Daily Assignments With Monthly Themes
It’s a new year, and I feel ready to tackle another 365 daily art assignments – especially after the unexpected break in that tradition last year. Or I’m trying to make it a tradition anyway. The plan for 2021 is to repeat the more involved journal idea that I used in 2018 – daily art with a new theme or focus every month. All the work will (hopefully) fit into one journal, so I’ll have another book for the shelf by the end of the year.
More info about past daily art journals/challenges here.
To start getting excited, I came up with the themes for the year upfront. Here’s what’s planned for each month:
January
Collecting trash scraps: the same theme as January 2018 and all of 2019’s daily journal.

February
Mark making: scribbles, blobs, and the abstract use or combining of different mediums. The plan is to mark up a small piece of paper and then use a circle punch on my favorite bit to add to the journal.
March
Thread and stitches: paper, cloth, embroidery, collage… as long as it has thread in it. This was the theme for March 2018 too.

April
Magnified photos: using a magnifying glass, specimen viewers, or a macro lens for daily photos.

May
Envelopes: collaging on or with or relating to envelopes in some way.
June
Left-handed drawings: yep.
July
Instant photo: my husband ordered me a Jollylook camera (“made mainly from recycled paper and cardboard”) as a present years ago and it’s finally been produced and has started shipping! I can’t wait to see it on our doorstep.
August
Stamp vignette: a way to use all these little stamps that I’ve been carving from school erasers.

September
Pins: I have a button maker. And I am in love.
October
Ghosts: usually collages. The same monthly theme from October 2018 and 2020.

November
Looking up: daily photos shooting straight up – clouds, the sky through tree limbs (with pretty fall colors?), etc.
December
Snowflakes: cutting a grade-school-art-class folded paper snowflake every day. We get a little wrapped up in things during the holidays, so I figured something a little more low-key (and fun) would be nice for December.