Scratching the itch (to make)

I am happiest when I make. Weaving words is still my favorite medium of self-expression, but no matter what I'm making – prose or poetry or crafts (my 28th How I Met Your Mother-themed birthday party made use of a lot of props I DIY'd) – I'm always in the zone when I'm making something out of nothing.

This weekend, I turned down two invitations to go out because I wanted to stay home and make. I can do this anytime, I know, but given my default staying-in-front-of-the-computer-all-day-even-during-non-work days state, I don't get to create as much as I like. This time though, the urge was so strong I knew I couldn't resist it. Seriously, you guys, it *felt* like my hands were the ones directing me to get all my supplies from storage and start tinkering with paint and nibs and rubber and ink.

First on the agenda: watercolor. I haven't picked up a brush since I attended Liz's workshop more than a month ago, so I was afraid any skills I learned that day have already gone rusty. BUT I'm pretty happy with the two paintings I came up with yesterday.

A swing-set because I've always been fascinated  by them and because they match my current solitary mood
(Curse you, PMS!)

Adding in a starry sky and not being quite successful...

"Swing-set under the Stars" in watercolor
This is for my friend Anne, who requested for a starry sky painting from me even when I didn't think I could do it.

I know the stars look like fireflies LOL, but I love its mix of cartoonish whimsy, if I say so myself. After all, I didn't even expect I would be able to come up with anything close to this. For next time, Liz suggested for me to use white acrylic or gouache for maximum opacity, or to splatter masking fluid on unpainted paper to be peeled off after the painting's done to leave white spots that will serve as stars.

The next  painting I did immediately after I finished this one was a little bit more personal and inspired by the loneliness and isolation I was feeling boxed into.

I started by penciling in an amateur cityscape

... and then I painted the buildings with black.

"There's got to be someone for my soul somewhere" in watercolor

I'm not even going to dwell on the explanation behind this piece. I'm just glad that Crafter Extraordinaire/ Watercolor Mastergirl Meream loved the wash. It's actually my favorite out of everything I've painted so far.

I also tried to carve but I couldn't think of anything I wanted a rubber stamp of at the moment so I ended up with just a shape that looks like it's trying hard to be a heart.

Today, I practiced calligraphy. I also haven't played with my Speedball nib-holder and nibs since I attended Eula's workshop at the beginning of the year so I'm positive this wouldn't be good. (I have a problem with starting hobbies and not sustaining them H E L P.)

I just crossed my fingers (figuratively) and hoped for the best. Worse comes to worst I'd end up with a few sheets of paper with squiggly lines, and seeing as how I can still use them to recycle and make handmade paper then I'm okay with it.

My favorite out of the eleventy thousand times I tried to write 'hello'

Well, what do you know. Even the crappiest handwriting looks pretty when done in calligraphy. I also wrote down 'peace, love, & lip gloss' a lot and there are several 'gloss' calligraphy words I liked that I wish I wrote them down on nicer paper and not on this practice graphing paper.

I'm glad I also got some writing done. (If there's anything I wish I can make, I wish I can make cupcakes but I don't have an oven, heh. Oh well.) I loved this weekend and hope I can get more weekends like this. I'm happiest when I make, and I wish I can make a lot more things I can show off in the world wide web be proud of.