I know we are almost done with 2022 and it was a fairly sad year for me. It started with another cancer scare and is ending with other family member illnesses. It always seems like one thing after another. You just never know what people are dealing with, so kindness always matters! It likely contributed to me not blogging as regularly as I would have liked. But enough about that. Let’s talk “dotting”
One of the things that keeps me somewhat sane is being able to dot paint. Dot painting is really about the technique used to paint. Dot art is a style of painting by dotting paint rather than brushing. The dots are traditionally applied with dot tools that can be as simple as a pencil, a q-tip or toothpick. If you are new at it, you could start with handmade tools like a pencil end, and a few acrylic paints and paper. Alternatively, you can buy various plastic tools designed for dot painting. I started with a simple tool set I purchased off Amazon. Also, you must know, I never considered myself artsy or crafty. Art was my least favorite subject in school. This technique has sparked creativity in me that I didn’t realize I had or have. So, if I can do it, you can too!! It takes time, effort and patience……lots of patience. Eventually, I may look at offering classes to spread this art form and allow people to connect. It is always good to connect the dots…..
When I first started dotting, I joined a few Facebook groups to learn from other dot painters. It is great to connect with people that are like-minded. Most groups have group rules. So when I joined, one group, I read that “Pointillism” and “Zentangles” were not allowed. That made me stop and scratch my head. I had to google it. Basically, “Pointillism” is an art technique that uses a series of dots to create an image. Now “Zentangles” is just another method of creating beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. Apparently, they use dots, lines, curves and orbs. It is almost like a mosaic. In any event, all of this was and still feels new to me. During my year or so of experimenting with dot painting, I just “dot”. Some of my pieces are likely pointillism. It doesn’t matter what it is, it is art!! Here are a few pics of some pieces I did that form an image.
That said, I also started dot painting “mandalas” The word “mandala: means “circle” in Sanskrit. It is a geometric design, generally circular. It symbolizes the universe and is used in Hinduism and Buddhism and helps with……you guessed it “meditation” Plus it is fun to design and just admire. I am no expert but the beauty of the mandala comes down to a few things, symmetry, geometry, color, number and intention. I make very simple mandalas and mostly on coasters. If you read up on mandalas, it is truly a beautiful concept. It is meant to reflect balance, eternity and perfection. I have seen some beautiful pieces made by other dot artists that likely took many hours to make. Here are a few pictures of my coasters to give you an idea of what I consider simple.
I really enjoy this art form. In addition to just dotting items like plates and slate/ceramic coasters, I learned how to make cement tealight holders. I purchased a few moulds to create various shaped tealight holders. I have 3 different shapes that I make and then dot paint and seal with resin. It is a bit of a lengthy process to create the cement mould, waiting for it to cure before painting, letting it dry and finally adding a coat of resin for a great smooth gloss finish which is another day or so to cure. I started this to help me relax and it has now taken off into a bit of a side hustle. It has been a real joy to share these products with people at various venues close to my home. Plus it just keeps opening doors to my creative mind, where I have now dotted Christmas ornaments, dotted earring and the list continues. I keep exploring other moulds that I can get and make so I can dot away. Eventually I would love to upload a video of me dotting so you can see the process. Also I would love for you to see what happens when mistakes happen. They say, there are no mistakes in art! Mistakes and imperfections are common and actually important to the process. I will definitely need to learn how to edit out some swear words. To be honest, mistakes help to let you experiment and learn and keep going. So, I say just keep dotting….
The best part of this is my good friend, Lynda, was the one that encouraged me to sell some of my pieces. This year we had 4 shows or sales. I also started exploring making other crafts like gnomes, jewellery and the list continues…. Next year, I plan on being a vendor at many more local venues with my bestie Lynda. Eventually I hope to be able to sell some of my crafts on this website. I will leave you with some posts of some of my tealight sets. All my tealight holders come with free battery operated tealights. If you are interested, just email me. In the meantime, I will just keep dotting….
