Skip to main content

So Now What?

Now that the presents are unwrapped, the cookies are eaten and the mistletoe is down, now what?
Tis the season for looking to the New Year and asking the age old question: So NOW what?

I have been pondering that question a lot, especially in terms of my art and where I am going with it. 
So I pulled out a large journal that holds a history of such thoughts and plans, and wrote this: 


Not that you can read my writing, and I do realize it goes right off the page! I especially like the part that says “in no particular order”. There is something cathartic about simply emptying all the thoughts and plans onto a sheet of paper,  just writing down all those thoughts that have bumping around up in the gray matter, needing a place to land.

Good, it’s done.

Now I can fold that list into a little paper airplane and send it up to God. (At least in my heart)

"Begin, continue, and end every work, purpose, and plan with God. Self-sufficiency and self-confidence have been the ruin of mankind ever since the fall. Man’s sin has been to live independently and without God in the world. True religion consists of full acknowledgement of God in all human affairs.” Dakes Annotated Bible, note from Proverbs 3:5

And by that I mean commit it to God, then organize, prioritize, list, make a calendar, make it happen!

So my 2020 is a shift of focus on mixed media collage and off wearable art. Of course, my Etsy store is still alive and well and fully stocked and ready for customers. But my time and energy is going to be all about doing art on canvas and paper, and preparing to enter the 2020 show season with a whole new body of work. Yes, I know,  just breathe for a moment.


Sea Oats, Laguna Beach, Florida, 11/13/19


 Illustrated journal page from my Florida trip, 11/12/19


Rosemary sprig cuttings from garden, 10/25/19


Illustrated journal page from garden cuttings, 10/28


Mixed media study, 19”x 32” Of the Woods Series


First Frost, photo 10/31/19, illustrated journal cover 12/15/19


      Feel free to come along on my studio adventure while I plan, prepare, organize, paint, embellish, matte, frame and wrap up “In the Woods”. The whole adventure will be documented right here on my blog, starting now and going forward until further notice. 

Please leave comments and let me know your thoughts!



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Paint and Palettes

          I’ve always been a lover of paint and paint palettes. I vividly remember the excitement I felt opening that rectangular tin filled with round cakes of watercolor paint in elementary school. I was hooked! From that point on, I have wanted to explore and express within the inviting purity of paint.          In 1988 I had a beach side shop where I hand painted women's clothing. I was using acrylic paint in abundance. One morning I had cleaned my palette off, and had peeled a large colorful piece of variegated and textured acrylic paint from it.  Some friends of mine came into the shop (actually it was my minister and his wife). During our brief conversation, I showed them the peeled up paint and said, “This is too pretty to throw away, but I don’t know what to do with it.” The husband said, “Oh, you should cut it up and make it into jewelry!” We all laughed about it. It was like "Yeah right, I should try ...

Winter Work

        Now that my show season is over, it's time for what I lovingly call winter work. Winter work is studio time. It's when I light the fire in the wood stove and sit down at the drawing table and/or easel, both of which are pulled close to the wood stove. It's winter work because when the weather cools off and the leaves fall, the studio is the most inviting place in my life. The warmth of the fire and the smell of the wood and the blank slate on the easel are what inspire and motivate me to work.        At one of my shows I bought this glorious coffee mug from Paige @rockbottomceramics. It sits on top of the woodstove and keeps the coffee warm for hours.  It's a studio staple.     There is purposely a blank canvas on the easel, or in this case, a smooth panel which will eventually be gessoed and painted with an expression of light through leaves. The blank canvas is self care. It's a sign of hope for my future. What will go on ...

Up and Running

 Show season is up and running! Next up: One of my favorites, the Crosby Festival of the Arts. It will be held in the beautiful Toledo Botanical Garden June 28-30. I'll be in booth 178 - the Purple Zone- which is where I've been located before.       One thing I love about this event is the location. M y booth is situated close to the herb garden, which is laid out on an inviting pathway, full of life and color. I look forward to taking photos of the gardens, which will eventually find their way into my art. Here's some from last year:      I'm excited to return to the event with my mixed media collage paintings. I've been at work on some new pieces, which will also be available.  Here's a sneak peek at the latest work:        I'm still aiming to capture that path of light through leaves.  I combine paint, papers, ink, wax resist, linocut printing, colored pencils and canvas. My aim is to combine these various ma...