about

#sketchfrommywindow is an instagram based art challenge created by myself, @sararivkadahan and co-hosted by 13 other artists from around the globe, who are dedicated to making this project meaningful and life enhancing. I am truly grateful for their participation and am so excited about the potential to truly help others begin their own creative journey. The co-hosts are (click on their name to access instagram account) :

@pamwilderart   @brenda.bush.art   @janicedarbyphoto   @ibme215   @jennuinearticle  

@studiotamaraaa   @artncrags  @artbylizacollaros   @tricia.gillespie   @deniselevyart  

@the_creative_space_uk   @chana_rivka_art   @lou_stine_art

 

 

 

how to participate

First of all, lets turn off any devices or phones, get away from the screen and pretend those things don’t exist. No reference photos please, we really need to look at the world as it appears through our own eyes, not that of a camera. The idea is to connect with one’s reality, and simply create for the joy of it, with no pressure! Explore materials, allow yourself to enjoy the creative process and be open to the unexpected. If you want to research a certain style or technique, of course you should do that, but do it independently of your sketching session, even on a different day.

Your artwork can be a literal or abstract interpretation of what you see out the window, or maybe you’ll choose to focus on just one flower, on just that dramatic sky, on just the reflections in the neighbor’s windows. Pretend those trees in the distance are actually very close, or vice versa, take out the things you’d rather not sketch, and conversely add things you wish were there. I think I need to add a river or a lake to my view, hmmm, or maybe the ocean? Yesterday I thought the sketch I was working on was heading towards being painted over, when I realized that if I just added a row of imaginary trees to the foreground I could rescue it, and so I did. So friends, don’t be limited by every single detail, take out some things, add others, use non realistic colors, and just enjoy!

Please share your work using the hashtag #sketchfrommywindow, or if you are not on instagram, send me photos via email to studio8@013net.net. I will be happy to write blog posts featuring the work from the previous week, so don’t be shy! Children and elders and anyone really might be especially inspired to continue if they see their artwork online!

ways to use the challenge

Because the basic rules for this challenge are to simply grab some art supplies, find a window and create something once a week, please use it to challenge yourself to try new materials, techniques or even experiment with a certain style or process that intrigues you. I’ll be honest, this challenge was born because I could never get myself to actually sketch my stunning view, and I’m beyond thrilled, because now I have no choice! Here are some other ideas you might like to consider:

• challenge yourself to do a certain number of sketches from each window in your house
• challenge yourself to sketch from the same window every hour of daylight over a period of time
• challenge yourself to capture all the seasons of the year from a certain window
• challenge yourself to work with a limited palette
• challenge yourself to draw the actual window and the view beyond, and even include the interior
• challenge yourself to create your art within a certain time period and set a timer
• challenge yourself to create simple for the joy of creating without worrying about the outcome
• challenge yourself to paint only with your fingers, or only with a very long brush or only with q-tips, for example
• challenge yourself to really stick with the project for an entire year in order to see where it takes you
• challenge yourself to do it more than once a week
• challenge yourself to have all your supplies set up and ready to go, so that when you have the time you can simply sit down and create
• challenge yourself to make larger sketches that you may work on over the period of a few days
• challenge yourself to learning how to make marks that suggest trees or mountains, or clouds, without actually drawing or painting them

giving back

This challenge is about truly giving back to the world, by encouraging others, and in turn by committing to this project we can develop our own art practice and challenge ourselves. When we decide that we are part of the #sketchfrommywindow community it is something we will naturally talk about and want to share with others. Think about the people in your life who might really benefit from joining our project! A teacher with a class? A caregiver for someone elderly? A group of kids or just one? A busy mom who loves art? A partner or a child of any age? A dear neighbor or even the server at your local cafe? You can either spread the word and hope others join, or you can actually physically do it with them, the very best way to give back, and of course the most rewarding of all. How about making #sketchfrommywindow a family challenge, or an activity at your next friends or family get together? Set up an art station and encourage everyone to create!

contemporary inspiration

There is no end to the number of contemporary artists that I find inspiring, that said, there is a small group that I’ve been following that have especially inspired me to create in a sketchbook, to explore mixed media and to strive for a loose or even abstract technique while sketching landscapes and streetscapes. I’m not quite there, but this challenge is certainly a great way for me to develop my own sketching style, and I encourage you to do the same!  Some of the artists I’m linking to below have process videos, which are an invaluable way to learn how to quickly start a sketch and make progress within a short period of time. Of course this may not apply to you at all if you’ve decided you want to carve linoleum blocks and make prints, or make cardboard sculpture or collage of some kind. But if you are like me and a little voice tells you to get sketching with mixed media, I think you’ll enjoy taking a look at the Instagram feeds listed below. (Note: Many of the artists listed below do their sketches outdoors on location, which of course we may get to someday, but for now we are keeping it inside in order to make sure it actually happens!)

@stephcoriander    @emmacarlisle   @jorancedesign   @julieavisar   @julia.saifan

@emmafarrarons   @puapualena  @sandihesterart  

@clarepurserstudio  (quite abstract and interesting landscapes with bold strokes)

@norfolk_painter (expressive and abstract clouds)

historic inspiration

Check out my new blog post Artists Who Painted The View From Their Window right HERE