Welcome to My Head

Ideas, ideas

Inside my head: books, tools, sketches...kind of messy but it works

The creative process starts differently for every artist and the question "where do you get your ideas?" is one we artists often have to answer. The answer, of course, is...how the heck should I know? In my case, the closest I can come up to explaining how ideas come to me is...er, well! ideas come to me!
I may be walking around, tending the garden, working on a home project, driving (many of them driving), and all of a sudden, screech to a halt, THERE it is! Immediately I have to stop what I'm doing, let it simmer in my head for a while, turn it around, explore it, view it inside out, and then, if I still think it might be a good image, jot it down someplace.

I am not one to starve for ideas, often have a bunch of colorful little electronic post-it notes on my computer desktop with things like "explore 3D bas-relief versions of older prints," or "take print x, make it more romantic," or "add earthy feel to print y" and so on. Many get tossed, some come to fruition at one time or another.

Sketching

Sketch for City of the World, previous puzzle project

That's probably where sketching comes in for almost every artist I know but I just really "sketch" in my head until the darned thing explodes out my ears onto paper or block (lately, Photoshop and a Bamboo graphic tablet).

But these puzzle prints are a bit different because they require a very specific type of idea/concept. The overall design has to follow the theme, of course, but be almost "invisible" and subordinate to the marvelous individual contributions from the participating artists. The design also has to be fairly simple and unify the whole collection of tiny gems together so that it will be pleasing from afar, and at the same time call the viewer closer. Nothing like restrictions to make an artist panic! So I have to sketch and discard many along the way, just like everyone else.

Final sketch for the Fantastic Garden, puzzle print IV

Peace Puzzle Sketches

This being my fifth shot at this, I jumped right in with a few elements that speak peace to me. After about two days in the studio (off and on, I go outside a LOT), here are some loose ideas on paper. I am liking the nature feel, may ditch the dove and add some peaceful landscape elements. Don't really know yet, but the design is beginning to emerge.

A mess of sketches, small and large.
I sketch in magic marker to make myself even more nervous!

Peace beginning to emerge, love, river, sun, branch, bird...
or translated: love, life, light, nature, freedom...

The Peace Puzzle: Current project open for enrollment! 

http://1000woodcuts.blogspot.com/p/peace-puzzle.html

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Go to: http://tinyurl.com/peacepuzzle

Click on Back this Project green button

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