No Right Answer

Art has no right answer. The best we can hope for is an interesting answer.

Seth Godin / The Icarus Deception

Stained Glass-look Owl
Artist Trading Card

I have an artist friend who "disdains" the use of tracing in their art.  I say horse feathers! Use whatever helps you create your own original art. 

4 Owl Artist Trading Cards
Twinkling H2O Watercolor
#14, 15, 16, 17

These owls were all traced onto the ATC from a drawing I made using a picture as a guide. The rest was free hand. I wanted to mimic the stained glass look. They are headed to ARTzona as part of my ATC for trade, along with the original (top) that was entered into the monthly contest on atcsforall.com.  

I couldn't show these last four when I created them in early January as voting was happening, however they are considered paintings #14 - 17 of the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge. Tiny paintings count and besides, these owls were addicting. :) 

Happy Wednesday! 

What's in My Studio

A painting while in progress on my studio table. 

Three Orange Flowers - nearly finished

I've been asked to hang a few of my paintings at Giuseppe's Al Porto for the next couple of months beginning January 15th! Cool!  This painting will be one of them.

Three Orange Flowers - 8 x 10 (#13)
Print available

Another painting on the same theme, finished Sunday. 

Two Orange Flowers 6x8 (#12)

These are paintings #12 & 13 for the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge. I'm not going to be able to continue this technique in a few days, as we'll be traveling. Back to watercolor sketches until we are settled again for a few days. :)

What are you working on this week? 

Check out what others have on their work desk at

Love is...

Heart (#11)
Oil Pastel on Watercolor Paper

“Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.”

–Brene Brown

Catching up

It's been a bit of a crazy week... the old too much to do, to little time syndrome. Although I am getting caught up on the "30 paintings in 30 days" challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta, and even working to get a bit ahead.

The following series of spring flowers were created with Twinkling H2o Watercolors by LuminArt. I bought these some time ago, and re-discovered them last week. I have found that they do not give the effect I prefer on the gesso texture backgrounds. Experimentation is fun, even when things don't turn out the way I wish. The first three are watercolor over gesso, the fourth is a watercolor.

Snowdrop (#7)

Purple Crocus (#8)

Blue/Purple Salvia (#9)

Purple Spires ACEO (#10)

I'm having a hard time getting photos that show the true color. The two blue/purple flowers are actually both a darker purple. I'm not sure if the iridescent paints are causing the color loss, or if it's just the low light this time of year. I'll keep tweaking it. 

Still working on other canvases, including a few that I started some time ago and haven't quite finished. I'll have more to show soon!

Hope your week is going well!

Sharing with Paint Party Friday, hosted by Eva and Kristen. 

What's in my Studio

What's in my studio this week? 

Studio work surface - with the remnants of the recent a-thon on atcsforall.com and beginnings of trades for the upcoming ARTzona retreat in Mesa January 25-27. Oh my, I'm getting so excited!  I plan to finish a few more beeswax and paper napkin ATC's for trading there. 

Using the lap desk to paint as I watch movies in the evening with my husband. 

That counts as a work desk, right? 

Thirty Paintings #5 &  6 - ACEO's using Twinkling H2O's. 

Lot's of other things in progress... I just need uninterrupted time in my studio. Hard to come by these days, it seems. :) 

Sharing late in the day with: 

30 Paintings Update...

I was a bit waylaid with a husband unexpectedly in the hospital the past few days.  He's home now and going to be fine (and we've met our yearly deductible. o.O). However while I have a couple of small things started, I did not finish any paintings and am totally exhausted so it won’t happen tonight.

I do, however, have some new ideas inspired by interesting textures around the hospital.
I hope to work on the smaller paintings tomorrow, and also get started on the new ideas. I remind myself that the goal is to have 30 completed paintings in 30 days, not to finish a painting each and every day.

Some of the paintings I create take a couple of days with all the drying times required between layers. I usually have a few going at a time just for that reason.

So... a question for you:
Do you take random photographs in strange places of patterns and odd things to remind yourself of creative ideas?
:)

Day 2 of Thirty Paintings

My goal for the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" is twofold - to created a cohesive body of work for potential solo art shows, and to complete several barely started or nearly finished paintings lingering about my studio.

Since I did not have a newly completed painting when I posted yesterday, here are two that were completed by last evening.

Day 1 - Blue Flowers

Day 2 - Sunflower

Both paintings are watercolor over textured gesso - a technique I learned from Carla Sonheim.

Sharing with Paint Party Friday, hosted by Eva and Kristen. 

First Day of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Low Tide - Abstract Landscape

This painting was actually finished early December. However, it has just been listed in my Etsy Shop today.

It's early and I have a lot of today left to work on the paintings in my studio. More tomorrow on what I accomplished today.

Happy New Year! 

A New Year

Wishing you a New Year of health, prosperity, opportunities and hope! 

To start my year off creatively, I've taken a couple of challenges for myself to keep my art juices flowing. 

First, I'm participating in the January 2014 "30 Paintings in 30 Days" Challenge, hosted by Leslie Saeta at Slices of Life. The challenge to myself is to finish as many paintings as possible. I have some nearly finished or backgrounds-started canvases I want to get completed, as  well as some fun ideas for new paintings. 

And I'm also participating in Creative Jump Start 2014. Many instructors with many techniques. I'm excited to get started. You can check it out here: 

There's nothing like a good challenge for the new year! 

Happy New Year, Everyone!