It Takes 21 Days to Build a Habit

Oh the places I've been on this journey.

This journey has been 21 days of building a studio practice. I am on day 18, but feel the need to share where I started and where I have wound up.

I have mentioned my friend Hannah several times in this blog. She is one of six art therapists from around the world teaching a workshop on line. Her class has been about establishing a habit in the studio. It takes 21 days to set a habit in place.

I needed a theme to begin.

I chose organic.

What did I have that was organic?

An onion from the garden.

This is where I began.

My intention was a lovely pen and ink of something from my garden. The onions grew legs and hands and faces and feet.

I was quite upset about this turn of events. Hannah reassured me that this was my unique voice and she could never in a million years put feet on an onion. Sigh.

Not to be swayed I soldiered on.

Reflect upon the work of another artist. I had checked out a book on Whistler.  I enjoyed his Symphony in White No. 1. This is a beautiful portrait.

I tried the Symphony in White No. 1 with a concerto in pastels on a brown paper bag. A feline arrangement.

From there I was to work in a sequence. I could only think of cartoons in their nice neat little boxes. I was stressing once again on how to do this. I jumped in with a square piece of cardboard and my trusty masa paper.

I am not sure where this will lead except through the studio door for more experimentation. I am not prone to experimentation. This workshop has gotten me over some hurdles into new territory. A daily practice is picking up where my daily diaries left off many years ago. As a child they all began, Dear Sarah, to my imaginary friend.