Painting through Grief – A Sparrow Emerges!

Painting through Grief – A Sparrow Emerges!

May 21, 2023 | Art, Essay, Nature Journaling, pattern design, Reflections, Surface Pattern Design, Watercolor, watercolor

This blog post has been difficult to write.  I have started over more times than I can recall.  Some months it seems to write itself.  Other months I search a little harder for the precise words, the kernel of meaning, or just the right tone.  After numerous failed attempts this month, I ‘m simply going to say what’s on my mind and in my heart and move on with the faith that next month’s letter will come more naturally.

I published a post on Easter weekend with no inkling that life in our household was about to experience a small tectonic shift.  The Saturday of Easter weekend, Django died, joing Carter who passed over the rainbow bridge in January 2022.  Carter had been ill and frail for awhile.  Django, on the other hand, was a 15 year old puppy most days.  His sudden illness and passing has left us in a state of quiet but noticeable bereavement.  For the first time in 26 years there is no dog curled with us on the sofa, no wagging tail and happy bark to greet us at the door.  There is no longer the need to “watch our step” in the backyard or rubberband the pantry door shut- yet we still do those things.

But grief is part of love and itnegral to this cycle of energy that cradles us all.  And so I have leaned into the ache knowing that time pauses for no one.

On a more positive note, Cohlmia’s Springfest was a jungle of fun!  Thank you to all who stopped by to say “hello!” and congratulations to Cali who won a free mini print.  I am excited to welcome new faces to this newsletter/blog.  Please excuse the somber tone this month.  It’s definitely an outlier.  

 

In the Studio

This quick watercolor portrait of Django resides in my watercolor sketchbook. The portrait of Carter on the right is also in a sketchbook dating back a few years.  They are not polished and their flaws are apparent.  In the case of Django’s, it was my attempt to face the reality of his absence through art without judgement or performance pressure.

Last month I dedicated my studio time to preparing for Carney Fest and Cohlmia’s.  For the next couple months I am looking forward to spending time learning, experimenting, and playing with the ideas percolating in my head.  I have more ideas than time!  After a brief period of personal painting, I will begin creating original watercolors to stock in my shop.  Even now I  am playing with different presentation techniques.  The sparrow and stylized flower composition pictured at the top of this post is nearing completion.  Once I am finished painting, I will seal it with a UV protectant spray, affix it to a wooden gallery board, and coat it with wax buffed to a soft sheen.  It will then go to Hummingbird Fine Craft to look for a permanent home.  My newsletter readers will be the first to know!  

What I’m Reading

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans

Food for Life by Phil Spector

 

A Singing House Whistles While I Work

A Singing House Whistles While I Work

Apr 11, 2022 | Art, Digital Art, Essay, Garden, Humor, pattern design, Reflections, Surface Pattern Design, watercolor

April blew in with such ferocity this year!  My doorways have been moaning for weeks on end- a slightly eery sound that I have begun to liken to Moaning Myrtle.  If you have never heard your house “sing” before, I will explain.  The wind comes through the gaps with such strength that it causes the copper flashing to vibrate and intonate.  The first time I heard it, nearly 19 years ago, I was home alone with my babies while my husband was away on a business trip.  It frightened me until I was able to process what was happening.  But I digress.  Resuming….

As I sat down to write today I reviewed my posts from 2022 and I startled myself with how much I wanted to share with you.  I have let more time slip by than I intended.  So, please, pause here to grab a cup of tea, a glass of wine, or perhaps a cookie and a glass of milk.  But get comfortable and let’s catch up!

In January I shared my Intentions for 2022 and it is important to me that I continue that conversation.  Accountability.  I set these five intentions for 2022:

  1. Eat more veggies!
  2. Keep a cleaner garden.
  3. Become more disciplined in my approach to learning.
  4. Learn to create process videos.
  5. Create free downloads for my website subscribers BEFORE March!

