Tag: writing a book

Expressive Flowers

There’s a Gem In Every Project

Mireya

Ana & George was my first book project. For a short time, it was published but I stopped selling it because it was too much of a work in progress. The story began with a destined-to-be queen bee. Bellisia wanted to travel the world, and engage with all her worker bees. She wanted to fly with the butterflies and visit all the flowers. Somehow Bellisia turned into a baker bee named Ana.

And slowly all these characters emerged. Each one with a spirit that refuses societal norms. It’s not about being different. It’s a want to be yourself. I kept going back and forth with ideas. I would sit for hours and write. Then throw it away and start over. I loved imagining the characters, letting my mind wander, and writing. I got to be part of the adventure. Painting is my love and my adventure. Every project I work on is an adventure.

I now realize that I let this story go for good reasons. What do I know about writing and illustrating a chapter book? Absolutely nothing. That’s exactly why I had to write it. If it weren’t for this story I wouldn’t have had the courage to write Different Is Beautiful. I have many more poems and stories to write.

I just read Ana & George. It’s been years since I’ve read this story. I thought I deleted it. I’m glad I still have it? Maybe I can turn the book themes and characters into a whimsical thought journal book? What a cool idea! I should do some creative writing while the idea is still fresh in my mind.

Siempre,

Mireya

Creative Exploration

Drops of Happy Bloom

Mireya
drops of happy bloom

There’s this artist who describes her art as drops of happy. She uses strokes of aqua blue, bright pink, green and purple. Her color palette is described as vibrantly optimistic. What I love most are these words on her about page. She began her love affair with color…

Me too! It’s been fun posting projects for the book. Now it’s crunch time. I have to paint a few more projects, edit the words, work on layout and bam press the done button. I have two weeks to go. Wait a minute 10 days! How did that happen. I’ll be ready. Monday I’m going to start a Valentinus’s Day countdown! There’s a good Valentine’s Day section in the book.

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Creative Exploration

White Blooms (oh the lessons I’ve learned)

Mireya

I have been trying to paint these white roses. Oh, that’s right I want to look up a few How-To’s. Why did I throw these out again? Oh, right I didn’t like the green. The white and orange isn’t bright enough. I have another background. I’ll paint white blooms over it. So, ok I’ve painted four editions of white blooms, but I’ve learned too.

I keep trying to paint the awesomeness of Carrie Schmitt. Her work is beautiful. The truth is those are her brush strokes not mine. Maybe if I stop painting like someone else, I can actually paint my blooms.

I have an idea! Those blooms with these words will be in the book:

White is…what comes to mind are these white roses I see them here and there on my daily walks. I can’t help but wonder that I should be feeling what I feel every day of my life. I’ll stop, adore the color. With every breathe a voice reaches inside me, what an idea, let’s do it because yes, it’s all possible. It’s the nature made orange yellow stigma and white petals that remind me of every element in this world. It’s all such wonderful color. What if, how much better would our lives be, my life be if I choose to live with it!

This book is a process and I’m enjoying the ride!

Creative Exploration

On working on a project

Mireya
Why isnt’t this a print?

A 6 x 6 book size? Can I publish a book that size on KDP? If I want a book that size, I’ll make it happen. The book I am talking about is A World Full of Color. I’ve been reading and writing and what a book! I am excited to keep working and even more excited to share the book with you.

As I write this post a news segment of Designercon plays. A designer proudly shares the story behind her colorful backpacks. A new thought for the book? Write it down and see how it all comes together. The stuff I threw away because it left me unmotivated gave me a fresh start. It always works out.

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Creative Exploration

Sketches

Mireya

I have been wanting to lay out all of the paintings and sketches. To observe them and how they make me feel. I should lay them out across the floor and make a video. The flowers that wow me still do. They always will. The flowers that I was unsure of are still in question. Then there’s the new ideas. You should have done this. Wouldn’t it have been better to have a lighter pink. Or this technique with that technique. All the above. The doubt never goes away. You learn to work through it, inspite of it and because of it.

The beauty of 100 Ways To Flower With Power is that you can work on you, this allows you to just make art and that leads to play. Play is where magic happens. Wait a minute, I was writing on the topic of you for the book and I sat there writing and writing and I couldn’t write. Guess it was good to go for a walk. Or I just had to write. Okay back to the book

Have you ever layed out all of your sketches, drawings or paintings?

Creative Exploration

Peachy Paper Roll Flower

Mireya

The first attempt is many times the best. The flowers may be on copy paper and you accidentlay dipped the brush in the wrong color but the magic of the first piece can’t be replicated. I stand by that theory but this flower doesn’t. I mixed a lovely peach and inteneded to paint a Sunflower. What a color. This time I cut the ends of the paper roll with a little more shape, added watercolor with acrylic and just painted.

The exprimental copies that started it all! In the yellow flower I stamped in layers. On another version I used markes to add thin pink strokes of color. There are many possibilities. The possibilites get better and better. Skills do to. Today I wrorte on the topic of just paint. Just painting allows you to work throught the ideas so you can arrive at the peachy petal flower.

Creative Exploration

Pink Brush Stroke Florals

Mireya

Permanent Rose is a beautiful color. I mixed in a little white and water for slight variations of pink. The color looks better in my creative space, as I photograph it. It is going to be beautiful when I scan and digitize.

There was this phase of needing to draw realistic flowers. Now I’ve moved on to observing the color and shapes I see on my walks. I observe, take note of what made me stop and admire and come home to recreate. I walk the same area every single day. Yet each time I find something new. From the pink peach to the magenta flowers, I am in love. Here I wanted to express the beautiful color that just is, and how lovely when we take the time to notice. The same can be said about us, right?

Tomorrow I will spend hours writing for 100 ways to flower with power. All of these posts are great notes for the book too. I have lots more ideas to paint. I should proably order the acrylic brush set I had my eyes on.

Creative Exploration

About Writing a Book

Mireya

a reply to someone eles’s blog post but I had to save it to my journey here. I have lots of writing to do need the motivation.

I have been blogging for years. I love writing because I find that I can say more on paper. It feels more intimate to me. I am working on a book and have writen 5 other books. I realize that my problem is that when I write I write as though I have to have all the answers and let the story write itself. This can happen only when I just begin to write, just write and write so much. Then go back and refine because the best stories are usually there or the new idea that would have never come had I not just written. I am a creative and working hard to explore. in a Corita Kent way. I felt bad/embarassed of my writing that I piblished on Amazon. I realize that it is my process and it’s always a part of the process. At least now that I have corrected and republished the book I know that my writing keeps improving. I am no longer embarassed about the book or my writing. I suposse now I realize that sometimes you have to be willing to make a fool yourself.

Creative Exploration

List of Ideas

Mireya

A list from the start of this project. The eraser one surprised me. The paper one did too. It isn’t the tool that makes the flower. It’s the idea that anything is possible.

Next week I’ll give some of these ideas a second take. I want to go further as I observe. Not to get the lighting or petals right but to use color, form and texture to convey the emotionts that inspire me to love flowers and create this book.

Creative Exploration

Ideas

Mireya

I’m a little late but here we go. Yesterday I was feeling great with the book progress and made a few changes to sites and this morning it hit me. I forgot to write this mornings post.

I tried painting the fish in the ocean. I wanted a deep black blue with a contrasting bright yellow fish. I aimed for color with a top layer of black and it took a turn for the worst. This would have made a beautiful galaxy.

But that of course has led to an idea that will work.

I’ve been cleaning out my old papers. Too much paper and stuff drives me crazy. I realized how much work it takes to put together a fabulous book. More on that tomorrow.

Self love by means of self positive talk.