Sketchbook Love

Sketchbook Page: Playful Joy

It’s a joy to get lost in a sketchbook page. The art play that’s done in a sketchbook is a gift an artist can give themselves. I love being able to fill the pages with anything that’s calling to me. It could be pure experimentation and pure play. Any page can be unique and totally different from any other, or it could become part of a series of multiple images, exploring a single concept. The focus might be on an idea that’s been in mind for a while or just playing around with paint and materials with no idea in mind. And each creation becomes part of a hand held collection of ideas, a history of moments in time in an artistic journey.

Each of the 5 sketchbook pages being shared on this post, were a creation in joy. Although they are very different from my works on canvas, I’m fully aware of how my sketchbook art can end up influencing my paintings.

Playful Joy: The sketchbook page above, was started with the paints that remained on the palette from works on canvas. It was a playful process, filled with joy and gratitude. The marks, the colors, the writing, the cloth pieces (remnants of the current work on canvas), all coming together in a sketchbook experience.

Sketchbook Page: Grid First

Grid First: This painting was begun by drawing out a grid and once again, using up the leftover paint on the palette. The goal was to just play with paint, pencil writing, adding a bit of paper collage, and some scrapes and scribbles. The quote that I added was within arms reach, the first one I saw. Usually the quotes I use are related to the focus of the work, but this was for the fun of it.

Sketchbook Page: A Dialogue

A Dialogue: I began the page with the following written words: “a painting is a container for a conversation… dialogue between the artist and the Divine, between the created and the creator. It’s a give and take, a shared creation, a joint effort - the co-creative process.” When I paint, I am well aware of the dialogue taking place… the questions asked, the answers given. With this page, the focus was on that conversation… on the co-creative process that resulted in a playful sketchbook experience with a different look and feel.

Sketchbook Page: Color Play

Color Play: The goal here was to use a different palette, one that’s out of my comfort zone. The first colors I thought of were purple and quinacridone crimson. Then with some pink, red, and a bit of orange added in, this collection of colors didn’t look at all like me and what I am used to. I found this color palette to be too loud for me. I prefer a quieter, more earthy set of colors. Yet, I have to admit, I found the experience to be totally enjoyable and look forward to playing with new mixes of colors in the future.

Sketchbook Page: Playing with Paint

Playing with Paint: My primary focus here was to take the opportunity to get lost in a sketchbook page… to fill it with paint and then flick some sprays of paint off an old toothbrush I use for such things. I wanted to keep up with the sketchbook even though my days were being filled with the development of a new series. That’s where my head was at the time. So, I stepped away from the new works on canvas and gave myself a playful sketchbook experience.

I have lots of ideas on how I want to use the sketchbook moving forward. For now, I am more focused on the works I’ve been developing on my easel. But maybe this post is a reminder to take some time, from time to time, to show up and experience the joy that can be found on a sketchbook page.

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Finding Inspiration in the Sketchbook

Dancing as Process

Reorganized studio gave me more space to dance!

Dancing had always been a part of my painting process… turning up the music, moving my body and flowing with paint on canvas… that was my process for years. But for the past few years dancing has been a thing of memories. Maybe it was effected by grief from loss of loved ones and then came Covid?

Painting, Music, and Joy… Gotta Dance!!

But as I write this, the music is up loud, there’s paint on my brush, and joy is welling up inside of me. And there’s nothing else to do but dance! Once again, this cherished part of my creative process is back in my life and present in the studio. I love the energy and flow that’s created when my whole body is engaged and I’m so happy to be reacquainted with the joy it brings me.

Earlier this summer, I spent time reorganizing the studio, with the goal of opening up the space. Not only did I get the space I was craving, but now there’s more space to dance while I paint. Yahoo!! And I feel like the external space has helped create more space within… more room for the light to shine.

