An Answer To My Own Question

Out of my bundle of likes and loves, that I wrote about in the first entry called: Snagging the Muse an artist’s prompt, I decided to pick three pieces of paper from the bag instead of two. This was in an effort to make creating a little more challenging and it worked. Here are my three random picks:  Sweaters, Fountain Pens and Fairytales. Wow – random, huh? Anyway, head over to penzart.com/ to see what I was able to create in just under a week.

While my writing or my fairies may not be the most stunning art, they served the purpose: to get my right brain functioning again and my right hand warmed up.

My next three words are: Salt, espresso, and photography.

A Calm Moment

For me a calm moment enables me to do some fun artwork. It’s getting that moment to actually last long enough to create. With time and nothing pressing while I was on the island this past summer, I pulled out my paints and over a few days tried my hand at realism. Realism requires patience, not something I’m very good at – I tried. These are art cards that I put on my site. All the cards on that site are hand painted (no prints). sales.penzart.com

New Book on the Horizon

First of all, my Kitty Cat book is done!! It feels so good to finish a project. I’m sending it out hoping to get an agent to see it’s value. I’ll give it six to nine months and then self-publish. Here is the front cover:

The one-minute pitch: This One And That One is a bedtime story meant to ease worried minds and inspire an “aww,” moment at the end, sending little ones off to comfy, safe slumber.

n the meantime, I’m starting another kids book. This the very beginning of the character development. I think his name is Walter. Rough sketches but I thought it would fun to watch the process. He’s a waterfall enthusiast to the point of obsession. My daughter suggests it should be a graphic novel picture book. Wouldn’t that be a comic book? I have the story written, we’ll see how it all evolves.

Fuzzy Flower Theme

I’ve gotten on a theme of fuzzy flowers. A mixed media thing that I am wondering how to expand on. This one is titled Wildest Dream. The only reason I named it that was because I had one of those dreams last night that stick with you all day. It wasn’t at all about flowers but about an old friend that now has Parkinson’s and I haven’t talked to her in years. In the dream I told I was sorry that I hadn’t been in touch. Maybe these flowers are for her.

This is in the form of a greeting card on my site: sales.penzart.com

Love Letter

I’m slowly adding a few more paintings and cards to my site. I had a friend that died recently. He had a temper at times but he was loyal as heck. We laughed and ate dim sum and helped each other through life. To my friend – This card says: I have a prickly side, don’t we all? I’m blowing through life but I can blush red with love and loyalty. http://www.sales.penzart.com – where I thought it would be fun to mail original art to you friends and loved ones.

Fig Season

Our fig tree produces a bumper crop of fruit this year. There were so many figs that cookies, crumbles and preserves were made several times. All the neighbors were happy to receive a little jar of preserves. The best recipe came from adding the fig preserves to brussel sprouts, mustard and turkey bacon (which could have been regular bacon or prosciutto or no meat at all). So good, that even a member of the family that normally hates brussel sprouts had seconds! Pretty good.

Along with cooking I’ve become obsessed with painting the little plump cuties. Here a couple that I’ve put on my sales site:

Momentary Quarantine

Nothing else to do but isolate in my studio while waiting for a covid test result for my 98yr old mother. I had just visited her and she wore a mask that was way too big. I spent maybe 10 minutes adjusting her mask and discussing her laundry that I was dropping off.

The test was negative! I kind of liked spending deafening alone time. Door closed with nothing to do but paint. The 24 hr wait was a little unsettling. I two big thoughts. Food. Who would feed me? My husband is not into food at all and I am 🙂

The other thought was that I felt sorry that the family would be burdened with all my artwork if I were to die. Lunch first though!

Looking for Spring

On my daily walks with our dog, I saw some crocuses. Spring is just around the corner. So fun when all the color bursts out of the ground and from the trees! It made me want to do a loose, free painting.

• 

I liked that one so much I did another!

• 

I love just swinging the brush around!! Splash, swipe, sketch, sketch….voila!!

Illustrations for my book

I’ve been working on and off on this book for months. Maybe it’s been a year or more, I’ve lost track. In any case, I have the bulk of it done but can’t help but add and subtract pictures. My husband, desperately trying to learn In-design, cringes every time I want to make a change. I’m so sorry, really I am.

The book is an easy reader, for ages 7 to 9. Most of the time publishers don’t want illustrations for that age or if they do, drawings are simple. Since I haven’t found an agent or publisher, I’m doing this on my own and not paying attention to publishing guidelines (standard me behavior).

Here is the problem. I started with a picture like the one below. At first making a simple magnifying glass, then deciding I could make it a little more interesting. And so it goes…one picture after the other.

What that means is that, if nothing else I’m enjoying the process.

             

 

Mixed Up

Mostly watercolors but also some acrylic ink and granulation medium. So fun!! Now I want to go buys all the acrylic ink colors.

Maybe Tomorrow

Thinking about a summer walk with my dog.

A Light Snow

Today’s weather selfie. Snow.

 

The Swim

Just a thought….

Chillin’

I had this in mind for today…or any day.

Snorkeling

Small doodle painting… I like gray and yellow.

Elephant In The Garden

Some fun on a day off.

Acrylic Ink!

I’ve been playing with acrylic ink. Who knew? The difference, I’m guessing, is that regular ink is transparent and the acrylic is opaque and a little thick. The result is that I can use a fine tip pen (the dipping kind) over an existing watercolor.

The Rabbit and the Bloodle

Odd little watercolor with ink but I love it!

Let It Rain

Rainy yesterday:

watercolor, ink, acrylic on paper.

Sold!

Getting Punchy

From the brain with a concussion and way too much time alone. Painting was fun, exhausting but fun. The caption reads – this is embarrassing but here goes –
I find you absolutely radishing!
Then there’s one on turnips, lettuce, sweet potatoes and yams. It’s the Vegetables In Love series. I know… Going bananas over here.

Watercolor and embroidery

Way too bright for me but fun on some level.

Liking the direction and the combination of paper, watercolor and embroidery but not sure if I got this one right or not. I think I need to add more trees or something. Something is missing and not sure what it is yet.

 

 

 

Recent trip to NYC

I’ve always been fascinated by horizon lines. This is one of the pieces that came of the trip: