Experiencing Joy in the Unknown

For the past year, I have been in one of those special places as an artist. I’m referring to the experience of beginning something totally new and not knowing where it will lead. It’s very much like the beginning stages of falling in love and just getting to know one another. Every moment is special and you don’t know how the future will unfold but you are immersed in the delight and energy of what the relationship is right now.  

I have been in a state of wonder as I’ve explored a new process and a new way of working. It’s been exhilarating and something I’ve wanted to keep mostly private, with very little sharing, as I develop and settle into this creative flow without rushing it at all. 

And in the process of discovery, questions arise: Will any of the past creative methods overlap with the new? Is it possible for this joyful flow to end up as a short lived series or something so much more? Will this be shared more widely or will my artistic love affair remain a gift for me alone?

This is what I know: I don’t need to have any of the answers. The joy is in the process of the creative unfolding, and I have no need to rush it. It’s a journey to be present each step along this path of discovery. I’m interested in the process as it develops, not the results. Much of my delight is in the wonder of where it will take me and where I will take it. And most importantly, I’m in love with the exploration of the Creative Adventure I have found myself on.

One of the joys of creating art is to get an idea or concept and to bring it to life… to make something that was just a thought and breathe it into existence.

2023 Digital Calendars

I’m here to share a new offering and a new experience for me. I created my first digital products, which led to me capturing my very first QR code. Maybe QR codes are an old concept for many, but although I have seen them around, I’ve really never known how to use them, and certainly never created one. So this has been a big deal for me. It’s like stepping into a new dimension that I’m finding super cool.

About the Offer…

There are TWO 2023 DIGITAL CALENDARS to choose from. Each one comes with 14 printable pages and is filled with art and quotes… including a cover page, 12 monthly pages, and the full year at a glance on the final page. The calendars display cropped images from one of two painting series… the Music in Art series fills one of the calendars and the more recent Affirmations & Meditations paintings are found in the other. 

Pages can be printed on your home printer or viewed on your desktop. So, pick a calendar for $6.97 and you’ll receive the printable PDF in your inbox. Scroll down to view images of some of the pages. To learn more, scan the QR code or CLICK HERE.

From the Affirmations & Meditations Calendar

from the Music in Art Calendar

Wishing you a very Joyous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!!

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

Series of Transition

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

I’ve begun a series of small paintings that seem to be a bridge between where I’ve been and where I’m headed. As a group, they’ve become transition pieces, with each painting carrying me closer to where I want to be. My creative explorations of the past couple of years have introduced me to a wide range of artistic experiences. Now it’s time to return to the work I feel most connected to.

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

The Inspiration: I’ve been reading the Artist’s Rule, a book that combines an internal exploration of monastic practices and art practice. With each chapter, I’ve designated a concept, with one word for what’s coming up for me on those pages. Then I create a small painting in response. So far I’ve completed 6 chapters of the 12, with the idea of devoting one week to the concept, artwork, writings, and reflections on each chapter. I’m getting so much out of this experience and the creation of the series has become a journey in itself.

Since these paintings came to life as a tangent of the prior series of Elements, they will join that series as something of a larger body of work. My recent paintings have elements of this past year’s experiences and some of the old is beginning to show up.

You may also be interested in:
My Artist’s Path: in Words and On Canvas
Inspired by Concertina Sketchbook Pages

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

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

My Artist's Path: in Words and on Canvas

“Path” 8” x 10”. Acrylic, papers, cloth, pencil, gesso on canvas

This three stanza poem and the concepts behind the words were the inspiration for the painting I share here. “Path” is the fourth in a group of small works inspired by one of the chapters in the book, Artist’s Rule by Christine Valters Paintner. After reading a chapter, I focus on a specific concept, designate a single word to associate with it, and then create a painting with that focus in mind. This canvas was created to reflect something of the give and take during the creative process; between myself, the creation, and in collaboration with the Divine whispers. It becomes a beautiful dance.

