Kara Paints

Freebies!

2/6/2021

I'd like to draw your attention to a new tab on the website: Downloads!

I'm consolidating all of the handouts from teaching and a couple of other things there.
Feel free to download, print and use. But also attribute because it's good manners.

First up is the handouts from the mini zodiac painting class I'm teaching (virtually) at Elmhurst Public Library.

I decided that my big goal this year is to encourage more people to make art. Anyone can do it and it's good for you.

Enjoy the downloads and go make stuff!

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I'm stuck...now what?

12/15/2020

We have all been there. You want to make art. You have the time and the tools to make art. You sit down to make art, and nothing happens. Like, nothing happens.
You sit and stare at your blank canvas, paper, ipad screen, and you can't even begin to pick a color or draw a line.
You are stuck.

Lots of people love to talk about what it feels like to be in the midst of a creative storm, where the making feels part magical because it just flows right out of you.
Some people are brave enough to talk about the dry season, where even thinking about making art causes you to put a cool cloth across your forehead and lie down in a dark room.
I'm talking about the time in between those extremes, when the will is there, but the inspiration is missing.
I've been doing this long enough that I have come up with a handy list to get un-stuck, and I'm going to share it with you.

1. Get up and Move: Yes it's cliché, but it's cliché for a reason. IT WORKS. Sometime I'm just moving to the kitchen for a snack and sometimes I'm moving all the furniture so I can have a one-woman dance party. You move in whatever way feels right.

2. Look back at old work: sometimes this is just a reminder of how far you have progressed in your skills. However, while looking back, ask yourself, "Is there something more here that I can do now? Does this feel like a jumping off point for a series?"

3. Think Seasonally: I don't know if you know this, but folks who develop all that amazing stuff that comes out for the December holidays are making that stuff in June and July. Take yourself out of your current season, and make art for future holidays and vacations.

4. Try a different medium: This one is two-fold goodness. One, it helps to justify all of the art-making supplies you have hoarded over the years. Two, different mediums require different ways of thinking and problem solving.

5. Learn a new skill: Honey, the internet is your playground. There are hundreds of thousands of tutorials online. Go learn how to macrame or underwater basketweave.

6. Read a book: I like to read, so this is not a challenge for me. But my suggestion is read a book written FOR KIDS. Whether it's a picture book, graphic novel, or chapter book. Get into a world where anything can happen. Sometimes that's all it takes to wake up your creativity.

7. Look at your stuff: Not your artwork, but your stuff. Your furniture, your dishes, the little knickknacks that you move from home to home. You can draw/paint/photograph it, or you can look at it and ask yourself, "what is it about this thing that I like?"

8. Practice your weak skills: ugh, yes, fine. We all have things we are bad at. But you know how you get better? Practice. Which is why I sometimes force myself to do lettering, even if it winds up looking like a drunk kangaroo did it. At some point, it will look ok. And then it will look great. But to get there, I have to practice.

9. Look at old photos: I take pictures ALL THE TIME of stuff that intrigues me. "Oh, that's an interesting architectural detail" "Oh, that leaf looks like Texas" "Oh, the colors of that umbrella and that poster really look good together" And sometimes, I use those photos to jumpstart other works.

10. Sign up for an art challenge: I say this as someone who has finished exactly one art challenge in their entire life. It's a really good way to get ideas when your idea machine is broken. You don't have to finish the thing. Just start the thing.

Those are my ten tips. What do you do when you are stuck?

On Books...

9/9/2020

Hey there!
I am going to share a few of my favorite nonfiction reads here with you. I love to read and I try to read widely--across genres and across format. Is there anything more divine than a beautifully wrought picture book?
A nonfiction book is a winner when I'm left thinking about it long after I have finished it. I work at a library, so I don't often buy books--unless I know that I will want to reread them again. Little known fact about libraries: they don't keep books forever. Once the public hasn't checked out a book for a number of years, the book moves on to either a library sale or used book vendor or charity that redistributes used materials. Each library has different criteria for how long a book has to sit unused. If you want a place that keeps books forever, you are looking for an archive or a specialty library (so called because they specialize in one area of study).

All that being said, these books are ones that I own and they are easily found online. I'll re-read at least one of them every year. This year, they have all found their way into my hands. It's been a doozy of a year, I think we can all agree. The one that seems to stick out like a sore thumb is Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

But I find myself relying on this one when I feel pulled in too many directions. It helps me to refocus, and gives me the guidelines that I need in order to weed out the hell yes projects from the just fine projects. Our lives are too precious to spend on projects that don't make us excited. Now, I'm not talking about work per se, but I am talking about the things that you have a choice in. Choose the things that you feel drawn to. This book also helps me at work to identify the best use of my time and how to accomplish the things I have to do, but that I am not excited to do. We all have those projects!

