Quinn McDonald's Blog, page 81

Walking Toward the Sun

Each season has a purpose and rituals. The joy of valuing  something because it is fleeting has a special joy for me. I’ve never understood the reason for year-round Christmas stores. It takes away the magic, because magic cannot be sustained year-round. What makes it magic is the absence of magic at other times.

Rituals are always interesting to me. In summer, my early-morning walk is away from the sun, so the rising sun doesn’t hit my eyes. At the half-way point, I turn a corner, and walk toward the sun, which is now high enough so that a wide-brimmed hat needs just a slight tilt to shade my eyes and nose from the heat and glare.

Walking away from the sun means that I am walking toward the retreating dark. It’s fascinating, seeing the stars still on the horizon, seeing a shadow pushing long in front of me, knowing the scorching summer sun is at my heels.

Now it is winter. I walk toward the sun, because almost the first half of my walk is in the silhouetted dark of first light. First the palm trees become outlined against a slightly lighter sky, still spangled with stars. Then a surprisingly even band around the horizon turns a shade of turquoise I’ve never seen anyplace else. The birds wake up and begin to tune up.

The trees and buildings I saw all summer long flow past backwards–first the asphalt parking lots, then the school, still dark, then the park. In summer the school is early in the walk, quiet, but somehow holding the energy of racing children. The park in summer struggles to stay alive.  Sprinklers shoot  arcs of water over the trees. Now the grass is green, stretching out in the mild days, inching toward the trees at its own pace.

When the sun begins to rise, you can see the clouds, first dark, then red-bellied and shrinking, vanishing into a sky that is gray, then pale, then a blue so clear you could ring a bell on it. And I walk under it all, five miles wearing down my shoes.

—Quinn McDonald walks every morning, happy that her soul has been reconnected to her body.

Filed under: Nature, Inside and Out Tagged: dawn, rituals of creativity, season

Fun With Parallel Pens

Pilot Parallel Pens are a wonderful addition to any art journal page. As do all parallel pens, it writes a broad smooth line, a tender fine hairline, and decorative strokes. The pens come in four widths: 1.5mm, 2.4mm, 3.8mm, or 6mm. The ink feeds across the writing edge and when I try it, it’s smooth and even. (Pen and Ink Arts has some exclusive sizes: 1mm 2mm, 3mm, and 4mm and 6mm slant)

Four Pilot parallel pens from http://blog.shopwritersbloc.com/writi...

If you have used parallel pens, you know how they write–you can use them for the traditional calligraphic strokes. But, I’m not calligrapher, so I misued mine immediately. Each pen comes with a red and black cartridge, and packages of cartridges are easy to buy– and come in 11 colors including red, black, blue, green, and a box of mixed colors. Each package also comes with a converter bladder device, so you can use Higgins, Dr. Ph. Martin or other inks.

To my great surprise, you can pull out the cartridge and use the barrel itself as an ink reservoir. This is wonderful for mixing your own inks or gouache. You can also use the barrel to create one kind of ink–Payne’s Gray, let’s say, and then dip the ink in another color, you get wonderful blends. (The Harmless Dilettante has some great examples.)  Of course, you can do this with traditional colors–blue to green, purple to black. But that’s not what I did.

Color sample of Dutch Blue, Interference Blue, Shimmering Black on black Artagain paper.

I found two incredible watercolor inks–an interference blue made my Dawler-Rowney, that looks watery white in the bottle. And a water-based acrylic ink called Shimmering Black, which I put in the pen, made sure it was writing well, then dipped the nib into interference blue and wrote with it.

The result was an incredible blend of shimmer and shine in each letter. Unfortunately, I dropped the wet sample I was working on face-down on my desk before I could photograph it. Interference and sparkle colors don’t photograph well, anyway. I hope the  sample on the left will do to describe the color.

The point (I’m just going to ignore that) of this is that the Pilot parallel pens are versatile, easy to use, and come with cleaners for people like me who use acrylics that aren’t meant for those pens in them anyway. If you are going to experiment, buy an acrylic ink cleaner right away. I’m glad I did.

