The Pyjamas & The Fins

I am still busy with nocturnal sessions - doing Danielle Donaldson's wonderful online course, CreativeGirl: Storybooks and Studious Girls.  I am learning so much. 

What's more is that I'm getting back to my "first love" of painting mediums - watercolour.  

But I am learning an entirely different spin on it.  

I am always amazed at how small changes can lead to mind-blowingly refreshing results that open up entirely new possibilities in an area that you think you know so well.  

You just have to make time available, be open to changing your actions and stick with it.  

It is something that I may apply to other aspects of my life as well.

It all started with this...

... which led to this ....

After a year of swimming lessons to get our little one water-safe, her daddy bought her a pair of fins and water goggles in December. She spent hours and hours in the pool with them.  Sometimes she would be up and ready for the water at sunrise!  

On one such a morning,  she tumbled straight out of bed and put on her fins and goggles. Barely awake and still wearing her pyjamas but ready for action.  

I had always wanted to capture this moment more poetically.  So I decided to use it as inspiration while practising these new techniques and developing my style.

Geared up and ready.
She still needs some work, but I'm happy so far...

An Impatient Heart, a Pencil and some Watercolour

This week is a bit of a whirlwind.  

So I've taken to my old routine of working in my studio late into the wee hours again.  

Those blissful hours when everyone is asleep and all is quiet. 

 I sleep less and I don't watch television - that is what frees up my time when days become hectic.  

If I don't make time to do something creative everyday - music, mixed media, writing, whatever -  it feels like I haven't eaten for days.  I become grumpy.  I feel caged.

It is a hunger that never goes away.  

At best, it only fades temporarily after some creative time.

So I've been looking forward to doing this week-long online illustration workshop with the uber-talented Danielle Donaldson for months now.  It started on Monday.  

And it is the ideal accompaniment to another online workshop I'm currently doing called 

"Writing Storybooks for Children".  

In this week's course, Danielle gives guidance on how to develop your own characters 

and then illustrate them.

You absolutely have to see Danielle's work!  Click here - danielledonaldson.com

I was so thrilled that the first thing we had to do in the workshop was to make our own "storybook" out of watercolour paper.  I'm a bookmaker, so I jumped at the opportunity!  

And then I started playing around with ideas for little characters based on Danielle's wonderfully inspiring class notes and videos.  

This little one reminded me that everything happens for a reason.  

I get frustrated with having to scratch around for little nuggets of time 

to make the creative stuff happen and grow small dreams into big reality. 

 "All in good Time",  she knowingly says - while she carries a tiny potted plant on her head.  

She knows about nurturing new growth.

My impatient heart needed reminding.

Go to jeanneoliver.ning.com to read more about this online course 

and other wonderful and inspiring offerings. 

Danielle's workshop was live this week, but you can enrol anytime plus you get lifetime access.