“Best thing since sliced bread!”-  or in my case, cold cuts!  Why do I overlook the humble cold cut sandwich for dinner?  No stove, no oven, no dishes, no worries!  And that means more time to make art.  And goodness knows I need as much time as I can get this month.  The first week has been a whirlwind- 

I have experienced so much in the first week of Inktober that I know October 31 will find me much improved.  And the promise of growth motivates me to keep going!  Many experienced artists advise new Inktober participants to be easy on themselves, plan projects that work within their time constraints, and don’t fret missing a day.  Well-  that’s not me.  To play with Eliot’s immortal words, if I goof up this Inktober, I will “go out with a bang- not a whimper!”

To that end- each and every composition I have created this week relies on a calligraphy brush.  Not a marker, or fineliner, or even a nib.  I am familiarizing myself with a few calligraphy brushes.  I have added color with watercolor and photoshop when I could do so within the 24 hour deadline.  But pushing to finish a piece so quickly leaves me feeling as though I could have done better.  So, I have decided this month I will accrue a number of inked pieces which I can color later.

Each prompt includes the potential for surprise- and sometimes I need to remind myself of this.    In the final days of September I created thumbnail sketches for a few of my favorite prompts.  but other prompts caught me unaware and unprepared.  Potted plant was one of those- and I surprised myself by creating two inked line drawings!  Bird nest was one of my quick idea sketches and I executed it late one evening.  The end result was “cute”- not my usual style.  I hastily filmed a reel and posted to Pinterest.  SURPRISE!  Eighteen hours later I had over 2,000 views and a “like” from Ohn Mar Win.  OMG!  I didn’t see that coming!

So, now a surprise for you.  I plan to give away one print from one of my Inktober drawings when Inktober is complete.  How to enter?  First- subscribe to this blog. Be sure to confirm your subscription. Then, simply respond to this post with a comment about one of my Inktober drawings.  I will enter your name in the drawing.  The winner will receive an 8×10 print.  (If the winner resides outside of the continental United States, I will send a small mini-print instead.)

Enjoy the show! I’m off to stock up on cold cuts and sliced bread!