I’ve always been fond of arts and crafts. I remember in elementary school I was selected to be the “Art Room Helper” and I felt like I won the ultimate prize. Being able to spend many recesses tucked away in what I thought was an art room, but in reality was an art “closet”, was like stepping into Willy Wonka’s factory. The room was lined with shelves of the most comforting tempra paints you’ve ever seen. Greens, blues, reds, and hot pinks called to me. There were stacks of every color of construction paper beside boxes of small, safety scissors that were spattered with remnants of cracking Elmer’s Glue. The scent of rubber cement, Crayola crayons, and pungent markers filled the air. But the thing that held my attention in captivity were the boxes filled with watercolor palettes.
I began my love affair with watercolor thanks to my Mother, Carolyn Steed. Back in the 70’s, she would buy me watercolor books, similar to coloring books. She’d fill a small glass with the clearest water and hand me a paintbrush that always seemed to have a hair or two standing out in the wrong direction. I’d open the watercolor book and find a picture of a puppy or flower dotted with dried watercolor. All it took was a swipe with clean water and the most satisfying thing would happen~ the color would magically fill the lines and blend into the most mysterious patterns. I was in heaven.
Fast forward to today after I’ve been through my ceramic painting, crocheting, and scrapbooking phases and I’ve rediscovered watercolor. I quickly learned that painting with highly pigmented watercolors is much more challenging than I remembered. I’ve watched more YouTube and TIKTOK videos to begin honing my painting technique. Now that I’m two months in on what is almost a daily painting practice, I’m beginning to understand the way a paint will blend, how a drop or swoosh of water will impact the paint, and how the quality of the paper makes the most difference in the outcome.
I’m excited to share my sometimes rudimentary art attempts here as a way to encourage each of you to find an outlet for your thoughts. It will teach us both that we don’t know everything and we’re not expected to. It is such a freeing experience to see how I may have an idea in my head and it just doesn’t translate to paper the way I anticipate. Nice metaphor for work and life, I suppose.
I won’t share every painting, but will share much of the journey. I hope you’ll share your own work with me too!
July 2023
This was a fun one! I was walking through the Haymarket in Lincoln, NE and stumbled upon a woman who took book pages and made journals from them. I immediately gravitated to this one with a cover from the Shel Silverstein poem ‘The Crocodile’s Toothache’. I have been reading his books since childhood and now I have a journal that makes me smile and feel connected to his poem in a whole new way! Back to what I said earlier about the type of paper making a difference, this one was not the most cooperative. It began to pull and pill from the water but I don’t mind. It gives it character. What do you think? Do you have a favorite poem by Shel Silverstein?
June 2023
This month I’m trying to learn many different styles of painting. I’m working on landscapes, flowers, birds, and more. It’s been an adventure trying to take things I’ve observed in real life and translate them through watercolor. Some are successful, others not so much. The common thread is the learning that each one brings.
I realize I enjoy painting watercolors that are more blurry and watery than those that are highly detailed. I made a few larger pieces this month (8 x 10″) for my Dad for Father’s Day. He loved them, or maybe he just told me that because I’m his kid! Either way, I enjoyed taking time to create something special for a man I admire and love more than he’ll ever know.
May 2023
This is not easy.
If you’re at all like me, you see something and immediately think you can do it. Now, the realistic side of my brain knows this is not possible. However, the optimistic side of my brain believes that I can do anything, so I dive in. I’m beginning to experiment with different paints, brushes and types of paper. I already know that although this will be a journey full of development what I have from the start is passion. I see that passion already working to soothe my stressful days. I’m so glad I decided to pick up the brush.
Family. Travel. Work. Art 