Just a quick bit of fun this morning. I thought it would be nice to create a little banner for my facebook account and page, and this is the result. Something a bit mystical in nature.
Digital art created with Autodesk Sketchbook Pro along with the usual Surface Slim Pen and Surface Studio from Microsoft.
I used this as an opportunity to try out some new ideas, and it’s worked out well enough I think.
Today, I’m feeling content, at ease and that inner smile is back. It’s nice, once again, to have the windows open a little and to feel the gentle flow of cooler air into my work space warmed by hazy sunlight.
Being creative certainly does help me to find and keep my sense of contentment and to keep the anxiety and fear at bay.
Now, it’s time for me to go get my breakfast. I was so determined to create this new border that I got lost in it!
I’ve finally finished this mandala. I like the design and patterns, but I wish I’d not used the yellowy greens and teals. There’s no much I can do now, however, as I collapsed all the layers as I went. Something to try to remember not to do in future. I also need to try an even more limited palette, maybe monochrome in my next mandala.
Digital art created using Autodesk Sketchbook Pro along with a Microsoft Surface Slim Pen and a Microsoft Surface Studio.
So, how are you doing today Angela?
I’m doing just fine today. I slept fairly well last night and the sun is shining once more today. I have windows open upstairs to let some cooler, fresher air into the home (of course everyone’s more than six feet away from the, apart from birds and the odd cat who wanders onto my windowsills at the back of the house).
It’s lovely to feel both the warmth of the radiant infrared light from the sun and coolness of the gentle air flow on my skin. Definitely one of life’s little pleasures!
Creating art is also another pleasure, which I have done this morning with my mandala. Something else that lifts my heart. And while I was finishing this mandala, I was listening to ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ audiobook on Audible. Again, something that I really enjoy – listening to a story.
My first mug of tea has been had and it was a satisfyingly comforting experience, as always. I had some dried cranberries in my delivery yesterday, so I had a sprinkling of them in my morning porridge, along with some golden sultanas. The cranberries glowed like jewels in the porridge, which was lovely to see.
I’m not quite sure what I’ll do after I’ve finished my social media posting today. I could do with another mug of tea. Maybe I’ll draw or colour some more paper to draw on. I have crocheting, cross-stitching and knitting to do. And of course there’s plenty of books I’ve yet to read, or listen to. And I’ve got a few seasons of Criminal Minds left to watch too!
As long as I’m purposefully busy, often creatively, I can keep the anxiety and fear of Covid19 at bay. As soon as I start thinking about the pandemic, the uncertainty of the present time, and of the future, anxiety and fear starts to well up again. Healthy distractions are needed to cope with the overwhelming nature of it all.
I am trying to notice all the little things in each day I take for granted – both those that I can still do, and the things that are missing from my life at the moment, such as walking in the park or countryside, day trips and cake runs, popping to the shop, going out for a meal, attending meetings with like-minded souls, being able to just go out for a drive, visiting the museum or churches and abbeys…
I know that each day we go through this pandemic we are one day closer to it’s end. Life will return to some normalcy, but I think it will also be changed in many ways too, hopefully for the better.
This morning, I used the random tangle pattern generator and it came up with ‘Tripoli’. This is a tangle pattern I’ve had trouble with so often in the past. For some reason I find it awkward to draw the triangular motifs that make up this pattern in a way that I find pleasing. I almost clicked the button to generate another tangle pattern. Instead, I chose to work with Tripoli and this is the result.
I used one of the tiles I’d coloured with Distress Inks at the weekend, along with Unipin Uniball pens. No pencil ‘string’ or guidelines. I also chose to use a variation of the classic Tripoli pattern (see it on Tangle Patterns or here).
It was an enjoyable and relaxing process to draw this 5½” x 5½” tile.
I’ve been ‘zentangling’ long before Zentangle was a thing. I love pattern. I love stylised motifs. I draw inspiration from architecture, nature, Prehistoric art, pottery, Celtic and La Tene, illuminated manuscripts, and more.
I’ve always been fascinated with deconstructing patterns in order to replicate them in my own way.
Well being check in…
Today I’m tired. I look like I have a pair of black eyes. I really didn’t sleep well last night, again. I may well nap this afternoon; I’m finding it hard to keep my eyes open even as I write this blog.
Even though I’m tired, more than bone tired, the sunshine and warmth of the rays of light finding their way to me through the windows really lifts my spirits.
