I did this challenge last year in January, I was probably inspired by #carveDecember and wanted to try something new and do it for a whole month. I called it Black Book January. Even a friend from Instagram joined and did several pieces. The goal of the challenge is to create something on black background. I bought a Derwent Black Book and did the challenge for the whole month last January. I did not create 31 pieces, because these are a little bit more complicated and time consuming than carving a stamp every day, but I quite enjoyed exploring what can be done on black paper.

This year I am repeating the challenge. I will be doing mandalas, because I am currently inspired to do them and I have already tried some supplies that can do wonders on back paper. I finished two mandalas until now. The first I did with white UniBall pen, Carad’Ache Luminance 6901 pencils and Liquid Pearls.

For the second I used UniBall pen and Sakura Metallic Gell pens in gold and bronze.

In parallel I am also doing the first lesson of Life Book, actually not the main lesson, but the warm-up. I did the meditation and for the first time I actually saw a symbol and an animal. I decided that I would include them in the painting, so it’s not really a simple warm-up exercise, but a whole thing, with the animal and the symbol. So I am a bit stuck, because my animal (which was actually a fawn in my meditation) does not look anything close to what I saw, meaning that it’s as far from the fawn as at all possible, but I am accepting it, as there is no choice, it’s either that or nothing at all. I think I will finish during the day… I keep wondering why I cannot draw cute animals… Maybe I should make it a challenge… Maybe in February…

Anyway… The weather is beautiful and sunny, but so horribly cold that I think I will not go out today. Last two days I went ice skating and enjoyed it enormously. Yesterday was also nice and sunny, but very windy and the day before was snowing and that day was actually much more to my liking even though it was cloudy, because the snow made it so calm and charming. So, off I go to nurture my muscle fever and wrstle with the ‘fawn’ 🙂

Have a nice day!