Are you curious about doing drawing and painting to relax, calm your nervous system, and get in touch with your inner artist? Introducing: "Somatic Drawing and Painting" - a body-based, breath based approach to making lines, brushstrokes, colors, shapes, and textures on paper or canvas. We are more interested in the act of making a drawing than the "final product." Day 1 was all black and white, and I used mainly charcoal. We did sensation mapping, breath mandalas, and bilateral drawing (with both hands at the same time). I was so wonderfully relaxed when we were done! Some of these are wild! Check these out and tell me what you think!

Here's a before and after of an eco-printed antique napkin I added a simple backstitch to. I have a lot of prints like these and wondering if the stitching works (?) or if the prints are better off untouched. Nonetheless it's been fun to experiment, and try my hand at some new things.

I've been practicing the seed stitch Melissa taught me in her workshop last month. And also taking her advice on choosing thread color that I can actually see (rather than match) what's on my print. The first is an eco-print of an onion skin on paper & I stitched over a wild grass that came out blurry in the print. Any feedback? I don't like that triangle shape at the top, would like to to get it more wavy like grass. The next print with the red flowers is what I plan to do next, maybe in the same green. Or maybe not.

I pressed a leaf I collected on a walk some time ago. I scanned it on the weekend. And then made this fabric pattern with it. I wanted to see what it would look like on a pocket square.