I'm Having FUN creating my new video series, Walk & Chat with Dawn, where I share behind the scenes what I've been up to and share reflections on what I'm learning in the process of my creativity while walking outdoors enjoying the weather while you come along with me! 

Topics: Happy Easter, my bullet journal prep for April, our stray cat delight, watching an inspiring video, and I share a journaling prompt for your further reflection! 

Do join me and if you have as much fun as I do, please like the video and leave a comment! 
I appreciate your being part of my creative community here at Refresh with Dawn Herring. 

Have yourself a delightful day and the Very Best of Beginnings! 

Hello my friends and welcome back to Beginnings! I've been doing something that I haven't done in a long time. I'm going for walks and taking you with me! Yep! I've started a new series called Walk & Chat with Dawn, and I'm sharing one of these videos in this post in case you haven't seen this one already and/or if you aren't subsctibed to my YouTube Channel....

Today I start with a chat about the weather and then I share about how you, my viewers, are inspiring me and I share some video of my art journal spread progress plus more! So, do join me! 

And you're welcome to share either on YouTube or here in the comments what is inspiring you and what Small Step you're taking toward the things you want to be doing! I'd love to hear from you and Celebrate with You! 

Thanks for watching, subscribing and giving my video a thumbs up and leaving a comment if you're thus inclined! 

I appreciate your support and interest in what I have to share as an artist and creative; having you in community just makes it more fun, satisfying and meaningful to me. 

Journaling Prompt: 
Make a list of what is inspiring you right now. What small step can you take to make a move in the direction where your heart is calling you? How can you support yourself in that way? 

I wish you a delightful day and the very Best of Beginnings! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings! For this post, I will be sharing my Illustration Pic of the Week that is titled, CONCLUDE. I chose this illustration out of the 7 I created from the week since this one features something that I was sad to see go after watching, sort of like a good novel that comes to an end…(Thus the hands over the heart.)

I enjoy watching shows on Prime Video and one that I chose was outside of my usual fare but I found it an intriguing storyline. The series was called Being Human, the American version starring Sam Witwer in one of the leading roles, playing Aiden the Vampire, with the other two roles of Josh as the Werewolf and Sally as the Ghost. 

I’m not one for blood and guts by any stretch, but the overall series really captured the essence of their desire to be better and focus more on their “human” side rather than the “monsters” they knew they were. This series went on for 4 seasons, and many conclusions were surprising but very well done. (I won’t share any spoilers in case you haven’t seen it and want to!)

I especially appreciated the skill set of acting with Sam Witwer’s character; much of his anguish over ones he loses over time are seriously on point, so much so, I could feel it myself. I think it is interesting as the timing of my viewing, especially in the last few weeks, coinciding with the passing of my mom on January 15. Seeing how others, even if in an acting context, dealt with grief, was comforting to me in a sense. Life does keep going; as Mom used to say, Time Stands Still for No One. 

You just keep going, yet learning from each loss and what it shows you about yourself. And allowing others to be there for you when you need it most. And that can sometimes be hard to do, especially when you’re dealing with personal loss that goes deep and wide. 

The character Aiden really taught me that. That’s why I felt inspired to do a sketch of the actor in the garments common to what he wore in the series. 

For this pencil sketch, I used a 6B pencil, which has a heavier lead, in comparison to a #2 pencil. When I created this sketch, I used the Shape and Shadow method rather than contour (line) drawing. I started with lightly laying down structure, light shading to give it form based on shape and shadow of the facial parts starting with the brow line and nose and mouth. I did not choose to erase any forms of shape and shadow but rather just adjusting as I went. I plan to do more in the future; this is just the first one. I feel I captured what I intended with the result. I do not see this as final art; just a sketch. I learn something with every sketch I do; it informs me for the next time. 

Journaling Prompt: 
​Detail a show you have watched that left a lasting impression, feeling a loss when it was concluded, Iike finishing a novel. What did that show teach you? Who was your favorite character and why? Who do you most identify with and what does that show you about yourself? 

Thanks so much for checking out my Illustration Pic of the Week; I enjoy sharing my art journey with you! 
​And I wish you the very Best of Beginnings! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings. We are having Fun in the art studio creating a new art journal spread. We started with cutting fabric for a new design. This week we’re splashing paint on the substrate! I’m thinking in terms of negative space and how I want it to look organic and spontaneous in the way it shows up in the design. 

In the video I show what art supplies I used to make the fun marks, along with my plans going forward with fabric. I also share the positive aspects of following intuitive clues as I make my designs and have fun. 