As I went to put some recycling out this morning, a neighbour’s cat came to say hello. He’s a strange kitty, likes a fuss, but not too much and only in very specific places on his body, but he’s a friendly chap. It was nice to make a fuss of him in the sunshine, his black fur soft, silky and warm from absorbing infrared light.
I had two deliveries today. One an organic fruit and veg box along with some other goodies. Some things weren’t available though, but it’ll be just fine I’m sure. The other was a box containing some tea bags – English Breakfast tea bags containing rolled leaves of tea in biodegradable mesh. And a rather nifty tin to keep them in!
Tea, twice and thrice blessed tea! Always a pleasure and always one to look forward to.
Little things to be grateful for even when limited to home for the foreseeable future.
Yesterday, I spent some time drawing with a Tombow Fudenosuke pen on ClaireFontaine mixed media paper. The result was this coloring template for the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group.
Last week, I said I’d do a template a week during the Covid-19 crisis to help people take some time out of worrying and fretting to relax with coloring.
If you’d like to grab the template, just pop along to the group, join, and it’s completely free! All I ask is you follow the terms and conditions of use.
The Fudenosuke pen has a flexible brush nib so I can produce lines of varying thickness. This isn’t something I do often for coloring templates. However, I do like the effect that I get. It’s so easy to give an illusion of depth and dimension.
Of course the template has a white background, but the version I’m sharing has a blueish-grey background which helps the colours to glow against it.
The design is typically my ‘entangled’ style. Abstract but with stylised motifs from nature and architecture and more.
So, how are you doing Angela?
I’m OK. The sun is shining. I have windows open to let some fresh air into the home, but they’re upstairs windows so no one can get within six feet of them! I also live in a very quiet, small, dead-end street (cul-de-sac if you want to be posh) so there’s very little foot fall here.
Reports are that people aren’t heeding the instructions to stay home here in the UK. That makes me fearful that the NHS will soon be overwhelmed by their selfishness and thoughtlessness.
The situation is surreal and feels unreal to people who’ve not had Covid-19 touch them personally – someone developing the disease, being hospitalised, or, sadly, dying. I hope that’s the reason that they’re playing russian roulette with everyone else’s health and well-being. I hope they don’t think that it’s a hoax, or that they’re invulnerable because of whatever reason they think they are.
Sadly, these people are helping to spread the virus. There’s sound reasons to follow the advice, instructions, orders to stay home.
Anyway… I’ve not yet had a text, email or snail-mail to tell me I’m counted as ‘vulnerable’ and will need to ‘shield’ for at least twelve weeks. I don’t know if I shall get one, but it will be in the next day or two if I do. Even if I don’t get one, I’m staying at home, as frustrating as it is on gloriously sunny spring days like this one here in the Welsh Valleys.
It’s such a beautifully, sunshiny, glorious spring day here in the Valleys of South Wales. The sunshine, especially when I’m at home for the foreseeable future, is most welcome and lifts my spirits greatly.
It also frustrates me a little that I want to be out and about, sun on my face and wind in my hair. However, I do understand and accept the need to be at home. Understanding doesn’t remove the frustration.
I was also at a loss at how to be arty this morning. I decided to use one of the ’tiles’ I’d coloured with Distress Inks on Saturday. I also stumbled across a zentangle pattern randomiser and gave it a click.
The pattern that popped up was ‘Ravel’, and so I filled the tile with it. I used 05 and 02 Unpin pens from Uniball. When I was done, I decided I needed a bit of shimmer and shine, so I added some metallic gold dots.
I could add water to ‘bleach’ out high spots on the design. Maybe I’ll do that later.
Drawing a repeating pattern as well as drawing intuitively and deliberately is a very mindful activity for me. It helps calm my mind and emotions. It brings meditative peace and contentment to me. All art does that, but there’s something particularly satisfying about a small project that can be completed in a sensible amount of time; a project with the goals of calm and relaxation.
Warm sunshine pouring in the window beside me as I mindfully zentangle has helped me find contentment. That gentle inner smile that has been hiding behind the clouds of worry and fear has returned.
During this pandemic, this global health and societal crisis, it’s more important to find the contentment, peace and inner smile.
Mindfulness helps with acceptance of a situation as it is. Not fretting about what has been done already. Not worrying about the what ifs. It’s about being present in the here and now. It’s learning to accept that there are circumstances that are beyond our control, and working with the things we can control – our reactions to them and the way we think and feel. To not become the slave to fear, panic, alarm, to recognise they are rational emotions to feel. Still, it’s how we act upon them that’s important.
