New Year Alders

                                                            watermedia on Yupo 9x6
Nature rewards the adaptable not necessarily the strong or even smart. I see this constantly when painting. If I can tolerate the feelings of uncertainty, even failure, and stay with the process, my hopelessness can turn to joy in an instant. Or really get mired down. But then, it`s easier to walk away having fought the good fight.
With all the blessings of the past year, I hope to be a lighter being in 2014. My anxiety is no longer protective. During the studio tour, someone asked me what my favorite watercolor brand was. Without hesitation, I said Holbein. Later I realized I only had two tubes of it. In colors I couldn`t get in a cheaper version. Now I`ve always used lightfast archival materials but a higher level of quality affects the experience. Makes it more sensual and satisfying. I can afford it now so I bought all new colors from Holbein and put them in a fancy new palette;

Since life does seem short, at least to us in the second half, I hope to notice that struggles can end too.


work in the studio

Rose

I took my own advice.
Taking the garbage can to the street tonight, I saw this rose craning toward me.  So I drew it.
graphite on mat board 12x12

Seed Pods

I needed to go into Michael`s Craft Store yesterday. Painters are always showing me cool stuff they bought there. This is daunting but I decided I`d explore a little bit. My timidity was justified. Every supply you`d need to make anything at all was available. It was overwhelming and busy! at 9 a.m.! I was also trying to get used to new glasses, a big mistake. I staggered out sort of nauseous with some water soluble graphite pencils and a pad of paper and did this drawing last night.
watercolor and graphite on paper 8x6