Get ready for the New Year with the January/February 2017 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. It’s all about defining your goals, setting time aside to accomplish them, and some fun projects to get you on the right track.
From Editorial Director Jeannine Stein, in the January/February issue:
Last October I took part in a month-long annual art challenge called InkTober, started by illustrator Jake Parker. He challenges people to create one ink drawing a day during the month, and since 2009 it’s grown into a worldwide phenomenon with thousands of people taking part.
The premise is simple, but the results can be life- changing, and I don’t use that term lightly. Some people have re-discovered their love of drawing, or made art a bigger priority in their lives, or started making time for art, where before there was none. While there were days when my muse was off having a latte, I was able to create a drawing on most days—and what I gained was pretty incredible.
I began to look forward to the time I set aside to draw, when I could focus on just that and nothing else. I felt my breathing slow, my mind clear, and my muscles relax. Even if what I drew wasn’t my best effort, I felt better for having done it. And over the course of the month, I saw my technique improve.
Doing this challenge helped me set my creative goals and priorities for the New Year. What are your art goals for 2017? We have lots of ideas to help you achieve them. Make a vision board that colorfully reminds you of your ambitions, and includes some surprising elements. Fashion a piece of jewelry out of metal that’s stamped with your word for the year. And get organized with a mixed-media planner that’s anything but cookie cutter.
We have some new columnists debuting in this issue: Jodi Ohl pens Creative Connections, all about how art affects our lives. And in Expressive Painting, Annie O’Brien Gonzales shows you inventive ideas for creating abstracts, still lifes, collages, and more. In The Jewelry Box, you’ll discover a tempting mixed-media jewelry project from a different artist in every issue.
Ready to take on some fun challenges and stretch those artistic muscles? Me too. It’s going to be a fantastic year.
Warm regards,
Jeannine
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