Tuesday, March 29, 2011

A little bit of progress


It has been a busy month I haven't been able to spend a lot of time painting.  I decided I had better at least show the little bit I've done rather than leave my poor little blog completely neglected. This is still in the very early stage but I think it is coming along.  I saw Betsy Dillard Stroud's amazing painting in the April issue of Watercolor Artist and it inspired me to dig out the old photos I took years ago in Sedona and give it a try.  Here is Betsy's inspiring painting...



I especially like the patterns she has on the rocks.  I am trying to teach myself how to paint and I like to make practice paintings trying out different styles just for fun.  What really wish I could do is figure out what MY style is!  I know my common thread is birds and nature, but I'm not even close to figuring out what my signature style is, and it is VERY frustrating.  I like to paint both whimsical and more realistic images.  But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, I need to learn how to paint first. So I shall continue to putter along trying new things, in my own way, and hopefully my authentic voice will reveal itself along the way.  SOON.  Please make it soon! 

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

GASP! I've turned into my mother


My sisters and I have teased my mother for years, she is a "saver" and hangs onto everything, so naturally she has trouble finding things when she needs them.  But to her credit she occasionally hits one out of the park when we need something obscure and she just happens to have it (and she can find it).  My kindergartener has a class project for which the class earns a pizza party when they have collected postcards from all fifty states.  As you can see from Jack's map they are getting very close to coloring in every state, and we are desperately seeking connections to the remaining few.  My mom just happened to have a blank South Dakota postcard in her stash of stuff and mailed it off to the class.  Does she live in South Dakota ?  No.  Now here is the scary part for me.  I was up in the attic (my room for abandoned and misfit art projects)  looking for a particular art supply, and could I find that art supply?  No.  What did I find?  A blank postcard from North Dakota, that I have hung on to for years for no apparent reason (the picture isn't even that interesting).  Do I live anywhere near North Dakota?  No.  Can I even remember the last time I was in North Dakota?  No.        Love you Mommy!!!




Here is a peek at one art project I am currently working on, a landscape of red rocks in Sedona.  It is a combination of my reference photos, but mostly from the photo second from left.  I have only done the initial wash so it should look very different the next time you see it.  After writing that first paragraph I am now noticing all the clutter in my workspace.  It's not usually like that, ...really!