Frantic or panicked (it was hard to tell which) cheeping brought me to the windows overlooking our backyard. 

Every once in a while a page goes so completely wrong, as in completely, utterly and totally off the rails, that it might have never ever been on the rails to begin with!

That's what happened with the page above. I used the stamp shown below with a very light colored stamping ink. The ink was pigmented and for some reason, the detail turned into undefined blobs. It was impossible to make heads or tails out of and never mind reading any of the words. It was like the ink melted like ice cream does! It should have looked like this, but lighter:


Instead, it looked icky. The only parts that were recognizable were the wings and part of the brush.

It's in my everyday sketchbook* (which I show in this video) and I had to decide if I wanted to try and salvage the page, cover it up with another sheet of paper or maybe gesso over it. I was pretty sure I couldn't just ignore it.

*My everyday sketchbook is the sketchbook that goes everywhere with me and that I use to capture happenings from my days. I seldom work everyday in this journal as that isn't realistic for me. I create when I have something I want to remember, that speaks to me.

As I said, ignoring the page wasn't going to work. It was too hideous. So that left covering it up or salvaging the page.

Since I figured covering it up with another piece of paper or paint was going to be my last effort, it was time to begin the salvage effort. My thinking was that if the salvage effort failed, I could buried it.

Due to the lightness of the ink, it was actually easier to convert the design into something else than I expected it to be. If it had been dark ink, I probably wouldn't have been successful.

Because most of the ink melted in the thicker areas of the wings, I decided to use the shape of the heart to distract from that. Then, because I could make out a few details of the wings, I added those with black ink. The brush was more of a suggested blob so I created my own. The circles were more blobs so I used paint to hint at the shapes.

Last, I add a whole lot of color to the page and finished up with a washi flake of the bird.

I had also added a quote underneath the map washi tape at the bottom of the page before I realized I had misspelled not one, but three words (are you beginning to sense this was not a happy creating time for me?!).

Rather than fight with fixing it, I opted to cover it.

I was about done with the whole mess at this point.

While I'm not thrilled that my page came out NOTHING like I wanted it to, I am thrilled that I was able to salvage it without resorting to another piece of paper to cover it up and start over.

What have you botched lately?

"Shards of A Splintered Heart" - Painted with watercolor, memories and tears

While painting this quilt pattern, a small splatter of salty water hit the page.

A tear.

As I often get "lost" in the process of creating and go off in my mind to other worlds within this one, it wasn't really a surprise. It's happened before. Creating seems to lower my mental walls just enough to allow me to revisit old memory and witness a new perspective on some experience or relationship.

So, no, the tear didn't surprise me too much until I started following my thought-thread back to find the source of the moisture. Until that moment, I didn't realize I was giving voice to the pain—and healing—of losing my mother after a particularly long and vicious battle with dementia.

My mother was a seamstress of great talent, but making quilts were never her thing though she did make a few. She was more of a collector and she enjoyed them in her everyday world rather than keeping them for "company" or special occasions.
As I let the quiet tears fall, I knew they represented the stress and damage caused by an illness that knows no kindness and gives no quarter. They were for the years lost even though she was alive, for the impact it had on her, my father and my siblings as well as for the loneliness and lost feelings that still pervade my mind. And for the helplessness we all felt as we watched her mind being slowly destroyed.

As I followed my thoughts more consciously, I decided to give witness to the pain, guilt, loneliness, anger, frustration, and yes, even happiness, that her death brought. The swirling mess of volatile emotions, some seemingly at war with one another, were slowly brought to life on the page of my sketchbook.

When I began to lay out the quilt idea on the page, I made several changes from the original pattern I found. The shape of the heart (I made it fuller), the outer edges of the heart shape (I wanted it to be less fragmented) and the small splintered pieces inside (to represent my own emotional shards that have yet to settle) were either changed or added as I went along.

Much of the relief (and happiness) I've felt is in knowing she has set down the burden of her illness. The feeling of being lost and lonely sidle up next to the gaping hole of lost love I will no doubt feel until I no longer walk this earth. Anger that I lost so many years with her to this insidious disease and bewilderment that she's truly gone. All of this was and is overlaid with frustration that there was nothing, absolutely nothing which could be done to slow or stop the illness.

