I love this country life and while the photographs depict a moment of what seems to be country bliss there are challenges to be sure. Luckily I’m not opposed to hard work and not deterred by ticks, bees and lots of chicken manure. I started with sixteen hens and roosters back in late June 2015. […]
Oh my… I’ve got a day off from work with no firm plans (except for church later on). It’s Good Friday and I took the day off because I needed a day to follow my own rhythm and just be me. Sleeping a little late was my first order of business. Just letting my internal alarm […]
Nowadays drawing and painting are very nearly a daily staple in my life. There are times when I’m not able or willing to sit with my paint and brushes and it is at those times I can feel myself becoming slightly out of balance. Other times I’ll force myself into the art room. Whether I […]
I bought a block of Arches 140 pound hot press, watercolor paper a long while ago because I thought it might be good to use for my graphite drawings. Hot press watercolor paper is smooth and I like that kind of surface for drawing. I like a smooth surface for drawing because a smooth surface […]
Today I decided to take a little break from my “in-progress-chicken” painting to settle in and paint a winter landscape. Winter landscapes with snow covered hills and fields inspire and excite me. I particularly enjoy the dramatic values [value = darkness or lightness] that nature produces – ready made for painting. Before I started painting […]
Here is the next installment of my In Progress Chicken study. It’s been a very busy week and so I’ve been working on this watercolor sketch a little at a time. In the morning before I head off to work I might dab a little paint on and then rush out the door. Sometimes in the evening […]
Sometimes we creative sorts can be our own worst enemies but this morning I was determined to forget about the fear of trying to paint something new and just begin! “Begin already,” I scolded myself. And so I finally went to my upstairs art room to paint a chicken. Not my first chicken but definitely […]
I know… I know… where are my chicken paintings and drawings?! I admit that I am dragging my feet because I haven’t painted or drawn chickens very often and so my self-doubt steps in with a vengeance and I revert back to painting things I consider safe. Like these little loosely painted daisies, which are fun […]
I thought I’d take a break from telling my chicken tales to talk about art and my creative process. Today my medium of choice is watercolor (see “Sunset Memories” above) but I’m not tied to watercolor only. Over the years I’ve learned that as long as I’m being creative in some way there’s a certain […]
It was early when the post office telephoned to say my chicks had arrived and since I’d been dressed and waiting for their call since 6:00 a.m., I grabbed my keys and darted out the door. I remember clearly walking into my small, rural post office to a choir of ruffled chirping. I don’t know why I expected […]
