Celebrating Mid-Spring Studio Update 2024

Fresh Pastures, New Vistas

The birds are welcoming the light half of the year, the lusty month of May, it’s Mid-Spring, Beltain, a favorite time for many folks – how pristine the air and flowers are! The next season is open for fresh pastures, new vistas in the studio and garden. We are very grateful to live on green land where we have been eating spinach and asparagus for several weeks.

Teaching and learning

The past season can be summed up as one of teaching and learning. It was synchronistic that the Color Book Class had to be rescheduled because of weather, from a winter date to the Lunar New Year. The gathering took on a celebratory upgrade. Hot kale soup and sourdough bread made the sub-freezing temperatures just right. We used watercolors and watercolor pencils to embellish hand made journals.

Working in a group allows for learning from each other. At the other end of the spectrum, mentoring one on one, observing a student marvel at colors flowing from their brush is a thrilling reward.

A journey through mediums

During the studio makeover, when I opened the oil painting box I used from 1966-1999, and saw the pigments bonded to the palette, I closed the lid on the possibility of revisiting the medium even though I still had all the brushes and paints. Ever since turning to water media to express the energy of the moment, I appreciate the basic difference of the medium itself. The ease with which I can reactivate a watercolor palette and wash a sable brush.

For a brief time from 2002-06 acrylics were a part of the mixed media series. This was a love/hate relationship. I simply hate cleaning brushes and the feeling of the medium on my hands, it’s permanence. The very best feature of it though, is its ability to cover. That quality is freeing after having to keep white and light areas on watercolor paper, being careful not to go muddy.

Now, since the last writing, I have returned to studying basic art principles in Art2Life that I rebelled against learning years ago. The lessons are taught using acrylics. Nicolas Wilton’s indexed journal process for the daily art practice is brilliant. I am overcoming this resistance because I can use acrylics in the same Midori journal I’ve been using. This consistency in size is a grounding factor as it is the same size as the journals I’ve made for travel.

So, all the art I have to show this season is here in photos. They are all unfinished works, studies, details. Students and visitors can see my 10 studies (so far) on panels and in the fabulous art journal that contains daily art practice and all the details of life. I take it everywhere like to Marilyn Matthew’s show. On that days page I added her hand painted business card.

Stay tuned to see what series will come next. I include myself here. Curiosity, mystery, all heart continues to propel me forward in creative exploration.

Coming Up

I will bring my bead jewelry to EncaustiCastle on June 8 along with several artisans. Stop by if you can!

My chapter, From Inner Realms to Outer Worlds: An Artist’s Time Journey, in newly titled Geography of Time, Place, Movement and Networks, Volume 1: Mapping Time Journey Experiences, is scheduled to be published soon by Springer Nature Switzerland.

For reading and listening:

Deep Color; The Shades That Shape Our Souls Painting, by Keith Recker

Living Color: Writing and the Bones of Seeing, by Natalie Goldberg

Rainbow over the Carousel by Cypress Willett https://www.warriorstoryfield.org/rainbow-over-the-carousel/

I can’t get this version of No More Blues by The Alaev Family, written by Antonio Carlos Jobim, out of my mind. https://open.spotify.com/track/5ysVy4xs1qyMqfYOKEh6Qh?si=ZGy17rkUTwGcFUHdzQ6JqA