It’s also important to recognise that the pandemic will come to an end at some point in time in the future. This will have changed us all, probably society too, hopefully for the better.
So, what can we do in the meantime?
Well, we’re not in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world yet, nor are we likely to be. Farmers will continue to farm. Food and essentials will still be produced. Delivery drivers will deliver. Food shops will be open.
There will be a lag in stocks of some things being restocked as it takes time for the producers to produce more to fill the gaps created by the panic buyers and hoarders. And of course, once the panic has subsided and people stop panicking, those gaps will be filled a lot quicker.
There will be plenty for all, so long as people stop panic buying and hoarding, particularly here in the UK.
Even if society is put into a lock-down, which seems likely here in the UK, then we’ll still be allowed to go out and shop for essentials.
Mind you, for the more vulnerable members of society that means that we’ll have to shop online and have our groceries delivered, or have volunteers, friends, family to help out. I’m expecting a letter soon to tell me that the advice is I stay indoors for twelve weeks – not leaving home to even get some shopping.
So, practice social isolation. It really does make a difference, even if you don’t think it does.
Social distancing and isolation really will slow down the spread of the virus. Then the NHS can cope with the number of people who need hospital care. This way, people won’t needlessly die because the medical care they need just isn’t available as the system is totally overwhelmed.
For each of us that stays home, avoids social contact, we put a break in the chain of how the disease is transmitted. The more gaps in the chain, the slower the virus can spread through society.
Be brave, be a break in the chain. Help to slow down the spread of the virus.
Help to spread the cases out over time so that the NHS can cope so that all who contract the disease have the best chance of survival.
In this way, each and every one of us can be a hero to help protect those that need protecting.
I’ve been busy this morning. First, I wanted to complete the drawing and painting of a zentangly, entangled tile ready for embellishment in other ways.
Then, I wanted to do something digitally, but something relatively simple and quick. What popped into my mind was a really, really simple kind of mandala along with a quote of some kind.
But what kind of quote should I add?
Earlier this week I took Binky, my SmartCar, for its annual service. While waiting, I did some reading. I found one of the QI books of facts on my Kindle and I enjoyed reading weird and wonderful facts. This is one I found in a different one of the QI books this morning.
I’ve always enjoyed reading (and often remembering) curious information, ideas, and so on. The weirder something is, the more likely it is to stick. The weird stuff I had in my head used to entertain my pupils in the days when I was a science teacher.
So, I thought it may be fun, from time to time, to share some of these weird, quite interesting facts, in the form of something pretty to look at.
This is digital art, created using Autodesk Sketchbook Pro, Microsoft Surface Studio and Microsoft Surface Slim Pen.
So, Angela, how are you doing?
I thought I’d resurrect this once regular feature of my daily blog posts. I’m sure that many, many of us are struggling emotionally and mentally during this pandemic. It’s nice to know you’re not alone.
I had some tearful moments yesterday. I live alone. I’m an introvert so that doesn’t bother me so much, in fact it suits me.
That doesn’t mean I don’t get lonesome for company from time to time. Usually, I’d go out for a walk or to walk around the shops. Covid19 has put a bit of a dampener on these activities. I’m very conscious that I really don’t want to catch it (I have underlying health problems), and if I already have it, or am lucky enough to have mild symptoms without realising that I have it, I really don’t want to pass it along to other people.
I realise that there will be times when I need to go out to pick up bits and bobs. However, my behaviour has to change from doing this most days in a week to as little as often.
It’s not just the lack of social contact, it’s that social media is overwhelming me with fear, worry, empathy for those who are suffering far more than I am. I also feel angry about those who just don’t seem to understand why we need to socially distance ourselves and stay at home except for absolutely essential reasons.
Last night, I became rather emotionally overwhelmed. I was crying at what I was watching on the TV, even though it wasn’t something that would usually provoke much of an emotional response in me other than curiosity, interesting, thoughtfulness.
It didn’t help that I had a post-stress migraine-type headache yesterday from my trip out to do a bit of shopping on Friday. I ended up in bed in the afternoon to sleep it off once the painkillers had kicked in.
I’m as frustrated as anyone at being at home yesterday and today. There’s beautiful golden sunlight out there and I’d like nothing more than to be out and about in it. My DSLR does need using. However, I’m determined that I’ll do my best to keep myself and others safe by staying home.
However, there are reports of open spaces being crowded with people, all with the same idea – if we go outdoors into parks or to beaches for a walk there won’t be many people there.