As I poured forth that complicated mess of feelings, I began to feel lighter, a lessening of the weight that seems to have been stifling my soul for months now. And while the weight is not completely gone, the slight lightening gives me hope that it will eventually be transformed into something different and new.

They say time heals. I say art heals more. I am ever so thankful to have an outlet by which I can process the big and little hurts we all encounter as we stroll upon the surface of the earth.

I call the image above Quilted Madness. There are 100 little squares in that piece and every single one of them is different from the others. Oh, and the overall size of the art is 4.5 inches by 4.5 inches!

Crazy?

Yes, but it served its purpose.

I detest sitting around without something to do and if you've spent much time in doctor's offices or physical therapist's offices, you know there isn't much to do except stare at gossip magazines, other patients or at the generic art on the walls.

Since wait times are a necessary evil in our society and because I've been spending far more time in these offices than I normally would due to my father's back surgery and physical therapy, I had to come up with a way to combat the dreaded staring.

Yes, I could have read a book, and yes, that would have been entertaining, it's usually not creative.

I started coming up with projects that I could stretch over several appointments where each step took only a small amount of time. This allowed me to stop in the middle without it being critical to the piece of work.

I also didn't have to worry if I would remember where I left off and what I had in mind when I did stop abruptly because my father's name was called.

These types of projects worked well to keep creativity at the forefront of my mind but without stressing myself out.

The quilt was especially challenging (more than I realized) as I had to really push myself to come up with different textures for each square. Many are similar but none are identical. Then I had to think about color. I started in the center and planned to work out to the edges, but somewhere along the way I forgot my plan.

The next thing I knew, I'd put a colored block into a section I had intended to leave white. Instead of scrapping the project, I simply made an adjustment to the layout and kept going. I still didn't stick to my plan though. By the time it was done, I had sections filled in all over the place.

I had to check and recheck to make sure I was in the right square, but it did a beautiful job of filling those long, boring minutes with something creative and fun.

Am I always successful at creating on these doctor visits?

No.

Sometimes, I needed to change it up. Art wasn't always the answer and reading didn't always get it, but between the two, I always managed to pass the time.

Another take type of project is to take a line for a walk:

I started in the lower right side of the paper with the paisley shape and I simply kept adding until I had filled most of the page. While it looks kinda zentangle-ish, it's not. It's more about drawing a line in a random pattern and then filling the spaces with shapes and pattern. It's generally not organized and rather chaotic.

I did most of the drawing during office visits and then added color all at once as that was a bit more intensive than the drawing. Painting in some of the smaller shapes would have been quite doable in the office, but the background would have provided a far bigger challenge.

Being creative with downtime can be pretty simple and easy to do if you choose the right kind of projects. These may not appeal to you. Several artists I know use these (supposably) short windows of time to challenge themselves to sketch other patients and visitors. I do that too on occasion, but I tend to like the projects that don't require as much brain power!

One of the payoffs of working during these waiting periods is improved concentration. I can focus on the art and still pay attention to what's going on around me (listening for my dad's name, dealing with distractions and questions from other curious onlookers, etc.). I find that when I'm sketching around other people now, I'm not as bother by a break in my concentration or by questions.

It also seems like my hand and eye coordination have strengthened and I know my ability to see and create patterns has improved!

Whatever appeals to you is what will work best. Knitting, crocheting, drawing, sketching, any creative endeavor works. I find keeping it simple works best for me. If I don't get back to it for a while, I can still pick up where I left off. Don't overlook those small pockets of time—you'll come to appreciate them as small gifts when you start getting into the groove of working quick.

If you do something similar, please leave a comment below with a link to your project. I'd love to see other ways of spending my time in more productive ways!

Do you have a voice that whispers to you sometimes? "Do this", "don't do that", "go ahead and give this new thing a whirl" are often the spoken words I hear in my mind, but never so clearly as I heard them a few weeks ago.

It's been ridiculously hot in Florida lately and I had just returned from my father's doctor appointment.

I. Was. Hot.

The dog needed and wanted to go outside, but having just come in from the hell-on-earth, I wasn't to keen on the idea. As I opened the backdoor, a wall of stifling, hot air, like I imagine a breeze on the surface of the sun would feel, washed over me.

