Obstacles and Perserverance: My Personal 2026 Creativity Challenge

 

 Blog 3

 

At the end of the third month of my personal Creativity Challenge, I am still persevering, although I already stumbled on March 1. We had almost reached the capacity of our online storage, and I was so busy going through photos and deleting many that I completely forgot about my daily art project. I could have given up, but instead, I drew two images on March 2. 

 

  

The next blunder happened only a few days later. On March 6, I used watercolour pencils for my 45-minute art. However, in the middle of the process, I was interrupted. I stopped the timer, planning to resume drawing after the break. 

 

Unfortunately, I opened the wrong page of my sketchbook. Instead of continuing the March 6 drawing, I returned to the drawing of the previous day. I only noticed my mistake when I used a water brush and couldn't blend the colours. At first, I was annoyed at the pencils and their quality. However, after I added another layer of colour with my watercolour pencil, I could blend the top layer. At that point, I finally discovered my mistake. I went back to the March 6 drawing and finished it, blending the colours with a water brush without problems.   
 

 

 

 

On March 7, my drawing was again inspired by my Cartooning and Comic class. The participants wanted to draw the Pokémon character Mewtwo. I had fun changing the colours of this character. The original has a light grey body and a purple tail.

 

 

 
 
At this time of the year, I yearn for spring. As soon as I can find tulips in stores, I bring a bit of spring into my home. Therefore, my drawings were heavily inspired by the tulips that brightened our living area. The pink tulip I drew from March 8 to 10 is the same one I drew before. I had bought a bouquet of orange and pink tulips for my daughter's birthday.  She chose a mix of orange and pink for herself, leaving me with a delightful blend. I even took them to the cottage and created my daily art, even after painting en plein air with my friend Janis.

 

Next, a small teddy bear sculpture on my desk caught my eye. Instead of the flower, the figurine holds a photo wire in the form of a bloom. I replaced it with a red flower.

 

 
  

Preparing the first panel of the comic that the participants of my Cartooning and Comic course will create after March Break, I created an image of Shadow from Sonic and Patrick from SpongeBob, two characters we had previously drawn. All participants will start with the same first panel and can then choose to add other characters while omitting one of the characters. I am excited to see how imaginative their stories will be.

Many of us worry about what age will do to our appearance. However, this tulip had passed its prime, but it was still stunning. It had a couple more lines and lost some petals, but that made it only more interesting. We should look to nature's examples when we fret about the extra wrinkle or age spot. We are all perfect in our uniqueness, and our bodies are mirrors of our lives. This tulip is a symbol of ageless beauty.

 

 

On March 18, some of my Painting Buddies came to my house for a surprise party for one of our members. To disguise the party, I invited everyone to create an image of a still life in my studio space. I chose some shells and stones and created a still life that was much too busy as a whole. However, it allowed for interesting sections from various perspectives. I created a watercolour painting and the first sketch for my daily art. The shells proved to be a challenge. I erased the first steps several times for the first two drawings. I experience that the shapes get easier with every attempt.

 

In my Saturday class, the children started the comic. After drawing the first panel together, they showed a lot of imagination in continuing their stories. After class, I created a mixture of Shadow and Sonic from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. 

 

  

I enjoyed drawing the teddy bear girl so much that I picked the teddy bear boy next. Both figurines are photo holders. For the boy, I left the wire for holding photos out. I also changed the top of his pants. The figurine has a tissue sticking out at the top of the pants.

 

 

I bought the magenta calla lily because I loved the colour, even though I have not been successful at keeping this type of plant alive. I researched keeping it healthy online, so this one should fare better. To complete the final image of this blog in time for publication while entertaining my friend from Germany, I created the last drawing right after midnight. For a night owl like me, that was no problem at all. I love the quietness of the night when most people are asleep.

 

My next blog will only contain the images for the four days of March and the first ten days of April because of my upcoming trip to Germany. I will still schedule it for publication on April 24, 2026 (the last Friday of April).


