My Top Ten Posts Of 2014 #6: The Art Of Hand Lettering

Some holiday hand lettering in my art studio.

My 6th most popular post of 2014 was "The Art Of Hand Lettering", another from my Create Art Every Day challenge.

I was a little hesitant to write about my adventures in hand lettering because there are many people out there who do it more beautifully than I do.  But let's face it, if I had to be an expert at something in order to blog about it, this blog would not exist.

As a recovering perfectionist it is imperative that I don't dwell on comparisons between myself and other artists, bloggers or anyone for that matter. Instead, if I start to feel envious of someone else's talents or achievements, I will just adopt that person as a role model.  I will look into their story and see what I can learn from it that applies to my own creative journey.  It is rare that I find anyone who was born instantly talented and successful.  In fact, I usually find that it's taken a lot of hard work, perseverance and courage for the people I admire to get to where they are in life.  This inspires me and motivates me to keep going.

As for hand lettering, I may never be an expert at it but I still enjoy it and I think that's a good enough reason to keep doing it and sharing it with you.

Art Fairies: Joy, Love, Peace, Wonder Greeting Cards by Victoriart
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Art Fairies: 2015 New Year Greeting Card by Victoriart
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Art Fairy: I Believe In Art Dark Shirt by Victoriart
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Art Fairies: Art Is Magic Dark Tshirts by Victoriart
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Art Fairy Christmas Tree Stamp by Victoriart
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My Top Ten Posts Of 2014 #7: Creative Decluttering

I successfully decluttered my art studio and guest room this year.

My seventh most popular post this year was Creative Decluttering.  It was also the very first post I wrote this year which isn't surprising because getting rid of clutter was a big part of my life this year and I am still working on it.

Some people might think that people who struggle with clutter in their lives are just materialistic or lazy but there is usually a much deeper reason behind it.  For me I think clutter was the result of my not having clearly defined goals for myself.

I should explain that for most of my life I have been seeking and trying out a variety of possibilities for myself which I don't regret at all because I learned many valuable lessons from that.  However, towards the end of 2013 something shifted for me.  I started to get a clearer vision of the life I wanted and the person I wanted to be and that has motivated me to finally get rid of the clutter in my life.  Believe me it is so much easier to make decisions about what you don't want anymore once you have figured out what you do want.

I'm looking forward to tackling even more decluttering projects in 2015.

Let's Stay Home And Get Stuff Done by Cabagelow
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Thrift Store Diva Coffee Mugs by kchippie
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No Such Thing As Too Many Books Magnet by time2see
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The Girl With Big Dreams Vintage Photo Collage Jumbo Mug by VictoriaVintage
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My Top Ten Posts Of 2014 #8: The Art Of Art Supply Addiction

I heart my art cart! (Magnets are available at my shops).

I love that my mostly wordless Art Supply Addiction post was among my most popular this year.  I guess there are more people than I realized who have trouble saying no to crayons (which we all know leads to harder stuff like paint and glitter).

Seriously, as problems go, art supply addiction is not a bad one to have.  I know when I am feeling stuck creatively a new tool or medium can give me a much needed spark.  Also, the more supplies I have on hand, the better I am able to serve my muse when she wakes me up with one of her supposedly brilliant ideas at five in the morning.  However, I do have some guidelines that I follow to ensure that things don't get out of control.

Here are my top three rules when it comes to art supplies:

1. I must have a place for them or I can't buy them.

If my shelves are crowded and my desk drawers are full, then I obviously don't need any more art supplies for awhile.  In fact, that's good motivation to get busy making more art so I can free up some space for more goodies.

2. I must use them, not just keep them.

Paint and brushes are always going to be used sooner or later but when I purchase a new tool or medium I have a rule that I have to spend some time experimenting with it right away.  There is no waiting for inspiration or taking a lot of time to research "the proper way" to use something.  Inspiration and learning come from doing, not waiting.

3. If I haven't used them in awhile, they need to go.

Several years ago I got into making things with polymer clay.  It was fun and I learned a lot from it but ultimately, it wasn't my calling.  When I cleaned out my craft closet earlier this year I realized it was time to donate all of my clay tools.  Like people, not all art and craft supplies are meant to stay in your life forever.  Some just come into your life to teach you something and then move on and that's okay because then you have room for new art supplies!  Hurray!

Are you addicted to art supplies too?  I would love to hear your tips for dealing with this delightful dilemma.

and she crafted happily ever after. Photography Greeting Card by time2see
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Rainbows In Progress Artist's Brushes Throw Pillow by time2see
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Indulge In Creativity Sundae Note Book by time2see
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"Creativity Is Served Here" Photography Stretched Canvas Print by time2see
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CTRL+X & CTRL+V vs. Scissors & Paste T-shirts by Victoreeah
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My Top Ten Posts Of 2014 #9: The Art Of Making Art A Priority

A reminder to put art first.

My ninth most popular post in 2014 was "The Art Of Making Art A Priority", part of my Create Art Every Day Challenge (as are 4 other posts in my top ten).  That challenge is still imparting lessons to me and here's one of them: making art a priority is really about making myself a priority.  It's about valuing myself and taking care of myself so that I have the time, the space and the energy to follow my muse and do what I love to do, which, incidentally, may or may not fall under someone else's definition of what practicing art is.  It may be gardening or home decorating or taking photos or dancing to Motown music with my cats.  I put these things under the general heading of art because my definition of art, without question, includes co-creating with nature, making a home, noticing beauty and expressing joy.  It just so happens that all these activities also really inspire and inform my paintings.