It is my delight to be a source of inspiration to you in your own creativity! Do join me and leave a comment about what creative pursuits you are engaging in! I’d love to hear from you! 

Journaling Prompt: 
​Do you pay attention to the intuitive cues that come to you through your curiosity? If so, what was the result? Did you have fun following what you were drawn to? Do you want to do it again? Explain how this felt for you and why you want to go back. 

Thanks so much for being a part of my creative journey with me; I enjoy sharing it with you. 
And I wish you the very Best of Beginnings! 

Welcome back to Beginnings, where we talk about Fresh Starts, New Cycles, Exploration, Experimentation and Creativity! This particular post is in two parts. The first part is focused on my Illustration Pic of the Week. The Second part is focused on the video content above and what I am sharing with you from my studio space. If you're interested in my illustrations from my personal journal and/or you would enjoy an inside look at my art journal process, then this post is for you! 

Now on to the Illustration Pic of the Week. I create an illustration in my personal journal each evening as part of my daily journaling practice. So that's 7 illustrations to choose from for the Pic of the Week. This week I'm sharing "Prepping," an illustration to highlights the time I spent in my art journal, using a new tool for cutting fabric! I'm excited to experiment with using something other than a regular scissor to create a new design in my art journal. 

For this Part 2 segment, I am sharing a video of my behind-the-scenes activity in my Art Studio space, and I am showing some new cutting tools, my experience with each one, and I demonstrate how I am building a design for a new art journal spread. I'm excited to try new tools that might make my work with fabric easier, since I love using fabric as collage material, which I discuss in detail and show in the video. 

I decided since the Illustration and the video cover the same topic, I thought it would work well together to put them in the same post, so you can see the process of my art journaling and how it translates into something worth remembering from  my day! 

My goal and my delight is for you to be inspired by what you see that will lead to your own creative pursuits! It can be exciting to find a tool that really works to make creating easier and more fulfilling. I wish the same for you in whatever creative activity you enjoy engaging in. If you have recently found a tool in your creative trade that has made a difference for you, you are welcome to share in the comments below! I love celebrating with you in community! 

Journaling Prompt: 
What makes keeping your journaling practice easier? Is there a particular tool such as type of pen, journal or other accessory that you especially enjoy using? Why? Is there something you would like to experiment with that you have yet to try? How do you think it will enhance your experience? 

Thank you for being a part of my artistic journey. I appreciate your presence here. 
And I wish you the Very Best of Beginnings! 

Hello and welcome back to Beginnings! I'm having so much fun sharing with you my choice for Pic of the Week from my daily personal illustrations I create in my sketchbook journal when I do my evening practice. It gives me such JOY to create these "spot illustrations" inspired by moments I want to highlight from my day. 

This week's Pic features me in the kitchen cooking lunch (having just sliced some carrots for my veggie to be boiled), while doing a video chat with my daughter, Sarah, the day after she turned 32! Yes, it was party time! We had such an enjoyable conversation, especially focused on her poetry, which is her most natural way to express herself (for many years!). I enjoyed telling her what I was making for my meal, what my ingredients were for my customized "coleslaw" I make for myself, which she thought sounded delish. We did a lot of laughing and enjoyed one another's company. 

I enjoyed celebrating with my daughter as she turns another number, with her being my winter lady. (I don't call her a Baby anymore!) It was so good to see her mega-watt Julia Robert's smile. 
And in our house, birthdays are celebrated all month long...so day 2, we're just getting started! Ha! Why not, right? 

Art supplies: 
I used fine line pen for the figure and objects along with colored pencil and pastel for the garments. The lettering is pencil and pastel combined. I absolutely LOVE the texture the pastel adds to the mix. Texture is one of my favorite elements of making art. What is yours?

Journaling prompt: 
Do you have a special way you make birthdays last longer? What is your favorite way to celebrate your own birthday? If you could ask for something as a gift, what would it be and why? 

Thanks for being a part of my artistic and family journey; I enjoy celebrating with you! 
​Wishing you the very Best of Beginnings! 

Welcome back to Beginnings! We are having fun in the Studio making some decisions about Art Supplies; I have recorded a Behind-the-Scenes video showing you some of my art supplies and discussing what I have determined to remove from my art supply collection and why I'm choosing to. Get a peek at some of my rubber stamp collection and Alpha stamps, and a bit of history about my Art Journalig Journey (I reveal how long I've been keeping an art journal!).

I also want to give a shout out to my daughter, Sarah, who's birthday is today, 1/23/24! I filmed this on her birthday so I want to wish her a Happy Birthday! May all your wishes come true! 

