Paint the Pillows, Please.

I'm still very much in love with my Sketchbookery class.

These pillows were happily resting on my friend Joan's patio bench on her deck in Topanga Canyon. I believe she made them. A week or so ago, I spent a day there, soaking in the quiet. It was a little bit startling and fully wonderful.


Since we met 18 years ago, I've being at her home, but often wondered how working in LA balanced with the extra commuting time. This visit it all clicked. It was just she and her beautiful girlie and me, no party crowd. Quiet. At one point in the day, I actually sat in a chair with my head back and fell asleep in the canyon silence. Oh sure, there was the sound of a breeze off and on, but nothing like the sound of cars and people I get floating into my suburban quiet. It was so peaceful.
The pillow picture is a little remembrance of the day and the deck.

What I find myself loving about this sketchbookery way of coming at watercolor, is that I seem to be gaining some facility with the paints without the formality. I'll be so glad to go back later and get the ground-up detail of applying watercolor technique. But right now, Mary Ann Moss has encouraged me to just try to copy all I see. It's a brilliant way to become fearless! It seems that some of the detail is coming on its own.

I love the pillows, the friend who made them and the paint that got them onto the page.

What's making your summer special?

All I need is a good book.

Part of both art classes, Sketchbookery and also the Journey of Letting Go, is making an art journal with Coptic binding.

For my first attempt, I worked with Mary Ann Moss's version, a Coptic watercolor book with a chevron binding.

I'm very happy about the process and the outcome. This is the outside view, of course, made with three inner signatures of hot pressed watercolor paper, bound with bookbinding thread and utilizing a book with a perfect cover but expendable pages.

It's an arduous process for sure. Thankfully, I didn't hear the part about not making the book in one day until I was sewing the chevrons through that binding tape. It's probably best that way. Completion is it's own reward.




When I finished, I shared it with anyone who would look. My clan is supportive, with the greatest supporter, my dear husband, who would like to buy one from my store. (I have no store.)


Later, I kissed all my people goodnight as they peeled off to go to bed and when the last was gone, I went into my kitchen studio area (that would be the kitchen table) and put some paint into the book.

I worked from a picture on my iPad taken of my treasured Hebe plants and christened the first page. It's a working book, a place where I can learn.

Hebes & the Hebe Society

Hebes are beautiful. Mine are just about this color with this wonderful vibrant magenta, and some lighter pink flowers. My friend MaryEllen loves them, which made me notice them all over again. Noticing is good.

It was a rather happy day in my happy little art space.

How about you? What are you painting?

Altoids Traveling Watercolor Paints!

Usually I go to the Art Store with my dear husband. He's happy to wander with me supporting my love of supplies. I'm happy to have him there and without saying a word, he's my Jiminy Cricket keeping me from potential overspending.

Well, I went by myself this week. During the day. Alone. And what happened? Well, I ended up with a follower, an artist guy looking for my expert opinion. I kept using the word novice and he kept asking questions. Before I meandered off without my paper he asked if I'd made an Altoids Travel pan. Well, no, I have a little travel set, but I heard him out. Upcycler that I am. Kinda.

Today curiosity got the very best of me and I found that unfinished box of Dark Chocolate Dipped Peppermints (ick - what were they thinking?)

Well, voila! The upcycled travel pan. I bet you could even add six more lids to the top and just close it when they dry. 

So, whadaya think?
Workable?

What are you making?

I'm going back to my balloon page.

Oh, and thank you art guy. Hope you found that paper for landscapes.

Peachy!

In my Sketchbookery class, we did a complete page. What fun! 

I'm reaching back into my pre-kiddos days when I used to lug a sketch pad on airplanes and draw whatever I saw: ice in glasses, table settings, food and when that was over, shoes and feet. 

I'd forgotten I'd even done that. 

My dear reminded me that I used to sit and contour draw on our apartment floor. 

And now there's color. 

Our teacher, Mary Ann Moss, did a fun strawberry study. I'm super grateful my boyo is so very into peaches. I had a whole box to choose from. 

And, surprisingly, all the colors were just, well, there. 

More watercolor exploring -- the napkin

Inspired by Mary Ann Moss from her blog post and the "just do it" concept, I grabbed my favorite Ralph Lauren napkin and painted it.

I noticed two things:
First, fear and perfection will stop you before you ever begin anything.
Second, I can see and feel improvement as I go. This is the joy of the novice learning curve.




I've had these napkins for 24 years. (Really?) My good friend Michelle Purcell and I share a penchant for cloth napkins. I decided only table linens I love will end up in the drawer. These look pretty happy on a white (or blue or beige linen) tablecloth. And I eagerly await spring and summer, when they grace the table often.

Now, they're a part of my sketchbook for this class. Front page.

Ralph Lauren has created some truly beautiful floral patterns. I realize now that I was drawn to his linens because of their artistic quality -- not because of the high end label.

My favorite part

Eons ago I fell in love with this black comforter cover RL designed.

I still own it, even though it's a queen and I live with a king*. There's some creative stitchery coming to make it a part of my duvet rotation. But in the days I first saw it, I was in Maine at the RL store when a fellow shopper explained why RL's fabrics are so superior. Apparently he goes to great lengths to design and properly dye threads, applying color several times.





This is why the colors are so true and rich and hold so long. This is also why they sell on eBay as very rare finds, commanding good $$. I took my own pillow covered in RL's Alison print both times I birthed my babies and I love looking at the beauty they added to our happy hospital rooms. 

I'm connecting more deeply to the why of my proclivity. 

Happily.

More painting to follow. 

The fun begins!

*Hi Dear.

A little pretty for a Sunday morning.

Good morning.













I'm taking a class, very soon, with Mary Ann Moss. So, I've been scooting around her blog and eyeing her vision, when I came across a link to Yao Cheng's 5 tutorials. The link wasn't working, but I loved what Mary Ann shared, so I keep hunting. (Here's a link to Yao's beautiful blog. I think she just got married. Happy Married Life to you Yao!) I finally found the tutorials on the Alison Show website. Here's the first of the 5 Yao Cheng's watercolor tutorials.

Pretty inspiring.
So when I was doing some creative calisthenics this morning (thank you Dina Wakely). This little blossom popped up.

I'm still new and I'm learning about how I love layering. And round sable brushes. I'm also learning that watercolor paper is better than the tags I "work out" with, but practice is what it is and I love the tags for this! (I got my tags for about $32 on Ebay. That would be 3.2 cents each. 30 cents a day. Thank you very much.)

I'm loving this June gloom summer sweetness.
At the table.
With the colors.
Exploring.

A Little Birdie

This little guy showed up on a page of my art journal. He makes a sweet writing companion. 

And now, I'm working to find this color. Don't you just want to jump into the page?