daily hopes and giri

maple keys

Sometime we must begin, for where there is no beginning there is no end ...
- Eleanor Roosevelt

I have two simple resolutions this year:

1. a daily sketch 
2. read a page from a paper book

The daily sketches are more a release then purposeful. Although, they tend to mark what I'm thinking at the moment or experiencing, sometimes they've been pure "giri." Giri is a Japanese word that roughly refers to "duty" or "obligation" such as returning a gift because you were given one and not because you care for the gift giver. In one sense, it keeps things balanced.


Each day is a gift and it's easy for me to forget, especially when I haven't slept well or other life stresses catch up to me. So on those low days, the giri gift that I give back to the day is this daily sketch. On a good day, it's more than giri. In either case, I am happier because I did it.

one everyday, art journal page

Yesterday, I worked on making a journal which is a sewn collection of abandoned drawings which will get covered up with each journal entry. Today, I completed my first journal page for january.

The above page began with writing the words one every day in white crayon and applying washes of color and salt. That was followed by maple leaf seed imprintings, stamping, collage pieces, gesso and pen line drawings.