You Can.

Of course I can! I can do it. A few weeks ago, I got a skiing accident and ended up with a knee injury. The doctor in Switzerland took an x-ray and concluded that though nothing was broken, my knee ligaments were damaged and surgery may be necessary. And hence to minimize the damage on my way back to the Netherlands, my knee got braced up and I had to move about in crutches. Then the recent visit to the orthopedic specialist diagnosed overstretched ligaments and that surgery was not at all necessary but plenty of rest and physiotherapy. And now no need to walk around with crutches; funnily enough I have as matter of fact been able to walk without them, even up and down the stairs, although limping and things taking twice as long to do. Yesterday, was off for my first physio session and prescribed some simple exercises. I’m to wait till I can work out again, though. Not very happy about this as I love a great jump-rope or rowing machine workout, even some running, but alas better not if I want to quickly recover. Can I manage? Of course I can!

The Fateful Postcard

Although workout is not possible for the time being, I take this opportunity to catch up on stuff I’ve been putting off. Light reorganising of house, working on the garden a bit (without bending my knees obviously) and of course plenty of creative hobbies! Those should be enough to get my endorphins stimulated. And how convenient this postcard turned up in the middle of all the art supplies rubble on my desk. It came with some stuff I ordered from Splendith, a Dutch art supplies webshop: “You can” it simply states. I was definitely intending to use it! And hence on a two-page spread on my Strathmore sketchbook, I scribbled with OMY’s neon shaded oil pastel “Yes I Can” and “Let’s Do It!”

Let’s Do It!

Then these waxy scribbles were followed by a wash of blue and turquoise pearlescent acrylic inks. See how the water-resistant letters pop out against the ink, how cool is that! Once dry, that postcard was glued on with some Mod Podge to ensure this rather thick card adhered on the paper. I then proceeded in painting myself on the opposite page, and since I was seeking a more matte appearance I went for Holbein’s Acryla Gouache. The gold heart-shaped sticker was also from Splendith previously used to secure the wrapping paper. So far so cute!

The Rest Follows…

A selection of mediums were then gathered to finish this artwork. Firstly, I introduced the washi tape and craft-punched origami teddy bear cut-outs on and around the postcard. “Yes I can!” and “Of course I can” were then doodled across the pages with a black Nuvo glitter marker colored in with purple and yellow glitter pens by Spectrum Noir. My eyelashes were lined with Ranger’s Glitter Glue, along with the hearts in the middle of the pages. I then took advantage of the empty spaces by incorporating stencil art and flower stamps before adding some Sanrio stickers and more Teddy Bear cut-outs. And now…!

So much fun again being able to play around with different possibilities! It all started with the humble postcard which got developed into something kawaii. Using up stickers and tapes are a great way to add to that as well. And now, I’m definitely getting back into the swing of getting creative again. With more spare time during my knee recovery, I look forward to churning out more stuff especially as painting will help keep my mind off the woes of not being able to get physically active for the next few weeks. So watch this space!