wood slice botanicals

Wood is such an amazing canvas to work on! I especially love wood slices. Oh, how I love wood slices!! Normally, you will find a lot of wood burning done on these wonderful slices of heaven, and although I enjoy that, too.... I especially love to use the unexpected tools such as pen & ink, watercolors, and gouache on my wood slice. What I have found, though, is I prefer to use them directly on unfinished wood. No prepping other than super-fine sandpaper. There is something special about how the watercolor is absorbed and is dictated by the grain of the wood. Some of it is in my control. Most of it is controlled by the tree. It becomes a marriage, of sorts. I respect the tree. The tree respects me. We come together, work together and, God willing, create something beautiful together.

the season of art shows

Life sure does get busy when you spend your days chasing and catching your dreams! What an adventure it has been!! Art shows, Vendor shows, Pop-Ups and the like. There was a lot to learn as I searched out what type of shows and events were best suited for me and my work. The outdoor events were the toughest. Here in Florida it can really take everything out of you. Even in the fall or winter seasons, it still feels like summer. My wearable art really received a lot of attention which I don't think I was expecting. I even had to replace a couple batches of earrings which I usually do in batches of around 100. It was definitely busy.




This past season was exhausting and exciting all at once and I look forward to the next one ahead. Not sure if I'm ready yet but there is still time. Sadly, I had a bad auto accident several months ago so this summer was spent just putting it all back together again instead of the intended and much needed painting and creating I needed to do. These kind of things can be so overwhelming sometimes and can really change the dynamics of your life as it shifts the order of importance on your list. At the same time, these bumps in the road can put things in perspective and force you to recognize what is most important at that time. As much as I craved picking up a paintbrush or an ink pen in the midst of all the chaos, I had to put it aside temporarily. Just temporarily.

But now it's time to get busy again. For I am an artist and no bumps in the road can change that!