Joy is an Inside Job

I've come to a bit of a realization -- while I was in the gallery in Morro Bay, I painted things that I THOUGHT (hoped) would sell to the "tourists", however I lost somewhat of myself in that. What I love to paint are what I call "Portraits of Life -- of people, pets, places and favorite things" -- in other words, things that are important and special to me and those that commission my paintings.

What's on my Easel...

It is an absolute joy to work on the "Tribute to Francis" painting. As I paint I am able to focus on Francis' life and the impact that he had. I am thankful for the beauty that he graced us with -- for the irises that fill my front garden with beauty, and for the legacy of a family in which he can be proud.

As a reminder, this is where we left off...


The painting is still in process. As I paint small sections, I see other sections that need additional attention -- like the yellow iris. Now that the purple iris is blocked in and partially painted, I see that the yellow iris is too light and doesn't have enough contrast to complement the purple iris.

I will continue working on this painting and provide you with an update next Tuesday.

From the Jewelry Box...

Since I started posting about jewelry making, I have received some requests to share my newly acquired wire wrapping skills. I have to confess, I am still pretty "green", but I love to see that "aha" moment as people learn new things, and am happy to share what I know...or what I think I know... with others. Robin was one who recently asked if I would teach her how to wire wrap. We set up a time and she came to my home, learned the basics of wire wrapping, and she made a lovely pair of reddish orange earrings. Robin is one of those creative sorts, so I can't wait to see what she will create!

I have always loved the ocean and am VERY thankful that we live on California's central coast. My latest necklace and earring design is based on the shells of the ocean and reflection of the sun on the water...


Cover to Cover...
When I started "making art," I learned that there was so much more to it than just standing in a museum or gallery and appreciating the work that someone else had created. There was the inspiration, the planning, the making the work itself. Then there are a multitude of background activities and processes involved in getting the artwork ready for presentation or sale. Well, just as I learned there is more to the artwork than just the finished product, I am learning that there is more to a book than just going to the bookstore, pulling one off of the shelf, reading it, and then setting it aside.

When asked to illustrate a children's book my mind immediately went into process mode and asked...How many illustrations? How many pages? Full color or select colors? Portrait (tall) or landscape (wide)? What is the page size? Will the illustrations go to the edge of page or will there be a margin?

Never having worked on a book before, these are questions the author and I began researching. We contacted publishers and book printers, and the information we received from them caused our heads to spin. Not really, but we realized that there is a lot involved in publishing a book.

At this point, we have determined the number of pages and the page size -- the other questions are yet to be answered. As we continue down the publishing road, I will continue to share what we learn along the way.

Until then, remember...

Quote of the day...
"Joy is not in things; it is in us." -- Richard Wagner