Which one is your favourite of my drawings? 

 

Choosing to Create Art: My 2025 Personal Creativity Challenge

 

Blog 2

Before I write about my February trials and triumphs, here are the two images from the last two days of January.



When I started the snow-covered fence post, I assumed it would be an easy painting. I was mistaken. It took me a long time to capture the movement in the snow.
 

The comic drawing was inspired by my Cartooning and Comics class at François Dupuis Recreation Centre on Saturday. I presented Calvin and Hobbes to the students. None of the 8- to 12-year-olds had ever heard of the two characters, but had fun drawing them. With my image, I wanted to demonstrate how you can easily transform a character by changing the hair and clothes. I named my characters Alvina and Hupps.

 

I am proud of myself for sticking to my personal challenge of painting or drawing in my sketchbook every day. My plan for February was to create only one or two subjects each week, starting with a 10-minute sketch, and then adding ten minutes every day.


However, I adjusted my plan slightly. When I started my first drawing of the month, I drew walnuts for 15 minutes. For the next two days, I added 15 minutes each day. I kept the time constant for the first two days. However, depending on the subject, I spent up to 90 minutes on the third image. As February 1 fell on a Sunday, I created artworks of two subjects each week, followed by a drawing of the characters of the Saturday Cartooning and Comics class I taught. 



Here are the collages of my February sketchbook paintings and drawings.


February 1 - 3: Walnuts 
 

I experimented with different drawing materials. I started with an HB pencil drawing on the first day. On the second day, I used coloured pencils, and on the third day, I used watercolour pencils and a water brush.

February 4 – 6: Avocados 

I chose coloured drawings for my avocados. For the first drawing, I used watercolour pencils, but didn’t add water, which makes them look like regular coloured pencils. On the second day, I used coloured pencils. but had more time for added layers and shadows. For the final image, I used watercolour pencils again and water with a water brush to achieve the look of a watercolour painting. 




February7: Stevie and Mimi, inspired by Minecraft characters, markers

Drawing Minecraft-inspired characters is a challenge each time because I struggle with the perspective of the block-shaped characters. I adapted the characters to demonstrate to my students how some simple changes can create different, more unique characters. 




February 8 - 10: Red pepper 

I used watercolour pencils for all three drawings. However, you can still see that I started with an HB pencil line drawing for the first pepper. Each day, I added more layers and details to the drawing. On the third day, I also used a water brush for watercolour effects. 




February 11 - 13: First tulip 

I used the same approach for drawing the tulip from the first tulip bouquet I brought home this year. I doubled the time from day 2 to day 3. I had time to add additional blooms.




February 14: Valentine’s Day cats 

I outlined my Valentine’s cats in my sketchbook while the children in my class drew cards for their parents. I usually don’t get far with my drawings during class because I observe my students’ progress, admiring the children’s art and encouraging them to tell a story with their drawing by adding additional characters and scenery. Usually, I finish my drawing at home.




February 15 - 17: Open tulip bloom 

Drawing the open tulip from the bouquet at its prime proved challenging because I wanted to fill the page, even though the flower would have looked better on a square piece of paper. On the first day, I only had time for a line drawing with an HB pencil because I attempted to capture the many details of the bloom.

On the second day, I used watercolour pencils but ran out of time before I could add more details to the middle of the bloom and any leaves.

Therefore, I tripled the time on the third day and added water with a water brush after I finished drawing the tulip. I even added a wash of watercolour to some of the leaves because I was unsatisfied with the greens I had achieved with the pencils.




February 18 - 20: Shell, with added rocks on Days 19 and 20 

The most challenging subject was the shell with its spiky edges. It was also the only time I didn’t use a reference photo. Instead, I had put the shell and rocks next to me on the desk. On the first day, the drawing hardly filled half the page. Therefore, I added two small rocks on the following days, which still left me with a lot of white space.


