Once the lid was off, well, that was that.

First some context. June and July have been an intense period of living outside the studio. (More on a milestone birthday, roadtrip to Canadian Rockies, and the largest auction & rummage sale in the US in another post). So on my wall board this week, I’ve only a few pictures. Animal heads in charcoal on different papers. A few experiments with chartpak markers, oil pastels and charcoal.

Chagrined at my meager studio output, I nonetheless did my GTD weekly review. Clarified commitments. Captured ideas and next things to do. Asked the questions like, what from this week’s media experimentation do I bring forward to my Ham project?

There’s a point at the end of a weekly review when you “get creative.” Usually for me, it’s asking if there is anything on my “wildest dreams” list that I want to do now or soon. Ready to visit that chimpanzee sanctuary in the Congo yet?

This week, however, in tidying my studio I opened a dusty box from under the window . . . and kicked “get creative” in a new direction. The box was going to the garage. But first a peak inside. And once the lid was off, well that was that. Out came the painted, cut papers. Out came a palette stained with the glorious remnants of a session with FW inks. All left over from an old project aimed at a young audience.

Rather bright, all this paper. Still, just one glance at my wall board and the paper took itself up next to the charcoal drawings. Hmm, that pastel-colored rabbit — an aberration on the board before — had settled in nicely with the new color pieces. Moods emerged. Light. Playful. How satisfying to just let go, to make these associations in the moment. I must be craving some light-hearted and humorous stories.

So, yes my wall board is full of fun images and associations — just not what I’m going for in the Ham story. Not what I’m going for in a piece about trafficking endangered species either. I’ll hold onto these images and look back at them another time.

For today, though, what if they are starting points for —

Texture and mark making. Convert to black and white to see better what I have. Adjust values. Explore their transparent versus opaque qualities. Bring into Procreate. Recreate with charcoal.

Effects that liquid mediums can offer to charcoal. That palette paper speaks to me. What can charcoal powder, water and an eye dropper do on yupo paper? How many ways can I put charcoal directly on damp paper? Introduce ink with charcoal?

Color. I don’t necessarily want to let go of it altogether for my current projects. Work more with subtle and integrated use of color — adjust the intensity and value of the colors. Make adjustments digitally. Try other dry mediums, like colored charcoals, blended oil pastels.

More like my piece for National Pollinator Week.

Textures, mark making, and color. That’s my focus for the coming weeks then.