Let me start with Number 5-  I’m a little late, but I have done it!  I have created my first free download for you.  It is only the first; you can plan on more.  When visitors sign up to receive email from me they will be taken to a Thank You page where they can download the freebie.  Those who are already on my mailing list will receive a separate email with their link.  This first freebie is a bookmark.  I haven’t decided how long the free bookmark will be available, so download it when you receive the email.   If you have troubles with the download or you don’t receive your email, just let me know.  I will post a follow-up blog entry with suggestions for how to print your bookmark.

Flowering Quince Bookmark

Plant Babies!

New Art!   “Hummingbird with Screen”

Number 4-  Sadly, I haven’t even BEGUN to tackle this one.  Let’s get that garden growing first!

Number 3-  Becoming more disciplined in my approach to learning has been a biggie for me.  Sometimes I feel like I am stalling out-  but when I grant myself a little grace and look at my work with objectivity I see great strides here.  I have spent considerable time painting birds lately under the tutelage of several self-guided classes with differing approaches and strengths.  The instructor in me says I haven’t earned an A- yet.  But, I will get there! 

Number 2-  Oh My!  In order to keep a cleaner garden, I have to clean it first!  The ideal time would have been Winter- but if you know me, you know I hibernate when the weather is anything less than 68 degrees F.  So, that leaves Spring.  And if you are a parent, or remember parenting school-aged children (or adults), then you remember how your calendar can simply explode overnight!

My son is a Senior in high school and just attended prom this past weekend.  Graduation events are beginning to fill the calendar.  Soccer matches have begun to populate the little white squares.  And in between grass fires, weird cold snaps, and the occasional promise of severe storms, I know the garden is calling!  But each day only holds 24 hours and I demand to sleep at least 7 of them, so something gets ignored each day.

In the past I have delayed gardening until the last possible minute holding onto the fear of losing seeds and seedlings in Spring Flash Floods or odd late frosts.  This year won’t be much different.  I have begun to clean out last year’s crops, but I haven’t finished.  We haven’t even turned on our irrigation system yet.  The baby plants are thriving in my studio nursery.  I have sown a few seeds outside, with disappointing results.  If the wind wasn’t bad enough, the squirrels immediately dug up the fresh soil.  The morning after planting seeds I discovered holes dug all over my cleared beds!

Last-  1.  Eat more veggies!      Do convenience salads count?  We haven’t made a heap of progress here-  but, if you recall, the whole point of setting Intentions instead of Resolutions is to emphasize the PROCESS or the journey.  I have eaten a few extra salads, which is easier as it becomes increasingly warmer.

Your turn-  Did you set any Intentions, or resolutions, this year?  Did you share them with anyone?  If not, I invite you to share them with me.  You can include them in a comment or send me an email.  I would love to return the favor of being your accountability partner.

Hops - A Rabbit

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‘Fraidy Cat Takes the Stage- Reflections on Putting Myself “Out There”

‘Fraidy Cat Takes the Stage- Reflections on Putting Myself “Out There”

Apr 23, 2021 | Art, Digital Art, Essay, gouache, pattern design, Reflections, Sketchbook, Surface Pattern Design, watercolor

The scissortail flycatcher, the blanket flower, and the Eastern redbud represent Oklahoma’s natural beauty.  The sun image is a nod to our Native American heritage and represents hope.

 

Details of the Scissortail, Indian Blanketflowers, and Eastern Redbud.

I have gone to ground for the past month as I prepare for my very first live booth event! About a month ago I got the opportunity to participate in a one day outdoor event- and I leapt at the chance. Let me clarify this by stating that I leapt into it the same way I leap into a body of water knowing it will be cold. I held my breath and it felt a little as though I had stepped off a ledge when I clicked the “send” button.