Shelby eagerly stepped out and turned back to look at me as if to say, "aren't you coming?" I had no intention of going out in the yard...until I heard that small, quiet voice in my head urging me to do just that.

"Go look," it urged. "Go and see," the voice kept insisting. I could almost feel a gentle pressure on the center of my back just below my shoulder blades. No one else was home so I was quite aware there wasn't anyone attempting to push me out the door.

Given the insistence and the urgency in the voice, I gave in and stepped out. I wandered over to the south side of our property where there is a long stand of trees and in less than twenty steps, I stood looking down at a small, broken, bird egg.

I bent down and carefully picked up the broken pieces and laid them in my hand. This was what the voice was urging me to go and find though I didn't understand the urgency. Until Shelby arrived a minute later.

She could smell the broken egg and immediately zeroed in on the location of where the egg had been.  She began to dig almost before I could register that her nose had shown her what my eyes had seen. If I'd been any slower in finding this small, broken treasure, there would have been nothing but a few tiny shards left after she was done excavating.

Leaving the dog to continue her explorations, I carried my prize inside and sorted it out on the counter. I knew as soon as I'd set eyes on the shell fragments that I'd be drawing and painting it into my journal. A little research lead me to decide it was a Cardinal's egg and since we have a large population, it wasn't to much of a stretch to think that was what type of shell I had found.  

After I creating the art in my journal, I pondered what to do with the leftover pieces. I didn't really want to part with them, but nor were they suitable for any type of display. I finally decided I would add them to the actual page of the journal, but I hesitated.

My journal tumbles around in my purse and goes everywhere with me. I didn't feel the shells would have much of a chance of remaining on the page since the journal is only about a third-of-the-way complete.

Instead, I coated a round piece of paper I had previously stamped with matte medium. I carefully placed the shell shards on the paper while the medium was still wet. In some cases, I had to break the shells to get them to lay flat to the paper. Once the first coat was dry, I add a second and set it aside.

Rather than adding the paper, I'm going to wait until I am finished with the journal and will then glue it into a place I've reserved for this small treasure.

And the next time I get a message to do something I don't want to do? I may be a little more receptive  to doing what the voice asks me to do!

There is something about capturing moving water on our pages that makes us feel like we're 10-feet tall and bullet-proof! I think in part because we fear the subject...but I'm going to work to demystify the process to capturing water in your sketchbook, easily and accurately.

Sound like something you want to learn? Come and join me at Indian Rocks Beach Art Center on Thursday, July 26th at 1:00 pm.

To register, please click here.

Two upcoming classes this week are just chocked full of fun tips, techniques and tricks to get you journaling in no time!

Beach Art Center
The first one is going to be at the Beach Art Center over on Indian Rocks Beach this Thursday, 7/12, from 1 to 4 p.m.

We're going to be painting staghorn coral, learning to incorporate values to create depth, adding in a quote and suggesting texture. Sound like your idea of great way to spend your Thursday afternoon? Come join us! For more info and to register, please go here. Class info is on the right side of the page, midway down!

Keeton's Office & Art Supply
This coming Saturday, July 14th, we're gonna be doing a little (sea) horsin' around! Summer is made for bright, happy colors and this project has them in spades!
The white design over the top along with the bubbles floating in the background really push this over the top and make it lots of fun to create.

We'll be working with making washes interesting by mingling color on the paper as well as how to quickly create the white design with the seahorse's body.

Last, we'll add some lettering to finish the page.

To come and learn how to create your very own seahorse, please click here. Please call Keeton's at 941.747.2995 to register!

Hope to see you there and if not, I hope you're keeping your brushes wet and the pages, full!

Prepping For Paris: Choosing A Journal can be found here.

Prepping For Paris: Choosing Art Supplies can be found here.

Extra-Special Items You Might Want To Bring
Getting ready to go to Paris or anywhere really, especially when you fly, is a matter of making choices based on how much you use an item, how much use you get out of an item and how much room you have in your luggage!

