Thursday, January 2, 2014

Paint the Town! Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Everyone! Let's make it the best ever.

Usually at this time of year I list my writing goals, but for 2014 I only have two: to edit and submit my two current WIP's--one fiction, one nonfiction--for publication. That's it! Not that I won't be having some fun and entertainment in between marketing sessions, however, because 2014 is the year I plan to go much more deeply into my artwork.

This is particularly significant for me as my 2013 Christmas gift to myself was to renew my (very lapsed) membership in the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, not just as a writer, but as an illustrator, too. A big step, I can tell you.

My theme for the year will center on animals and what I can best describe as "seasonal illustrations," pictures that portray and define the various months of the year and what they mean to me: winter snow, autumn leaves, spring flowers. To help me stay motivated and on track with this project, I've set myself a game-plan that will focus on a single medium every month:
  • January:  Conté brand products, both crayon and pencils.
  • February: Mixed media and collage.
  • March: Pastels; including soft stick pastels, pan pastels, and pastel pencils.
  • April: Charcoal.
  • May: Colored pencil.
  • June: Graphite--all shapes and sizes..
  • July: Watercolor.
  • August: Rubber stamping (with collage and mixed media backgrounds).
  • September: Oil pastel.
  • October: Water-soluble pencils (both watercolor and graphite pencils).
  • November: Pen and ink.
  • December: Acrylic. (The scary one--I've left it for last, LOL!)
Sound fun? I think so! One of the reasons I decided to try this approach is that over the years I've acquired so many different art supplies that I thought it was time to a) stop buying anything new, and b) find out which ones I really like and which ones I can live without. At least that's the plan--hope I can stick to it, and I hope you'll be inspired to venture into a creative project of your own this year. Let me know what you find!

Tip of the Day: What would you like to explore in 2014 that's outside of your usual comfort zone? Jewelry, pottery, archaeology? I'd love to know--drop me a line, either as a comment here, or at my Facebook page. Looking forward to what you have to share. Best wishes for a great year ahead.

4 comments:

Dawn Herring said...

Valerie,
I love the idea of your concentrated focus on the animals and your multi faceted approach for each month. I'll be curious to see which medium you like the most.

I love the watercolor!

Be refreshed,
Dawn Herring

Valerie Storey said...

Thank you, Dawn! Yes, it will be a year of strong experimentation for me--looking forward to many new discoveries. Wishing you a wonderful 2014.

kimi said...

Happy New Year, Valerie! I am very happy to learn that you are now focusing on illustrations as well as writing. How exciting! I look forward to seeing your explorations with all of these different types of media through the year. Sounds like a lot of fun. ^_^

Valerie Storey said...

Great to see you here, Kimi! Thank you for the warm words of encouragement. Will do my best to share my results over the coming months. Best wishes with your own work, too!