I don't know why it took me so long to figure out how to put the things that make me happy first.  To be truthful, I still struggle with it.  However, I am getting better at it and the best thing about that is that everyone around me benefits from my victories.

Do Art Now, Housework Later Apron by Victoriart
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Do Art Now, Housework Later Rectangle Magnet by Victoriart
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Do Art Now, Housework Later Notebooks by Victoriart
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Do Art Now, Housework Later Medium Gift Bag by Victoriart
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Do Art Now, Housework Later Vinyl Binders by Victoriart
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My Top Ten Posts Of 2014 #10: Decked Out

Can you believe that 2014 is almost over?  I will be a little sad to see it go.  It's been a year filled with big blessings and big lessons for me and I think I will always look back on it fondly.  In fact, I thought now would be a good time for me to start reflecting on some of this year's projects and challenges.  So over the next couple of weeks I plan to revisit some of my more popular posts of 2014.

I will begin today with number ten on my top ten list of blog posts this year: Decked Out.

My decked out deck.

I'm so happy I finally got around to sprucing up my deck this year.  It really inspired me to spend more time out there relaxing and enjoying it.  And when I wasn't enjoying it (and sometimes when I was) the wildlife did.  I snapped the photo below through the storm door with my cell phone in September.  Is it my imagination or is that actually a beaver?

Hey, you're not a squirrel!

Blue Jays also held regular meetings at my table.

Three Chatty Blue Jays

Of course now I have put most of the decor away for the winter but I still have my table and chairs and my string lights, as well as some additional lighting for the holidays.  Now and then, when it isn't too cold, I still sneak out there with a glass of wine in the evening to unwind from a busy day.

Fresh air and twinkling lights always pair well with wine.

I'm looking forward to setting everything back up and spending even more time out there in Spring of 2015.  

Purple Patina: Filigree Place Mats by Cabagelow
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Purple Patina: Mandala And Diamonds Pillow by Cabagelow
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Purple Patina: Dragonfly Plate by Cabagelow
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Purple Patina: Butterflies by Cabagelow
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Purple Patina: Butterflies Porcelain Mug by Cabagelow
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Monticello In May

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello on May 1, 2014

In Spring of this year, I actually ventured away from The Cabbage and took a fairly long road trip.  I drove east on I-64, briefly stopping in Kentucky, then spent a couple of days in Virginia before reaching my destination in The Outer Banks of North Carolina.  There I got to witness a beautiful wedding and enjoy time with my family.  It was a wonderful adventure.

Unfortunately, the trip back was a bit challenging and took longer than I expected.  When I finally got home I was so glad to be there and so eager to get back to working on my garden that I didn't give myself much time to reflect on my trip.

Then a couple of days ago I decided to start organizing my photos from this year.  When I came across the photos I took during a brief visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello I was astonished to realize I had barely looked at them since hastily uploading them to my computer in my hotel room that night.  I couldn't take pictures inside the house and I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to explore and photograph the grounds but looking at the photos I did take was enough to bring back all my memories of a very lovely morning.

And that is how, on this cold Winter's day, I decided to share with you my visit to Monticello in May:

I love tulips so I considered myself very lucky to be visiting when they were in bloom.

There is nothing like a big, old tree to give you a sense of the history of a place.

I loved these "Blushing Beauty" tulips.

White Tulips at Monticello

How gorgeous are these dark purple tulips? (I wrote down the name of these but can't find my notes!)

Yes, you guessed it, more tulips!  They were breathtaking.

The tall flowers with the dark purple, bell shaped flowers are called "Persian Fritillary" and they are fantastic, especially in combination with these pink tulips.

I really love this combination and hope to mimic it in one of my gardens someday.

One last look back at the path before I go.

Sunshine Tulip Photography Postcard by time2see
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Raindrops and Kisses Tulip Photography Postcards by time2see
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Virginia Beach Mermaid Canvas Bags by Victoreeah
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Outer Banks Mermaid Stamp by Victoreeah
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Back To The Drawing Board 2014

I feel very blessed and grateful that all the things I wanted for 2014 came true.

Some people might think it is kind of weird that Hippie and I have a four by eight foot chalkboard on a wall in our living room.  Heck, even I thought it was weird when my muse first proposed it.  But hey, she's the boss so I have to do what she says and I'm so glad that I did.

In fact, I recently came to the conclusion that creating and using this chalkboard was probably the single most important thing I've done for my art in a long while.  The biggest reason for this is that it helped me heal my creative wounds around the practice of drawing. The playful and impermanent nature of drawing with chalk liberated me from my perfectionism and reminded me just how fun art could be.  At the same time the limits of the medium and the vastness of the canvas challenged me to experiment and develop new skills.

All of this has given me more confidence in my abilities and helped me to become more ambitious with my art.  In 2013 I wouldn't have dreamed of attempting anything like The Beatles mural I created in February of this year to honor the 50th anniversary of their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, but I think I managed to pull it off.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles!

Actually, Hippie liked it so much that he didn't want me to ever erase it!

Hippie saving The Beatles. ;)

I decided to let him enjoy it for several months because around that time I was busy creating a chalkboard wall in my art studio.  

Every art studio should have a chalkboard wall!

Having fun with hand lettering.

And I didn't stop there!  I also created a little chalkboard to use as a welcoming sign by the door on our front porch.

A Holiday sign (and a warding off sign) for our front porch.

Eventually, however, I had to come back to the drawing board that started it all.  It truly is the best art teacher I've ever had.

Some falling leaves to bring some of the joys of Autumn indoors.

This year's Holiday mural continues my Three Kings theme

Click here to see my chalkboard murals from 2013.