Wishing you a happy, healthy and creative 2025!

Start to 2025 with some quick sketches!

Quick studies are a wonderful way to fire up and keep the creative train moving. It’s all good: minimal materials, few expectations, quick to do, and…no excuses!

From van Gogh: “As practice makes perfect, I cannot but make progress; each drawing one makes, each study one paints, is a step forward.” In a similar vein from John Singer Sargent: “You can’t do sketches enough. Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh.” I  definitely agree with (as is often the case) Eugène Delacroix: “Perhaps the sketch of a work is so pleasing because everyone can finish it as (they) choose.” Finally one of my favorite quotes from Delacroix’s great rival Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres: “Always be drawing, draw with your eyes when you can’t draw with the pencil”

 

Thank you – update on our new book

Thank you for making the launch such a great success – Canada Post strike notwithstanding!

Creative Surge has been purchased by the National Gallery of Canada for their store and the first order sold out quickly – we have now re-stocked of course! Our book is also for sale at the The Ottawa Art Gallery and the Ottawa School of Art as well as an increasing number of bookstores. Feedback from readers and retailers on the content and quality of the product itself has been highly favorable and we are already receiving a number of repeat purchases. 

Creative Surge is now available directly from us – free shipping throughout Canada through to the end of January.

Take a “sneak peak” and order: https://www.davidkearn.com/tomthomson/

We’d be delighted to include a personalized message in your purchase.

 

Courses and Workshops – Winter Term Starting Shortly

Details, along with direct links to the OSA registration pages are on our website: https://www.davidkearn.com/workshops/

 

10 Creative Ideas for 2025

Yes, it’s resolution time! Here are a few ideas for starting and staying creative:

1. Start with quick sketches – so easy…any kind of squiggle drawing!
2. Try new combinations – enjoy the change, and new energy.
3. Keep ample supplies – so that you do not feel “precious” about anything.
4. Use the largest practical format – so that you don’t get hemmed in.
5. Have materials ready – finding materials is a barrier to creativity!
6. Reuse old materials – rather than always sourcing from new.
7. Create a sprinkling of smaller works – a very nice vibe.
8. Art is a numbers game – the more you do, the more work out.
9. Try a little art ahead of those chores – art is so easily swept aside.
10. Do something every day –  even if only for a few minutes!

 

And in the wider world of art:

Inspiring drawings on display at the National Gallery: https://www.gallery.ca/magazine/exhibitions/confessions-from-the-drawings-vault-new-and-hidden-treasures

Fairground masterpieces brought back to life after decades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsATSgEblUs

Finally, it’s official: art and culture is good for you  – we all could have told them this of course: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/dec/17/consuming-arts-and-culture-is-good-for-health-and-wellbeing-research-finds

Break-a-Brush!

David & France