Being Creative Gallery Check In: August

Hello

Welcome to the August 2011 Gallery for the Being Creative Project.  The theme this month was Travel.  Have you taken part this time?  Are you ready to share some work with us?  I do hope so as I'm looking forward to seeing how you have used the theme this month!


I have been travelling about a fair bit myself this month ~ we were lucky enough to visit Northumberland for a spot of camping and I was inspired by the beautiful Farne Islands that we took a boat trip to whilst we were there...the RSPB ranger on Inner Farne (where our boat docked for an hour of exploration and tranquility) explained that this time of year the islands are used as a resting place for birds passing through on their migrations.

This got me thinking about birds and travel, and the amount of miles that these feathered souls fly to reach their destinations.  I wanted to share a piece of work that would depict this time of year and a flock of migratory birds travelling their annual journeys. 

I seem to like the wistful feeling that arises as Summer draws to a close and the first signs of Autumn appear.  There are gentle changes to the landscape and unseen movement in the natural world that tell us that the seasons are changing; it's often more of a 'feeling' than anything visual at first.   But the sight of a faraway flock of birds, their distant calls just audible in the still air seems to lend itself to something melancholy, lonely and magnificent all at once.  In that moment you know that you're seeing and hearing the rythmns of nature repeating their age old patterns, ones that you can really feel, that you're connected to and that beat like a drum in the very centre of soul.

Here's a piece of work I did a few months back which captures the very essence of this time of year, and the theme of Travel...

'Home' - available in my gallery at www.juliacrossland.co.uk

So!

Gallery Posting:  You can share a URL link using the link tool below.  Use this to link back to your Flickr, other photo hosting webpage or Blog page, but please do not link back to Folksy, Etsy or other online marketplace stores.

The gallery will be open from September 1st ~ September 30th so you can come back and post your links through the whole month if you're still working on something, which is absolutely ok by the way - this isn't school and there aren't any concrete 'deadlines'.  I prefer to not restrict projects by killing them off with a deadline anyway, it sounds so terminal and causes unnecessary stress and worry - and this is meant to be fun remember!  So, worry ye not if your work isn't finished already.  Why not consider giving yourself an extension...oh and I love what author and artist Sark did with that word; she disected it and turned it into a word with new meaning: ex - tension...get it...?!! I just love that idea and it completely works for me!  Feel free to gift yourself with one if you need to!

In case you lose this page during September, you'll find a link in the right sidebar which will enable you to find the Gallery post again, once new blog posts replace this one.

You can also post in the Flickr Group pool (there is also a link in the right hand side bar) and your work will be welcomed by the friendly and supportive members of the group.  You can also use the Flickr Group as a place to open a discussion, to see what other people have been working on, and to find inspiration for your own creations.

*Note about my role as Being Creative Project Host:  I am really enjoying hosting this group on my blog for all of you but I am choosing to step back from the actual creating side of it and will be running it in more of an administrative way.  By this I mean that I will be focusing more upon the supportive element of the group; dealing with personal emails, sending out the newsletter and working on the monthly gallery pages.  I will of course share art/craft and illustrations with you where possible but I have to allow for the fact that I'm sailing this little ship single handedly and there are other business and family commitments that I have to allow for too.  I am thinking about choosing a piece of work from the Flickr Group to feature on Gallery Day when I don't have a relevant piece of my own to share...what do you think about having your work featured on my blog?  I hope that these little changes don't upset you or cause a problem for you ~ please share your thoughts with me in the comments section below.

I would just like to thank ALL OF YOU who have signed up to receive the FREE e-newsletter so far - there are heaps of you (wowzers!!!!)  I hope that you are enjoying the newsletters which I aim to send with scoops of guidance, ideas and support for your creative journey.

Don't forget, if you haven't signed up to get your copy of the Being Creative Project E-Letter yet, then you can do so by filling in the form on the Being Creative Page; there's also a FREE MINI CREATIVITY E-BOOK for you, to get you started on your creative journey!  Aaaaaaannnnnnnd....talking of books, I'm sooooo excited!! Some of you may know that I've been working on a brand new Creativity E-book these last few months and I'm pleased to say it's all finally coming together and will soon be ready to lauch!  As well as it being chocka-doodle full of illustrations, guidance, tips, inspiration and support, I'm really delighted that there are also a gorgeous scoop of creative entrepreneurs who have dedicated their time, wisdom and experience to contributing to this book too.


I'm looking forward to sharing it with you all ~ sign up to the newsletter to be the first to hear about the launch!

Righty~ho!  This month's theme is Autumn.  I hope you will be inspired by misty mornings, carpets of golden leaves, the scent of bonfires, home baking and walks in the forest...what does the word Autumn conjure up for you? 

I'm looking forward to finding out.

Sending much love, thanks for taking part!
Julia x

Being Creative Gallery Check In ~ June

Hello friends, it's that time again!

This months theme was 'OCEAN' and there's been some great pieces of work emerging in the Flickr Group - I hope I'm going to see more now that the gallery is open with links back to your blogs and websites!