You can also turn the pen up on its corner and write like a monoline pen. I did that with the ink mix and while it’s not as obvious (the line is thinner, after all), it makes a great new kind of calligraphy.

Disclosure: I purchased all my Pilot pens and inks myself. I was not compensated in any way to write this article.

Quinn McDonald is the author of Raw Art Journaling, Making Meaning, Making Art.   Quinn will experiment and possibly ruin pens and inks in pursuit of meaning-making,  and not mind a bit.

Filed under: Creativity, Journal Pages, Product Review Tagged: art with ink, ink as watercolor, Pilot Pens

Holiday Traveling Made Easy

Just back from a trip (by car) to Las Cruces, New Mexico, I realized how much I like long driving trips. Wasn’t so true a few years ago, but I figured out some ways to make the trip more comfortable. I thought I’d share.

1.Bring your own water, in a cooler. Fill two or three of your own drinking bottles at home, then pack a gallon of filtered water to refill the bottles. Less waste, and your drinking bottles are larger then those little skimpy bottles, anyway. A gallon of drinking water is a lot less expensive than eight, 16-oz bottles. And buying water at convenience stores is just that, convenient. It’s expensive.

2. Pack easy-to-eat snacks that are healthy and yummy.  Long drives keep you sitting, and lots of candy and cookies makes you groggy or sugar-rushed. Grapes are easy to carry and eat, as are satsumas (seedless madarin oranges, often sold in small crates). Also good for you and tasty are fancy mixed nuts, pepitas (sunflower seeds already out of the shell), and trail mix. Check the trail mix with the weather, so you aren’t carrying chocolate that melts. Many of the protein bars are packed with sugars, so check the labels before buying those.

3. If you are driving in the desert, keep your gas tank half full. On the East Coast, there are gas stations every few miles. Here in the desert, when I drive past a sign that says, “Next service 118 miles” they mean it. Gas prices vary, and if you fill up half a tank, a gas station that’s more expensive doesn’t make you grind your teeth.

4. In mild weather, pack a lunch and pull over at a rest stop to eat. I started doing this about three months ago, and will never roll through a drive-through window again. Is a lunch hard to pack? Not at all. I buy a bag of pre-washed Romaine lettuce, some sliced turkey, some sliced cheese, and I’m done. Wrap a Romaine leaf (or two) around a slice of turkey and cheese and you have a low-calorie, inexpensive lunch. Add a thermos of coffee or iced tea, and life is good.

5. Many diets tell you not to eat until you are really hungry. I’ve found that my doctor’s suggestion never to let yourself get really hungry works much better. When I’m hungry, I made dumb food choices. Nibbling on almonds keeps me from getting hungry. Yes, they have fat in them, but it’s good fat. I also pack the nuts in a pre-measured bag, so I don’t mindlessly eat a tree worth of nuts.

6. Some easy-to-pack conveniences are wet-wipes, napkins, hand cream, lip balm and  artificial  tears (your eyes get tired staring at the road). I travel with an inexpensive knife, fork and spoon, so I can cut apples and apply peanut butter to celery. The lip balm and small hand cream go in one of the front cup holders to keep them handy.

7. Carry shampoo and conditioner in smaller bottles to easy packing. Put a rubber band around the conditioner, so you can tell which bottle it is without your glasses.

8. Chanel makes a lipstick that actually doesn’t wear off for 8 hours. Nor does it print off on your water bottle. I apply it in the morning, then add sun-block lip gloss to refresh the look all day.

9. Take a hat if you are driving. If the sun visor just misses covering the sun, you can tilt your hat to keep the sun out of your eyes. And on bright sunny, or windy days, it can keep you comfortable.

10. On long drives, I listen to audio books. The library has a big choice (for free)  and I always check out more than I need, in case one of the books isn’t to my liking.

Enjoy your travels and may your trips bring you new friends and unite you with old ones!

