creativity

Doodle #99, Kittens-an Overview

| Whitt’s End Art

img_4494

If you haven’t guessed by now the prompt for today is the word, kittens. It seems like I just can’t get away from drawing cats and kittens. Prompt or no prompt cats are my favorite subject to render in pen, pencil or any number of creative media. Well truly there is not much advice I can give you about raising cats. If memory serves me correctly from all the cats I had growing up and the ones my son had before he moved out cats  kind of raise you.

Cats can be finicky or loving, standoffish or friendly, it all depends on what mood they are in at the moment. One thing I do love about cats is they are self cleaning, well except for the litter box once in a while. Try to get your teenagers to clean up after themselves and see how it goes. I have four children, two were clean freaks, the other two not so much. I am still finding stuff stashed in different places in my house even though my one child moved out four years ago. Thrift stores have become my frequent destinations.

Still when it comes to cleanliness I will take messy children who don’t get into trouble in and out of school any day. My children had their ups and downs but they have all turned out well having good jobs and for three of them families of their own. It is all a parent can hope for to have successful children.

Doodle #97, Life Among the Leaves

| Whitt’s End Art


It is spring once again. The world is sprouting with new life. Flowers are popping out of the ground and trees are getting their new leaves. Spring has always been my favorite time of year because the earth once again filled with pageantry and color. As an artist color is one of my favorite things to put in my paintings. Color can bring forth a whole range of emotions. Reds and yellows are warm colors and invoke feelings of happiness but they can also be irritating to the eyes. Blues and darker colors are more relaxing and invoke feelings of melancholy and are more relaxing colors.

A lot of the paintings I do tend to be filled with warm colors. It is not really intentional. It is just where my artist’s brain gravitates. One of things I am trying to learn in doing this doodle challenge is how to get out of my color comfort zone and experiment with different color variations or maybe no color at all. I have learned different colored markings in pen and pencil can create a satisfying effect

Another thing I learned is just like the,”Little Boy in the Tree,” my illustration for today, unless you learn to be adventurous and experiment with things as an artist you will never grow as an artist or for that matter life will never be as interesting as it might be if you climb out of your comfort zone

Doodle #96, The Early Bird Gets the Worm

| Whitt’s End Art

image

When I heard today’s prompt word, worm, right away I thought of the old adage, “The Early Bird Gets the Worm.” The gist of the adage is the idea if you wait long enough what you desire may not be there. Over the course of my life time this adage has meant different things. When I was young it meant I worked ahead in school in order to insure I was ready to go out and play after school.

As I grew older the saying took on many different meanings but the one I forgot was preparing for later in life. The early bird starts to put away for retirement as soon as possible. They do not wait for the time when the worm (money) is needed to get them through. The early bird is left with a nest egg. The late bird, well they not only don’t get the worm they may not have enough left in their nest to get them through. My advice, be the early bird. Start saving now.

Playing in Puddles, Doodle #95

| Whitt’s End Art

puddle

Remember all the times as a kid when we played in puddles. The rain pouring down around us as we splashed and splashed about until we were soaked. Puddles were my inspiration for my doodle, “Boy In the Puddle,” Looking back I still don’t understand the fascination with kicking and splashing in the water but it was fun at the time. Today, I am not a playing in the water kind of person, that is my wife. My wife loves the beach. Me, however I love the thrifts shops at the beach and the gathering of family.

Puddles in rain storms no longer hold the fascination for me as they did when I was a child. Like the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:11 as we get older we, ” put the ways of childhood behind.” Which is a little sad because in order to feel young mentally we need to hold onto part of our childhood

I look back on those times dancing in the puddles with fondness. Thinking back to those days makes me realize it was not really the puddles which were fun it was spending time with my friends. The joy came from time well spent. The same is true today. Friends and fellowship with them is still needed in life to make it more enjoyable. A life spent alone is an empty life. We were designed to spend time with each other. Proverbs 27:17 states, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man (or woman) sharpens another.” So spend some time this week with family and friends doing something fun and childlike you’ll all be better off. Till the next doodle.

The Empty Nest is Full of Broken Shells, Doodle #94

| Whitt’s End Art

birds nest

Today’s prompt is the word, nest. The drawing is entitled, “Girl With Nesting Hair.”  I am sitting here writing this wondering when my doodle challenge also turned into a inspirational challenge. Somewhere along the line I decided if I was going to draw something every day I may as well a few words to my posts. Since I am older and on the edge of retirement i guess those words have turned somewhat informative and inspirational.

I am not one when asked who will bot hesitate to talk about my faith and how much Jesus means to me. I am also one who has been through a lit in my life and want to share in case maybe you are going or have went through the same thing and just need a few words of encouragement. My wife and I have been empty nesters since last August. I must admit for me it was more traumatic than my wife. Don’t get me wrong my wife misses our children but my son and I had like interests. We could converse about those interests for long periods of time.

