New Painting - The Present is Your Creation

The second in the triptych - click on the images to enlarge them

This painting is all about being in the present moment. When we take them one at a time they feel much better than when we're anxsting over the past or worrying over the future. This little faerie is humming along under the warm sunshine, doing what she loves best - decorating flowers!

The border says - Learn, Grow, Create, Act, Move, Breathe, Sing, and Believe, which are all action phrases that mean a lot to me as I bring my dreams into reality to share them with you.

Sketch for The Present is Your Creation

I start by doing a little research on what I need to know more about, in this case, what do irises look like, and what do butterfly wings look like (though I may break all the rules when I finally start drawing). Then I sketch out a draft of the design in my sketchbook, which I draw again, freehand, on fine watercolor paper - this is hot pressed paper, which gives me a lot of control over the fine details. I like to use a watercolor block so I don't have to stretch the paper; it stays put with the layers of color washes and dries nice and flat.

Detail of The Present is Your Creation

 I often think the pencil sketches are the most beautiful - they're where my hand is finding the lines and some of the expression gets a bit lost after I ink and paint over them, but I strive to keep the soul and spirit of them intact.

Working on the purple

 I allow myself one color a day, because I have a "day job" so I have to budget the time I get to spend painting. If I had my way, I'd most likely paint for days and nights without eating or sleeping, I love it so much ; ) So this image was taken on the day I worked with purple - the iris was so much fun to do.

My happy place

This is my drafting table where I love to work. The sun comes in in the afternoons and feels wonderful. At night I light a candle to set a peaceful mood, and put on my favorite music, very often David Arkenstone - he's a true master of perfect sound to soothe the soul.

I bought some new paintbrushes which you can see sitting in the beautiful horsehair clay jar I bought at the Green Drake Gallery in Millheim, PA. I think wonderful tools deserve wonderful homes. You can see, too, the photos I downloaded from the Internet when I was researching butterfly wings and irises. I don't copy them, but do sort of "put myself into them" to get a sense of the line, form, and color. Once I have a feeling for the "real things" in my pictures, I then do as my muse directs, which often results in thoroughly unpredictable surprises.

Colors!

I'm pretty picky about my palette - try not to use "cheater colors" and I know a good deal about mixing colors. One thing I like to do to make sure the picture has a synchronicity about it when it's finished is make sure there's a little of each color in all the other colors, so they pull together. I'll put a tiny bit of red into a green, or a bit of blue into a yellow - not enough so you can "see" it, just enough so it "registers" and pulls together. I LOVE color.

Me in my happy place

Here's me in my studio, doing what I love best, enjoying the sunbeam, listening to great music, and creating wonderful, whimsical, totally unpredictable art for you.

Thanks for visiting : )

Namaste!