Do you have any supplies that you have accumulated, whether art or otherwise, that you can declutter, that you aren't using anymore?
Let's declutter together!
It's perfect time with this being a New Year of 2024. Out with the Old, right? I'm cheering you on! 

Thank you for being on this artist journey with me; and for your interest in my Studio life! (And if you give me a thumbs up on my video and subscribe if you haven't already, I will be delighted!!)

Journaling Prompt: 
What do your art supplies say about you? What are your favorite go-tos in your studio and why? What have you been meaning to remove but haven't yet and why? Make a list and take action to make your space as inviting and relevant as possible. Happy Creating! 

​And I wish you the very Best of Beginnings! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings. For this post, I am sharing my Illustration Pick of the Week from the week of 1/8/24. I so enjoy creating an evening illustration in my journal to highlight something I want to remember from the day's experience. I chose to illustrate and emphasize the One Year Anniversary of my beloved father's passing. My Dad "Danny" Bel-Tempo was the best dad I could have asked for as a child; he was fun loving, enjoyed seeing me happy and had the greatest chuckle to highlight his sense of humor. 
One this Day of Remembrance, I chose to focus on all the things I loved about my Dad and what made him, him. I always loved his choice of grammar and how he would point it out if you weren't accurate with yours. (He did write 3 novels!, one of which was called Foxes. So the fox is the animal that always reminds me of my dad.) 
In my illustration, I aimed to use facial expression to emphasize how I felt that day, still hearing his voice in my head, which is often accentuated with humor. I sometimes find myself laughing out loud at what I hear in my mind's ear. 
Well, Dad, I remembered you and do daily. And now I know you and Mom are reunited, so enjoy! 
With love always, your daughter Dawn

Art supplies: I used a combination of colored pencil and pastel crayon for the letters: ONE YEAR. I used fine line pen for the figure and words, colored pencil and pastel for the wardrobe. I so appreciate the blessing illustration is to me especially when I want to express my love for my Dad. Art supplies are the gift to create from the heart, as I intuitively choose what will best help me make visual what is inside. 

Journaling Prompt: 
How do you best choose to express yourself when remembering someone you love who has passed? Do you find it satisfying? Are there ways you can create a context to support yourself and focus on self care during a time that may be difficult? I wish you well in discovering what that is. 

​And I wish you the very Best of Beginnings! 

Hello and Welcome back to Beginnings! For this post, I am sharing my Illustration Pick of the Week! This is a drawing I did in my personal journal, highlighting the office work I did for meeting a deadline! I used a fine pen for the notebooks and calculator as well as the figure. I used colored pencils and pastel for the wardrobe, hair and skin. 

I think it’s important to recognize a job well done instead of just rushing on to the next task. My illustration practice gives me space to do just that. Very validating! What have you recognized lately? 

Journaling prompt: 
How do you handle deadlines? Do you give yourself margin so you don’t feel rushed? 
Office tip: Breaking down the task into small steps can help with reducing overwhelm and getting the job done with satisfaction! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Beginnings, where we talk about Fresh Starts, New Cycles, Experimentation, Exploration and Creativity. And this is my first blog post for the New Year of 2024, and I'm excited to bring you my first completed art journal spread, which I have titled: Falling Apart in Order to Bloom. I did the majority of this spread in 2023, starting back in July, when I was in the throws of grieving my father's passing in January (1/8/23 will be a year). 

Now, what does that mean exactly? As of this writing, (1/5/24), I'm still contemplating. But in reflection, I think it speaks to the "falling apart," or breaking down phase when you are reckoning with a life changing event that correlates with some very deep rooted parts of your life experience that are foundational to who you are. And my father's passing certainly contributed to that experience. Somewhat of a metamorphosis, which entails a breaking in order to re-build and bloom. And this takes courage! And discernment of how to get from the beginning of this process to the beauty of transformation. 

So here is my art journal tool and supply list used in this spread: 
India ink
Gouache paint
oil pastel
water soluble pastel 
colored pencil, both water soluble and non water soluble
fabric in various prints
buttons
sequins
leaf stamps in various types and sizes
letter stamps
gel medium
matte medium 
magazine clippings 

Journaling Prompt:
Have you experienced a "falling apart" in order to bloom in a new place? What was that like for you? What did you learn from it? What new undrstanding do you have of yourself now that you didn't have before as a result? How did you take care of yourself in the process? 

Thank you so much for being a part of my journey as artist and creative. 
Your presence is greatly appreciated. <3 

​I wish you the Happiest of New Years in 2024 and the very Best of Beginnings!