On the third day, I couldn’t use the still life setup because I wanted to draw earlier in the day, and there were hardly any shadows. Therefore, I used a photo I had taken of the setup. As a result, it was easier to create a bigger shell, but the perspective of the objects in the photo varied from the original setup. Again, I struggled to position the shell and the rocks on my paper. Ultimately, I didn’t have enough space for the stones.


Working from a still-life setup challenges your senses more because you look at a three-dimensional object that you have to capture in a two-dimensional form on your paper, creating the illusion of a three-dimensional object. However, working from reference photos has the advantage that you can refer to the image without variations in light or position of the objects.





February 21: Pete and Sally, inspired by Patrick from SpongeBob, coloured pencils and permanent marker 

Creating a female counterpart to Patrick from SpongeBob was delightful. I demonstrated to the children how adding dark outlines can make the characters pop on the paper.




February 22 - 24: Red-pink tulips 
 

When a friend brought me a new bouquet of tulips, I knew right away that they would be my next subject. At the end of winter, tulips help me bring a bit of spring inside. On the first two days, I used coloured pencils. I added a lot of detail to the first fulip, even though I only had 15 minutes for the drawing. However, I only covered half of the page. 

Therefore, I added two additional tulips to my drawing on the following days. Despite doubling the time, they lack the brilliance of colour because I didn’t have enough time to add more layers. I usually start my drawings and watercolour paintings very light and intensify the colours by adding more layers. Therefore, on the third day, I allowed myself additional time after the first 45 minutes had passed. It took me 90 minutes to finish the third drawing. I added water to most areas of the drawing with a water brush.




February 25 - 27: Female Cardinal 

 

After a female cardinal looked at me when I entered the kitchen on the morning of February 25, I felt like a sign to draw this Monday Motivation photo as the last three-day project of the month.

Tomorrow, I will create a drawing of Shadow the Hedgehog, a request from the participants of the Cartooning and Comics course at François Dupuis Recreation Centre in Orleans, ON. I will post the image at the beginning of my March blog on March 27, 2026. 


I will continue with the same format for March. However, at the end of the month, I have to overcome the first hurdle when one of my friends comes for a two-week visit. Hopefully, my practice will have become a habit by then, to help me persevere. 



Do you want to learn something new in March? I invite you to my new German Language & Culture workshops.

These one-hour online workshops are open to all levels. You don’t need to speak any German to participate. Curiosity is enough! Each session combines cultural conversation with a playfully creative element: we draw new vocabulary to help remember words in a visual, fun way.

 
In March, we will discuss spring traditions in your country and Germany, including Easter (Ostern), Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht), and Dance into May (Tanz in den Mai).

 

German Language & Culture: Spring Traditions

March 14, 2026

noon (ET)

CAN $5

Please go here for more information and registration.

A New Year - A New Art Challenge

Blog 1



Happy New Year to you! I hope you had a great start to the year. I spent it with my husband and our dog at the cottage, enjoying the crisp days surrounded by the peacefulness of the snow-covered landscape - the perfect transition from one year to the next. Due to the short days and cold winds, I spent a lot of time indoors painting, felting and reading.

As in previous years, I decided to set a creative challenge for myself. Last year, I wanted to finish ten paintings every month. While I didn’t achieve the goal, I came pretty close. I finished 80 paintings, many of which were from previous years. However, I didn’t count the 24 sketches and a dozen felted Easter eggs I created during my trip to Germany in April.

This year, I attempt to follow the example of my friend Bob again, who has painted every day for years, despite illnesses, a move, and trips. I tried it two years ago when I painted or drew something daily that I saw or experienced. After a promising start, I lost the momentum. The goal still encouraged me to create more drawings and paintings than I would otherwise have. I also didn’t count my needle-felted paintings, which usually take me more than a day because the progress is much slower.

