I love the rich, dark marks I can make with India ink. Ink flows and blooms on wet paper, and travels in its own lively way that I can never precisely predict.
I can add my own handmade stamps to the marks, and after the ink dries, the blackest areas provide a happy ground for chalk pastel marks to play in.
When creating with ink alone, I never have to worry about deciding on a color palette. The interplay of watered-down ink and bold, black, straight-from-the-bottle ink create their own drama.
I created these pieces to be 6"x 9" post cards, cut from 160# watercolor paper. Before adding the ink, I pasted on paper torn out of old book pages from a Gregg shorthand manual and an old atlas. I'm inspired by old, weathered materials that have a history and beauty of their own.
As I applied the ink, I tuned into my intuition, simply listening to that quiet little voice within for direction. When she said "Make swoopy X's and wonky O's'" I did that.
When she said "This is a place for diagonal lines, for swirls, hearts and spatters!" I took her advice.
I'm always happy when I listen to my Intuition. She's never led me astray. Ever. Even when what she says seems weird or unlikely to work, I'm always happy with my decision to follow her.
And art making feels good -- not stressful as when I'm trying to make something "pretty" or "perfect."
What does your Intuition say to you today about your art making?
Of course, I'm not talking about that loud, scolding voice of the harsh critic. I'm referring to the tiny voice that offers unexpected and sometimes weird-sounding ideas.
It takes some discernment and practice to hear your Intuition. And it takes courage to try the ideas your Intuition suggests. But what lovely experiences arise, and what beautiful art!
I hope you get some time this weekend to make art and listen to your Intuition!
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