A Creative Project
Sometimes I have amazing amounts of time for creative projects but at other times, I simply don’t. Having said that, there projects and exercises that can be done in 15 minutes or less to fill up your creative tank. If you like the idea of a daily creative discipline, or a simple summer project to do with friends or kids, you might love this one right here!
How it Started
I purchased some Holbein Granulating watercolours (the Bird set of 6) from Art Placement (in Saskatoon, Canada) and wanted an easy but artful way to experiment with the colours and to see how they granulate and blend. In other words, I wanted an easy, cost effective project that wouldn’t make me cringe if I needed to throw it away (if I decided that I didn’t like what I was making).
I grabbed some scrap pieces of smooth watercolour paper that were hanging around from a different project. I started by writing phrases and then adding a bubble around the phrase. Because I was using fountain pen ink - Bearrington Black by Ferris Wheel Press, I created a number of these cards and set them aside. It probably took around 15 minutes to create a number of them. I then went on with my day, letting them dry (which only takes a few minutes, really) until I could come back to the project.
When I came back to the project, I brought out the watercolours and experimented with how much water to use to get those lovely granulation effects. Each card became a little bit different. When I was finished, I walked away (to do other things) and let them dry.
Breaking up a project into small “bit sized sessions” during your day or over a few days is such a great and easy way to have some creative time. Similar to a 15 coffee break, I find that I can usually make time for art daily by having a short art session in between doing loads of laundry, my job (which I do from home) or other household tasks. Projects like this can be started and stopped quickly, especially when working with ink and/or watercolour as long as you have a small table or space to set the project aside so it will be undisturbed by children and pets.
I’m sure that you’re not surprised to hear that once I ran out of the scrap cards, I cut up another sheet of paper to create more during another art session. 😆 I enjoyed it that much.
What’s Next?
I found this little project to be so fun, somewhat addicting and full of potential to expand this project in a variety of ways. Here’s a few ideas to take it further:
Add paper to the back of the card and laminate it (store them in a cute container)
Add decorations overtop the watercolour layer - with the same or with different art supplies
Add a repetitive, stamped pattern around the bubble
After laminating, add a strong magnet to the back and place it on your fridge!
Instead of small phrases like what I used, write a phrase from a bible verse. To use this for bible memorization, write out the whole verse and reference on the back of the card
If you create this project, or any of its variations, I’d love for you to tag me so that I can see it too and cheer you on. 😀
Please keep in mind that you can create this project with sharpies, kids Crayola markers, watercolour pencils or whatever you have on hand. Use what you have. Just start somewhere and have fun!
Wishing you some wonderful creating time,
💛 Heidi
P.S. If you’re not into words, why not doodle some flowers or create some illustrations?
