Welcoming 2021 by Creating Dala Art

What a year it has been.  Throughout all of 2020 I experienced great highs and great lows ... as we all have on every continent and country in the world.  Being the insatiable optimist I am, I look forward to a better year in 2021.

Art has always been at the tip of my fingers to help me navigate challenging times. When immersing myself in a drawing or painting, I escape from the anxiety felt about situations I have no control over.  At the same time, my skills improve and I experience greater joy while observing the world around me.  I'm more capable of expressing my experience of the day and I am better balanced both mentally and emotionally.

My favorite choice of format to escape, balance and improve my skills is Dala Art.  I'm celebrating the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 with a 30 Day Dala Art Challenge!  To help you along with the challenge, I have a special opportunity for you and a friend to learn more about Dala Art and various drawing and painting techniques.  Click here to view the special January Opportunity, valid now through January 15th.  

I'll be posting more about the 30 Day Dala Art Challenge in a few days.

Dalas do not have to be created in one sitting.  I often use them as a way to illustrate exploring new or familiar cities, countries and gardens. Sometimes I use just ink, sometimes I add color to the Dala.

Objects around the house are fun subjects, too.

Though most of my Dala Art has been ink and watercolor.  You can certainly use any other medium.  I've use pencil, acrylics, gouache, oil and collage. 

Recently, I began exploring the world of natural dyes using foraged materials.  I was making Shibori and tie-dyed napkins as gifts.  Stirring the dye vat helped to calm the sadness over the isolation during what usually is a festive time to gather with loved ones.  The gorgeous, subtle variants of colors I discovered while dyeing the fabrics ... often altering the color drastically by using my iron mordant of rusty nails, water & vinegar ... has led me to explore the world of making my own inks from plants.  I made my first somewhat successful batch of ink this morning using the cook water and peelings of the purple potatoes from our traditional Christmas Eve pierogis.

I have a lot to learn.  I do know that substituting Guam Gal for Gum Arabic isn't a very good idea.  My coffee ink was really gummy.

I mention this experiment with DIY natural inks because I'll be using them in several of the new videos I'm adding to the Creating Dala Art course as well as in the Dala Art I'll create during the upcoming 30 Day Dala Art Challenge.

Registering for the online class is not a requirement for participating in the Dala Art 30 Day Challenge. Many of my students and peers are already hooked on Dala Art.  

To make staying up to date with what's going on in and around my studio and kitchen, I've created an easy link to one page that will link to online classes both on Skillshare and ExploreWithChrisCarter, to gallery art, my youtube channel and the monthly special opportunity.  The link is:  bit.ly/ChrisCarterArt

I invite you to join me, nurture your creativity and your inner artist as the light grows longer and we open our hearts to all life on our dear Mother Earth.

Thank you for reading my blog.  I wish you peace, health and happiness now in the coming years.

Chris Carter