—Quinn McDonald is looking forward to new classes taught in new places.

Filed under: Creativity

We Aren’t Our Intentions

Intentions are a big deal right now. Everyone wants to pin down your intention. We affirm our intentions. We call on the universe to seal our intentions. May I raise a hand and suggest another perspective?

How exactly are you behaving? What are your actions saying about you? If your actions aren’t matching your intentions, there is work to be done.

Saying that we don’t judge, that we love people for their inner beauty does not match up to the action of making fun of someone who is overweight, or dressed unfashionably, or with an unfortunate haircut.

Celebrating a season of peace and kindness does not match up with snapping, “It’s perfectly all right to say Merry Christmas and God Bless America!” in a belligerent way, daring someone to disagree with either half of that mismatched sentence.

Sadly, we are judged by our looks, our weight, how cool we are (or are not). That’s the first impression. Hard to overcome. But the lasting impression, what builds our reputation and speaks far more than our intentions are our actions. When we are mean, small, cruel, it’s hard to say, “But I intended to be kind, generous and understanding.” That which we do to others we do to ourselves. In diminishing another person, we diminish our own potential. The road to perdition is paved with good intentions. But the road is traveled by actions.

The great Jewish sage, Hillel, was once goaded by a detractor to describe the entire Torah (Sciptures) while standing on one leg. Hillel replied, “That which is hateful to you, do not unto another: This is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary — go study it.”

—Quinn McDonald prays for violence and anger to stop. Next February she will teach a workshop in Las Cruces New Mexico to do just that.

Filed under: Coaching, Inner Critic, Opinion Tagged: behavior, creativity coachig, golden rule, Hillel, intentions

L’Heure Bleue in New Mexico

We’ve fallen into a sort of “them v. us” view of nature. People in my neighborhood in the Sonoran desert curse trees because they are “messy.” I might add that these are the same trees that shade their houses from the scorching sun. As one neighbor told me, “I like the lushful look, but I hate when they drop their leaves or need work.” We’ve come to believe that nature is something “other,” something that needs controlling, a remote, and mostly, to be hidden away from indoors.

It’s a shame, really. There are so much calling you outside. Yesterday, when I drove into Las Cruces I arrived just after sunset, at the time the French call “L’Heure Bleue” –the blue hour. It is a time of day when the shadows are lavender and navy, and a band of light hangs in the sky. The mountains were visible as sihouettes, and the lights of the city twinkled and danced. During L’heure bleue artificial lights are sharper and brighter and the air is suffused with great calm, peace, and a tinge of sadness. A view like that is seen with the heart more than the eyes.

–Quinn McDonald is a writer and art journaler who is creating a class to be taught in Las Cruces, NM.

Image: Unfortunately, not mine. From: http://www.picachomountain.com/find-y...#

Filed under: Journal Pages, Nature, Inside and Out Tagged: art journaling, creativity coach, Las Cruces writing workshop

The Dispenser of Necessary Items

One of the places where form does not follow function is in most public bathrooms. Handicap stalls are at the far end, forcing handicapped people to dodge traffic and swinging doors to get to the one stall that they can use–only to find it being used by someone who doesn’t need it. Towel dispensers are not near the sinks, so floors are almost always wet and slippery. Many stalls don’t have a place to hang your purse, making you hold it in your teeth or hang it around your neck or (ew) put your purse on the floor.

Sunscreen dispenser at Tohono Chul

So when I stopped at Tohono Chul today (Tucson’s Botanical Garden) I was delighted to see this in the ladies’ room: a sunscreen dispenser. Our sun is hot and can burn, even in winter. I wear sunscreen on my face and hands every day of the year. But this small, free kindness was wonderful to find.

Even better, it was clear. Most zinc oxide is white and never fully absorbs. If you put it on your face, you feel like a plastic bag has been pulled over your head.

This was clear and worked well. I had a business conference call to make, and while I was talking, I wasn’t aging my skin (more).

