white chalk for a winter's day

The city woke up yesterday under a blanket of snow. I'm not complaining; autumn was lovely and really, it was only a matter of time before we settled into winter. I'm dead set on embracing the seasons, all four of them.

If I can offer two pieces of advice for anyone feeling a bit chapped over the beginnings of winter, it's this: winter tires and winter boots. If I can offer three pieces of advice; winter tires and winter boots and snow day crafts. There ain't no party like winter craft party.

A couple of nights ago, I was having a great conversation around the theme of personal goals and positive affirmations. I love the feeling of bouncing positive energies around. The list we made was good, but it wasn't enough; I needed to visualize it.

Good thing I painted one of my walls with chalkboard paint!

With my list of inspiration in front of me, I started drawing. Chalk as a medium is something new to me, so I took my time to explore with different textures. I started by drawing a mountain range to symbolize the importance of connecting with my environment, my love for adventure, and the feeling I get from outdoor sport.

The best solution I discovered for achieving a softer texture was gently going over the chalk with a cotton swab. This technique allowed me to make effective use of shading, creating some depth in the image. I really enjoy how they eventually ended up.

It wasn't long before I realized that the standard classroom style chalkboard brush just isn't cut out for this type of project. I used a rag most often to erase what wasn't working; sometimes I'd wet the cloth to get a blacker black and sometimes I'd use the dry end to work with grey. This allowed me to really explore with a whole gradient of colour, which is something I had never really considered in my past experiences with chalkboards. To achieve an "earthy" texture, I'd use the tip of my finger to blend the chalk.

I went through my list of words and visualized my approach as I went. Some ideas I kept and some I erased. There isn't a "ctrl-z" option providing a creative safety net like there is when I'm working with Adobe. Chalkboards are all analog, all the time.

Creativity is an obvious theme, occupying a large section of the board. The holding hands in the top left are meant to symbolize the connection between family and friends. I eventually added a plant between the hands which represents growth; both emotionally and in the sense of community.

Balance is crucial in maintaining a happy relationship between work and play, which is why I drew the scale. The footprints in the centre I did by actually wetting my feet and pressing them up against the wall; don't ask how I did this.

The words written around my feet, "self - discovery" are meant to symbolize exactly that; a sense of self, a sense of direction, a sense of identity. 

The thought bubble at the top of the drawing is a reminder of the bigger picture; not everything that's anything happens in the little city I live in. Other themes include academics, music, health, and heart. 

And the best part of my latest art piece? I can erase it anytime and start again! For now though, I'm happy to have a visual display of some goals, and a reminder of a great conversation. Looking forward to the snow days yet to come!