Day 36: Miro

This drawing was inspired by my tattoo, which is a detail from a Miro painting.  FYI this tattoo is on my right shoulder.  This was my second tattoo - Free coloring book for the first person who guesses where on my body my other tattoo is located!

Day 35: Batty

I was trying to come up with a way to remember the different levels of brain waves:
Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta. I decided that the acronym is BATD (batty). This is my visual image for recall.

Day 34: Negative Space Tree

Most people draw a knot whole inside the tree, I decided to go in another direction.... The hole is outside/ behind the tree.

Day 33: Jumping Female Figure

I haven't drawn a naked female figure in a long time (that used to be my go-to doodle).  I wanted to illustrate freedom and joy!

Day 32: Neurons

This is my brain firing all types of new and excited neurons.  

Day 31: Frog

I had a need to draw a frog.  About 5 years ago, I created a 60 foot mural for my neighborhood elementary school.  It has lots of cute frogs, bugs, butterflies and even a snake.  I walked by the mural a few days ago, and i was excited to see it still there, even though my kids are in high school.

Day 30: Flower

This was a quickie.  Had to pack and leave for Wisconsin.  

Day 29: Cherry Blossom

This reminds me of a flowering tree in spring.  There seems to be a random door in the background, but I have no desire to go inside because it is so delicious outside under this tree.

Day 28: Links

Just thinking about all the ways we are connected.

Day 27: Mother and Daughters

iPad Drawing Challenge - Day 27: Mother and Daughters
I copied this off a watercolor painting I did many years ago (when my daughters were young and more enmeshed with me). No matter how old they get, they will always be a part of me.

Day 26: Mask

This started out as a Mardi Gras mask, but now it looks more like and owl.  A huge owl swooped into our backyard this evening.  (I drew this picture before that event) I know there are owls in my back yard, because they are so loud at night.  As if they are mocking me.  But I have seldom seen them.

Day 25: Vino

Today, May 16th, is my 19 year anniversary.  Wholly Crap!!  Hubby and I have been together for 22 years.  That is INSANE.  In some ways it seems like no time at all, and in other ways it seems like forever.  I love him, I hate him - the cycle of marriage.

We went out to dinner, didn't have a glass of wine, but I wanted one (I don't like drinking more than a few times a week - too many empty calories).  Should have.  As we were finishing dessert (carrot cake - because that is what our wedding cake was) he took a phone call, and went outside for the remainder of the meal.  The odd thing is, I really wasn't mad.  I should have been.  Maybe after all this time, I just don't put too much emphasis on one part of one meal - it's the entire life that counts.

Mazel Tov !!

Day 24: Dr. Seuss House

I love the architecture of Dr. Seuss.  I want to live in Whoville!! This drawing is whimsical and structured at the same time.  That is what I want to be.

I've been thinking lately, "What three words would I want to describe the person I am and strive to be?" (this is inspired by a challenge from Brendon Burchard of "Experts Academy" - check him out!!!).  I decided that my three words are,
Healthy
Creative
Curious
Maybe I am not all those things every moment of every day, but that is the person I seek to be.  That is the role model for my daughters that I want to portray.  Everyday, in each situation, I ask myself "Am I being/presenting Healthy, Creative and Curious?" This one simple question challenges me to be better...

Day 23: Spiral and Target

Full disclosure:  I did this last night, but got too sleepy to post it on the blog.  So, this is yesterday's drawing.
I don't love this one, but as I tell my patients, "Not everything we make HAS to be a masterpiece."

I will say, that this drawing has a lot of energy, but the energy seems to be self contained and not really going anywhere.  It needs to break free of its limitations (metaphor for my life OR I am tired of working on the small iPad screen).

3 Minute Art Therapy: Episode 008

Now available!

"Breaking Through Resistance"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW9L3ynhTJE

Pamela answers a frequently asked questions...
How do I deal with a client who is really resistant to drawing?
This episode gives five techniques to help clients break through their own resistance and reduce their perfectionistic tendencies. 

Day 22: Mother's Day Flowers

These flowers go out to my four wonderful and amazing mothers, Mom (Barbara), Step-Mom (Sue), Mother-In-Law (Alice) and Step-Mother-In-Law (Lori).  I am so blessed.