The 12 Painting Meditations

“Meditations No. 12” 4-1/2” x 6”. Mixed media on paper

The painted Meditations were inspired by the peace and joy I experienced when working on the Morning Meditation Paintings. I wanted more of those feelings and I wasn’t ready for it to end. So, I decided to change it up a bit and create a series of twelve small paintings that would start out as a group… and continue within a meditation process.

“Meditations No. 3” 4-1/2” x 6”. Mixed media on paper

The Process: First, I hung twelve 4-1/2” x 6” pieces of watercolor paper together on the closet door in four rows of three. I began developing the collection by writing mantras and quotes on each in pencil, then scribbling on each with charcoal, a pencil, and then a pen and worked on them in order, from the top left and across, one row at a time. Next, I followed up with a bit of acrylics, using a very limited palette.

“Meditations No. 2” in process

Working in the same order, I began completing one at a time as a morning meditation… adding bits of additional color, marks, and collage shapes. Stitching was added to most but not all, allowing the strands to hang down below the bottom of the paintings.

There were a number of times when I found it difficult to add the shapes and stitching to an individual piece. This was when I grew to love the background and didn’t want to cover it up. But in each of these cases, it turned out to be a more interesting image once the additions were made.

“Meditations No. 8” 4-1/2” x 6”. Mixed media on paper

Working on the Meditation paintings has been an enjoyable process. It has provided me with the gifts of simplicity and peace at a time when the world outside of the studio seemed complex and stressful. (I began this series in mid January 2021.) There was a wonderful feeling of simplicity in choosing the same palette and collection of cut shapes for each of these pieces.

The 12 Meditations hanging in a group

Now, they are likely to continue hanging together on the door for awhile. This series adds a sense of calm to the studio and makes me smile to see them.

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Morning Meditation Paintings
Art as Meditation

Morning Meditation Paintings

“Morning Meditation No. 1” 5-1/2” x 6”. Mixed media in sketchbook

A couple of months ago I began a Morning Meditation painting practice. This quickly became my favorite way to start the day, as it filled me with a wonderful sense of peace and a lightness of being. Each session became a vehicle for tuning my awareness (aka mindfulness). This practice is now something I am continuing as a gift to myself.

“Morning Meditation No. 5” 5-1/2” x 6”. Mixed media in sketchbook

The original focus was on simplicity and flow… working first thing in the morning, as a meditative process, mostly with background music, sometimes in silence. The process is the focus, not whether I liked the piece or not, not whether it feels finished or not.

THE PROCESS: Starting with a limited palette of acrylics (black, white, and a premixed blue-green). Adding some other bits of color and scribbles with pencil and colored pencil. Including collaged paper shapes because they happened to be scattered on the work table from prior sketchbook paintings. And… Since the sewing machine was on the nearby table, stitches were added to some of the paintings when it felt right, and because… why not?

“Morning Meditation No. 13” 6” x 8-1/4”. Mixed media on paper

I have so appreciated the quiet color palette on these pieces, especially after the fairly loud year we had in 2020 and the tumultuous beginning to 2021. I felt the need to tone things down for a bit, and the subtle touches of color add to the peaceful experience. It’s likely more color will be added as I continue to produce these pieces (or maybe not).

I have embraced the meditative painting process. In fact, just thinking of my morning experiences, gives me a wonderful feeling of Ahhhhh! I feel as though these painting meditations are carrying me forward towards the ME I am becoming. There seems to be an internal process taking place and a preparation at work. And… my love of the process has me fully committed and engaged.

“Morning Meditation No. 4” 5-1/2” x 6”. Mixed media in sketchbook

“Morning Meditation No. 2” 5-1/2” x 6”. Mixed media in sketchbook

You may also be interested in Love: a Morning Practice or Joy: a Morning Ritual.

A Process Story

“Ennobled” 12” x 12” acrylic, papers, pencil on canvas

The experience of working on “Ennobled,” the 5th canvas in the Portals of Joy series, was a bit like maneuvering a boulder up an incline. All the while, I was able to experience these challenges with confidence and determination. It became an excellent exercise in creating and recreating, making changes, letting go and moving on.