Steal Like an Artist is a fun, quick read. It lays out all the ways you can absorb the world around you to create work that is YOURS and yours alone. In a photoshop-cell phone-copy & paste world, too many people are copying the work of others trying to make it big. Don't do that--it leads to burnout and frustration. Steal Like an Artist has so many great ideas on how to find your creative voice and how to push past creative blocks.

Big Magic causes me to make a guttural sound that can only be described as: uuuughn. I picked this up after watching Liz Gilbert's TedTalk on the concept of Big Magic and LET ME TELL YOU HOW GREAT IT IS. A mix of personal anecdotes, a dash of mythology, and the whole thing feels like you're in conversation with Liz. This book doesn't down play hard work or failure, but instead encourages the reader to just show up every day and be open to the possibility that TODAY is the day. It's a how-to manual and a pep talk in one book. I love it, you should read it if you are ever feeling stuck or sad or anxious. It's a balm for all of those things.

For technical know-how and a pragmatic approach to drawing, John Muir Laws cannot be beat. I turn to this one time and again when I am looking for guidance on how to draw/paint the world around me. The clear instructions coupled with insights (like: you can't paint a waterfall, you can paint the rocks around the waterfall) have allowed me to push my own work much farther than if I were attempting to go by trial and error. If you are into recording the world around you, I cannot recommend this book enough.

So tell me, what are you reading? What are your go-to books when you need a pep talk?

Hello, September!

9/2/2020

It's hard to pick a favorite season, but Fall is definitely in my top 2. It has the best holidays and I love getting out my sweaters and boots. But I'm not here to talk about my wardrobe.
I'm here to talk about making art, shop updates, and weird dreams.
I know everyone has been having weird dreams, but the upcoming Presidential election has really thrown the weirdness into overdrive. Last night I was explaining to a young woman why being a feminist is so important, and why the number one problem for women around the world is poverty. Which is true--way to go dream-brain for relying on facts. And while I don't know how to convince people that they should care about others, I do know that value informs how I vote.

And why I think it is so important to vote in every election--not just the big ones. It's so important that I spend time researching the candidates on the ballot (do you know who's running for Board of Directors at your community college? Because you should). I was looking around for a shirt that says "VOTE" to wear and I couldn't find one I liked. In true DIY fashion, I decided to design one myself. And then I fell down the rabbit hole of fonts and wound up designing 4 different options. All of which are available at my Society6 shop.

I really liked the shape of the E on this one.

This one is why I shouldn't do line work after 3 cups of coffee. Everything wobbles....

I think this one is my favorite. I like the balance of the white inside the letters against the color outside.

Do you have a favorite?

Guess Who's Back?

8/23/2020

It's me!
This bizzaro year has had me reevaluate how I want to spend my days. The short answer is that I want less time in front of a screen and more time with people I care about, doing things that bring me a deep sense of satisfaction. I'm going to be leaning harder into art-making and applying to various publications as an illustrator. I'm also going to be updating my Society6 shop, and taking more private commissions.

Thanks for checking in and riding along.

This piece is available as a print in my Society6 shop.

Down With Crafts! Why Process Art Belongs in the Library.

8/12/2016

Crafts are fun! Crafts are great! I love crafts!
No seriously, I am one crafty mammajamma. But crafts are for school and adult-type people.

Process art allows for exploration, experimentation, and provides an environment that is conducive to peer-to-peer learning.

So what's the difference?
A craft is a project with a specific end goal in mind.
Process art is a project that focuses on the making (or process) rather than the end product.

We frequently hear that libraries are about fostering life-long learning. I ask you: are you likely to continue with an activity that is not fun? One that has a narrowly defined version of success? Or are you interested in spending your time doing something that is fun, open-ended, with a wide variety of outcomes?

What does that look like in a library setting?

Oh my gosh--I'm so glad you asked!
If you take a look at the way preschool is being taught right now, you may have an idea. A better concept comes from schools that have a Reggio Emilia based curriculum. The thing I like best about Reggio Emilia is that you show the kids how a thing works, and then get out of their way. You put before them tools, tell them this is the time for them to explore the tools and watch what happens. If they get bored, you can ask: what would happen if you added water? Or what would happen if you combined two of these things?

It's really hard to let go of the idea that everyone leaves your program with something pretty to take home. I know. And more often than not, what kids create is (to the casual observer) a mess.

But what they are actually getting out of the time spent with you is so much more than a craft that will ultimately find it's way to the recycle bin.

Process Art Benefits

Process art

Builds confidence
Encourages creative thinking
Enhances vocabulary (use those fabulous art-words like form and composition!)
Stimulates curiosity
Strengthens children's ability to predict, plan, and problem solve

My Favorite Resources

There are a lot of places you can go for crafts (Hello, Pinterest!) but I have found that some of the process-art posts there aren't truly process art.

