I'm usually pretty good at keeping secrets... although I have let this one slip a few times these past few months. Guess I was just too excited ;)
A while ago, I think it was around September, I realized how much I miss creating art. I stopped taking art classes a long time ago and haven't picked up a paintbrush since. So I thought of doing an art challenge for the month of January. And of course, I wanted to get you involved!
This is how it works: You must try to do at least one piece of artwork per week related to any of that week's prompts (we're really easy-going here!). It could be any form of artwork, like a painting, sketch, drawing, sculpture, or even a doodle! Sadly, crafts, collages, jewelry, sewing projects, and virtual designs do not count for this challenge.
If you have a blog, take photos of your artwork and share it throughout the month in a post. Or you can share it on Twitter with the hashtag #artchallenge. You could post every day if you'd like or in chunks.
Throughout the month I will have guest contributors sharing art tips and their own work to help and inspire you, so be sure to stop by every once and a while! On January 29th and 30th, there will be no prompts. This is a great time for you to take photos of all your creations and get posts up.
Finally, on the 30th, there will be a linky party where you can link up all of your art challenge posts/tweets, or maybe just your favorite pieces. I will feature a few of my favorites, too, during February.
Sounds fun, right?
The list of prompts is below. The actual prompt is in bold, and the rest are just suggestions.
You can interpret each prompt however you want to.
1. Weather - rain, wind, etc. or something to represent weather
2. Reflection - can be the reflection of an object in glass or perhaps a person in a mirror
3. Food - fruit, veggies, pizza.. you get the point.
4. Winter - snowflakes, snowmen, Christmas, wintry scene, etc.
5. Flower - a flower, a bed of flowers
6. Fire - fire, smoke, fireplace, ash, red, orange, and yellow, etc.
7. Technology - a computer, cell phone, numbers, or something technology-related
8. Rainbow - a rainbow in the sky, something with rainbow colors
9. Something with wings - a bird, a pig (lol), a bug, etc.
10. Heart - the shape, the real thing, love, etc.
11. Eye - an eyeball
12. You - a self portrait, something that screams
you, etc.
13. Space - space (the universe with planets and stars), or an open space
14. Ocean - the sea, something from the sea, underwater
15. Something shiny - jewelry, a star, gems, anything that shines
16. Critter - a bug, rodent, etc.
17. Music - music notes, abstract, a musical instrument
18. Red - something red
19. Abstract - a pattern, random, anything
20. Hobby - something you like to do
21. Sky - a sunset, the moon, something in the sky, etc.
22. Water - a water droplet, rain, faucet, etc.
23. Toy - a child's toy
24. Yellow - something yellow
25. Desert - cactus, desert scene, cowboy, tumbleweeds, wild west, etc.
26. Fashion - clothes, something that represents fashion, maybe a designer's sketch
27. Light - the sun, Christmas lights, etc.
28. Love - something to represent love, something you love, etc.
29. {no prompts} - take a break and take photos of your creations!
30. {no prompts} - take a break and take photos of your creations!
31. Linky Party!
And now some Q&A...
Can I do the challenge if I don't have a blog?
Of course! You can share your photos on Flickr and link up your Flickr account instead OR share photos on Twitter and use the hashtag #artchallenge
What if I'm not a good artist?
Remember, there's no right and wrong when it comes to art. You could try out different mediums to see which one suits you best. Or create some abstract paintings - you can't go wrong with abstract!
I don't have time to sit down every day and create artwork. How can I fit this challenge into my schedule?
When I made this challenge, I wanted to make it easy for those with a tight schedule and budget. That's why you can do any kind of artwork, and you don't have to do it every day. A doodle on a sticky note once a week counts! Or get your kids involved! They could make playdough sculptures or crayon drawings for a few of the prompts.
What's the point of this challenge?
The point is to practice and gain experience, maybe learn something you'll love, have a little challenge, and express yourself.
I would really, truly, honestly LOVE for you to join me in January. Please email me with any questions you have and grab a button to dress up your blog and get others in on the fun!
Hope to see you in January!