Seems everyone else had the same idea! Well, not everyone else, but far too many to make it a sensible idea.
Also, to the vast majority of us, the disease seems so distant as so few of us know someone who’s had it, is suffering it, or who, sadly, as passed away. That has a lot to do with people not feeling the need to heed the ‘request’ to stay home. It all feels surreal, abstract, not quite real.
I do hope it continues to stay that way for the vast majority of people. However, I know that it won’t.
So, as much as I’d love to be out on such a beautiful early spring day as this, I don’t know where I could go that would be safely away from crowds or people. So, I shall stay at home and art and craft and cook and know that it is necessary that I do so, as frustrating as it is on such a gloriously sunny day.
This morning I woke with an idea I want to try out involving the entangled drawings I’ve been doing and embellishments. I’ll show the results of my ideas when I get to results I want to show.
So far, I’ve got several ’tiles’ coloured. I cut them from Claire Fontaine mixed media paper into tiles of various sizes. The biggest is 6″ x 6″ and the smallest approx 4″ x 3½”. I didn’t want to waste any paper, only the tiniest sliver that had the adhesive on it was discarded.
Then, I used Distress Inks and a mini foam blending tool to add colour to the paper. Finally, I sprayed them lightly with water and used a hair drier to dry them.
They’re now ready for me to work with, and that’s what I’m going to do today while listening to the audiobook version of “The Rise of Skywalker” – yes, I love Star Wars!
The Star Wars saga is one of the classic tales where good overcomes evil, where heroes come in all kinds, and it reminds us that there is always hope, hope that better times will come.
And we certainly need hope in these times.
Star Wars has long been a companion that lifts me when I’m seriously down, anxious, confused, stressed. It’s one of my self-soothing tools and never fails to work when I’m not well – physically, emotionally or mentally.
Art and creativity is another of my self-soothing tools. In the past couple of weeks of social distancing and almost self-isoloation, I’ve created art both traditionally and digitally, crocheted, cross-stitched, needle-felted, and even got software so I can design my own cross-stitch patterns.
Listening to audiobooks, podcasts or music is something I love to do while I’m at my desk – whether I’m creating traditionally or digitally. When I’m crocheting or cross-stitching or needle-felting I’m downstairs and currently binge-watching Criminal Minds.
Today, I had an email from RedBubble about the current crisis and the role of art in it, along with this excerpt from an article written by Adam Schwartz of TeePublic called “An Artist Call to Arms“:
In times of human struggle, the world needs art. Crises such as this are too complex, too nuanced to put into words, but art is a higher form of language. When we don’t know what to feel, art can illustrate emotion … [As an artist] You do have a sword to wield. Can you push through anxiety and find the space to be creative? Can you find your voice and whisper to us, a joke, an idea, or a memory of some better time? I implore you to try … as an artist community our voices echo more loudly than one could ever do alone.
It’s a lovely, sunshiny day here in the Valleys of South Wales, if a tad breezy. The sunlight is diffused by clouds so it’s not washing out the greens of spring that are tentatively showing themselves.
All of which is quite appropriate as it’s the Spring Equinox today. The appeared to sun enter Aries at 03:59 UT, to be precise, which marks the start of astronomical spring as the Earth continues on it’s perpetual journey around the sun, regardless of the pandemic and crisis occurring here on the planet’s surface.
I had a good night’s sleep last night and woke feeling much better emotionally. The sunshine is helping with that too. I’m always much more resilient, emotionally speaking, when I have enough quality sleep.
That doesn’t mean I’m not concerned about Covid-19; I am. On so many levels. However, the clouds clearing, the sun shining, the Earth making it to the point of Vernal Equinox once again, just shows that time continues it’s inexorable progress.
Although the existence of the pandemic means that humanity needs to alter it’s behaviour and activities for the foreseeable future, it doesn’t mean it will always be this way. Just as the rain doesn’t last forever.
It means we need to find new ways to find contentment in our lives, to be considerate and compassionate towards others, on scales ranging from neighbourly to global. We also need to show this kindness and consideration to the living things we share this planet with as well as the Earth itself.
The crisis is bringing out both the ugliness and beauty in humanity in so many different areas of our lives and society. Life will never be the same after this, but what those changes will be I don’t know yet. No one does. Some things will remain the same, but there are likely to be profound changes in other areas of society, and some more subtle changes too.
Anyway, to the art.
