Hi and welcome back to the Chrissie Murphy Designs Blog. I’m going to share what I did for the Expressive Challenge for April (called “The Three of Us”) with you today.
How are you going with your challenge? Don’t forget to use the hashtag #CMDExpressiveChallenge so we can support and encourage you. I can’t wait to see what you’ve made! Let’s look at what I was trying to express as I was making mine.
The Expressive Bits
I was doing some archiving of photos this week and I came across a screenshot I’d taken of a product I was considering buying a few years ago. I was considering the product as I had been longing to draw a grey piece, and they had a good range of grey colours. I never bought the product though.
What inspired me to create the “The Three of Us” piece this way?
Fast forward to now and the longing to draw a grey piece is still there. I can see it so clearly in my mind, but I still don’t have the right tools to express it.
When this challenge came up, I thought I would stop longing and just do something about it. So I don’t have the right tools…. who cares! I’ll just use what I have and put something to paper. I’ll see what happens and this is what did.
What techniques did I use for “The Three of Us” and why?
My main movement of expression is Zentangle art, although I won’t be limited to it. But for this challenge, I wanted to stick with what I knew.
For the three elements, I used three Zentangle Patterns;
- Mooka 3D by Eni Oken
- Kwazeela by Eni Oken
- Jesterstick by Bunny Wright
And for the three colours, I chose;
- Grey
- Red
- White
I used watercolour markers to apply a first layer of colour and then kept adding layers with traditional coloured pencil.
What does it mean in terms of my artistic work as a whole?
The Expressive Challenge is like a homecoming for me. I made my way to creative freedom through Zentangle challenges, and here I was using Zentangle to fulfil a new challenge. It was like coming home.
There’s such comfort and freedom in moving in what you know. When you know your way around something, when you’re comfortable, you’re in a place that’s home.
I’ve realised it’s a place I want to be. It’s a place I now seek to be because there’s such freedom there. When I think about my artistic work as a whole, I want it to be work that’s the fruit of freedom.
How can you take this idea and be more Expressive?
Even though we use the term “Expressive Challenge”, it’s not something I want you to be stumped by. Expression should be natural, it should be something that pours out of you.
If you’re feeling stumped by the challenge, go back to where you’re comfortable, go to the place where you feel like you’re meant to be. Then once you’re there, let it pour out from you.
Use the parameters of “The Three of Us” Expressive Challenge to set your creative thinking ablaze. One of my favourite quotes is;
“We can spend our lives lamenting that there are only three primary colours, or we can spend our lives imagining and mixing those three and beautifully defying limitations.”
Erwin Raphael McManus
Don’t let yourself be limited by the parameters of “The Three of Us” challenge. Instead imagine what you can do with those parameters in your place of comfort and in your place of knowing. And then the expression will pour out of you.
The Factual Bits
What materials were used?
- Grey Strathmore Artist Tile 4in x 4in.
- Unipin Fineliner (Size 0.3) in black
- Grey Copic Markers (W5 and W7)
- Distress Markers in Hickory Smoke and Fired Brick
- Prismacolor Coloured Pencils in Greys, reds and white
- Uniball Signo white gel pen for highlights
How big is “The Three of Us” Expressive Challenge tile?
It measures 4 inches x 4 inches.
Have you joined the Expressive’s List yet?
Join the Expressive’s List to begin to learn ways you can start to express yourself creatively. There are no moulds or limits with the Lord, just possibilities and the promise of one day unearthing who you were created to be.
Expressive Subscribers receive an email each month that contains creative inspiration and ideas, links to helpful resources and a month’s worth of journal prompts to stimulate creative expression. These prompts are a great way of learning to express yourself when you’ve never really tried it before. Fill in your details below to sign up.
Until next time, listen to your heart and sharpen your coloured pencils. A masterpiece awaits!
Bless you my friend
Chrissie xx