It sounds foolish when I say that aloud. I can list hundreds of intimidating things I have embraced in my life- years on the stage, entering a strange high-school as a young substitute teacher time and again, teaching, earning my Shotokan brown belt, competing in karate tournaments, and birthing two babies. These are scary experiences, especially to the uninitiated. So I had to turn inward to ask “why the hesitation”?

Was I scared that I couldn’t “do it”? Nonsense. Like anything else, the act of showing up is a simple mechanical process of putting one foot in front of the other. And while the list of things I must accomplish in four weeks to prepare was long, by simply doing one thing and then moving on to the next, I knew it was manageable. So this could not be the cause of my faltering.

Was I afraid of what others would say or think? Sadly, there was a little truth in this. My HEAD knows my family and friends will encourage me and want me to do well. But there remains a small but VOCAL demon within that shouts at me. “They will think you are a delusional child. They are just patronizing you. They know that when you fall on your face you will give up this stupid charade and move on.” Insert the maniacal laugh of your choosing here.

But the fear of looking like the fool to my family was not the only thing holding me back. There was still something else- and I knew it was my fear of complete failure. What if NO ONE stopped at my booth? What if no one bought any of my art? What if I have been wasting my time? And that is where I stopped myself.

I had let something get in the way of my joy. When I sit down and create it comes from a place of joy, every time. I cannot think of a single time I have created from a space of sadness, loneliness, or anger. I admire artists who can harvest these raw emotions and the artists who use their canvas to expose the evils of the world and push for change. But my art journey thus far has remained an expression of joy, admiration, and awe. Allowing the fear of judgement into the arena ties my hands. How can I mine the joy if I am only concerned with how many people are following my Instagram, reading this blog, or liking my FB posts?

So I purposely set aside the social media and the paint. I picked up my pencil and sketchbook, I enrolled in some new online classes, and I immersed myself in the process of simply creating and learning. I LOVE learning. I am not the fastest learner and my retention sucks- but I love expanding my horizons. I have submitted to notion that whatever happens on May 8th, it does not determine my relationship to art. Only I can affect that. And if I crash and burn on May 8th, my family will not see a failure, but a woman who is committed, determined, and persistent. And I can think of no better lesson for my children.

I am still a little nervous about May 8, but I am a body in motion and I am hurtling towards May 8th with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. I am looking forward to seeing people and introducing my creative efforts to them. If you live in Tulsa and feel safe venturing out, I hope you will stop by my booth and say “Hello”.  For information, check out this link- https://saltandsoulmarket.com/birthday-bash/.

The event is the Salt & Soul Birthday Bash and it will be at the Broken Arrow Brewing Company May 8 from 3pm-8pm. If you are still unfamiliar with Salt&Soul it is an online market featuring Oklahoma vendors. I have a shop there and after May 8 I will be loading new items into my shop as Salt&Soul exclusives- meaning they will not be listed here on my website but must be purchased through Salt&Soul.

Persist in joy, my friends.

 

 

In

The

Studio

Clowning in the Garden or Clownfish in Chrysanthemums.  Watercolor.  

This began as an exercise in painting chrysanthemums but the undulating petals morphed into anemones in my mind’s eye.  Where there are anemones, there are clownfish.  We have five bubble tipped anemones and two black and white clownfish at home.  Little fish with big personalities!

 

Male purple finch in gouache from my watercolor sketchbook.

Vector artwork-   the Tulsa Driller holding hops.  This is a coaster design which I will debut on May 8.

 

Pattern created featuring the Oklahoma motifs.  Another example of vector artwork.

Staying with the Oklahoma theme, I painted a vintage gas pump.   Watercolor.

Persistence

Persistence

Feb 20, 2021 | Art, Digital Art, Garden, Humor, Ink, pattern design, Reflections, Sketchbook, watercolor

Desert Sun– A new digital image available in my Society6 store located under Home Decor & Gifts in my site Menu.

Persistence: Is it a Virtue or Merely a Mad Delusion?