Although I usually incorporate the words of others in my paintings, I’ve chosen to include a quote of my own words in this one. The handwritten words of the first stanza of this poem are barely seen within the painting. Here is the full poem:

“Path” a detail closeup

“There is a beautiful dance
Between the creative spark and the creation
Listening to the messages and direction
This is my artist’s path

Between the creative spark and the creation
Myself as an ongoing work in progress
This is my artist’s path
Becoming an active and visual process in creating me

Myself as an ongoing work in progress
Listening to the messages and direction
Becoming an active and visual process in creating me
There is a beautiful dance”

“Path” a detail closeup

“Path” a detail closeup of texture

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

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

PVAC Closing Reception

3 from the Portals of Joy Series (showing in the PVAC Exhibit)

The Members Exhibit of the Pajaro Valley Arts Center closes this Sunday, March 21st. So, there are a few more days to view the work online. To view the slide show of over 100 pieces of wonderful local artwork, CLICK HERE.

And there will be a Closing Reception via Zoom on Sunday, March 21st at 2pm Pacific Time. You are invited to attend. To access more information and the Zoom link, CLICK HERE.

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.

New Series: Portals of Joy

“Scatter Joy” 12” x 12” acrylic, papers, pencil on canvas

After filling many sketchbook pages with circles and grids, I finally admitted that my artwork was moving in a new direction. I needed to explore the use of geometric shapes and to get back to spending most of my time working on canvas. First I had to let go of my attachment to the Transcriptions series and allow a new creative flow to take shape. Once I explored the symbolism of this new focus, I was able to assign meaning to the paintings I would be creating and move forward with a new series. At the same time, joy had become more and more of a major influence in my life. This is how the Portals of Joy series came into being.

“Hooked on a Feeling” 12” x 12” acrylic, papers, pencil on canvas

This series is a reaction to the year we have been experiencing and the times we now live in. These paintings are created in joy, with a focus on joy, and with the intention of putting more joy out into a world at a time when it’s needed. The paintings each have a quote about Joy embedded into the background of the design, under the paint, present yet not readable… as JOY seems to be more often held under the surface this year, although still present in our lives. The grid of colors represents us as individuals but part of the whole. And the presence of the circular shape represents the wholeness, oneness, and unity that we all share, beyond the illusion of what we are seeing in the outside world.

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

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

“Third Story” 12” x 12” acrylic, papers, pencil on canvas

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

The Portals of Joy paintings will be available here at the Website on December 5th. Prints and products of this series are currently available at Pixels.com

You may be interested in a recent post… Joy: a Morning Practice
and for more on these paintings… A Process Story

Working in a Series

I love to work in a series, to watch an idea or concept develop from one painting to the next as I explore the variations on a theme. It gives me a creative focus in which to grow my artwork and myself.

Not only do I find a theme to develop throughout the series, but I begin with a framework or recipe of elements that becomes the foundation for each of the pieces. As a series evolves, an organic process unfolds, with each painting being a stepping stone to the next as I explore new ways of expressing the blueprint they have in common.

Ancient Wisdom Minis - in process

The chosen focus needs to be something I want to immerse myself in and wish to elevate. In the Transcriptions series, it was ancient books and prayers. The Ancient Wisdom Minis, highlighted the words of Kabir, poet and mystic. The Windowframes series was a reflection of the beauty in aging. And now, the Portals of Joy series allows me to spend my days focused on shape and color as I elevate joy in a world that could use more joyful expressions.

Becoming a Blank Canvas

I’ve been taking part in Tara Leaver’s Instagram Challenge… 21 Days in My Art World. Tomorrow is day 11 and the prompt is: Turning Point. I’ve decided to share the experience that placed me on the path of creating the Transcriptions Series. With this in mind, I thought it applicable to re-post an article I published a few years ago on the Shared Easel Newsletter. Here it is:

2016 was the year I "birthed" a new series and grew myself in the process. I believe it all began with the adventure of dismantling the old and opening the doorway to something new.

I entered the year believing it was a time of wonderful possibilities - that I could create anything I wanted and make anything happen. I had the power to create!... But the question was, "What did I want to create?"

I was determined to release any and all past creative goals and open to a new creative vision, unfettered by my prior ideas and expectations. I wanted to wipe the slate clean so I could see what I might create now. First I would need to clear away years of stuffed and stored creative project ideas. I have always had more ideas than the time and ability to create. Most have remained stored in my inner closet, occasionally reminding me they were still there. It was time to finally clear out that closet and release the old notions conceived by a no longer existing me.