The ocean for me is a huge source of inspiration.  At first I contemplated doing an underwater scene, and then something more scenic, but undecided I just let myself loose in my watercolour book and this eventually came about:

'The One That Got Away...?' 

This is a watercolour and ink piece.  I wanted to do an illustration that showed something under the sea, so I could use all those delicious deep blues and teals.  I also posted a painting in the Flickr Group that I created a few years back, which is now in a private collection in Australia called Dream Haven.  It reflects the calm and tranquil nature of the ocean when housed behind strong, stone walls:

 

Before we get down to the business of opening the Gallery this month, I just wanted to write a little about posting work that's been created in the past, in the Flickr group.

I really don't mind you sharing pieces of work that you have created in the past, if you feel that the work is relevant to the theme that is being hosted.  However, the main focus of the group is to encourage creativity now, and the idea of the monthly themes is to have a brand new project to work on currently.  I love the work that is emerging through the group and hope that I continue to see you sharing more of your current works as well as older creations too. 

So, back to this month's theme: OCEAN

For those of you who would like to share your work via your blog/Flickr or other photo hosting webpage, then you are very welcome to add your link to the widget below (please just link to the page your work features on).  Don't forget to use the whole caboodle of http://www...etc or else the link won't work.

Anyone who has already posted in the Flickr Group are also encouraged to share your images in the gallery here too!  It's going fantastic to have a monthly source to access everyone's work so please don't be shy! 

Email Support

I would also like to take this opportunity to ask the group whether they feel they would benefit from email support?  I am considering setting up a mailing list for the participants who would like to receive tips, ideas, guidance and coaching via mail.  Is that something you feel would be useful for you?  Please let me know if you're interested in the comments section below.

You will be able to add your OCEAN themed work to the gallery here until the end of July.  There is also a list in the sidebar so that the gallery pages are easier for you to find.

For those of you who are working on the project and don't have the facility to share pictures of your work, then you are welcome to add your thoughts about your creative journey so far in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on taking part in the Being Creative Project, so please do share or feel free to email me privately.

The theme for July is SUMMER

You can post your work freely in the Flickr group as and when you like; don't forget to make use of the Discussion facility if you have any questions, or require some support.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you've done - thank you so much for sharing the vibrant, colourful energy of your glorious creations!


Julia x

Being Creative Gallery Check In ~ March

Hi Friends!


First of all, apologies for yesterday - Blogger decided to somehow simultaneously publish two posts of mine at once, so I'm very sorry for any confusion there!  I've decided to post the Gallery Check In a day early for the Being Creative participants (originally planned for tomorrow) seeing how that post sort of self published itself, I figured I might as well put it out there now in case participants were looking for it and wondering why they couldn't read it.  

I'm really looking forward to seeing what people have come up with for this month's theme of Garden.
For myself, the project so far has been really inspiring.  I've made time for creating art in mediums that I rarely use and without any real purpose in mind other than having fun with colour and having a theme to work with.  I liked the focus having a theme gave me, and I decided to create some art based on the bird life in my own garden working with collage and pastel crayons.

I think, working as an artist, it was a really relaxing process for me to be able to switch off from the business side of it all and just allow the freedom of Creating For Fun to flow.  I have been blown away by the gorgeous work that has been popping up in our Flickr Group already, and the group has only been established a couple of weeks.  Thank You to everyone who has subscribed to the group so far, and to those who have been adding work to the Flickr Group.


For those of you who would still like to share your work via your blog/Flickr or other photo hosting webpage, then you are very welcome to add your link to the widget below (please just link to the page your work features on).  Don't forget to use the whole caboodle of http://www...etc or else the link won't work.  Anyone who has already posted in the Flickr Group are also encouraged to share your images in the gallery here too!  It's going to be wonderful to have a monthly source to access everyone's work ~ and please don't be shy about sharing...encouragement and support is the key to growing in confidence with your creativity, and although it can feel a little scary, I think you will feel a huge sense of achievement when you share your work and get feedback from the other participants or blog readers here.


You will be able to add your Garden themed work to the gallery here until the end of April.  I will also be creating a list in the sidebar so that the gallery pages are easier for you to find.


For those of you who are working on the project and don't have the facility to share pictures of your work, then you are welcome to add your thoughts about your creative journey so far in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on taking part in the Being Creative Project, so please do share or feel free to email me privately.

__________________________________________

Oooh!! An one last thing before we start to add our links - the theme for April is DESSERT

Again, this theme can be interpreted or taken in any direction you wish, or you can use the word as a focus point.  There will be another gallery opening at the end of the month here, but the Flickr group is available for you to add your pictures to every day if you wish.

If you would like to join the Being Creative group and haven't already then you are so very welcome to do so - it's totally free and you can take part on a regular or more infrequent basis, whatever works for you best.  You can register your commitment to taking part by clicking here and adding your link at the bottom of the page. 

And now...here's the gallery for March - it's your turn! :)