“Ennobled” in process; initial color palette

I began the painting with a color palette that I found attractive but, it just wasn’t quite me. Once on the canvas it seemed goofy, like a Halloween candy wrapper. So I kept altering colors, one at a time, and adding textured papers to cover up some of the colors and create new ones. I found the process enjoyable, without frustration. I was able to draw on my confidence that each alteration would bring me closer to feeling as if I had made it my own. What a time consuming process it was! If I hadn’t been as focused on the unfolding experience of the process, I would not have been able to remain in the joy of creating.

“Ennobled” in process; at the start

Occasionally, a painting doesn’t flow as smoothly. Each time I find myself in that space, I have the gift of letting go and immersing myself in the painting process. I allow it to take as long as it takes, with no expectations and the willingness to continue to apply layer over layer, repainting areas one moment at a time. And with each alteration, I come closer to an image that will look back at me and say, “Ahhh… this is it.”

“Integral Flow” 12” x 12” acrylic, papers, pencil on canvas

Once I had completed “Ennobled", I shifted my focus to the newly started 6th painting in the Portals of Joy series, titled “Integral Flow.” The experience of painting this one was nothing like the last one. The process flowed easily from beginning to end. Of course, I chose a color palette I was comfortable with from the start. And maybe that attributed to the feeling of lightness that surrounded the painting process.

I experienced joy as I created both of these two paintings but that experience was so very different… neither better than the other. And I am grateful for the wonderful diversity of both.

You may be interested in a recent post: New Series: Portals of Joy

Turning Points

“Silhouessence - Vista” 14” x 18” Oils and recessed photo on canvas and board, 2005

Last year during the 21 Days in My Art World challenge we were asked to share a Turning Point in our art life. I wrote the following:

How I became a blank canvas and birthed a new series…
I entered 2016 with the feeling of unlimited possibilities and the ability to create what I wanted... But first I had to figure out what that was. And it seemed, the best way to start was to clear out my inner closet of the creative ideas I'd been storing for years. During several days at home alone, I released all the creative projects, ideas, and expectations I was carrying around by brainstorming them onto the large newsprint sheets I had hung all over the living room... each sheet for a different category. I also had lists of successes and achievements, affirmations and more. That experience opened the door to new influences, experiences, and finding the yards of raw canvas I had bought and stored years before. It all came together for the creation of the Transcriptions series and a new way of working and creating. I am so grateful for those days back in February 2016.

But thoughts on the subject didn’t end with that challenge prompt… Shortly after, I had the good fortune of connecting with Helen Rebello who welcomed me to be a guest on her Turning Points Project podcast. That got me thinking of the many Turning Points in my life and the effects they have had on the trajectory of my art and life.

This week, as part of the current 21 Day challenge, I am sharing another Turning Point. I’ve chosen to write about the one that was probably the most difficult for me. One that many of you already know… the point in which I needed to give up oil painting after a decade’s long love affair with those luscious paints.

“Silhouessence - Vista” detail of recessed photo

In 2005, while preparing for the annual Santa Cruz County Open Studio Tour, it became increasingly difficult for me to breathe while working on a new series of paintings. I was in the process of developing the Silhouessence series, in which each painting displayed a photo of a silhouetted landscape recessed within the surface of the canvas. The outer painting became a reflection of the photo within. As I worked on them, my ability to breathe became more and more impacted. I tried moving from the studio into the dining room where I could open the windows in all four directions. That didn’t help and I began to feel sick. I was determined to finish the paintings, so I then moved the process outdoors and quickly learned that spending any more than twenty minutes at a time left me in bad shape. Of course, I was determined to get to a point where the paintings could look complete (and be photographed) even if I knew they were unfinished. I achieved my goal but the process left me physically recuperating for weeks, and emotionally processing the loss of oils for years. I had become a painter who could no longer paint.

Although I thoroughly disliked acrylics, eventually I gave in and began to play with soft body acrylics. I needed something I was passionate about to inspire a new series. Music was the key (pun intended). And it was with the Music Series that I got back into painting. I had fun with the series even though the acrylics were not as lovely to use as oils. But they did inspire a brighter and bolder palette.

Then later on, with the Transcriptions Series, I finally returned home to the feeling of flow, energy, and love for painting that I used to have years ago. And as a gift to my soul, I began finishing off an occasional painting by using oil pastels for the last touch of color.

Now I am enjoying the playful use of acrylics and mixed media on paper and on canvas. I’ve found a whole new level of joy in exploring new ideas on sketchbook pages with the paints. And I’m delighted when I find myself using similar techniques with the acrylics that I used years ago in my oil painting days.

The gift of gratitude: I’m sure that without the loss of oils, I never would have published The Gratitude Habit journals. I so appreciate the experience of producing these two books and the lessons learned along the way. It allowed me to take an idea and bring it to life in a manner so very different than with a painting and so much more public.

Life offers up twists and turns, bumps and jumps that alter our trajectory and become Turning Points in our lives. They take us to places we might not have travelled and open the door to lessons and new experiences that can enrich our journey. You may want to reflect on the Turning Points in your own life.

Wisdom of Kabir

Ancient Wisdom Mini series

A couple of weeks ago, I began a new mini series as part of a seven day Instagram art challenge established by the wonderful, Tara Leaver. I decided to use the week to step back into playing with canvas after a half year intermission of just creating works on paper. After considering a few other project ideas, I chose to paint 6” x 6” acrylic paintings, first prepared with cut and frayed canvas cloth, and each one featuring a short quote from the 15th century mystic and poet, Kabir.

The process combines the Ancient Wisdom and text of the Transcriptions series along with the use of cloth in the Canvas on Canvas paintings.

The prepared canvases before they are painted.

This project was perfect to get me back into my flow again and reconnect with stretched and raw canvas… by cutting it, shaping it, and stringifying it before any paint touches the surface. (In case you’re wondering, stringifying is not a word but it perfectly describes what I love to do with raw canvas.)

“The Release” 6” x 6” mixed media on canvas

Since creating the six small canvases for the mini challenge, I’ve completed two more and I'm confident I'll be adding to the Ancient Wisdom series with larger pieces. I’ve also begun to collect the words of those who have touched the hearts of generations through the centuries… Rumi and Hafez to name a couple. I'm looking forward to seeing what unfolds from here.

The Ancient Wisdom Minis can be found at the Canvas on Canvas gallery on my website.

And… Check Out the art created by the other participants of the 7 day mini series. Tara Leaver did a great job of posting the work on her blog.

The 100 Day Project

“Explorations” series in process.

I was just beginning a new mini-series when I learned of the 100 Day Project on Instagram and it peeked my interest. As I write this, it is day 24 and I had committed to creating 25 pieces in the “Explorations” series to get me started. For the “Explorations” paintings, I’m using magazine images to inspire a daily exercise on pieces of 6” x 6” canvas paper.

My focus for the 100 days: I absolutely love to paint on canvas, raw or primed, stretched or unstretched. So, since this project is designed to take me out of my comfort zone, instead, I will be creating (mostly) small works on PAPER. I intend to play with paint, some collage, pastels, pencils, and any other materials or process I can have fun with.

I see the time spent on this project as an intermission between the work I've done in the past and what I will create in the future.

I'm curious to see how far I will go in this. One hundred days takes us to JULY! I don't know if I'll complete the full 100 days, but for now it’s my daily focus, allowing me to stretch my creative muscles.

The project came up for me at the perfect time… just as I was taking a break from producing paintings on canvas and instead finding and exploring various ways to develop and grow as an artist. It ties into my current need to play, experiment, and try new things.

Note: The artwork shown above is a selection of 9 pieces from the “Explorations” series. And at this time, I know I will be creating ten additional minis as part of that collection. Posts for the 100 day project and “Explorations” can be found and followed on Instagram and on my Facebook artist page.

The Explorations Mini Series

“Explorations” mini series, paintings on paper.

I began a new mini series on the first day of April… the “Explorations series.” This group of small paintings was inspired because of spring cleaning. After spending time clearing out my parent’s home, I came back to my house and immediately began to clean out drawers and cabinets.

One cabinet was filled with magazines. I don’t think I’ve ever thrown out a magazine. There must have been somewhere around 70 magazines in that cabinet. Many of them had been cut up and used when my daughter was younger, for collages and creative projects. It was time for that pile to go. They’ve been taking up space for years. But first I wanted to flip through the pages of each magazine… and as I did so, I was inspired to create one more project with them.

“Explorations” series in process.

I began pulling out any page with an image or part of an image that I found interesting. The magazines went into the recycle bin and I ended up with a fairly good sized pile of pages to consider using in some way. Before I knew it, I had glued one or more pieces of an image onto eight 6” x 6” sheets of canvas paper. They were ready to be painted.

The Goal: for the attached magazine image to inspire and challenge me to create something new each day. The “Explorations” give me an opportunity to shake things up, experience a personal art exercise. and see where it might lead.

“Explorations #12” 6” x 6” mixed media on paper.

My original intention was to complete ten of these and then decide if I wanted to continue. But the day I posted the first one, I decided to join the 100 day project on Instagram and made a commitment to create 25 in the series.

Posts for the 100 day project and the “Explorations” can be found and followed on Instagram and on my Facebook artist page.

In the next blog-post, I will share more about the project.

Breath and Beyond

“Breath and Beyond” 12" x 12" acrylic, cloth, threads, and paper on canvas.

“Breath and Beyond” was the first painting I worked on and completed after returning from packing up my parent’s home. (We were getting it ready for sale.) Although I returned with several new projects in mind, I decided to get busy with the raw canvas I had prepared before leaving. My first goal was to create a thread filled environment in which to paint.

“Breath and Beyond” in process.

I began by sewing lines of stitches in something of a checkerboard pattern, leaving loose threads at the ends of each line. I had already cut five squares into the cloth before the trip.

“Breath and Beyond” didn’t develop as I had originally envisioned. So, I let go, allowing the process to lead me, and I was able to enjoy every step along the way.

I kept adding color, then some text, and then more color. The background canvas became a deep brownish mauve to peek through the openings in the cloth.

The text in the painting is the mantra, So Hum, meaning: "I Am That." It is used in meditation as one focuses on their breath.

“Breath and Beyond” in process.

I always have a title in mind by the time a painting is complete… but not this time. The painting had journeyed so far from the original idea and I felt like I was just along for the ride, not knowing where we were going. I had to brainstorm ideas for a name.

When the title, “Breath and Beyond” came to mind, I knew it was right. I could see how the painted cloth had become a tapestry OR a tapestry of life. I had chosen a mantra that represents the breath OR breath of life. And the cutouts had become windows to the beyond.

Breath and Beyond is available for purchase, here.

“Breath and Beyond” in process. Sewing the painted cloth to the back canvas.

Small Bites

Small Bites 12" x 12" acrylic and cloth on canvas.

A dream became the inspiration for Small Bites… an original painting that is now part of my Canvas on Canvas series. First I prepared the piece of raw canvas by fraying the edges and cutting out holes in the cloth. I attached it to the stretched canvas and then it was time to take out the acrylics and brushes and choose some colors.

Small Bites in process. Choosing the color palette.

Choosing the color palette:

I only had a vague idea of the colors I would use. So, I began with one of my favorite starter color palettes: yellow oxide, titanium white, and Payne’s grey. (Oh, but since I have very little Payne's grey around, I'm using ivory black.) I love the way these colors mix together!

Now I had to choose the rest of the colors. I have a small collection of color cards that I’ve created and add to from time to time. I find it very helpful in choosing a color palette when I don't have one immediately in mind. I went back and forth on different color ideas for this one.

It took me a while to get comfortable with the reds I had chosen, but I really like the idea of stretching my “color comfort zone.” And by the time I was finished, I had grown much more comfortable with the reds in this color palette. (0f course, I did soften the intensity of the color, somewhat.)

Small Bites is available for purchase, here.

Twas Brillig

“Twas Brillig” 24” x 30” Acrylic, canvas cloth, and paper on canvas.

Detail image of “Twas Brillig”

Painting brings me joy. I love my time in the studio and the relationship I develop with each of my creations… but once and awhile I create something that significantly increases the joy. “Twas Brillig” did just that. It turned up the “Joy Meter” and I was in no rush to complete it. I found myself savoring every moment I spent playing with this canvas.

For years I have wanted to create a painting with a focus on Lewis Carroll’s, Jabberwocky. I have loved it since high school. In fact, in one of my art classes back then, we had to illustrate a children’s book for a painting and drawing class. I chose to illustrate The Jabberwocky. (Thank you, Mr. Foo)

Closeup of the attached book on “Twas Brillig”

I so enjoyed playing with the text of the poem as I incorporated Carroll’s unique and wonderful words into the constructed cloth book. I took my time developing the background of the stretched canvas that became the setting for the “book.” This one gave me an opportunity to explore with color and structure.

Detail image of “Twas Brillig”

My original goal was to, in some way, allow the words of Lewis Carroll to spill from the book, as if the boundaries of the books could not contain it. I would love to do more canvases like this one. Playing with text as it pours from the painting surface. These are the types of images that keep coming up in my mind, calling to be created.

I enjoyed every moment I spent on this painting. And I can’t help but wonder if this one may be something of a bridge between the work that has come before and the artwork I will be creating, moving forward. I definitely approached the painting process differently than I might have in the past… and that had been my goal.

Here are the words of the first and last stanzas of the poem for those of you unfamiliar with Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll and for those who would enjoy a reread:

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.”

Twas Brillig is available for purchase, here.

Above and Below

“Above and Below” 12” x 12” Acrylic and canvas cloth on canvas.

After a couple of months away from the studio, it was so good to hold a paintbrush in my hands again. To get back into the flow, I chose to play with a work in progress I had begun awhile ago. It had been waiting for months for me to return to complete it. Back then, I had cut a piece of raw canvas cloth and gessoed it onto a 12" x 12" canvas. The cutouts were inspired by Georgia O'Keefe's clouds.

This was the perfect project for my return and I so enjoyed the process. I didn’t care how it turned out. All that mattered was the delight of being busy in the studio.

“Above and Below” in progress.

Originally, I had a whole different color palette in mind when I first attached the cut cloth to the canvas, months ago. But now is a different time and place. So, the process of painting this one took me on an unexpected path. I like watching as paintings unfold before me. And I'm delighted to be back in process.

Inspired by: Georgia O'Keefe's, "Sky Above the Clouds"

Above and Below is available for purchase, here.

Autumn Shade

“Autumn Shade” 12” x 12” Acrylic and canvas cloth on canvas.

Autumn Shade was the first painting I completed after ten days of playing with crayons. So, I can’t help but wonder how much that experience influenced my choice of colors for this canvas. Of course, I was also craving the fall colors as I sat in my studio, in October, looking out on the evergreen trees that surround our home. I’m loving these colors.

This is another one of the Canvas on Canvas series that I have so enjoyed painting. Unlike the Transcriptions series and the Text-tures, there is minimal construction and no sewing of elements onto canvas. It provides me with pure painting joy.

Autumn Shade is available for purchase, here.