For me, extra-special items usually have to meet a few requirements or they get to stay home in the studio. I generally ask 3 questions:

• Does the item or tool have more than one use? 
• How much does it weigh/how much space does it take up (and can either be reduced)? 
• Do I already use it in my journaling when I am close to home or at home?

I used washi on the page above to add a spark of interest

A variety of papers in different shapes can add a lot of pizzaz to your journal pages!

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Come and join me on Saturday, June 23rd at 9:30 for Art On The Rocks: The Magic Of Art Journaling!

Art journaling on the beach...does it get any better?! We'll be at the Beach Art Center in Indian Rocks Beach for an introduction to keeping an art journal, using watercolors and pens as well as the different ways a journal might fit into our lives. We'll be journaling about the fun treasures to be found along the beach.

You'll receive an eight-page watercolor journal along with a couple of permanent black ink pens and a mechanical pencil to get you started. Best of all, you'll receive a handout with step-by-step instructions to help you create even when you're not in class!

After the first introductory class, there will be two classes a month during July, August and September.

If this sounds like just the thing you'd like to try, please visit the Art Center's web site by clicking here to learn more and to sign up for class!

After class, weather permitting, maybe we can take a stroll down the beach to find some treasures! Hope to see you there!

A visit to the Provence region is a delight to the senses, the sun-drenched patina of the old architecture, the vibrant market fare, and the glittering coastline...but that's not all! Breathe deep and smell the scent of fresh bread, listen to the cries of the gulls and feel the warmth radiating from the cobbled stones of the street. History saturates the area and there are plenty of markets and cafes to explore and enjoy.

This new adventure begins on Thursday, May 3rd! Click here to register.

Video demos are provided for all of the assignments. All techniques are shown so that you can “see” when and where they’re used. You have total flexibility as to when you watch the videos once they are posted. The demos are available for the duration of the class and you can watch them as many times as you like.

As you may have heard by now, I will be conducting an Art Workshop in Paris, France in October of this year (details here). Through a series of serendipitous conversations, a second workshop opportunity has come my way and I cannot wait to share it to you!

Le Vieux Couvent is a refurbished 17th century convent which is now a phenomenal art retreat located in the South of France in Frayssinet. Way south of Paris, this beautiful property has gorgeous, meandering gardens, koi ponds, intimate courtyards and all sorts of surprises tucked around every corner to lure you to sit and relax as you fill the pages of your sketchbook.

We'll have the opportunity to explore the French countryside of gently rolling hills and winding backroads before making our way to nearby villages like Souillac for a chance to sketch the colorful market, a domed, 16th century church as well as an old distillery museum; Rocamadour, a historic pilgrimage site dramatically perched on a limestone cliff; Chateau de Baynac along with La Roque-Gageac and Domme.

We'll make use of the large, well-lit studio and extensive art library for demonstrations and to work on our sketchbooks as well as for those days when the weather discourages outdoor exploration. All rooms have en suite bathrooms, free wifi and most meals (like gourmet dinners—yum!) will likely be included. Roundtrip transport to Toulouse International Airport or Gourdon Train Station will also be included.

You can see more photos of the property here. (All photos are property of Le Vieux Couvent and copyright protected.)

Maybe I was feeling a bit nostalgic when I created this image or maybe I just wanted to depart from "reality" for a bit, but regardless of the reason, this image looks NOTHING like the photo reference. The photo I used was taken in a large craft store and it featured 3 pastel watering cans on a white wire shelf with big sale tags everywhere.

It takes time to build up experience and courage to create something that doesn't exist. I think it also help to throw in a dash of crazy, as in being crazy enough to not be so invested in the end result that you're not willing to take chances.

I have always found that taking risks with my artwork is what keeps it fresh and exciting. When I get too invested in the final results, I almost always squash my willingness to take chances...and then I wonder, "If I would have done X, would the art be better/strong/more exciting?"

I will be teaching how to draw and paint "Crusty and Rusty Waterin' Cans" at Keeton's on Saturday, April 14th at 9 AM.  Come and join in the fun! 

Creating patinas and rust really isn't a hard thing to do and it allows for all kinds of palette play! You can use just about any color on the palette, but especially in the earth pigments and granulating pigments.

Please click here and scroll down to April 14th for all the info on this class.