Its a hard job, but today I am pampered.  I went for a beautiful run, stopped in the Coffee Bean to see my oldest daughter, and she made me a coffee.  Now I am home getting yummy smells wafting upstairs while my hubby and younger daughter are busy creating a fabulous breakfast.  Later we all will meet my brother at Runyon Canyon for a hike in the Hollywood Hills.  Perfect day.

Love honestly.

Day 21: TV and Computer

I was thinking about the way we use computers as compared to television in terms of creativity and learning... What is "Edutainment"?
TV is passive because information is being delivered to us. However a computer can be passive or interactive. I believe we need to use computers differently than TV.






"Computers will not live up to their potential until we start to think of them less like televisions and more like paintbrushes. That is, we need to start seeing computers not simply as information machines, but also as a new medium for creative design and expression."
     -Mitchel Resnick, MIT Media Labs

Day 20: Paintbrush

I drew this for my new seminar on Positive Psychology. Lots of layering with all the possible drawing techniques on "Paper by 53". 

Day 19: Money

This is my "Mind Map". Problem solving through creativity.


I am learning about, and having my clients make "Mind Maps" to solve problems and explore options in new ways. So, the problem I was thinking about was "Money".  I drew this image, but I really have not done the problems solving yet.


Many people on Facebook really responded to this drawing.  They said they liked it best so far, and could feel the energy.  Personally, its not one of my favorites.  I hated it at first and had to rework it several times.  

Day 18: Leaf

It was a really beautiful day here in Southern California, but I do miss the New England autumns.


It take SOOOOO long to color in large solid areas with this app.  It really needs a "fill in" option.  But it is more like real drawing, because you do have to just color in areas with a pen if you want them fully colored in. 


Hmmmm.

Day 17: Dragon

I believe that in order to be productive, healthy and happy we must constantly challenge ourselves and learn new skills.  I have always wanted to know how to draw a dragon, so today I Googled "How to draw a dragon" and I found a really cool site called Drawing Now Videos
http://www.drawingnow.com/videos/id_1370-title_How-to-Draw-a-Dragon/
Step by step instructions, that make it easy and satisfying.  Try it!

Day 16: Pirate

Feeling bad-ass today.  Needed some Pirate Booty in my life.  And that's all I have to say about that.

Day 15: Target

I've been thinking about how important it is to set goals for myself.  Without goals it is impossible to know if we are moving forward.

Day 14: Lunch

Today I was working on creating a new seminar/workshop titled "Art Therapy to Increase Happiness, Health and Productivity", and I was making a slide for 'Lunch Break'. I wanted an image to put on the slide, and I could not find one in Google images that I liked (probably not supposed to use those images anyway).  So, I decided to kill two birds with one stone: Do my daily iPad drawing AND get my image for Keynote.

The irony was that I realized I was hungry as I was looking for the image, so I stopped and made some food.  I was actually eating lunch as I was drawing Lunch. Although I had soup and salad, not peanut butter and jelly and an apple.

Day 13: Branches

Ooooooo!  This one is fun.  Just playing with the colors and different applications.

My day:  Lifted weights, kick boxing, shopping at art store, provided supervision to my intern, facilitated an eating disorder group, ran 4 miles and went to the mall. I'm tired.

Day 12: Butterfly

There is a lot of change in the air for me and my career right now - I can taste, smell, hear, feel and hear it coming.  I will begin teaching as an adjunct professor, I have been asked to be a Keynote speaker at an upcoming conference, and other things that are so "Top Secret" that I can't even mention them yet.  But I am excited, and I imagine that it why I have created the butterfly.  Change.  Beauty.

I had a client once tell me "Nobody hates a butterfly".  So true.

This is my time to spread my wings and fly.  I have never felt happier, healthier or more in control of my own destiny, and I want to share that feeling with as many people as I can.

Day 11: Stars

Not really feeling this one.  It is ugly, and I felt that it was not getting better as I worked on it.

I forgot my drawing stylus in Chicago, and I could not make crisp, sharp lines, and that was bothering me. Also, I was really tired when I was drawing this (jet lag), and when I am tired, cranky or sick I notice that my drawings reflect that and they are ugly.

 That's why we always have another chance tomorrow. Self Reminder: Not everything I make has to me a masterpiece.