Over the course of several days I converted our living room into a brainstorming space. I taped sheets of newsprint paper all over the windows, door, and furniture. With markers and pens, I generated lists of:

• old expectations and projects ideas

• creative ideas that were already begun

• my past successes and achievements

• my skills and abilities that I can draw upon in anything I choose to do moving forward

• my hopes and dreams

• positive affirmations to fuel the new

• I Am statements (examples: I Am Fearless, I Am Grateful... )

• some ideas of things I might consider getting involved in or find a passion for

• and more

"Transcriptions #1 - Lokah Samastah”
12" x 12" Mixed media on canvas.

The main goal was to make myself a blank canvas for what I might create in the year ahead (and allow new ideas and creations to unfold). I'd say it worked out pretty well and led to the development of the Transcriptions Series of paintings!

(This was originally published on April 2017 in the Shared Easel Newsletter.)

Note: In the months that followed my brainstorming days, a series of new experiences, ideas, and materials came together to form a new way of working and a new series. I ended up producing 30 paintings in that series, which has led to all the work that followed. I’m so very grateful for those days in February 2016 and going with my inner guidance to become a blank canvas at that time.

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.

A Frustrating Day in the Studio

I don’t have too many frustrating days in the studio. I guess you can say, I am spoiled. I’m used to getting an idea and playing with it, getting into a flow and experiencing the process as the guidance comes easily and the joy of creating fills the studio. But I had a day that was unlike any other.

My first effort just didn’t come together at all! The focus was on a new way of working with canvas cloth. I was feeling excited and looking forward to waking up and exploring an idea I’ve thought about for a couple of years. This was going to be the day I finally brought it into physical form. (no great expectation there!!)

After a couple of hours of nothing happening, I moved onto a variation on the original idea (plan B). It too was a no go. I could not seem to get anything off the ground. So I let it all go and went for a whole new focus, working on paper rather than canvas. (Plan C?) But, still wrestling with the earlier goal, I soon found myself returning to try out another approach.

What a yo-yo experience!! Although I seemed to have moved the project a step forward, once again the idea had no traction. Luckily, it was time to meet a friend for a walk. That forced me to step aside and step out of the studio. In preparing to leave the house, I suddenly came up with an ideal alternative project. It became easy to drop all the plans I had for the day and turn my attention to a totally different focus.

“The Merge” - a painting in process

That night I prepared 5 canvases with cloth and was ready to begin painting the first in the series the next morning. It may have been a frustrating day but a new series was born and the steps I took and my willingness to keep trying became the stepping stones for work that will come together in the future.

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.

Mini Series

“Shivaya”

“Peace Kaddish”

It all started when I was thinking of doing a “30 Paintings in 30 Days” challenge. The idea of creating a series of 6” x 6” paintings on canvas intrigued me. Back in April, I had done a small group of works on paper in that size.

So, when considering the challenge, I decided to begin a series of Transcriptions Minis. Although small, they require many of the same steps in the process as those of the Transcriptions series. I quickly learned that unless this was my only focus, it was unlikely to produce 30 in 30 days.

“Peace and Tranquility”

As I write this post today, the next issue of the Shared Easel Newsletter is almost complete and the seventh small painting is about to be finished.

I may not be doing too many more of these, but I do get a twinkle in my eye at the idea of returning to this size for future projects. For now, I have loved using the sewing machine to attach the pieces of canvas cloth. I adore the stringiness I can create with the hanging threads. And I am surprised that I have enjoyed working this small.

“May All Be at Peace”

My goal for the month was to redesign the Shared Easel newsletter and produce the first issue using MailChimp. But first I had to learn how to work within MailChimp to create a newsletter template. Ugh!! I had just spent the summer learning how to create a website with Squarespace. Now I had to tackle another new platform.

I guess you can see why the idea of creating 30 Mini’s had to slip away. What I did realize was that these small paintings were perfect for balancing studio time with newsletter development.

Work in Progress