D is for Drawing and Design (aka Doodling)

I go through phases where I do not have the energy or inspiration to paint. These may also be the days when I am not at home, or simply don't feel like messing with paint. However, I almost always have the urge (or the need) to do something creative. These are the days that find me I standing in front of my shelves of art supplies waiting to see what calls my name.

Often when I am feeling like this, the simplest, least messy and most portable option is my box of color markers. I have a great collection (thanks in part to cool garage sale finds). I have Sharpies in thick and thin points, and a great set of Prismacolor two sided markers that remind me of the big boxes of crayons I loved so much as a child. I love to just pick of a marker and doodle a line across the page. This suggests another line, and soon a design begins to take shape. Instead of coloring the shapes and spaces though, I love to fill them with lines - thick or thin to create a pattern and add depth. Sometimes I treat the lines as threads in a woven cloth. Whatever I do, I find these designs fascinating, fun and relaxing.

The one above was all about straight lines. It is 9x12 inches on watercolor paper.