Ive been including the practice of warming up to my time in my studio recently.  It’s an important part of art, just as it is in all creative or physical activities in your life.

I never really thought about this before until I watched a Facebook Live from @jeanneoliver on the topic.  Everything she said made sense.  As artists, or “makers” as she refers to us, we need to loosen up our wrists and hands and minds before jumping into our art.  It’s a part of the creative process. It’s just as essential to warm up before starting your pieces as it is to practice on a daily basis.

These warm ups can include taking daily walks and noticing the beauty that shows itself in all forms all around you. Be present in your surroundings. Take snapshots along the way and make mental notes of colors and forms and lines all around you. Notice sounds and people, traffic and silence.

Bring these observances back with you and apply them to rough, quick sketches. Make it fun and don’t spend a lot of time on it. They are not intended to be complete pieces, but rather a swift time spent before creating art.

My husband does not understand it. He’s analytical and looks at my practice and warm up pieces and does not see what I see. He does, however, see the beauty in my art.
I point to the Practice Pieces and say “these, help me to create this” as I point to the finished frames pieces in our home.

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