More Quirky Doodles and Grief

I am still in a state of grief and denial over the loss of my mama last month. I can't seem to unlock my insides to want to do anything that I don't HAVE to do. But I am slowly beginning to want to do art again by doing my quirky doodle sketches. I feel a freedom doing them, because the marks tell me what, or who, they want to be, and I let my pencil follow the lines to let them come forth. I don't worry about them being "perfect", and I love their quirkiness! Each one tells a story of some kind, sometimes loudly, and sometimes quietly, but it's there.

At night my head is filled with thoughts of mama's illness and passing, and I have trouble sleeping. This morning I woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up, went to the bathroom, crept into the kitchen, got a banana and my Kindle, and crept back to bed, where I sketched for a while. These are what came forth. I added a little color to the background with photo editing, just for a little variety.

I love the characters of the ladies that step out of the marks, and I could write a short story about each of them! I may do that at some point, and publish a book of short stories with my own illustrations!

Cats are a pretty common theme. I guess it's because we have some!

Love this lady! Her expression reminds me of a young cousin and our great niece, who often make these lips in their selfies. She looks like someone fun with her bird and scarf!

Another Koi fish? I love them and think they're beautiful, but I don't know why they're swimming around in my marks and mind. 

A rare sketch of fruit, grapes and a peach on a checkered tablecloth. Don't know where that came from either, unless it's because eating and sleeping is how I've been dealing with the grief over mama, but also a dear older cousin that we lost in March, whom I considered my older sister.

It's been a hard four months for us, and it will take time for us to heal. Hubby and I are not young any more either, and not in the best of health, but still very blessed.

After my doodling, I read a few of Kahlil Gibran's writings from a Kindle book that I had bought some time ago. I was introduced to him by my Literature teacher, Jack Anderson, who also became a friend, when I went to community college at age 47, the same year I lost my little 16 year old pekingese, Kibbles Marie. His writing is very thought provoking and somehow soothing.

I went back to sleep for a while, sleeping much later than I meant to, but that's ok. I have laundry going, we've had breakfast, and hubby has the 1945 version of The Picture of Dorian Grey on. It's too hot to be outside anyway. All we need is a bowl of popcorn! :)

I will tell you that I've been looking at tea bag art and bullet journaling, so don't be surprised if my attempts at that pop up on here...

Do something creative every day, even if it's only five minutes! It's good for your soul!

Today's Quirky Doodle Sketches

I couldn't sleep in the wee hours of the morning (thinking about my mama), so around 4 a.m. I turned on the lamp and did some doodle sketches. These are the images that emerged from the random marks that I made with my eyes closed. Of course, I made some adjustments and added a few marks for the final image.

I don't know what's with all the fish, but they were what wanted to come out of the marks, so I went with it. I sure wasn't thinking "fish" when I made the marks! I'll have to see what fish symbolize.

These will be fun to paint/color in at some point. Quirky doodle practice is also a good stress reliever. I finally went back to sleep and slept half the day away...

Towel Teddy Bear

I saw this cute bear video yesterday, and I just had to try it. I saw it on facebook, then couldn't find it again, so I went to Pinterest and typed in "towel teddy bear" and got all kinds of videos/instructions on, not just the bear, but other animals as well, all folded from towels, wash cloths, baby blankets, etc.

It took me a few tries, but I did it! I know the bow is too long, but the scissors weren't handy, and I need to get neutral rubber bands, instead of red, but that's all I could find.

I guess it's a "he" since it's a blue towel?

This was a cheap dollar store towel, kind of coarse. I think a soft baby blanket or towel would probably work better, but this is what I had at the moment. When I get tired of the bear, I can just take the rubber bands off, and I still have a hand towel.

Anyway, it was a distraction for a while, and it felt good to learn something new, plus it was fun, and made me happy. That's the important part! He isn't perfect, but he is FUN!

Keep learning new things! It's good for your health and well being!

Quirky Doodles From this Morning

HAPPY 4th OF JULY! Hope you all are having a safe and happy holiday with friends and family!

I started my day off with Quirky Doodles! Beginning to feel my muse coming back. Yay!

Sad Elephant

Dove and Flag

Vase of hydrangeas and forsythia

Cat Watching Birds

Candles and Leaves

Elephant with Tulips

Y'all may not miss seeing my creative attempts, but I sure have missed doing them! 

New Assorted Quirky Doodles and one Blind Sketch

The first art of any kind that I've done after several weeks of trauma, ending with my mama passing away. I did part of them last night and part of them this evening.

When I haven't done any art in a while, I often use quirky doodle sketches to help get my creative juices flowing again. The first seven of these are quirky doodles, where I close my eyes and make several random marks lightly on the page with a pencil, then open my eyes and let an image emerge from the marks. Thus all the extra lines in the background and through the image.  I used a black water-soluble pencil on all of these in a mixed-media sketchbook.

I almost have this sketchbook full of doodles to color in with paint, create stories about, or just to see what was going on with me at the time, according to the images that emerged.

Bunny 

Mother and Daughter

Creepy Clown

Pirate Dog?

Ancestral Support

Lamb

Sort of Creepy Clown

The last sketch is not a quirky doodle. I decided to actually try sketching a vase of hydrangeas and calla lilies with my eyes closed. I have a large vase of silk hydrangeas and calla lilies sitting on my piano from mama's funeral, and they are what I tried to hold in my mind while I lightly sketched them "blindfolded." I am surprised they even resembled flowers in a vase, but they did. Of course, I touched them up after I opened my eyes, but the "bones" were there and recognizable. I will definitely try this again.

Doing these has lifted my spirits a great deal, and I look forward to doing more and/or getting back to painting and journaling, plus I want to do some more weaving. Getting lost in creativity, whether it's any good or not, makes me happy! And I could use some happy about now!

Hope you enjoyed this post! Til next time!

Enjoy your Creativity!