The grey and rainy day in Netherlands was my excuse this morning to wander into my atelier with the intension to not come out today – of course I will go to the kitchen to pour me a coffee or make me a sandwich but that will be all… at least, that is my plan. There’s all kinds of things on my desk and ideas in my head to go work on and I also will spend some time visiting the other ‘deskers’ who join woyww – after all, they had a get-together last weekend and I’m sure there will be many photos of the crop on different blogs I’d love to see.
I did a little art journaling yesterday and the spread is still on my desk this morning.
I went into town yesterday to buy some extra magazines for the upcoming “Zetti collage” workshop I’m teaching on September 22 (see the badge in the side menu.) When making Zetti collage, glossy fashion magazines are my go to and I noticed the magazines in my stash are pretty much cut up. I don’t want to present magazines to the students where most of the models in it have their eyes, or even heads, cut out…
There’s a fantastic, big book store in Middelburg ~ De Drvkkery ~ that I love to visit and whenever I go there, my beloved goes with me ’cause besides books they sell music. It’s a so called ‘multi media store’ and I always drool over the pens and journals they sell while my beloved flips through the latest (or ‘oldy’) music albums…. I visited the magazine-corner this time and found a few French glossies that had nice photos in it to use for Zetti collages. (Yep, I choose French magazines so the ladies won’t go read all the articles instead of creating 😉 ) The lady at the corner put my buys in a paper bag. They always do that and I – used to this package with all those names on it – hardly look at the paper. However, when I got home and put the bag on my desk my eyes fell onto these two names…
Karl Ove Knausgard: a fabulous Norwegian author – I read three of his books last Summer and plan to pick up the next book in series from the library soon – and Leonard Cohen: my favorite musician. Did I tell you how I LOVE this store?!
“Look closely” is something that was on my mind anyway last week ’cause I practiced my ‘looking’. Being in a creative low over the weekend (wanting to create but not knowing where to start or what to do) I read back some old blogpost hoping I would find some inspiration (and when I say old I mean OLD – in November my blog will have it’s 10th anniversary so that’s a LOT of blogposts to look back on!) I bumped back on an old blogpost from 2011 and this old ‘Grid’ journal – and yes, that little journal is still on the shelf so I took it out and flipped through it. I remember getting tired of creating grids at some point so this journal still has blank pages towards the end… I found the last page I created was in 2013: a collage grid of cut out eyes (now I know where all the cut out eyes from the fashion magazines went…) and a new ‘project’ was born instantly. I thought it would be good exercise to draw those eyes on the opposite page.
Some eyes were ‘easier’ to draw and came out better looking than others (which one do you think is the best?) All in all this was/is a wonderful exercise to practise ‘looking’ and I intent to draw more often. I might even schedule a ‘weekly drawing’… or go back to the ‘EDM’ challenges’ I once worked on. That’s another project I never finished…
So yes, my mojo is back – lot’s of projects I can work on today. Now the thing is: which one to pick! But first I will spend an hour or so visiting other woyww-deskers* around the globe to see what they are all up to…
* WOYWW stands for What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday, a weekly online gathering where all kinds of crafters share photos of their workdesk. Woyww is hosted by the lovely Julia from Stamping Ground and you can find out more about it by clicking the link.
Shaz says
Hi Marit, wow I’m so impressed with your drawing of the eyes, I can’t pic a favourite! Isn’t it odd how sometimes a serendipitous moment pops up? Those names are such a moment. I love that the store uses paper bags, I’m noticing that gradually we are going back to those ‘old fashioned’ ways that were replaced by the ‘ fantastic material’ of plastic! Long may it continue. Have a lovely week, Hugs, Shaz #8 X
Anita Hickson says
I love “eyes” so this has caught my imagination. What a fabulous idea to cut those out and then try to draw them. Well … I like them all but numbering from top left going across and then back left to the next row (numerical) my favourites are 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 16. If I look at the magazine pictures first and do a comparison I think they are all darned good. Couldn’t pick a ‘best’ from there.
I see you have Caran D’Ache on your desk – love them. Also the bag, can see why you like it. The reason for the French magazines sounds good to me but I would like to see one myself so maybe I need to come to the Netherlands again but this time see more than Amsterdam. Off to see whre Middleburgh is.
Hugs, Neet 9 xx
LLJ says
Great desk again Marit, I’m always intrigued to see what you’re working on! What a great way to kick start your mojo by rediscovering an old post…those eyes are amazing, your sketches are quite wonderful!