After I left the bathroom, I began to wonder what other kind of dispensers I’d like to find–no, not the items you can find in a vending machine, but unexpected kindnesses–a dispenser of compliments, for example. (“Take a compliment, give a compliment.”)

There is something magic about Tohono Chul–while I was on my conference call, I was surrounded by a dozen different kinds of butterflies and a least 10 hummingbirds. In November. Life is good.

 

Filed under: In My Life, Nature, Inside and Out Tagged: necessary items, sunscreen dispenser

One Drop of Water

You don’t need to look at the drop of water on your car roof, you’ve seen it a million times. But if you had to draw it, at least without looking at it, you’d have a hard time. We know what things look like in a general way, but the specifics will do us in.  That’s what makes being an artist fun. We look at things in different ways. As artists we have certain expectations of water drops–we assume the light comes from above, so the highlights in a drop are around the curved part on top. So far, so good.

Except the image I chose to draw from was a second generation photocopy of a drop of water on metal. No color, just values and they had been distorted by the photocopy machine. The highlight was on one side, and the drop was probably not originally water, as it had a sharper profile than water. I struggled with making the drop look round. It looked flat and lifeless.

Drawing was made more difficult not just because I didn’t have what I needed, but because to recognize a drop of water, I have to include certain things that make it recognizable–shape, reflection, color.

” The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes,” Marcel Proust wrote. And new eyes consist mostly of observation. How does this thing look in this light. What, exactly is it that makes the eye think it is round and wet.

And after a while, it emerged, looking as it should. Not because I was born talented. I was not. But because I used my eyes in new ways to see a new perspective.

–Image: “Drip,”  © Quinn McDonald, colored pencil on110-lb.  Bristol Board. All rights reserved.

--Quinn McDonald is writing a book on the inner critic and the inner heroes we develop to confront it.

Filed under: Journal Pages Tagged: creativity coaching, drawing, drawing water

Listen to Your Journal

Listening to your journal is a skill  often neglected by the very people who would benefit from it. We write a lot in our journals, but then we put them on the shelf and forget about them.  We are used to writing, asking to be heard, seen–praying for answers. We often miss the answer when it shows up. And it will show up. That’s one of the benefits of  journaling.

Some Prayer, acrylic and ink on watercolor paper. © Quinn McDonald.

For a while, all the writing is pouring out of you in an endless flow. One day, you will find yourself thinking about what you are writing–the words aren’t pouring out on their own. You are paying attention. And all of a sudden, you write something interesting. Profound. An answer to a question you had. You are now in a deep connection to your own wisdom or a wisdom greater than yourself. You have tunneled deep enough to be away from the distraction, and you just dug up an important truth.

Truth is surprising. We recognize it and blink. Sometimes we wish it were something else. But the flash of recognition is the key. You will know. Maybe it’s not the answer you had hoped for, maybe it’s exactly what you need.

Your pen may race on, while your mind hangs on to the answer. You may not want to listen, but you will. You will be drawn back to those words, that flash of recognition. It can be an answer, a key to an answer, or simply a truth you have not believed.

And there it is, on the page in front of you. Underline it. Save it. You may have to finish your thought, your paragraph, your page, but the answer is right there.

You have created the start of a habit. A habit of writing and listening. And when you listen, you’ll find answers. You might have to write a long time to learn to trust yourself, but once you start to listen, you will hear your answers.

—Quinn McDonald is writing a book on inner heroes and inner critics.

Filed under: Inner Critic, Journal Pages Tagged: creativity coaching, inner heroes

Journaling Quotes

Time to update your journal with some good quotes. Here’s one I stole from Liz Crain, a contributor to the new book and a skilled ceramicist. The quote isn’t Liz’s, but it’s written on a shelf in her closet:

“If you can’t get rid of the skeletons in your closet, you’d best teach them to dance.”  –George Bernard Shaw

Notes for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary

And poet e e cummings understood how hard it is to live authentically: “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”

Once you start to experience life in every aspect, take heart  from this quoteby  Dr. Martin Luther King:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

And finally, Samuel Johnson (who compiled the first English dictionary; it pre-dated the Oxford English Dictionary by 150 years) is appropriate contributor to your journal.  ” Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought. Our brightest blazes are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.

