How Escaping to Nature Can Be a Reset Button.

Water in nature is fascinating.  

Water has a soothing effect, therapeutic and calming to my spirit.  Whether a trickling stream, a rushing river, a delicate waterfall, an expansive lake or a mighty ocean...water just soothes.  Life is busy for all of  us.    We make weekends our time to spend together as a family.  Short little trips are usually our favorite.  The local reservoirs are all low at this time of year.  We readied to spend a day on the water.  The kayaks were loaded in the bed of the pickup truck.  A picnic lunch of sandwich fixins' and chips and Oreo cookies was ready to go.  Our day of adventure required us to improvise as we went along.  We hit the road!  We listened to music and talked as we traveled that day.  When we arrived in Glacier National Park along the banks of Lake McDonald... what is it about God's creation, nature, and our being drawn to these places?  We just soaked it up!  The time spent on the water helped make it a fantastic day that helped us all reconnect with one another.

A nature inspired artist - that's me.  I watch to study, to understand, to remember how it captivates me.  I take it in so I can take it with me...whether the memory, the photo, the watercolor sketch.

Sometimes we all need to hit the reset button.

The kids (okay, teens) head directly to the water, both wading in and then kayaking for a while.  Then my husband takes a turn, heading out with paddle in hands, while our kids swim alongside the kayak.  I watched from shore, enjoying the moments as an onlooker.  I quietly take it all in, everything around me.  I love seeing how they interact with one another.

A Vintage Tractor, Society6 & My Sketchbook

This Week in the Watercolor Studio

The studio has been a busy!  The flow of activity is not smooth; adaptive and flexible describes my energy.  While plenty has been happening, the vintage tractor has not had any work done since last Friday.  I'm feeling less focused on writing for today but I do want to share, so bear with me, please.

Update 3/30/16:  I've just realized perhaps I have more to share about this watercolor painting.  I attempted to build a graphic last week but just wasn't happy with the results at that time.  It's all working together much better today.  While preparing to add the graphic at left, I noticed the photographs taken while sketching out the tractor.  With a more detailed subject that needs more accuracy, I take more time to make sure the proportions are correct.  In the coming weeks, I'll prepare to share how I begin a drawing and what tools & tricks help guide the process.  Stay tuned!  Another lightbulb moment!!  I hope you enjoy reading and seeing all I bring to share here along the way.

Once begun, the watercolor painting of the vintage tractor moved along quickly.   Within two days, a lot of change took place.  Masking fluid was used to preserve the fine lines on the radiator.  I mistakenly called it a grill while talking about it previously.  Silly me!  I worked on it up until last Friday.  Sadly, it's taking a backseat to other things for now.

Even at this point in the progress of this watercolor painting, there is quite a bit of interest in this painting!  I've had some questions about whether it will be available for sale when complete.  Yes, it will be available to purchase!  Please feel free to contact me for more information.

Big New Adventures of Artist Momma

My son's chance with the Canon...Yeah! I'm actually IN a photograph.

Okay, well...here I am again.  Um.  Yeah, there's been another long break and now I'm trying again.  That whole "if at first you don't succeed" thing has me as its illustration.  In the meantime, I've been taking my camera wherever we go so that if my eye can compose it, I'm on it.  Even while sitting in the passenger seat, through a less than clean car window, at 75 miles per hour.  Okay, he might drive a little faster and he does often offer to stop so I can get a better shot.  So how does this keep happening that I can manage one post every how many, many months apart?  Well, where do I begin...