I’m so pleased that you ordered from the Japancrafts lady, I did mention to her that my friend from the Netherlands might be in touch! My jacket is the next project on my list when I get home……
Hugs LLJ 10 xx
lilian says
Love your desk, I love the eyes, One thing I cannot do is drawer,
Lilian B #15
Sarah Brennan says
Love how you used the inspiration of the eye grid on the other page Marit. I love the eye at the end (bottom right). That store sounds like heaven! Happy WOYWW. Sarah #5
Claire says
Love the eyes! And he’s a favourite author in the village book group 🙂
Happy WOYWW 🙂
Claire no. 2
Helen says
what a lot of fabulous eyes! I think crafting with foreign books or magazines is ideal for not allowing the distraction – good plan! Helen #1
Diana Taylor says
Great pages in your junk journal and I love the little grid book with the eyes – that’s a great way to practice drawing them too. I’m a Leonard Cohen fan too – I particularly love his lyrics.
Have a great week,
Diana x #17
Sue says
Hi Marit, so glad your Mojo was at full steam and you had so many projects to do.
The eyes are fab.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Happy WOYWW
Sue #12
Angela says
Loving the eyes, maybe I could do something similar with the dragon’s eyes. It was interesting that you collect French magazines for your journaling, I love them and always end up bringing several home when we’ve been skiing in France. Hope your week is good and happy woyww, Angela x13x
HEATHER MARSHALL says
Hi Marit, I don’t think I can pick a favourite from the eyes. You have drawn them all so well. Maybe the bottom right hand corner one! That’s a long time to keep your blog going, well done! I hope one day we can meet at a crop, that would be fun! Have a lovely week Heather x #11
paperwishesbyamanda says
It is hard to keep the creative flow going. Good that you found a way to get started again. Ive been slow to make over the last weeks perhaps its the change in the seaqsons. 5, 7 and 10 are my favorites. 5 I like the strokes of the hair accross it 7 is so dark and striking and 10 as its so hard to draw eyes without lots of eyelashes. Have a good week may the ‘creative force’ be with you! #27
Lindart says
I love the eyes, and I love how when we (creative types) look at something, whether a project pops up in our minds, or we see it as no one else does. The drawings are awesome – my favs? The sultry one (row 2 #3) caught my eye right away – well done! And Row 3 #2, and the last one. Keep up the good work! I get into these drawing moods too, but they don’t seem to last long, sadly. I was actually just thinking about this yesterday, how I was doing so well, then life just got int he way. I just can’t do all the things i want to do! (and there’s a lot!) I love your desk, so inviting, so neat! Have a great week, and thanks for your visit! Lindart #23
PS-I will try the warm water tip for my sprays!
PSS-sometimes my family laughs at me because I get so much pleasure from the wrappings and tissue etc from my presents – almost more than the present itself! So I absolutely understand the paper bag!
Stacy says
Hi Merit, Oh my what talent you have. I love the sketches of the eyes 🙂 I kind of smiled that you have three containers of water on your desk. ~Stacy #24
Julia says
Oh Marit you are a tonic, so full of ideas and enthusiasm for some time at your desk. I’m in love with the paper bag from the shop…Leonard Cohen is one of my all time top musicians too, and I’m going to look out some of the novels, because I think if you like them , I might well too! I think it’s a great idea to buy the foreign language magazines, I try to provide dictionary pages in foreign languages at workshops for the same reason..they read the definitions and then decide they don’t like them and want a different page. And it made me laugh to think of your magazines having lots of pics of headless or eyeless models!!
Tracey says
Bravo to the store for packaging your magazines in paper Marit, recyclable is always better.
Your eyes are magnificent, eyes are my favourite of all things to draw and your study of those pictures is fantastic.
If I see a magazine with the head or eyes missing, I will always think of you now hee hee!!
Thank you as always for sharing WOYWW.
have a super weekend Hugs Tracey #4
Bleubeard and Elizabeth says
What a fabulous desk today. Love the junk journal and the paper packaging. I know you can reuse that. Those EYES!! WOW. You draw so well. Sorry I was late visiting, but so grateful you stopped by earlier. Happy WOYWW from #3.
glitterandglue says
Hi Marit. I’m really late visiting this week so I apologise to everyone… I love those eyes you have drawn – amazing – well done. Hope you found lots of things to do last week.
Take care. God bless.
Margaret #20
Caatje says
Die ogen zijn echt super. En er gaat niks boven een fijne boekhandel. In Leeuwarden zit Van der Velde, prachtige combinatie van nieuw en oud (antiquariaat) in een nog mooier gebouw. Ik mag er graag uren ronddwalen.