Hello, my friends. By now, I'm sure I'm a voice from the past, but my last year has been well spent. I've been on an amazing creative journey and I would like to invite you back into my colorful world again. In the coming months, I would be so happy to have you join me as I share with you what I've been up to. There have been many changes in my world, both on the artistic side and the personal side. My wonderful son has struck out on his own, and the husband and I find ourselves with an empty nest. We have been finding our way in uncharted waters, exploring the possibilities and trying new things. I have become involved in our local arts center, taking classes and lurking in the center's galleries. I have reorganized my studio yet again, with the help of IKEA. Just a few items have gone a long way toward allowing me to see the floor of my studio again.
In the wake of all of this change, I am seeing my painting style emerge in a clearer way. Spending time with other artists has made me bolder in developing my work. I continue to work on the digital canvas, the traditional canvas, the art journal and the sketchbook journal. Recently, I have added hand lettering to my bag of tricks. It has been great fun utilizing this art in my journals. In fact, a hand lettered piece is the first one I want to share with you. So grab your favorite beverage, come on over to the cottage, and wander in my world for awhile. WELCOME BACK!
I drew the lettering on graph paper. On a sheet of drawing paper, I worked out the floral design in pencil. Using a light box, I traced the lettering and the floral work onto smooth Bristol board. On the first pass, I used Derwent Inktense pencils to work out the color scheme. I like using them for a base coat because they are water soluble ink. Once they dry, they're permanent. I can then add subsequent layers of watercolors, or in this case, Twinkling H2Os without smearing the ink.
During work on my last few mixed media paintings, I neglected to put down freezer paper on my drafting table. "It's formica," I said. "It will be fine," I said. WRONG!!! I think it took me the better part of three hours of scraping with a scalpel to get in clean. I'm really surprised I didn't scrape the finish right off. A word to the wise: always cover your work surface. The alternative isn't pretty!
The trays on the left are one of the treasures I brought back from IKEA. They're really strong and they work perfectly for storing my twinks (twinkling H2Os). The cubby unit was something I hadn't planned on buying, but as I looked at it in the showroom, visions of an organized studio danced in my head. I trembled as I fantasized about reaching for just the right book, the right medium...and finding it without saying something that might make my dog blush. Thank the Lord for the minivan. Four impossibly heavy cartons of dead weight were stuffed into it's interior.
Jars of acrylic mediums have been notorious for falling out of the closet onto my head. No more!
No longer do I trip over stacks of books on the floor.
I store smaller items in old antique drawers.
Far and away, the best thing that I brought home was a pair of Raskog carts. These puppies are a work of genius. They are sturdy enough to hold tons of paint tubes and bottles.
The containers hanging on the sides of the carts are perfect for colored pencils and brushes. I can roll the carts right up to my easel and my supplies don't take up space on my drafting table. As a rule, if I put a brush on the table, it disappears the minute I turn my head. And don't get me started on what happens to the art journaling supplies. There is a fixed law of nature that says if it's left on the table, it is sucked into a black hole - never to be seen again.
I will be linking this post to Pink Saturday and Paint Party Friday. Thank you so much for joining me as I reopen the cottage. I hope you will return as the paint starts flying. Until next time, I wish you blessings!