Aesop insisted the tortoise’s dogged persistence would triumph over Jack Rabbit starts.  Coincidentally, I have much in common with Mr. Tortoise:  I am homebound (“Thanks, COVID.”), I have no fast-twitch muscles of which I am aware, and optimism (or perhaps faith in effort) lures us forward each step of the way.  A pinch more self-confidence might help- indeed, there are those who get by with not much else!  But I do believe that persistence pays a reasonable return.  in other words, provided I maintain reasonable goals and expectations, nothing but myself stands in my way.

Wrapping both fists tightly around that guiding belief, I set about to re-create a new website for myself.  I began around Christmas time and by February 1, I had a website I liked- at least on my desktop computer.  A few issues remain on smaller devices and I am mentally steeling my resolve to correct those in the coming week.

While squeezing the living daylights out of my belief in persistence, I placed an order for some succulent seeds.  I had become enamored with a strange succulent someone posted in social media and after searching for it on the WORLDwide (emphasis on the word “world”) web, I located seeds.  Yes, SEEDS!  I was suffering from the audacious belief that I could grow a rare succulent from the ground up- literally!  The website appeared professional and gave me no reason to doubt that I had just purchased seeds from a vendor in New York.  However, 2 weeks later I received an email informing me that my package had just left China.  The packages’s arrival strengthened my suspicions.  Apparently I ordered a fifth packet of seed- not a succulent, by the way.  So, 1000 tiny “seeds” had arrived from China.  I have about 8 seedlings to show for it-  ALL from the fifth packet of seeds!

Nearly 6 weeks later, I swallowed my pride and purchased cuttings from a woman in Washington state.  I hope to chronicle the growth of four cacti- green thumbs crossed!

In the Studio

Check out the “Pirate Boston terrier” in my watercolor gallery.  My sister’s Boston Terrier, Maggie, lost her eye in late December in a freak accident.  I painted her as a pirate and gifted it to my lil’ sis for her birthday.

I have returned to the realm of digital art.  As I continue to gain mastery of Illustrator, I developed a customizable print using my Mimosa motif I created this summer.  I saw customized nursery art while surfing the web one night and loved the idea! I am working on a rocket theme customizable print as well. What do you think of them? (Check them out in my shop and in my Salt & Soul market.)  I am also excited about Desert Sun– a bold graphic art print available in my Society6 shop on a variety of products.

And although I am spending more time in front of the screen, I still paint regularly.  I am currently working on a watercolor image of an opossum surrounded by foliage and sweet flowers.  I like to imagine this hanging in a nursery, boy’s or girl’s!  I am giving you a sneak peak in this post. 

 

 

And last- but certainly not least!  I have embarked on #The100DaysProject.  This project challenges creatives to hone in on one thing for 100 days.  Some may take the extreme approach and only draw noses for 100 days.  Others may adopt a looser approach and simply commit to sketching every day for 100 days.  I have settled in the middle of this continuum and am getting to visually know flowers and plants better.  My goal is to expand my mental library of plants so I don’t rely on references quite so much.  I have included my sketch of Cosmos, with and without color.

Help me name my opossum!

Leave your suggestions in the comment box.

See you next time,

Renee

Inktober Week One: How the Sandwich Saved my Art

Inktober Week One: How the Sandwich Saved my Art

Oct 7, 2020 | Art, Digital Art, Garden, Humor, Ink, pattern design, Reflections, Sketchbook, Surface Pattern Design, Uncategorized, Watercolor

candy skull pattern by Sparrowshine Designs

“Best thing since sliced bread!”-  or in my case, cold cuts!  Why do I overlook the humble cold cut sandwich for dinner?  No stove, no oven, no dishes, no worries!  And that means more time to make art.  And goodness knows I need as much time as I can get this month.  The first week has been a whirlwind- 

I have experienced so much in the first week of Inktober that I know October 31 will find me much improved.  And the promise of growth motivates me to keep going!  Many experienced artists advise new Inktober participants to be easy on themselves, plan projects that work within their time constraints, and don’t fret missing a day.  Well-  that’s not me.  To play with Eliot’s immortal words, if I goof up this Inktober, I will “go out with a bang- not a whimper!”