If you want to read more about Process Art and what that looks like, go to the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Meri Cherry in L.A. spent several years as a K-2 teacher, before leaving to pursue running art workshops fpor families and kids.

TinkerLab is a great resource for art and science for young people.

ArtBar Blog is a favorite out of Connecticut--and her Instagram feed is a delight. (@artbarblog)

These are just a few places that I go to for inspiration. If you have a favorite resource, I'd love to know what it is!

Listen....

7/14/2016

It's taken me a long time to process my feels into coherent (shareable) thoughts. And I am not entirely sure that everything has been worked through. But I'm going to share with you what I can, in the hopes that we can at least reach a common understanding.

First, a wee bit of background: I am a fixer. If there is a problem or a conundrum, I love to untangle it and set it to rights. I like to say that undoing tangles is my magic (seriously, if you have a tangled chain from your jewelry box bring it on over). This desire is undoubtedly a huge part of what pushed me to join AmeriCorps after college. And so I went to work at the Cherokee Heritage Center--where I was served my first slice of humble pie. And rightly so.

Mmmm...pie....

This may come as a shock to you, but there is a long and unpleasant history of white people showing up to "fix things" for Indigenous people the world over. And, bless my 21 year old white lady heart, I thought that I was different. Because I just wanted to help. Well, I was set down and gently explained that while I could assist with this one project I should mostly just keep my opinions to myself until I had a better grasp on the nuances of the culture and the ball-and-chain of history that everyone was dragging around.
And they were right. They were 100% absolutely unfailingly correct. Everything that I knew up to that point I had read in a book. I could stand up and correctly point out overt injustices, but I was blind to cultural insensitivity and the way the system had been set up to disenfranchise a whole nation of people.
So that was my first lesson in the difference between wanting to help and actually helping.

My next lesson came many years later when I was a mom. We had moved into a lovely neighborhood, with two playgrounds within walking distance and tons of children outside everyday--riding bikes, playing football, jumping rope. Our neighbors would sit outside in the evenings and converse across lawns while children played in the warm light of the setting sun. It was the kind of neighborhood I had always wanted to be a part of; where everyone looked out for everyone else. Can you picture it in your mind?
Now let me tell you that we were the only white family on the block.
It took a good long while for people to get comfortable with us--understandably. We were other. We were the physical manifestation of the oppressors. But once I had a friend on the block who was open and honest with me, I was set down once again and gently explained how it feels to send your kids into a world that is openly hostile to them. The same world that would throw open it's doors for my white kids had placed a guard out front to deter her kids.

So we circle back around to the recent events: Alton Sterling, Philando Castille, and the Dallas Police Officers.
And again, I am a fixer. I want to help. But I know better than to stand on a chair and start yelling out directions.
When Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, someone (if you know who let me know!) suggested that I take my Twitter account, unfollow a bunch of cishet white dudes and replace them with people of color. I suggest ALL OF YOU GO DO THIS RIGHT NOW. It was through this choice that I was able to hear the voices of the people who live under the unfair social rules that us white folk don't think about. And it was through the amazingness that is Feminista Jones (@feministajones) that I learned my latest lesson. She said the first question you should ask when reaching out to people is: Do you need help?
(But wait! There's more!)
If the people say, "Yes! We need help!" Then you ask, "What kind of help do you need?"

Because the long and short of it is:
People who are in the middle of the chaos know what they need most right now.
To think or act otherwise is removing the power from and infantilizing the people you are trying to help. That's the opposite of helping.

So take a deep breath and say it with me:

Do you need help?

What kind of help do you need?

Star Gazing

5/6/2016

Nebula 1, Watercolor, 2016. By Kara DeCarlo.

There's something about a sky full of stars that is awe-inducing and humbling. Recently, the Girl Scouts went on a camp out and were given the opportunity to look up into a star-filled sky. It was fun to point out the different constellations and to show the girls Jupiter.

There's a world of resources for star gazing; but I will share my favorites with you here.

Books

There are 3 titles that I found very helpful when preparing for our star gazing expedition.

The first two are by H.A. Rey. The Stars and Find the Constellations. Both versions were second editions, and had interesting information paired with awesome illustrated diagrams. The conversational tone of the text is written for kids in grades 3 and up.

The sky views in Find the Constellations are unique: in a half-circle with the horizon at the bottom. My kids found that format much easier to use than the traditional round sky view.

The physical size of the books makes them cumbersome to take along on a star gazing outing, but they are great for learning the basics before heading out.
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Next up is a National Geographic book, authored by Howard Schneider. Backyard Guide to the Night Sky has ten chapters that cover phases of the moon, the planets, and constellation identification.

In the vein of other National Geographic books this book has beautiful photography alongside sidebars and fact boxes. This book is engaging and interesting and would make a great addition to your home library. Unlike the above books, this one is perfect for reading in any order that suits your fancy.

