Creative explorations Vol #12: Studio visit with artist Haidee Becker
A sketchbook/art journal prompt to support your art and creative practice.
Creative Explorations are themed around a prompt that you can explore in your own art/creative practice over the coming weeks. Prompts will be sent out on the first Friday of every month. I hope this month’s prompt sparks your creativity!
Before we get into this month’s prompt, I have some very exciting news:
I'm a guest teacher on Make Create Express 2024!
If you haven't heard of Make Create Express, it's a year-long mixed media adventure with a wide variety of lessons and styles taught by 24 teachers from around the world. Lessons typically include a mix of art journaling, canvas painting, book painting, and more.
But it all starts with a weekend of FR*E workshops -- the Creative Retreat weekend!!
My lesson for the retreat focuses on my signature intuitive painting process. We will create a loose abstract figurative painting together, using acrylics and Inktense pencils. This mini lesson is a brief introduction to my painting process; and will set you up for the longer lessons that are part of the year-long experience.
And it's just one of the 24 workshops that you can enjoy over the Creative Retreat weekend!
When: 13th & 14th of July
Where: From the comfort of your home!
If you'd like to deepen your experience, join us for the full Make Create Express experience!
The year-long workshop gives you access to all of the sessions from the Creative Retreat weekend, plus a new lesson each week for a year (that's an incredible 72+ lessons!!!). With such a wide range of lessons, you're sure to learn new techniques, new processes and discover new ways to express your own unique creativity!
And it’s currently on an early bird special that you wouldn’t want to miss!
You'll also have life-time access to the classroom, so you can work on the lessons at your own pace. I hope to see you there!
And now, on to this month’s prompt!
Let’s switch things up a bit this month. Instead of giving you a word prompt, we’re going to begin with an artist studio visit and use that as a starting point for some explorations in our own creative practice. You’ll find some suggestions and ideas below. Enjoy!
Watch: Artist studio visit with Haidee Becker
I remember very clearly a very very early memory in Rome, with a beam of light coming through a crack in a shutter, and the particles of dust floating in it. That’s almost the essence of what I try to go back to, to capture again.
HAIDEE BECKER
I sort of sit and work in wonder at the object that I’m looking at, really just complete wonder.
HAIDEE BECKER
There’s something so compelling yet gentle about this video. What strikes me is the strong sense of place, of the way that Haidee Becker notices not just her surroundings, but her life. There’s a deeply felt knowing of what works for her and what doesn’t. A wisdom that’s born perhaps by the years that she’s walked the earth, or maybe simply by deep observation.
Notice what strikes you as you watch this video, and then consider how you can pull it into your creative practice.
Here are a few ideas and suggestions.
Ideas + suggestions
Noticing the present + mining your memories: The two quotes from the video above really capture an essence of place, of history, of rootedness. This comes not just from noticing and paying attention to your surroundings, but also from mining your memories — what left a lasting impression on you? Is there a feeling or a place that you long to revisit or recreate? Here are some ideas that you can explore:
Keep a noticing log. Spend a week or two making a note of the things around you that really capture your attention. Consider the light, colors, sounds, sensations. Then look at how you can explore those in your creative practice. Use them as jumping off points for some writing, or see how you can translate the essence of what you notice in your art.
Mine your memories. Cast your mind back to your childhood or to young adult hood and think about some of your defining moments. What memories float to the surface? You could use one of those to develop a piece of writing {here’s an example}; as inspiration for a change in decor {that’s how I came up with my studio nest}; or translate it into a piece of art {if you have photographs to go along with your memories, you can create a collage or a scrapbook/junk journal style layout in your sketchbook}.
Exploring the meaning of leisure: The other thing that strikes me while watching this video is leisure — reading in bed, walking the dog, cooking a meal, lying in the hammock, sitting in the garden. As a culture, we don’t really allow ourselves to enjoy leisure time any more. Why do you think that is? I have a theory, which you can read here; and then explore this through your own creative practices. Write an article; cook what you would define as a leisurely meal; spend some time pursuing leisure. And then see how/if it feeds your creativity. Keep notes!
Further explorations: You can see some of Haidee Becker’s work here and visit her North London home studio.
I hope this month’s prompt sparks your creative inspiration! And don’t forget to sign up for the free Make Create Express weekend retreat, or take advantage of the early bird special for the year-long course. I hope to see you there!
Like this prompt? Share it with your friends and invite them into our virtual studio. If you’re on the Substack app, you can tap on the like button or restack to Notes to let me know you enjoyed this post.
I like the inspiration to keep a noticing log.
I like to find the little things that bring me joy. And to share them and to encourage others to see the little things. What if I spent a week gathering them in a noticing log and then shared a weeks worth at once? Hmmmm.