Bob aims to simplify his compositions. He uses reference photos only as loose guides, while I usually continue until I reach a certain impression of reality. Inspired by him, I am attempting to paint or draw for about 30 minutes every day. I started a new 6” x 4” sketchbook to keep it small and achievable. I want to practice various subjects, attempting to paint looser and quicker, concentrating on the essence of each subject.

Since January 1, I have been drawing or painting daily. However, most of the time, I still spent far more than the 30 minutes on each image, often around 90 minutes. I had the most success with coloured pencils or watercolour pencils. Most of the time, I used a waterbrush with the watercolour pencils. I found it was easier to control the amount of water on the regular paper than using brushes and watercolour washes. I almost ripped on two occasions because I used too much water. I am not too concerned about the paper warping because I treat these drawings and paintings as practice exercises.

To help me speed up and loosen my process, I will attempt only one or two subjects each week, starting with a 10-minute sketch, then adding ten minutes every day. We used this approach in the life drawing sessions I attended many years ago. I will write about my trials and successes in my February blog, which I will publish on February 27, 2026.

Here is a list of my January sketchbook paintings and drawings.

Jan 1       Clementines, watercolours
Jan 2       My In-Law’s Christmas Tree, pencil
Jan 3       Pippa and Ernst, pencil (two drawing during a family visit)
Jan 4       Santa Bear, watercolour pencils
Jan 5       Cardinal Visit, watercolour pencils
Jan 6       Christmas Cactus, watercolours and watercolour pencils

 

Jan 7       Winter Sunset at the cottage, metallic watercolours and white 
                gouache
Jan 8       Winter Sunset in our backyard, watercolour and watercolour pencils
Jan 9       Bean, my daughter’s cat, pencil and coloured pencils
Jan 10     Winter Campfire inspired by the Cartooning and Comics class I 
                taught, coloured pencils

 

Jan 11     Squirrel, pencil
Jan 12     Sumac Snowcaps, coloured pencils and watercolour pencils
Jan 13     Bananas, coloured pencils
Jan 14     Sunset, watercolour (still some metallic glitter from Jan. 7 left in the 
                brushes)

 

Jan 15     Woodpecker, coloured pencils
Jan 16     Fireplace Fire, watercolour and coloured pencil (still some metallic 
                glitter from Jan. 7 left in the brushes)
Jan 17     Cartoon Capybara, inspired by the Cartooning and Comics class I 
                taught, coloured pencils
Jan 18     The Little Tree, watercolour pencils

 

 

Jan 19     Sunset (seen from the Costco parking lot), watercolours
Jan 20     Poinsettia Leaves, watercolour pencils and watercolours
Jan 21     The Finch Visitor, watercolour pencils
Jan 22     Blowing Snow, pencil
Jan 23     Chickadee, coloured pencils
Jan 24     Spiderman, inspired by the Cartooning and Comics class I taught, 
               markers

 

Jan 25     Bean Watching Squirrels, pencil and coloured pencils
Jan 26     Chrissy’s Waffles, watercolour pencils
Jan 27     White-breasted Nuthatch, frozen in his pose, coloured pencil
Jan 28     Mrs. Cardinal, watercolour pencils, reference photo by Janis Fulton
Jan 29     Tree Web, watercolour pencils

 

 

What do you want to accomplish this year? Please leave a comment or send me an email. I would love to cheer you on.

Advent Calendar Days 20 - 24

 

Here is the final blog for this year. Thank you for reading my stories and the kind feedback I received on my social media pages.

If you are celebrating Christmas, I wish you a Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays to you, your family and friends. All the best for a Healthy, Happy and Creative 2026. 



I will post my first blog of 2026 on the last Friday in January. 

Day 20: Grazing Under Autumn's Glow, 9" x 12", watercolour, CAN $250, unframed

I took the picture of this challenging scene, which we painted during one of our virtual Painting Buddies meetings. It shows the field off O'Toole Road in Cumberland, where cows were grazing, undisturbed by us and the many cars passing. Janis had tried to sketch the cows on location, but they moved too much. Capturing them from a photo was enough of a challenge.