To that end- each and every composition I have created this week relies on a calligraphy brush.  Not a marker, or fineliner, or even a nib.  I am familiarizing myself with a few calligraphy brushes.  I have added color with watercolor and photoshop when I could do so within the 24 hour deadline.  But pushing to finish a piece so quickly leaves me feeling as though I could have done better.  So, I have decided this month I will accrue a number of inked pieces which I can color later.

Each prompt includes the potential for surprise- and sometimes I need to remind myself of this.    In the final days of September I created thumbnail sketches for a few of my favorite prompts.  but other prompts caught me unaware and unprepared.  Potted plant was one of those- and I surprised myself by creating two inked line drawings!  Bird nest was one of my quick idea sketches and I executed it late one evening.  The end result was “cute”- not my usual style.  I hastily filmed a reel and posted to Pinterest.  SURPRISE!  Eighteen hours later I had over 2,000 views and a “like” from Ohn Mar Win.  OMG!  I didn’t see that coming!

So, now a surprise for you.  I plan to give away one print from one of my Inktober drawings when Inktober is complete.  How to enter?  First- subscribe to this blog. Be sure to confirm your subscription. Then, simply respond to this post with a comment about one of my Inktober drawings.  I will enter your name in the drawing.  The winner will receive an 8×10 print.  (If the winner resides outside of the continental United States, I will send a small mini-print instead.)

Enjoy the show! I’m off to stock up on cold cuts and sliced bread!

  • Day 1 Dahlia “Let the inking games begin!”
  • Day 2 Bird Nest “Two in th Hat…”
  • Day 3 Fern “Sparrow & Fern”
  • Day 4 Potted Plant “Medusa Head”
  • Day 4 Potted Plant/Radio “Let’s Dance”
  • Day 5 Cardinal “Deck the Boughs”
  • Day 6 Rose “Watch Out for Thorns”
Appreciating Shadows

Appreciating Shadows

Sep 23, 2020 | Art, Garden, Ink, pattern design, Reflections, Surface Pattern Design, Uncategorized

Moth Trellis- An original pattern design in progress which nods to fall and Halloween.

A spot of black, a darkly shadowed fringe lurking at the edge, an irregular recess in the luminous folds, these are the unsung marks that take a visual image from good to stunning.  The hint of the unknown amidst the plainly visible lures in the viewer and burns its image on the retina.  Artists refer to this as tonality- and when it is missing, the image feels flat.  But when the artist deftly adds the deepest of shadows in the most carefully considered manner, the image comes to life- no matter how fantastical.

One afternoon while dropping inky pools of black into the edges, I considered that life is not much different.  Life without shadow would become bland, and dare I venture to assume, under-appreciated.  Like pigment on the page, it comes to life through balance.  Do not confuse balance with equality.  Think back to younger years and the rhythmic exchange of the seesaw.  The “teeter totter” did not require two equally weighted children.  With a gentle push two mismatched participants could see-saw with abandon.  But take one away and gravity wins.

Such heavy lessons to find in the quiet rumination of painterly endeavors.  But heavy lessons are valuable even in the comfort of our happiness.  How often have I lost my sense of wonderment and gratitude in the flat planes of comfort?  Just recently I found myself complaining about the shifting seasons- the dark mornings, the cloud filled sky, the breezes touched with the hint of chill.  I wondered what would propel me out of bed in the cold dark mornings of winter and what would inspire my brushstrokes.  And as I sought to place the darkest shadows on my page, I realized that art was teaching me to appreciate everything in balance.  I need the change of seasons to appreciate the beauty in each one.  And I need the failures as much as I need the small victories.

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