The smaller size of this book makes it incredibly portable.

Websites

These websites were chosen for their ease of use and information contained therein.

To see what's going on in the sky at any time during the year, check out StarDate.org

For a free sky map each month, try SkyMaps.com. In addition to the map, there is a list of all of the celestial objects that you can see--with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a telescope.

To learn more about the mythology behind the constellations, download this PDF by Norm McCarter for the Tulare County Office of Education.

If you've had enough of star gazing from Earth, check out the website dedicated to the photos taken by the Hubble telescope.

Apps

Star Walk

Star Walk 2 and Star Walk kids both provide an interactive experience with the night sky. The app will tell you moon phases, the time for sunrise and sunset, and the elevation of the planets. The coolest feature of this app is that you can travel through time to see what the sky will look like in different times of the year. Available for iOS.

Sky View

Sky View allows you to see what is in the sky any time of the day. Through the use of the camera, Sky View will overlay the lines of the constellations on the actual night sky. During the day, the app fills in the stars for you. In addition to the stars, the app shows you satellites, planets and the International Space Station. There is a free version of this app. Available for Android and iOS.

She said what?!

4/20/2016

Do you know who this is? It is the most fabulous Anna Wintour. Longtime editor of American Vogue, now artistic director for Conde Nast. She's fierce and flawless and she KNOWS it.

Last year, Anna gave advice to a room full of fashion-industry hopefuls. It was excellent advice. It was advice you imagine receiving from someone who has walked the walk for 20+ years. It was also suspiciously like the advice I received from many successful women over the course of my life.

Learn from the pros first. This was presented to me as: Don't Reinvent the Wheel. Which is really great advice--why would you pour your precious time into creating something that's already been done?
Think about your long term goals. Let's take this one step further--don't just think about them, WRITE THEM DOWN. Know what you want, so you can go out there and get t!
Your personality and presentation matter. Yes, we'd love to live in a magical world where you can look at someone and know how fantastically awesome they are. However, we live in THIS world where failing to shower and wearing clothes that are mostly holes don't fall into the "professional attire" category. When you are off the clock, wear what makes you happy. When you are on the clock, dress for the job on your goals list.
Get employed, even if it's not your dream job. Oh gods, yes. It's easier to get a job when you have a job. Additionally, use your current job to meet people and learn things--even if what you are learning is how not to do things.
Make sure you have a mentor. I would like to say one thing about having a mentor: IT'S THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR LIFE. I have multiple mentors: for work, for Scouts, for art, for parenting. Everyone who is ahead of you in this game called life has a story that they can share with you. They can tell you when you are headed towards a cliff or when you are getting close to reaching those goals you set.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

Bullet Journals & Miracle Mornings

4/13/2016

Way back in August, I started keeping a Bullet Journal. I liked the flexibility of the system & how easy it is to keep all of your various notes in one place. I started with a notebook that I bought on clearance at the Walgreen's but in March I upgraded to the recommended notebook.

In addition to the weekly task tracker pages, you can customize pages for notes or phases of the moon or menus. The front of the journal has a place to record page numbers and titles of pages so that you can easily find what you are looking for.

I am a dyed-in-the-wool note taker, so the ability to have my notes for work, Girl Scouts, and everything else in one book was awesome. Then I started looking around at how others were customizing their journals and I got even more excited about the possibilities. I have yet to take up a page for an entire day, but knowing that I can feels pretty liberating. I also find that having a bullet journal ties in nicely with the other new routine I have adopted: The Miracle Morning.

I first heard about the Miracle Morning from BohoBerry, and I thought back to last year when I was daily practicing Early Wake, Daily Write. I was much more productive when I started my day before everyone else. The difference between Early Wake, Daily Write and the Miracle Morning is that there are more components to the Miracle Morning. In addition to writing, there's meditation and exercise and reading. There's a cute little acronym to help you remember the order of events--which is great at 5:30 am, when I'm not fully functional.
SAVERS
S- Silence
A- Affirmations
V-Visualization
E-Exercise
R-Reading
S-Scribe (because SAVERW isn't a word)

I LOVE starting my day with the Miracle Morning method. It's great to be able to head off to work knowing that I have already gotten in my exercise. I use the affirmation/visualization portion to set my intent for the day so that I have a clear picture of what I will accomplish.

Now, you can go out and buy this book, or you can see if your library has it. As I am a note-taker, I didn't feel the need to own my copy. I wrote down what I needed to and then returned the book so that others could have their turn.

And guess what! Just like the Bullet Journal, the Miracle Morning is something you can customize to your own needs. There are mornings when I use the writing time to paint. And it feels SO GOOD in my soul.

Maybe being productive isn't your thing. That's okay too! But if you are feeling stuck or like you don't have enough hours in the day, I highly recommend adopting some new practices.

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