Day 15 of the Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days ( September challenge) and I am on......wait for it...........
Painting 5! Yikes this is the fourth painting I have done for the challenge.
For THE WATCH, I began painting with a brush since I was feeling burnt out on painting with the trowel knife.  I loved painting the first few paintings with a trowel tool but then I needed to switch it up a bit.
So I started this painting with huge brush-strokes and in the lines I saw what looked like an anhinga start to form. intuitively. I followed what I saw by outlining it a bit and decided that the anhinga was worthy of painting.

The anhinga can not fly until her wings are dry so she must exercise quite a bit of patience.
This anhinga is on the watch possibly with wings that have just dried and now she is ready to fly. Or perhaps she is getting ready for a swim.  
This bird is an astute swimmer and swimming is one of my favorite past times when it is hot out.  I can relate to the traits of this bird so the patient, flying, and swimming bird is a metaphor for a lesson in patience and recognition of the wonderful traits of this bird. 

Well, with my classes and life getting in the way, I only have 3 paintings so far! Can I blame it on my puppy?
 Instead of starting my fourth painting the other day, I kept working on this 3rd one.  I know the Leslie Saeta 30 day 30 paintings challenge explains you don't have to finish each painting but I got carried away trying to figure out what I like and don't like about the above painting.
It is not finished but I am finally stopping for now and moving on to my fourth!
It is day 14 and can't imagine making it but still trying! So here I go! 
​

I am taking Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge for the month of September.
It is day 10, and I only have two paintings!
Alas, I am only beginning my 3rd painting today before I teach classes.  I don't think I will make the challenge but I have already almost finished two more than usual!  So, that is the purpose of the challenge! As a professional artist, art teacher, and art therapist, sometimes I do not paint as much as I should because of other work,
but when you squeeze in some more time for yourself it is amazing what you can accomplish.
​ I am creating a series of trowel knife paintings for this challenge.  More to come.  Check out the other trowel knife paintings here

Have you ever taken a challenge and then forgot about it when it started?
 Well, I am late on this challenge as reminded by the podcast Artists Helping Artists.
I am still going to take Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge to see how many paintings I can do for the rest of September. 

I started this painting ahead of time in August but kept working on it Labor Day weekend. this trowel knife painting of the inspired ocean and I did not start out with waves in the water but a little of the white paint looked like a wave so I kept going with waves and then a shoreline.  
I have a few of these ocean trowel knife paintings so am continuing these in a series.
Busy from teaching art classes, workshops and working as an art therapist, this challenge is what I need.  
I am a professional artist who has sold artwork online, art shows, and galleries, but honestly don't have enough time to paint at present.  
So I love this challenge! 

Greetings Creatives,

I am back at teaching art at Casa Montessori school
both in adolescent and upper elementary classes, after school art programming,
and art therapy!
To be a good art teacher and art therapist I do have to have time for my own creativity,
​as you know I consider that self care!
How do you fit in creativity in your busy lives? Feel free to comment below.

When I don’t have much time, art or visual journaling is still the best option to explore with different media choices all within my art journal. Of course since I am also a professional artist, I have to find time to paint large also!
Here is a glimpse of the trowel knife paintings I am working on featured below.

In Other News, I will be facilitating more Arts and Wellness workshops at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in 2019 after I finish researching new classes to create!
If you have missed previous workshops there I have one of my repeated workshops coming up at Fabrications in Deland, Fl! Click here for link to class info https://www.facebook.com/events/337196503687614/

Hi Creatives!
I hope you are continuing to enjoy a creative practice whether it is in art journaling, or some other creative practice.
Of course what I love about art journaling is that if I only have five minutes, I can doodle, collage, scribble, draw, and/or paint in my art journal.


Since I created my first online facilitated class in art journaling last summer, I have since facilitating many art journal workshops.
I have one online art journaling workshop/class here. lauraknapikbohn.teachable.com/p/animals-as-metaphors/?preview=logged_out

And, I have a few free videos featured down below.  Just go to my channel to see the below three part demo.  There is also a free Painting Pleasing Backgrounds Video! 

Enjoy!

In the Summer when I have less classes and workshops is the time I work in the studio on new class and workshop ideas! Stay tuned!
Also check out my paintings on canvas on this website!

A couple of months ago the theme for Expressive Art Journaling class was
“Art Journaling Your Archetype”.
Creating an archetype in your art journal can represent certain traits needed at a certain time, either in one’s self or in others. This theme presents a challenge with creating a character that you admire and helps you to tell your personal story or a cultural story that can represent a socio-cultural challenge as resulting from current events.

Artist Karen Bigham has created an archetypal character as a result of her perspective of current events. This work is done with insight, reflection, and time to understand the larger picture. Art journaling is a very personal practice so opinions about subject matter are very personal as this is a personal journey and the artist has the right to express his or herself for self care. 

Read her story and see her work below.
​
​

This two page journal spread was inspired by two things.  First was an article I read in the New Yorker about an old movie featuring an actress with a closely shaved head portraying Joan of Arc.  The article compared both the performance and the appearance of the actress to Emma Gonzalez of the Parkland, FL school shooting, who has become a strong voice for gun control.

That same week I saw an ad in the Sunday newspaper, which happened to be Easter.  It was a striking full page ad that was visually stunning with lots of white space.  It featured one of my favorite Bible verses….one that happened to be the same one I chose for my daughter’s adoption announcement 16 years ago.  Then I noticed the ad was placed by Hobby Lobby, a family owned company that takes quite conservative positions about things like whether their insurance should cover birth control (they believe it should not).  I strongly disagree with the opinions of the company’s owners.  However, I saved the entire ad for its stark beauty and Easter message.​

The spread came together as I contemplated the irony of this ad juxtaposed with images of Joan of Arc and Emma Gonzalez.

For this next art journal workshop, how can you turn a magazine or printed image you bring to class (or one you find in our magazines) into a classic archetype that fits you? 

This is only a suggested art journal prompt and feel free to choose another
or work intuitively on your page by starting with color, images,
and see what story evolves intuitively.
Vintage images are all over the internet! Free to just drag to your desktop
and print! 

Bring any imagery you find online or in magazines to class or simply leaf through
​our magazines. ​

To register for this workshop click here atlanticcenterforthearts.org/event-or-exhibition/2849/

​

​februarys-featured-artist-working-in-expressive-art-journaling-sonja-jean-craig.html

​






 "My heart sang the day I was guided to create these pages. Its song was one that asked me to get off of the page.
To observe my belief systems and limits. Then to push past them. I did this by using pliable metal objects on the piece.
Wanting to express in 3D instead of the two dimensional constructs of staying on the page, without making it too cumbersome for the  ‘book’. 
  This piece is a nice example of many techniques that Laura shows us. We created stencils. We created a paste that fit through stencils. Later painting them. This also took me off the page with some texture.. Adding some painting techniques like sprayed water colors and incorporating collage skills the journal entry came to life. 
I see this now and reflect on my continuing journey of self discovery.  Stretching the limits. 
Patiently climbing and descending stairs.  Moving between shadows and the light that creates them.
I am so grateful for this creative outlet that helps me to feel and document my journey in a personal way. "
Sonja Jean Craig