Happy October! And Happy Inktober! This is one of my most favorite times of year. I have created some of my most favorite art during Inktober.

What is Inktober?

Inktober is an art challenge that happens every year in October. Artists accept the challenge to create art every day using ink as their medium. There is an official Inktober prompt list, or you can choose your own.

I have participated in Inktober *almost* yearly since 2017. I usually pick a theme for the month. I have done Ink & Flowers where I combined watercolor painting and ink drawing together. I have also done Ink & Landscapes where I created under-paintings in watercolor and added ink details.

This year I am using my Bard Blooms prompt list from February Flowers. Instead of full color watercolor paintings I am using pen and ink on paper. I will be traveling this month so I had to keep that in mind as I was deciding how best to participate this year. I am feeling the creative urge to work back into the drawings with some colored ink. I might do some little experiments to see if that would be a fun idea to explore more.

For this project, I begin my day in my garden. I make a cup of tea and sit down in the cool morning air with my reference and some cookies. Then I begin drawing. No erasing. I have to commit to every mark, which is my favorite part. It has been a beautiful way to begin my days.

Day 1: “There’s a daisy: I would give you some violets, but they withered all…” -Hamlet

Day 2: “Daffodils, That come before the swallow dares,” -William Shakespeare, ‘The Winter’s Tale’ (1610-1) act 4, sc. 3, l. 116

Day 3: “Here’s flowers for you; Hot lavender,” -The Winter’s Tale (4.4.122-7)

Day 4: “Here’s flowers for you; Hot lavender, mints…” -The Winter’s Tale (4.4.122-7)

Day 5: “Here’s flowers for you; Hot lavender, mints, savoury…” -The Winter’s Tale (4.4.122-7)

Day 6: “Here’s flowers for you; Hot lavender, mints, savoury, marjoram;” -The Winter’s Tale (4.4.122-7)

Day 7: “The marigold, that goes to bed wi’ the sun… these are flowers Of middle summer,” -The Winter’s Tale

Day 8: “…primrose path of dalliance treads,” -Hamlet

Day 9: “the fairest flowers o’th’ season Are our carnations…” -Winters Tale, Act 4 Scene 4

Day 10: “...the fairest flowers o’th’ season Are our carnations and streaked gillyvors, Which some call nature’s bastards.” -Winters Tale, Act 4 Scene 4

Day 11: “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” -Romeo and Juliet (2.2.45-7)

Day 12: “To guard a title that was rich before, To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, To smooth the ice, or add another hue Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” -King John (4.2.11-17)

Day 13: “For though the chamomile, the more it is trodden on, the faster it grows, yet youth, the more it is wasted, the sooner it wears.” -King Henry the Fourth, Part One (Act 2, Scene 4)

Day 14: “Cleopatra: As sweet as Balm, as soft as air, as gentle.” -Antony and Cleopatra (Act V, Scene 2)

Day 15: “Not poppy, nor mandragora, Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world, Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep Which thou owedst yesterday.” -Othello (3.3.368-71)

Day 16: “Not poppy, nor mandragora, Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world, Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep Which thou owedst yesterday.” -Othello (3.3.368-71)