Here are your prompts for between sessions.
If you have to choose between doing these prompts or viewing the homework video, I urge you to read through these prompts so you can revisit them later, but
the homework at the bottom of this page is more important as prep for Wednesday’s session.
Notes on the prompts:
When you do your free-writing:
- Think about what you are seeing literally, then think about how that might be connected to something meaningful to you. Make a note.
- Make notes about what feelings you were trying to express with different marks, or make notes about what was coming up for you as you were making marks.
- Make notes about what tools you really enjoyed and why. Pay attention to what thrills or relaxes you.
All of this is information that will help you build a visual vocabulary you can return to over and over again to make compositions that are meaningful to you.
*If you need to see what free-writing might look like, I’ve included a sample of mine a little further down on the page.
ARTISTS MENTIONED DURING OUR WORKSHOP:
zebrakedebra Emma Larson
artlilfe_explorations Colina Logar
jessamydrewthat Jessamy Hawk
drawntothread Hilary Ellis
tinahoisart Tina Hois
___maryi___ Maryi
tara.axford Tara Axford
WHAT MY FREE-WRITING LOOKS LIKE:
If you need an example of what free-writing might look like, you can take a look at mine.
I took a few minutes so sit with this page I began during Exercise 2. You can see my hand-written notes on the left page. If you don’t mind doing it, writing by hand can be very helpful in facilitating access to your feelings and deeper thoughts. Some of what came up for me when I reviewed these forms were these observations and questions:
- I don’t like that they look like eyeballs, but I do like that they look like clam shells.
- I like the raw edges and the force of strong pencil lines. The combination of the raw lines and the impression of clams feels organic or elemental – basic in the pure way nature is basic. Primal, maybe.
- I like the visibility and distinction of the pencil strokes, the directional changes and implied texture. I like the visual memory of where my hand once was and how it was moving.
- I’d like to go back an re-visit these forms again, perhaps rearrange them, try different sizes, add color.
- What is the significance of clam shells? Is there a deeper meaning or story there I could explore?
Homework for Session Two:
We will be using our watercolors in Session Two. These exercises do not require any special skill level – the focus is more on being present and expressing ourselves through color. However, the exercises in this video are useful both to help organize your paints and to familiarize yourself with your paints if you are a beginner. They can also be useful reminders even if you are experienced with watercolor. Please take a look at this video before our next session, and if you feel like it is helpful, allow yourself time to explore before we meet again.
If you prefer written prompts, here you go:
