A 12 Piece Painting Exercise

Just beginning the 12 works on paper

Earlier this year, I began playing with 12 small pieces of watercolor paper (8” x 8”). I taped the group to the closet door in the studio and started with ink lines, scribbles, watercolor pencil and a bit of paint. I wrote a word at the top of each of them and added a related quote in pencil.

Last year, I did a series of 12 Meditations and wanted to create something similar this year.

Ready to take them down and work on them one by one.

I continued to work on them as a group, using charcoal and an orange water soluble Woodie. Then it was time to take them off the wall and complete them individually.

Although each piece began with a word and a quote, I had no intention for those words to influence the paintings. My expectation was for the words/quotes to partially or fully disappear under the paint.

The pieces developed individually based on their initial marks and lines. I played with layers of paint and colored pencils, and chose circles and shapes from a growing collection of pre-cut papers.

I’ve completed 9 of the 12 so far, with 3 more to go.

Wholeness - The 3rd one completed

These will each be matted and available for purchase on the website. Contact Me for more information.

You may also be interested in:
The 12 Painting Meditations

2021 Reflections

Cropped images from the concertina sketchbook pages

As I write this, the new year is just hours away. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been reflecting on all that happened (and didn’t happen) in 2021… and considering potential plans and intentions for 2022.

Simplicity pages with ink, papers, cloth, and acrylic on paper.

Last year, I entered 2021 with several ideas for the creative projects I was excited to delve into. 2020 had felt like a slow, never ending experience. And although I had lots to show for it, after spending an abundance of time immersed in exploration, I longed to get back to “my artwork” and the materials and paintings that fed my soul. I had an idea of what that looked like and what that meant. What I didn’t anticipate was another year of exploration and a concertina sketchbook experience that would change the trajectory of my year in art.

I may set artistic intentions, but I learned long ago that my greatest intention is to go with the natural flow of my creative spirit. I know that one artistic adventure leads to the next and they each become stepping stones to all that’s created in the future. Allowing that flow is probably at the foundation of all of my work. It’s like being carried forward with limited vision of where I am headed but also infused with ideas and imagination. The most important place to be is in the here and now, fully immersed in the painting project of the moment… because what I’m doing now is a building block for what will emerge next… and next… and next.

Cropped images of the Elements series.

So, the process of exploring the pages of the concertina sketchbook project carried me into a whole new world of exploration. And although I will enter 2022 with a list of potential painting projects, I am excited to see where the creative flow will lead and what will unfold within the next 12 months in the studio.

Wishing you a Happy New Year
and a fabulous
life adventure that
unfolds in beautiful ways
for you in the coming year.

You may also be interested in:
Concertina Sketchbook Project
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages - Part 2
Series of Transition

Circle Trios

“Expansive” 8” x 10” acrylic mixed media on canvas

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

As I recently looked back on my use of Circles over the years, I noticed how often I’ve created works with three circles in a row. The imagery of the three circles is so reminiscent of a stack of stones and the beauty of the way they connect.

Where the circular shape, in itself, carries a simplistic expression of peace and wholeness, the threesome seems to portray a bit of drama. Like the stones, the image seems to have the unsettling possibility of looking like it could topple over.

Recent paintings and sketchbook pages with the image of the 3 circles.

You may also be interested in: The Circle: a Meaningful Symbol

The Circle: A Meaningful Symbol

Some of the circles that have shown up in my art in the past 1-1/2 years.

Day 15 of 30 day sketchbook project

The circle has been a reoccurring theme in my artwork through the years. My first “real” painting that established my own artistic style, back in high school, was designed around two overlapping circles. Since then, the shape has shown up in different forms and in a number of series of paintings… mandalas and landscapes, in paint and collage, as closed circles and open.

Last summer, during the 30 day sketchbook challenge, I became reacquainted with this meaningful shape and all it can represent. I went from playing with a shape to connecting with it on a much deeper level. And with that, a bridge was created between my recent artwork and the work of the past. I felt empowered by a renewal of meaning in having these circles appear in my paintings.

Happy Birthday in Phoenician - acrylic mixed media on paper. 6” x 9”

The symbol of the circle holds so much meaning. Circles are our connection to the whole within us and to the whole of humanity, to all living things… the circle of life… our Oneness.

This unending  shape without a beginning and end, has been used by cultures throughout time. It is thought of as a sacred symbol and used to symbolize the cosmos and heaven. Circles have been used to represent the cycles of life, the seasons, and the unending nature of time itself.

I’ve found both comfort and meaning in this reintegration of circles into my artwork. It is likely to be a recurring element in the future as in the past.

Meditations #1 - acrylic mixed media on paper. 4-1/2” x 6”

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

Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages - Part 2

Concertina Sketchbook Pages

In art as in life, each step I take leads to the next. The Concertina Sketchbook course I took led to a series of artworks on paper and on canvas. Then the process I used to create the first layer of a few of the canvas paintings inspired the concertina sketchbook I’m sharing here today.