I miss those conversations in fact so much so some of those interests, like super hero movies and shows have lost their luster. I say this because if you’re an empty nester or close to being one I urge you to start to develop new interests with your wife. She will be the one who is also craving for something to do with the rest of her life. Start to travel, go places, do something together but find some way to channel the energy you used to use for raising your children.

Fast is the New Slow, Doodle #91

| Whitt’s End Art

image

Today’s prompt was the word, “fast” so I created a picture of some butterfly’s. While butterfly’s  are  not the fastest things around they do flit from place to place which kind of reminded me of the people I see each day. We live in a world where time is a commodity to be used as efficiently and as quickly as possible. Everybody seems to be in a hurry even some of us artists, including me. I have loved art and have been drawing in one capacity or another since I was a child drawing blue prints.  There is one aspect of my art I still have yet to grasp. Getting the details the way I want them.

The reason, I like to get my piece done and move on to another one. There are so many things I want to paint or draw I feel I must keep going, not taking the time for details. Some of the art work I have created doing using this method have worked out well, others not so much. Case in point. I love to draw faces and flowers. Each one is unique and require a little more detailed observation. I need to learn to slow down when drawing theses subjects in order to get the detail I want. Speed will come later.

Life I feel is the same way. We need to slow down in order to insure we don’t miss any f the good stuff in life. There are so many people I talk to who say, ” I wish I would have taken time to go to my kids games” or “spent time with my wife maybe we’d still be together.” There are times in life when fast can’t be the new slow but the old slow must become the norm.

The Climax is Not the End, Doodle #89

| Whitt’s End Art

image

I admit today’s doodle is not really a doodle it is an acrylic painting I am currently working. The painting fit in better with today’s prompt the word climax, which of course means the end. The climax of any story is the moment when the lot line reaches the final act which should tie the whole story together. In art there is also a climax when we step back from a piece of art and say aha, we’re done or are we?

The piece above entitled, “Winter Pine Tree,” is not a finished piece of art. I still have to do some work to complete the tree. I first looked at the picture and thought I was done but still felt like there was more to do to finish the picture. The problem I have with my paintings is I feel like I never reach the point where I can put the painting aside as a finished painting. Many of these unfinished works, at least unfinished in my eyes, I look at years down the road and am amazed at how well they look.

As always I have a life message for you. As I reach the climax years of my life there are times I look back at my life and think I am done. There is nothing more for me to complete. Then like a work of art in progress I look at may life and think there are a few more brush strokes which can be added to the painting. This is why the title of this doodle is, The Climax is Not the End” is because we must never view our lives as finished because there is always something out there to be done.

Getting from Point A to Point B, Doodle #88

| Whitt’s End Art

image

In our modern lives everything is all about transition, today’s prompt word.. It is figuring out before you take the first step how you’re going to get from Point A to Point B. Don’t get me wrong planning is good but there are times when we need to take off our logical caps and put on the caps of spontaneous creation. Art is one of those times.

When we art we need to be prepared to use transition not only in the creation of our drawings but also in when we apply color. My doodle for today is a tribute to Chuck Berry whose music was a true transition from the music of his early career. It is a simple outline drawing with some transition of color to give it a little pop.

Life is also filled with a lot of transitions.  I remember when I first went to high school as a ninth grader. I walked into this building filled with giant people. I had to transition from being the oldest class in the middle school to the new kids on the block. It wasn’t easy. There were a lot of freshman class pranks I had to endure, loves sought and and lost and ever changing friendships but I got through it and came out the other side a little wiser.

Life can be like those high school years. There are going to be times when we are going to go through transitions in our lives and if we are not careful we can be overcome by them. The key to working through transitions is remaining faithful and seeking help if necessary.

Keeping Things Light, Doodle #87

| Whitt’s End Art

image

I have to admit when I first saw today’s prompt the word “light” I wanted to talk a little bit about how as Followers of Jesus we are the light of the world. Instead my mind wandered to having a light mood.  Then I decided to do something I haven’t done in a number of years, create a cartoon panel. What came out can roughly be ruled an illustration but hey, I tried.

I was always told growing up the best medicine for a sallow heart is a smile and laughter. I think that is true when I feel down I draw which brings a smile to my face and my mood instantly rises. When I really want to lighten my mood I watch a good comedy so I can laugh. While laughter only lightens the mood for a little while it is still a little while we are not thinking about what is going on around us.

Proverbs 15:13-15 states ” A glad heart makes a happy face,” but a smile also lightens up those with who we come in contact. Think about it. Would you rather talk to a person who is smiling and happy looking then one who can be the proverbial downer all the time. I have always tried to not take my inner feelings to the workplace. I greet others with a smile and a hello no matter what I am feeling like inside. It is not easy to do bit I do it anyway.

Till tomorrow here’s to smiling more, laughing more and changing the moods of others around you. I hope you enjoy today’s doodle