Working small and slowly and The Inchie Challenge 2023

The Inchie Challenge, run by Amy Maricle, at Mindful Art Studio is over for another year.  I discovered Amy back in June/July, through my art journaling course where she was the teacher for one lesson.  I mentioned her in a previous post about the art journaling course.  She used to be an art therapist and her work is about slowing down and also creating big pieces from small pieces.  

My page from the art journaling course

I loved creating the page slowly, using watercolour and a black pen and have since taken two of her courses, bought her book, Draw Yourself Calm, and join in with her weekly slow drawing on Youtube on a Wednesday at 6pm in the UK. 

The Inchie Challenge is twelve daily prompts to encourage a daily art practice.  On the top row, left to right are: Frothy, Woven, Bark and Magnolia. In the centre, left to right are: Spill, Knot, Touching, Boxes.  On the bottom row, left to right are: Fern, River, Art Poem and Moon. These squares are actually 2 x 2 inches in size, so are really twinchies, but she prefers the word inchies.

What has really surprised me is that I like working small using a black permanent pen and watercolours.  I have always thought I was a 'more is more' person, with my love of mixed media, but I am embracing the small format and few supplies this needs. I have lots of scraps of watercolour card from other projects and this is a great way to use them. I am finding it to be incredibly meditative, as repeating shapes and lines is a major element.    

I am now starting to work on two journals for her two courses and slowly starting to work through her book too.