Concertina Sketchbook Pages

I had fun filling the pages of this small concertina with ink drips, collaged circles, sheet music, raw canvas and dress pattern paper. Although I originally thought I might add some acrylic paint, I decided to leave the pages with a more minimalist look. So, no paint. I did decide to add some asemic pencil writing in just a couple of places. The pencil was chosen to avoid the permanence of a pen. I ended up so happy with the gentle softness of the pencil marks and how they added to those pages.

Now, I want to create more like what I have here and find a way of merging this concept with a new series I’ve had planned.

You may also be interested in:
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages
Concertina Sketchbook Pages

Concertina Sketchbook Pages

Work in Progress, the inspiration (on canvas) for this Concertina Sketchbook

Concertina Sketchbook Project

Back in February, I began a 6 week course with Karen Stamper on developing a concertina sketchbook. It was a journey of discovery, stretching my comfort at many points along the way, as I became immersed in a process and flow that was new to me.

At first, we filled the pages with marks, using pencils, inks, charcoal, pens and more. I so enjoyed playing with the ink, particularly when blowing on wet ink to create meandering lines. In the process of adding collage elements, I felt like I was able to start making the pages my own, especially when adding the cut circles.

Just beginning to add color. Surrounded by materials on the large work table.

The studio has never been as messy as it was during that project. The table was covered with every mark making tool I own. The floor was covered with the vast array of papers and collage possibilities… photos, magazines, maps, dress patterns, sheet music pages, and bags of the art papers collected over the years. I even found the texture boards and alternative brushes I had made years ago for my daughter’s elementary school class. I used the one with feathers to drag wispy lines of ink across the pages.

Then it came time to paint the marked up pages. Yay!! But before I began to paint, I searched for hidden compositions with my handy dandy cropping tool... an old mat, cut at the corner.

Adding the finishing touches to the first pages.

Once I realized I had been treating these sketchbook pages as if they were too precious, I chose a section, took a deep breath, and I was able to enjoy adding paint. I let go of the preciousness and got comfortable developing areas, redoing others, and covering up full sections. Some pages became pretty busy with additional collage elements and paint, while others were left fairly simple.

Since completing the concertina sketchbook, I’ve been continuing to play with the images, processes, and ideas that took shape on those pages, in order to get more out of this experience before moving on. Although it feels as if I’ve been on an adventure, traveling far from my way of working, I’ve had the opportunity to grow and expand my choices in the future. As I prepare to explore the new work that’s now tugging on my sleeve, I’m curious to see how the concertina sketchbook will end up influence my creative flow moving forward.

Cropped images from the completed pages for future inspiration.

You may also be interested in:
Re-Words Concertina
Concertina Sketchbooks

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.

You may also be interested in:
Morning Meditation Paintings
Art as Meditation

Sketchbook Challenge: Week 4

During the last week of the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge, I had fun playing with shapes and color, exploring new ideas, and continuing to develop concepts from prior pages. One of the pages was inspired by an Andy Goldsworthy photograph and another by a historical event. I experimented with mark making and new textural methods, while filling the pages with papers, acrylics, and all types of pencils (drawing pencils, watercolor pencils, charcoal pencil, colored pencils).

Day 22/30

Day 23/30

Day 27/30

Day 26/30

The piece I created on Day 26 was inspired by the Tulsa Race Massacre. The massacre has been referenced quite a bit recently so I decided to research it. And I couldn’t let it go. I continued to read a bit more each day and finally had to paint something on the subject. The atrocities of that event took place in 1921, in the wealthy black neighborhood of Greenwood. Hundreds of people were killed (estimates vary), and many are believed to be buried in mass graves. 35 square blocks were burned to the ground, leaving 10,000 homeless. I won’t share more here, now, but I do recommend you learn about “the single worst incident of racial violence in American history. “

On Day 28, I wanted to do something different and just be messier… a thoroughly enjoyable process. The idea of dedicating a week of sketchbook play to just messy pages sounds like a great exercise for me.

Day 28/30

Day 24/30

Day 25/30

As I neared the end of the challenge, I felt as if I had to make the most of the last few entries. But the reality is, my sketchbook play does not end with this challenge. I have another 30 pages left in this book and other sketchbooks on hand. I am likely to experiment more in the days ahead and finally get back to the painting I began weeks ago.

Day 29/30

Day 30/30

I have so enjoyed this challenge and the opportunity to develop a great relationship with sketchbooking. It will be interesting to see how this experience helps to shape the work I create in the coming weeks and months. I will be considering the ah-ha’s that showed up during these thirty days, the concepts I want to get back to, and the list of ideas I didn’t get to yet.

I am so very thankful for Cheryl Taves, and for all her beautifully thoughtful sharing, her time, and the effort she put into hosting this fabulous sketchbook journey. It has been 30 days filled with riches.

