Doodling for Stress Reduction

 

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away.  The leader's inspiration for this doodle was the affirmation from her Yogi tea bag.

The exercise was a neurographic drawing of circles on the line. I interpreted the instruction more literally and drew faces and then added the quote from the tea bag.

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. The Young One finalized dates for her visit. She'll be here for Thanksgiving.

2. I had an exceptionally productive Monday starting with a very fun doodle class

3. Play day at Teague's. She sent me home with some frozen, ready to bake giant chocolate chip cookies from Dream Dinners.

4. Only one student showed up in class. It was more like an art play session than a class.

5. Summer temps for Halloween. No cold, no rain, no blizzard. No complaints. Most likely one of the last evenings in the sunroom for the season

How was your week?

Doodling for Stress Reduction

 

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away.  The leader's inspiration for this doodle was leaves.

Doodling for Stress Reduction

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away. 

I had told the group leader I would not be in class on this particular day as I would be away. She kindly sent me the doodle she planned so I could still participate and be part of the doodle community.

The happy faces doodle was digitally drawn as I sat on the front porch of the  cabin when Teague and I were in Weirs Beach, New Hampshire. I printed it out to put in my Doodling for Stress Reduction book.

Doodling for Stress Reduction

 

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away. 

The leader said she was inspired by stones she saw on a recent trip to the beach.

Doodling for Stress Reduction

 

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away. I don't remember if the leader said something inspired her.  Her design was various circles on one side of the paper and wavy, thick and thin lines on the other. 

We were free to add color or not. I added color a little bit at a time during the week. I used watercolor pencils.

Doodling for Stress Reduction

 

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away. 

The leader said she was inspired to do spoke wheels because of a friend of hers was riding in the  the Pan-Mass Challenge. This is an annual bike-a-thon that raises money for life-saving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

I decided to turn my spoke wheels into bicycles.

Doodling for Stress Reduction

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away. I don't remember if the leader said something inspired her.  This was the design that she came up with. She usually demonstrates on camera for us. In her doodle, I kept seeing clouds and couldn't get that image out of my head.

We can follow along with her choice or we're free to do our own thing. I had to get my head out of the clouds.

Doodling For Stress Reduction

 

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away. This was the first doodle I did when I joined the group. The group leader was inspired by  neurographic drawing and this was the design that she came up with.

Wavy lines with circles. You could doodle in the circles, add color.

A Letter to the Teacher

 

My calligraphy teacher, Gerry, recently celebrated a milestone birthday. (Aren't all birthdays milestones?) Her Young One invited Gerry's family and friends to submit a video for a montage on Tribute.

As a prompt, we were asked to tell our favorite memory of Gerry and make a birthday wish for her. 

There are so many memories of Gerry, it was hard to pick just one. So I wrote her a letter, in calligraphy of course, along with a decorated initial and suitable decoration. I held the letter in front of my face while I read the letter and recorded the video. At the end, I popped out from behind the letter, as if Gerry wouldn't be able to tell who the letter was from.

"August 2024

Dearest Gerry,

Thank you for never telling me to take up knitting [ed: When I was a beginner and taking a workshop Gerry thought I would like, the instructor, frustrated with me being left-handed, told me I should forget about calligraphy and to take up knitting. As if that would have been any easier!, but I digress] Thank you for being the most caring, sharing teacher and friend. 31 years ago, you infected me with the calligraphlu and I'm so glad I never recovered.

Have a healthy and amazing creative year as you make another trip around the sun.

Happy Birthday"

Gift Tag

 

Recently, my Niece (Himself's side of the family) had a baby shower as she and her husband are expecting their first child. Besides the baby gift, I put together a few things just for her. Tea, chocolate, shower disc, hand cream, lip balm.

I cut a tag using a tag punch and then doodled a Sunshine Girl in the style of Lindsay Ostram, Creator of Cuteness. I wrote a bunch of variations of Mother around the tag. The tag turned out very cute and the Niece was surprised to have something for herself.

Class Notes

Today is homework day. A few doodles from the notes and instructions I took in class. Sometimes the doodles help to remember the finer points or bits of instructions.

In order to make good letter forms, we must train our hand, eye, and mind to work together. Making letters with a pencil (aka Pencil Skeletons) is a good way to practice the shape and proportions of the letter. The skeleton is supposed to be juggling a hand, eye, and a brain.

From other people who have taken a class with Reggie, I heard the phrase, "You're not old enough." when a question is asked before Reggie has gotten to that point in the lesson. I thought it was just a myth, but he really says it.

Don't use hot water to rinse or wash your paint brushes. And, the eye is the arbiter of what is good.

Shadow Play

Tracing faces from crumpled piece of paper.

Happy faces.

Creative Drill

Thought this looked interesting. Will give this a try later today.

Doodles, Tangles, and Dangles

Doodles 23 and 24

I didn't quite make the 31 day challenge I imposed on myself. and I'm 7 doodles short. :-D Yup, that's me.

Another project took precedence. More on that tomorrow.

Doodles, Tangles, and Dangles

Doodles 19 to 22

Doodle, Tangles, and Dangles

Doodles 15 to 18

Doodles, Tangles, and Dangles

Doodles 11 to 14

Doodles, Tangles, and Dangles

October 7 - 10

Doodles, Tangles, and Dangles

October 5 & 6