8.5″ x 11 ink on paper
A lone poppy
Grows among vast mountains
Skies
Fields
Opportunities
All waiting to be explored
Arting for 365 Day 186: Lone Poppy
Author Archives: Micah
Arting for 365 Day 185: Find 10 Minutes and Do What You Love
~6 x 9″ ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Arting for 365 is really one of the best things I have done for myself. The adventure started out as a broad idea to get myself making art again. But (as cheesy as it sounds) it has become so much more. One of the greatest things I’ve learned is that ANY amount of time you can dedicate to what you love, is still dedication. There are days when I only have 10-20 minutes available to create- but those minutes are valuable. Those minutes make me a better artist.
If there is something you love to do, but you haven’t made time for it, start making time. Give yourself 10 minutes a day. Not sure where to find those 10 minutes? I’ve got some brilliant suggestions:
Forego the shower: As long as you can’t smell you, you don’t stink.
Don’t make dinner: Make your kids do it. Don’t have kids? Make your spouse/neighbor/friend or pet make you dinner. Even better, hire a chef. I hear they are super affordable these days. Better yet, skip dinner: We could all use to shed a few lbs anyway
Literature time: Instead of reading that magazine on the pot, bring in a pen and paper.
Commercial time: Give up the Tivo, it’s pricey anyway. Do a little of what you love during those awful political commercials.
Pet care: I’m not saying DON’T give the dog a walk. I’m just saying buy a treadmill and put the dog on it.
It’s as easy as that.
Arting for 365 Day 184: Waves Come Crashing In
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
My fascination with weather was on overdrive last night as I watched coverage of Sandy hitting the East coast. The news channel showed footage of giant waves crashing onto the shores in Ohio. It was pretty remarkable. As much as I hate knowing folks have died in the storm, I still am in awe of it.
This 8 x 10″ drawing is my interpretation of those waves and the full moon that shown brightly in the Colorado sky I was seeing last night.
Arting for 365 Day 183: Handsome Devil
~3 x 5″ Ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day
You handsome devil, you – with your armored coat and steely eyes. Horns-a-plenty.
You gaze at the sunset whose crest is quickly falling below the cracked dirt floor.
Night falls and you turn – ready to roam as king of the desert.
Arting for 365 Day 182: Growing Downward
8.5 x 11″ ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
She was climbing the corporate ladder and found the higher up she got, the more wobbly it became.
Mid-climb, as she reached for the next rung, it dawned on her that perhaps she should have grown downward as well. Established roots to help ground this shaky apparatus.
She looked down, then looked back up and continued climbing.
Arting for 365 Day 181: Mountain Man
~3 x 5″ watercolor and ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Oh bushy mountain man.
Your features are lost amongst a mass of facial hair that has become so untamed I wonder whether it hinders your ability to see. Were you a bear or a buffalo in your past life? A life you loved so much, it has carried over to this one.
You appear occasionally – as do all the wildlife – wandering about town.
Then you disappear into the mountains, under the cover of your bushy beard.
Arting for 365 Day 180: Weavings
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Just as quickly as the clouds rolled in and snow fell, blue skies appeared and the snow melted away. The morning began with 4 degree weather and by afternoon it was 40.
I am teased, from time to time, about my fascination with weather. But with such drastic changes, how can one not be? Here is to mother nature and all the surprises she has in store.
Arting for 365 Day 179: Robin Come Winter
~3 x 5″ ink and watercolor on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Colorado received her first real dose of snow yesterday. It was, by no means a blizzard, nor will the skis even be coming out, but it did make me feel as though winter is knocking on our doorstep.
For some reason after seeing this weather I began to think about birds – American robins in particular. This type of robin hangs around through the winter (although perhaps not at Crested Butte altitude) and I wondered, how they were they feeling about this snow? Had the copper breasted little guys prepped their winter huts? Were they cozied up, and as excited about the prospect of some winter weather as I am? One can only hope.
Arting for 365 Day 178: Reflections
8.5 x 11″ Ink and marker on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
A half filled glass
Sits
Effortlessly working
As light filters through
Reflecting moments of a passing day
Arting for 365 Day 177: Buds in Abstraction
~3 x 5″ ink & watercolor on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Holy smokes folks, I’m cutting it close today! But as you can see, artwork #177 did get created (pat on the back for this girl).
Last night, long after the sun had gone down, I grabbed a few interesting dried flower buds from a little bowl that is decorating the house I’m staying in. I laid them out on the table and did a small drawing. The buds’ structures were really neat and oddly sturdy – so strong, in fact, that I think you’d break a tooth if you decided to bite down on them. Luckily, I stuck to drawing.
Upon finishing the initial study of the little buds, I decided it would be interesting to break each of the structures up into sections and add color for a bit of dimension. I finished off the graphic little drawing by adding a wash of green watercolor to the background.
It’s a bit of an odd drawing- especially the juxtaposition of the strange green wash next to the clean ink work- but luckily I am a fan of odd things.
Micah Richardson 