More posts from the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

Sketchbook Challenge: Week 3

Something happened , something shifted as I began the third week of the 30 Day Sketchbook challenge. Up until this week, I was intrigued by the circular cutouts and felt drawn to using them on the pages of this book. But suddenly, as I developed the Day 15 image, the power of these shapes rose to the surface and my use of them became encircled in meaning.

Day 15/30

So in week 3, I’ve continued to play with this circular shape and reflect on my connection to it, meanwhile feeling as if I am also taking shape.

And now for the rest of the week…
(all images can be found below)

Day 16: “Black and Blue” was a reaction to Black Out Tuesday (the day before) and the presence of black squares on many and most Instagram feeds, in solidarity of Black Lives Matter and the events of this week.

Day 17: An image that didn’t develop as I thought it would, providing the exercise in letting go, learning, exploring, and moving forward to the next page.

Day 18: Playing with a variation on an earlier page with a similar color palette and elements but with a different layout and design. I love exploring variations on a theme!

Day 19: “ A Complex Society” is a variation on the Day 16 image. During these few weeks, I’ve been playing with new ideas, shapes, and colors, with a need to revisit prior pages and create variations on those images.

Day 19/30

Day 16/30

 Day 20: This was an effort to experiment with some mark making. I’m pretty shy and reserved when it comes to adding marks to a painting. So, I began by filling the page with marks and then painting a thin layer over it. After adding more marks on top of the paint, I ended up covering most of them up with paint, leaving just a bit showing.

Day 17/30

Day 20/30

Day 21: Shortly before this sketchbook challenge, I opened my new sketchbook and scribbled some stream of consciousness words in pencil to form a paragraph. My idea was to cover it with papers and paint but allow some of it to show through. Then during the challenge, I got caught up in using the clean fresh pages and didn’t get back to it... until the 21st day of the challenge. The added pencil lines are my attempt at mark making. I was much more comfortable with these not too bold lines.

Day 21/30

Day 18/30

As the week ended, I reflected on the experiences of these days I’m spending with my sketchbook and where it has already taken me. And I wondered what would unfold in the coming week, both in the world and in my sketchbook.

More posts from the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 4

Sketchbook Challenge: Week 2

During the second week of the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge, I continued to find similar and differing ways to highlight the circular shape that’s become the primary element on these pages.

Day 8/30

Day 9/30

Day 13/30

It seems that each painted image in this sketchbook, ends up calling on me to return and create one or more variations on that idea or concept. That’s no surprise. I love working within a series of paintings, with each piece a stepping stone to the next. This sketchbook journey has become something of a dance, steps forwards and backwards, 1-2-3. Each time I satisfy my need for revisiting a completed page, I find myself focused on another to revisit.

Day 10/30

Day 12/30

This week, as I explored the circular theme, I played with textures and layers, strings and threads, and various color palettes. I had fun scraping paint with a serrated knife, adding raw canvas, and limiting the colors on some of the pages. I’ve found delight in placing one or more red elements (like a dot or circle) for a pop of color.

Day 12/30

Day 14/30

Each day has been a new creative adventure that I look forward to with wonder. I suspect I haven’t finished playing with the circular shape and I would expect them to continue showing up in the week ahead.

More posts from the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge:
Week 1
Week 3
Week 4

Sketchbook Challenge: Week 1

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to join in on a 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge. As I watched other artists beginning to get involved, I kept getting a nudge to play in my sketchbook too!! So with a fairly new 6” x 6” sketchbook, I began creating a page a day. I’m having fun and loving the sense of wonder in what I will come up with next as I use a variety of materials and tools. So far, I’ve played with cut paper, ink, chalk, charcoal pencil, crayon, pencils, acrylic, watercolor pencils, and thread.

Day 1/30

Day 2/30

Day 5/30

In the past, sketchbooks were something I used to brainstorm ideas for a new painting or series, for morning drawing meditations, and to express dreams or concepts. I don’t think I’ve ever used a sketchbook to just play. So as I began this challenge, I was stepping out of my norm and very excited to do so.

I have been loving the process of working in a sketchbook each day. I have found that in the pages of this small book, I’ve been working past the point of ‘done-ness’, continuing to add to what I have. Pushing it beyond and then a bit further. It’s been a wonderful exercise. And being a sketchbook page, it’s easier to take risks. 

Day 4/30

Day 6/30

Day 7/30

In this week of daily sketchbook entries, two elements have presented themselves… the open circle and the grid. I’ve become interested in exploring what I might create with them in the future, individually and in combination. My mind has been flooded with ideas of images to explore on these pages. Each day I wonder, “What creative experiences will be present in the adventure of producing the next page.”

Much thanks to Cheryl Taves for creating this fabulous challenge. I am thrilled to be a part of it. To view the many other sketchbook entries for this challenge visit, #insightcreative30daychallenge

More posts from the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge:
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4