Easy art projects to try during the pandemic

PROJECT 1: Divide a piece of paper into small boxes — one for each day of the month. Every day, while using black, white and gray markers, draw something new and “separate the color out of

everything,” she says. This means using no color — just shades of gray, white and black. Ostheim’s reproduction of “Monk by the Sea” by artist Caspar David Friedrich. Courtesy of Susan

Ostheim PROJECT 2: Create landscapes. Ostheim recommends finding a style of landscapes or a painter whose work you admire and mimicking that. From there, use that style to take on your own

landscape subjects. "I don't know why everyone downplays landscapes,” she says. “They're actually very complex.” Ostheim picked a landscapist she admired, Caspar David

Friedrich, and worked to recreate his works. Eventually, she started using photos from her own travels, but she tried to recreate them in the style of Friedrich. For those in need of a

little extra guidance, try using a Bob Ross tutorial for assistance. His The Joy of Painting TV episodes are available to stream for free on YouTube. PROJECT 3: For a black-and-white

project, try photographing something new in black and white each day. Part of Ostheim’s black and white series challenge. Courtesy of Susan Ostheim PROJECT 4: The ultimate challenge is to

draw or paint a circle every day with black paint, Ostheim says. “It's not until you do that for weeks at a time that you realize how infinite that is. That kind of discipline is where

you find yourself. It's really, really cool.” DON'T BE DAUNTED Still, as a longtime teacher, Ostheim knows producing daily art can be intimidating for first-timers. The key is to

pick just about anything that interests you and try to be disciplined about executing, no matter how small the project. "It can be dancing or doodling, whatever creative outlet you

choose,” she says of the project. “It's about personal enlightenment and what you get out of it.” To date, Thomson says there are more than 1.6 million hashtags of #The100DayProject on

Instagram. About 5,000 people participate each year from all over the world. But if 100 days or a specific series still seems daunting, Ostheim proposes to “just scribble.” Because

we're all bombarded with data and news that is often depressing, it's important to find ways to calm the mind, she adds. "If you take a position of time in your day and all

you do is scribble, you look at the marks you're making, you put them in different places every day and you're engaged. You escape into something deeper, away from this reality

that's just toxic. It's a beautiful thing.”