-–Quinn McDonald is working on her second book, about inner heroes and inner critics.

 

 

Filed under: Quotes Tagged: art jjournaling, creativity coach, quotes

Review: Crescent Sketch Journal

Label attached to journal.

If a new sketch or art journal comes out, I generally buy it and try it. Different sizes, different papers, different finishes on the paper–all interest me. I have three more journals coming my way, but today the review is for just one journal. And no giveaway. You’ll see why in a  minute.

Brand: Crescent Rendr No Show Thru Paper Sketchbook.

Details: 110 lb. (180 gsm) paper, 48 sheets, 96 pages.

Price: $17.99 at Hobby Lobby (I had a 40% off coupon)

Size: 5.5 inches x 8.5 inches.

What I liked: The label says “Use for every media” and shows an aerosol can, marker, charcoal stick, pencil, paint brush and technical pen. Great. I use a lot of different media in my journals and really need sturdy paper. This turned out not to be a strong point of the journal, but first, what I liked.

The label also said “Use both sides,” and “No Show Thru.” Also a good idea, particularly for my ink abstracts and Copic (alcohol) markers. Those go through anything.

Writing samples with different kinds of ink and writing instruments.

I tried a big variety of writing instruments, and not a single one showed through. What did surprise me is that some of the pens–gelly roll and pointed pen dip nibs and bottled ink–took a long time to dry. In Phoenix, I generally don’t have that problem. But both the inks that smeared–gel pen and dip pen can take a bit to dry, so that’s fine. So far, so good.

What I didn’t like: The paper’s surface has an unpleasant (to me) feel to it. It’s heavy and smooth, but it feels like it has a special coating on it.

In bright light, the paper is slightly mottled in gray and white. Noticeable and distracting. Although I like writing papers with inclusions (as long as the surface is smooth), this paper looks slightly foxed. Not enough to stop me from using the journal, as when the paper is written on or drawn on, it shouldn’t be noticeable.

My first clue that this was not a journal for me was when I put a brush in clean water and wet the surface for a watercolor wash.

Plain water brushed on a journal page.

The wet paper turned gray. Not just a little, but considerably. The paper buckled and water pooled. The green tint is not on the paper, it’s my camera. The gray, however, is all the paper. I pressed on, and created a wash of blue and purple.

Blue and purple watercolor wash.

I’m not a professional watercolor artist, but I can put down a wash pretty evenly. The colors separated, and some of the coating came off (see the thready look at the top right of the photograph). The watercolors (Windsor Newton) were grainy, something that’s never happened to me with that brand.

The worst part of this experiment is that the watercolor wash, which normally takes a minute to dry here in the desert, took a full 20 minutes to dry. And as it dried, the paper curled up. Not just a little.

Those are pages of the journal, drying. Of course, when they roll up, they smear the color, which is not yet dry. The flat page with the starburst of color was done with Copic markers. That page did not bleed through, nor did it curl.

Twenty-four hours after I tested the journal, the pages remain curled up. Spraying them on both sides did nothing to relax them. In the photo below, I turned the book on its edge to show the extent of the curling.

Dried pages after 24 hours.

The one page that remained flat is the marker page. This is not a journal I can use. I think it would work well for Copic, Tombow, Ranger Distress, and Pitt markers, ink sketching, pencil, ball point, charcoal and markers. But it’s simply not for wet media. I can’t image what would happen with aerosol art.

For the price, I can’t recommend it to mixed media artists. I’m going to try to return it, as it is defective–I can’t use it as a journal. So there is no give-away, either.

—Quinn McDonald likes testing journals, even if they don’t work out. Her inner critic tried to blame her, but her inner fairness hero used duct tape to silence him.

Filed under: Journal Pages, Reviews Tagged: art journaling, Crescent journal, journal review