Grazing Under Autumn’s Glow captures a herd of cows bathed in warm autumn light, grazing peacefully amid a landscape rich with autumn colours.This painting celebrates the quiet harmony between animals and the glowing landscape of autumn. It invites you to enjoy a moment of calm observation.

Day 21: Last Dash of Autumn, watercolour, 7.5" x 5.75", CAN $100, unframed

 

This watercolour painting captures a scene from my neighbourhood in early November, when I was searching for and taking photos of the last vibrant hues of autumn. As most colours were already fading, these final bursts stood out even more strongly, like a joyful farewell to the season.

These bright hues bring the painting to life, reflecting my love of colour and the happiness it brings me. I cannot imagine a world in black and white, and this painting is a reminder of how colour can lift the spirit, even on the threshold of winter.

 

Day 22: A Rainbow of Leaves, gouache, 8.3" x 5.8"

 

Due to rainy weather, I changed my outdoor painting plans and painted the view from my kitchen window instead. It wasn't plein air painting, but as close as I could manage. I started with tinted mixed-media paper and used gouache to capture this scene, which I enjoyed.

 

You can check out the videos I created about this experience: 

 https://youtube.com/shorts/ tvkBWQJ3Whg 

 https://youtube.com/shorts/ Qaox10yZPO. 

 
 

Day 23: Winter Fields, watercolour, 5.5" x 8.5"

 

My friend Janis Fulton provided the reference photo of the scene that captures the quiet stillness of the winter fields in Cumberland. A soft grey sky hangs low, hinting at more snow to come as nature settles beneath an ever-deepening blanket of snow. The landscape feels tranquil and untouched — a moment of calm where you can almost hear the silence of the snow-covered world. Unfortunately, I painted the new winter scene on the back of my painting, Spring's Floral Magic. 

The spring painting shows the beautiful flowers I saw during my visit to the Trauttmansdorff Castle Gardens, a botanical garden in Meran, during my trip to Northern Italy in May 2023. It is a paradise for anyone who loves flowers and trees.

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Day 24: Hudson, wool and dog hair, 10" x 8", commission 

 

 

In October, I paused most of my needle-felted projects to work on the commission of another dog portrait. Hudson was a beloved family member who crossed the rainbow bridge earlier this year. After the client decided on the reference photos for the dog and the scenery, she saw the piece for the first time once I considered it almost complete. Usually, I receive some requests for minor changes because the owners remember a feature from their beloved pet that would not be noticeable to strangers. 

As this artwork is slightly smaller than the previous portraits I created, I had to cut Hudson's fur into smaller pieces before adding it to the top layer. It was challenging to capture the details of the eyes because of the small size of the portrait. 

When my client asked me if I could use glass eyes to make his eyes shinier and darker the way she remembered, I struggled to find a solution. Hudson looks to the side, so that the forms of the right and left eye are slightly different.



I thought of my acrylic gels and created a test eye. I applied two coats of gloss super heavy gel, followed by three coats of self-leveling gel gloss. At first, the eyes looked horrible because both gels are white and only turn clear after drying. As the final step, I painted the eyes black and added some zinc white spots for light reflection. If I had known about the wish for shiny eyes, I would have left the spots without wool, as the surface is not entirely smooth despite the gel layers. 

Even though the black eyes were shiny, I was still unsatisfied with the look of the eyes. Luckily, I was able to add a layer of wool for the upper and lower lid to achieve a more natural look. I was glad that the felting needle went through the gel layers. 

After another consultation with my client, I added a bit more wool to the tail. I also felt that the fur around the snout needed a bit more of the darker brown. 

Looking for mats and frames, I immediately decided to use a white mat and either a white or black frame to pick up the colours of the dog. My client picked the black frame. She was very pleased about the unique gift for her son and his family, which will keep a piece of Hudson forever in their lives.



I hope you enjoyed my 2025 Art Advent Calendar. Which one was your favourite piece?