Nature's Paintbrush

We toured the Botanical Garden here on Kauai yesterday and one of the first trees I saw, one who's name I don't remember - just that it was a mid sized palm-ish sort of tree - had some unusual fruit that looks like cotton candy, 3" long cotton candy. When it dries it resembles a handleless paintbrush. It works, too, though it adds dirt and fibers to the paint and won't last long.
I'm taking lots of photos but not doing as much art as I'd hoped, just using bits and pieces of time to work in my journal. My 4 grandkids have been delightful. I was snorkeling with Amy and we both popped up our artistic heads, saying did you see THAT fish? We're both making an effort to remember colors and patterns and then make color notes about them when we get back to the house.

Packing for Travel

I'm sorry to have been so quiet this past week. I haven't made much in the way of art although I've been in my studio every day, reading blogs, keeping up with email, making a mess and straightening it up, painting paper and spraying, but mostly preparing for vacation travel.

For some reason I simply can't toss a few things into my suitcase and be confident that I'll have all I need when I get to my destination. I have to make lists upon lists to be sure I haven't forgotten something important... and this from a woman who used to teach workshops about planning and packing a travel wardrobe. Yesterday I finally called it quits, culled my clothes down to the bare essentials, put most of the more valuable things like art supplies into my carry-on, pared down the contents of my handbag, and I think I'm ready to go except for the last few things I'll need until we hit the road.

Art essentials for my trip:

So what am I taking in the way of art supplies? an Altoid travel box with 10 colors, a waterbrush plus 4 other rather small brushes, a tiny spray bottle, a tiny bottle of Indian red ink and a dip pen for drawing, my collage/watercolor journal and a few extra bits of watercolor paper, 2 gluesticks and a small bottle of ModPodge with a spreader, small scissors, pens and pencils, eraser and pencil sharpener, a tiny sea sponge, several paper and plastic alphabet stencils, my Moleskine journal and tiny watercolor paintbox and waterbrush in my handbag, a film container with paper clips and brads with masking tape wrapped around the outside, a roll of clear packing tape that tears easily to use for magazine transfers. I'm sure there's more but I can't think what. I didn't make a list for those things. I laid out everything I thought I'd need and put only half of it into a small folding cosmetic bag I found at Fred Meyers. Oh yes, I added a small cribiner, an S hook, and a large safety pen. These are so I can hang up my bag from the airplane seatback in front of me while I work on that impossibly small table. I'd show you a picture but I forgot to take one before packing and I'm not about to undo it now. Maybe I'll remember to take pictures as I work so you can see the process later. Remind me.

Coil Binding for Journals

Gina asked about how I bind my journals. Several years ago I was teaching some workshops on travel journals and I splurged and bought myself a holepunch for coil binding, (like the plastic coil used in spiral notebooks). This isn’t your everyday holepunch; it punches a jillion holes at once, perfectly spaced, through several sheets of paper. It wasn’t an economical move but I’ve loved being equipped to create my own unique spiral/coil bound journals with my paper of choice. I like the coil binding for my sketchbooks because I can turn the pages back on themselves and have a solid platform for writing or making art. I bought my coil punch from Bonnie’s Best.

Most copy stores will be able to coil bind your books for a small fee, usually around $5. Assemble your pages, clamp them firmly with some bulldog clips on every edge except where the spiral coil goes… and on that edge put a big yellow Post-it with an arrow pointing to the edge you want punched… PUNCH HERE. They may take off the bulldog clips but hopefully the note will stay in place and they’ll do it right.

Sometimes when I have a hardback book that I’ll be using a lot in the studio I’ll take the book to the copy store and have them slice off the spine along with about ¼” of the spine edge of the book, and have holes punched in the book so it will fit into a 3 ring binder or punch it for a big fat coil if they have the large size in stock.

Hawaii Travel Art Journal 2009

I've been working on the journal that I'll take to Hawaii in a couple of weeks. I decided to go with a 6X6" format and started by cutting lots of paper to size. I used some of my stencil paper from class as well as commercial scrapbook paper with designs on both sides, and I added plenty of 90# watercolor paper. Then I sewed narrow pieces together to get a full size page, adding embellishments. I left space for journaling both on plain paper and on top of decorated paper. I'll work on the journal on the plane as well as once we arrive.

Tomorrow my daughter and her 3 oldest will come over to construct their own journals. I have lots of cut-t0-size paper as well as lots of pretty paper to add to their pages. The oldest will be in charge of the sewing machine; the oldest daughter knows how to use my paper cutter; the youngest will be comic relief and creative director; my daughter will supervise, and I'll punch the holes for binding.

Travel Journal - Hawaii 2001

Going through an old sketchbook that I took to Kauai in 2001 I found a few sketches that I want to share with you, not because they are so good but because I want to encourage you to draw, draw everywhere you go, adding practice hours upon practice, just like learning to play an instrument. The more you do the better you get.
These 5 drawings are the best of what's in the book and no, I'm not planning to show you the other 20+ ugly drawings, but I am encouraged that I do more good drawings now than I did then. Practice makes perfect. This one is my favorite since I collaged the flowers on top of a long dark wall that wasn't working.


