I pulled the bandaid and did something I was terrified to do. And now I am going to do it every Friday at 7:00pm Eastern! Because all of my events and exhibitions have been canceled for the foreseeable future, I will be doing more digital events! More dates and venues will be added, but for the time being this will be a consistent thing. Ask questions and peek inside my studio! Save the date.
Today’s #marchmeetthemaker prompt is #details! And that is what I am all about! I busted out the macro lens for this one, so swipe to see the details.
I know I have been quiet. I have neglected my project. But not really. I have been writing in my journal every night, and preparing for longer, more involved posts. I have also been immensely busy making work. Commissions have been coming in consistently (thank you!!!), and it is the season for art fair preparation. I have to make a lot of work for these fairs. It is what I love doing, but it keeps me so busy! All good things.
My art fair applications are coming back. All good news so far. I will announce when and where, soon! I also have two projects that I have been laboring on that I haven’t had the courage to share yet. I am so excited about it all. Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you enjoy these new pieces!
I am back! I have been off my game. No, I have just been busy with life stuff. It was Brennan’s birthday on Saturday. It is my husband’s birthday tomorrow. I have been busy planning, preparing, and then cleaning up the messes. It has been fun. But I miss my studio and my old routine.
By the time I get in the studio it is late at night, and I am too tired and busy to write. I miss it, though. So, I will make it a priority this week.
Am I better? Am I worse? I don’t know. I have always been bad.
My brain just thinks visually. Impulsively. I have always made art with my intuition. Writing is not like that. It’s planned, it’s ordered. There are rules. Bear with me while I figure mine out.
I am kind of having fun though, figuring out my words. So thank you for sticking with me.
So, yesterday I sat down and wrote in my journal. After freely writing about my day without a goal in mind, I realized it was a bit too personal to post online. It was just a hard day. Writing was therapeutic, but it wasn’t informative. But then, the dillema! What do I do on those days?! Everyone should be allowed one now and again! So, I decided those will be the “something” days of #my100daysofwritingsomething.
I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend.
Today is just a something day.
Image: Yellow Leaf
Today I went to the Ann Arbor, Matthaei Botanical Gardens to pick up artwork that was in a show there. I took the time to visit the gardens to find some inspiration and take reference photographs.
I bought some Gwen Frostic prints of insects in the gift shop. I will share in my stories tomorrow, as I know my fellow bug enthusiasts will enjoy.
Now, I am just painting moons in my studio.
For years I have painted in a monochromatic style, or with a limited palette. In the spirit of #the100dayproject, an Instagram challenge that encourages a creative project for 100 days, I am focusing my attention on color. For this special project, I am keeping each painting I make, and will display them as a collection at the end of 100 days. Follow my journey on Instagram!!
I have received a lot of inquiries about these paintings, though, so I want to make them available to you! That is why I am offering you a limited time opportunity to purchase a painting like the ones from my series. Your painting will have all of the characteristics of the paintings listed, but each one will be handmade specifically for you. You will receive the painting ready to frame in a 5''x7'' mat. I also offer custom framing options.
These pigment prints are printed on handmade paper that I make myself. They will be shipped in 2 weeks time from ordering. If you need something by a specific date, email me and I will try to speed up the process.
The 11’’x14’ and 17’’x22’’’ are statement pieces! I have to recommend one of those. But I want to make prints affordable, so I have smaller sizes. Please note that detail is lost the smaller the print. This is a limited edition pigment print on handmade paper. Based off of my painting the Nest.
Prints are signed and each one is one of a kind due to the nature of the handmade paper.
Prints can come matted and ready to fit in a standard size frame.
5’’x7’’ / 8’’x10’’ Double Mat
8’’x10’’ / 11’’x14’’ Double Mat
11’’x14’’ / 16’’x20’’ Mat
(New!) 17’’x22’’ /24x36’’ Mat
Statement for the Nest:
First, there was the Deer. A painting that was inspired by an incident that involved a deer that was shot on my property, and the subsequent months that followed, watching the animal return to the earth. When only fur was left, I collected some, but left most of it. The day after I collected the fur, a giant oak tree fell on where the body once rested. Months later, in early spring, the pandemic had started and I spent more than a month inside. Scared. Finally, I forced myself to go outside and explore the woods. And that is when I found it. A bird had made a nest out of deer fur! The Deer’s fur. This piece was inspired by the feelings I had at that moment of discovery.
Using a variety of techniques, I create artworks that explore themes of natural history, historical occurrence, memory, and cycles. My materials are found and handmade—my most precious material is my grandmother’s antique jewelry that I crush and use to make handmade watercolors. This piece also includes rubies, emeralds, 24k gold, deer fur, geodes, and glass.
View the original: https://youtu.be/1aG3WBkRUIk