MY "ARTY" SPRING BREAK!

"Garden Bunny"

It's Spring Break for me this week, and I'm enjoying taking off my "preschool teacher's hat" and putting on my "artist's hat". I spent a whole day spring cleaning my blog, updating the colors and decluttering a bit. I had fun creating a clip art "baby chick" in PaintShop Pro from one of my little drawings to use on my new banner. Slowly, I'm getting more comfy creating simple digital art! :)

I've made time to just "doodle" this week. It's been wonderful to have the time and the energy to sit with my cup of tea and my sketchbook, just enjoying the process of "playing on paper." There's been no pressure to produce... just the pleasure of seeing what develops. I'm amazed as I see these little sketches come to life! They are a gift to me and bring me so much joy!!

Thank you, Lord, for rest and renewal... Thank you for the chance to be inspired and to enjoy the process of creating!!


"Garden Bunny" is available in my Etsy shop, PHOLKART*BLESSINGS

LEARNING CURVE

"Space Explorer"

I like to learn new things. I find a lot of satisfaction in being able to search for helpful books and web resources about things that make me curious, and then dive right in and learn things on my own.

So, it made perfect sense to me, after purchasing a basic graphics program called PaintShop Pro (PSP) for my new computer, to wander down to my favorite local bookstore and buy a how-to book. I chose what I thought must surely be a very simple book ~ "PaintShop Pro for Dummies" ~ and eagerly headed home to learn the ins-and-outs of digital manipulation.

Well... it didn't take me long to realize that I might as well have been trying to decipher hieroglyphics! I just didn't seem to be able to "get" it. And so, reluctantly, I put this learning project aside.

Happily, this past summer my college-aged son (who amazes me with his ability to whiz around in Photoshop!) generously agreed to tutor me in PSP. Suddenly, some of those baffling PSP hieroglyphics started to make sense to me! Soon, I was scanning my line drawings into the computer and "painting" them on the screen... what fun!!

I still have a lot to learn about the "art" of PSP. But one thing I did learn this summer ~ some things are just more fun when learned together!

Thanks, Jesse, for all your patience!! Love, Mom

Space Explorer is available on a variety of fun kidswear in my CafePress shop, PHOLKART*BLESSINGS.