The lettering is a rubbing of something I spotted on a building.
I wanted to preserve the beautiful seashells we had gathered so I arranged them on the table and carefully drew them to the best of my ability.





This was part of the view from our lanai, severely edited to remove most buildings and plants between me and this house.



Another view from the lanai in early morning.


Hibiscus are difficult to draw but I aim to get lots more practice. We're returning to Kauai later this month with our family to celebrate 50 years of marraige.

I got out this old sketchbook today because my daughter and her 3 oldest are coming over Saturday to make travel journals. They all like to draw and collage and I'm doing all I can to encourage them. We'll choose some colorful papers, some watercolor paper, some plain but sturdy cardstock, and then bind them into journals with plans for keeping us entertained on the 5 hour flight and during daily quiet hours. This older sketchbook of mine has brought back such pleasant memories and I'm hoping that making and using their very own travel art journals will will help them remember when they helped their grandparents celebrate a very special time.

It's Music Today

I just heard the most beautiful rendition on YouTube, thanks to Nina Bagly of Ornamental. Have a listen; I hope that Allen Tibbet's marvelous voice lights your world today.

Sharpening the focus

Mixed Bouquet in Blue Vase
4 1/2" x 6 1/2" (11.5cm x 16.6cm)
acrylic on board
$30 plus $4.95 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

I'm going through a period of self-questioning, trying to figure out how to bring a sharper focus to my art-making, though I admit that this is an on-going process for me. I like it all. When I worked in fiberart I wanted to do it all... embroidery, applique, quilting, surface design, dyeing, sewing, and all the little sub-groups of each of those topics. I could never settle on one thing and now that I'm making 2-dimensional art it's still the same.

At my Open Studio last fall there was a recurring comment from visitors who noted that I worked both realistically and abstractly, painted still life and landscape, used oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, collage, in all sizes and color palettes. I do have a recognizeable style but produce the unexpected rather than a series of similar work. I'm interested in everything and that's the problem... I need to focus my attention and dig deeper.

Each of us has a measured lifespan and right now I'm so aware that my productive years may be drawing to a close. I've lived 7 decades and while I'm not planning to jump off a cliff anytime soon I feel my body slowing down and my production waning.

I want my life to count, not just today but for eternity. I want what I do to matter, to my family, to my friends, and to God. I think that I've been given opportunity after opportunity to learn skills, to develop an artistic eye, to develop wisdom, to grow spiritually, to be prepared to do work that matters, to finally focus instead of hunting art with a scattergun.

The plan is to concentrate on my Sermon Notes. I've done 46 Notes and I'm aiming for 60, at least. I want to publish them as a book, so I need an agent and a publisher since I don't want to tackle the non-art part of self-publishing and marketing when my talents lie in the studio. Getting all this accomplished takes time and concentration, so for the next few months I will put away the oils and most of the acrylic and watercolor paints, the easel and the fabric and thread, and work on the Notes. Years ago my friend Linda showed me how to set up stations in my studio, so I plan to clear surfaces and set up some more clearly defined stations, one for working on Notes, a place where everything I need is at arm's reach and when I have even a few minutes all I have to do to get something more done is to sit down and do it. There's my reading corner with my Bible and magazines and Morning Pages journal and new books. There's the big work table in the middle of the room where I can spread out when I need more space. And there'll be empty space with a bouquet of flowers off to the side. Lovely.

I'll continue to travel with my little sketchbook and paintbox and draw my world, and I'll continue working in my art and writing journals... all that is related and keeps my skills exercised. My friend Sandy talked recently about making her studio into a sanctuary, a place that called forth her creative spirit when she entered the room. I'd like to do that; aim for minimalism, spareness, and beauty.

We were in Sunriver last weekend and I thought that when I got home I could jump right into my new plan but of course that didn't work because my studio is a mess and it will take time to get myself ready to work. And then there's the rest of my life. I'd love to say that I work at art full time but I don't and never will. I'm first of all a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend. All of that takes time and energy. I figure that by the middle of September I'll have the studio rearranged and my new schedule set. And I'll be tweaking it a bit as I go. After all, focusing is a new thing for me.

Yellow Pear with Leaf

Yellow Pear with Leaf
6" x 7" (15.3cm x 17.8cm)
acrylic on paper

SOLD

Mixed Bouquet with Yellow on Green
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.8cm)
acrylic on paper
$40 plus $4.95 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Selling my babies

Nah, I'm keeping my babies, the real ones who are now in their 4o's, but that's how I think of my artwork, born of the daily working of my brush and pen and hands. These artwork babies are piling up in my studio and I need to let them go. So I've decided to start posting one a day here on my blog in addition to the other artworks and topics I write about.

Yellow Pear on Blue would look great in someone's kitchen. The painted image is 6" x 7" and matted ready to put into an 11x14" frame.

Yellow Pear on Blue
6" x 7" (15.3cm x 17.8cm)
Acrylic on Watercolor
$40 plus $4.95 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.