Learn How To Surf

I worked this up today in watercolor for the prompt of skill.

Learning how to roll with life's waves is a necessary skill, but not one we are born with. Our lives have been so crazed since last June. We've had so much turmoil and strife in our inner circle. Sadly, the trend has not ceased, but we have learned to surf holding hands and waiting for the waves to cease.

Inside the Sketchbook

Some of the pieces I have been working on in my sketchbook...

This was for the daily prompt of - Mom. It's a watercolor based off my last maternity photo shoot.

This one I chose to do on a canvas with acrylics. It's titled "Yesterday" - a nostalgic memory to keep the wonder of childhood alive. It will be listed in my Etsy shop next week.

A different style for the daily prompt of something that starts with the letter L. In the end a lot of people choose a lion. This was a watercolor and pen sketch in the sketchbook.

 A watercolor and pen commentary on social media for the prompt of reward. In the end only we know if we have bent our personalities to fit a mold. It's something I fight against on a regular basis.

And this last piece is in progress. A tiny vignette of retro Disneyland was more work than I anticipated - lots more more layers and details to do, but it does make me happy. 

Irish Blessing - Free Printable

Since New Year's Eve, I have been painting and drawing every day without (much) fail. I have posted almost all my work on Instagram and Flickr. A few people have asked about purchasing a print. Right now I can not fathom trying to sell prints while juggling my 3 kids and homeschool, so I have opened up a Society6 account. I haven't had time to upload items yet, but I'm hoping that by the end of March it will be full of watercolor goodness. In the meantime, I have a free watercolor Irish Blessing printable for you.

This printable is a 5x7 jpeg. I printed it with a laser on heavy duty metallic white cardstock. I love the shimmer! I hope this adds some lovely Irish charm to your mantle!

(For personal use only - thank you!)

Star Wars - Watercolor

Today the prompt was "robot" and of course I had to paint R2D2. I mean really, could there have been a better bot? I'm working more now without sketching and just diving into painting. It seems to be a better approach for the impressionist style that I lean to, with the sketching in advance, I can feel stifled.

I'm also working on Julie Balzer's month of patterns. I tend to coordinate my patterns with my doodle prompt. Princess Leia heads.. So fun!

Watercolor Adventures

Near the end of last year, I was really feeling the need to paint. I painted my nails, I painted cookies and suckers. I guess I knew I wanted to return to painting, but was having trouble figuring out what it is I wanted to paint. I discovered a couple of doodle and pattern prompts on Instagram. It seemed like a good way a great way to spend my mornings. 

I have trouble with just doodling though. I sometimes sketch, but almost always enjoy my watercolors. I've learned a lot in the daily practice and I've started receiving requests for prints. I'm taking it slow, but have started looking at reopening my Big Cartel store.

An Experiment With Plaster, Watercolors, Fabric and Embroidery.. Or Fresco Embroidery..

Ever since I dived into Plaster Studio: Mixed-Media Techniques for Painting, Casting and Carving, I've been experimenting with adding plaster to my repertoire. I have absolutely loved including plaster into my work, but I've been searching for ways to marry it with fabric. In the book there are a few projects that use it with burlap to create some beautiful pieces, but it wasn't quite me. I didn't want the fabric to simply be a substrate, I wanted it to breathe and have a relationship with the final piece. I have a number of ideas I want to explore with different fabrics and types of plaster (gesso, joint compound, plaster of paris, etc), but I'm so excited and I wanted to share my first piece with you.

This piece started with a single piece of linen and was frosted with a thin layer of joint compound. Once it set, I painted the background with a wash of watercolors. Then with perle cotton, I embroidered a primitive design of two homes. To add stability and color to the project, the piece was then deconstructed and hand sewn on to another piece of linen. Once it was secure, I free motioned it all together with a flannel batting and heavy canvas back.

It is delicate, simple and thoughtful. This piece is a gift and has a long story behind it.

It is the start to hopefully many more "fresco embroideries". I love the texture and fragility of it, though I hope I can find the right combination that will allow more detailed embroidery without impacting the plaster too much.

Nesting - Nursery Projects and Watercolor Fun

I apologize for the lull, it has been crazy here nesting and getting ready for Little Man. Baby Girl started to come 6 weeks early and I just knew this pregnancy would be similar. Sure enough, we are 6 weeks out and I'm already dilated and effacing a bit too quick. Eek!

Even though the blog and Facebook page have been quiet, I've been quite busy with projects, artistic experiments and enjoying the start of our summer.

I will write a full post on Little Man's nursery projects once they are all finished. Here are some sneak peeks..

When I'm not working on projects for Little Man, I've been playing with watercolors. I figure that maybe the easiest way for me to create for the first couple months after his delivery.

What's next? Little Man's induction is on June 17th and we're hoping he will stay put till then. I'll be guest curating on the amazing Jenny Doh's site, Crescendoh, this summer. I will have my first solo art display at the Sandy library in September. And I'm still waiting to hear if I was accepted at Craft Lake City.

For now I'm not accepting or seeking any teaching opportunities. The rest of 2013 will be centered on finding the balance in our family with our sweet little boy, gearing up for homeschool and enjoying these rare moments. In those quiet times, I'm eager to find my artistic voice and settle down with a few choice mediums. I hope that in 2014, I will be able to break open some doors with my art, embrace our homeschool lifestyle and find new ways to inspire others as well as connect with my fellow artists. There will be some blog and Facebook lulls while we adjust, but I hope you will stay connected with me as we enjoy this last chapter of babyhood.