I started drawing this tile last night. I used Uniball Unipin pens with a 4″ x 4″ piece of ClaireFontaine mixed media paper. After scanning the drawing, I cleaned some smudges up digitally. Then, I added a coloured background, a texture and then shading and subtle colour to the drawing.
I chose greens and blues for the background and they way I applied them makes me think of the golden greens and sunlight of spring pushing the blues of winter away.
Spring is a glorious time of year, when the world really starts to come alive with colour once again. Life is awakening after the sleep of winter and there is hope of growth and future harvests.
No matter how things may seem, the fear and panic the media and politicians are whipping up, the worries people have for their health, jobs, families, their future, it’s a time to remember that this too will pass and there is hope on, hopefully, not too distant horizon.
In the meantime, I’ll be doing what I can to bring a little bit of colour and light into the world each day. Sometimes I’ll share my musings about it all, how my emotional and mental health are doing. I hope these will help you to know you’re not alone, that it’s OK to not be OK, and inspire you to get creative to help lift your spirits during the present circumstances.
I really needed to do something creative today to sooth my mind, emotions and soul.
I tried digital art and I just couldn’t settle to it, so I thought a spot of traditional pen and paper drawing in an entangled or zentangle style might just fit the bill.
So, I cut some Claire Fontaine mixed media paper into 4″ x 4″ ’tiles’ and used some Uniball Unipin and Sakura Pigma Micron pens to draw the lineart.
I worked intuitively, not really thinking about what I was doing, just trying to lose myself in the flow so I could find my inner contentment and some peace.
I did scan my drawing in and digitally added a background and shading to the drawing, which really helps to lift it and bring it to life. If you’d like to see the black and white version, then pay a visit to my Instagram account – @angela_porter_illustrator.
Instagram is really irking me at the moment. I can no longer upload images or videos from my PC, only from my phone. I really loathe using the silly little keyboard on a phone to add the blurb that needs to go with the image. I may either reduce my posting to Instagram, or give up on Instagram completely.
Anyway, drawing in this style is something I’ve done for a long time. The familiarity of the process, patterns and motifs is a comfort to my troubled emotions and mind. It has helped to settle me down somewhat, though I’m still exhausted after a poor night’s sleep.
I love being by myself, having solitude, not having the pressure to be ‘social’. That part is natural for me.
Oddly, I miss the option of just popping out for a short while unless it’s absolutely necessary. I will need some time in nature soon, with my camera, unless we’re denied that bit of freedom.
The freedom to choose what to do without feeling guilty or worrying about my choice is what I’m missing.
The artist/creative in me will always have things to do – drawing, digital art, crochet, needle felting, cross stitching and more.
As well as being an artist, I am also a scientist. So having reliable facts can help me understand this disease and its effects.
I’m also curious, so I will always find things to read or watch that satisfy my curiosity.
The part of me that still has cPTSD tends towards anxiety and depression is much smaller and has less of a hold on me and most of the time, I am content.
Today, for the first time in this crisis, I’ve felt weepy, sad, worried for the various layers of society, occupations and the world itself. For those who are scared of how people are reacting. For those who are scared of contracting CoViD-19, and scared that their loved ones may. For those who are suffering the illness, struggling to live, and for those who are losing that fight. For those who are scared because there’s no clear direction being given by our leaders. For those who are scared that because they are vulnerable or old they may just be allowed to die as if their lives, their presence in the lives of others, is of no value.
I can’t even find the words to express my feelings and abstract thoughts/images that I have about this. I want to be eloquent, expressive, and can’t find a way to do so with words. The curse of one with introverted feelings, as well as feelings and thoughts that can be very abstract too.
I feel so sorry that there is so little I can do personally, other than not be a panic buyer, to avoid social contact, to be responsible, so I don’t put a strain on resources and services.
I am but one person and one counted as ‘vulnerable’; I have underlying chronic health conditions. So, I feel helpless to help more, and that increases my sense of guilt and helplessness.
One thing I do know that helps me manage my emotions, my thoughts is art. So, I will try to help others through my art. Through creating pretty things to bring a smile and warmth to people’s hearts. Through finding ways to encourage their own creativity. By producing more frequent coloring templates for people to download and color via a Facebook group for ‘fans’ of my coloring books.
Perhaps this is a bit more than very little, I don’t know. Maybe by us all doing a little to help, it adds up collectively to a lot to help those who have more significant roles to play in this crisis – doctors, nurses, porters, cleaners, shop workers, delivery drivers, farmers, emergency services, and so many more – and I thank each and every one of you more than you will ever know.
Art is the Adventure 