sketching digitally. That wasn’t what he meant, but I have found that I can use it to make digital sketches, as long as I don’t mind using my finger as my writing instrument. (He did buy a stylus, but it got eaten by a couch. And he got a Bamboo tablet for Christmas, though I haven’t tried it yet.) Sketching via iPad doesn’t have the flexibility of sketching on paper, mostly in terms of being able to layer colors and blend, but it’s fun to play!

And a bonus: One problem that I encounter with filming videos for my online classes and youtube channel is light: I have a huge studio with giant windows and plenty of light, but since I live in New England, pretty much the land of darkness, I have to film anything before about 3 pm or the lighting just isn’t right. With the ipad though, I suspect I can film anytime I want! Score!

Recycled Christmas Card Gift Tags

The designs on my Christmas cards this year were so pretty that I couldn’t just toss them in the recycling bin… so I chopped ’em up to make cute gift tags for next year!

You’ll need:
old greeting cards
scissors
ink pad (I used Ranger Archival ink in black)
hole punch
ribbon (I used recycled silk ribbon from Darn Good Yarns: darngoodyarns.com