It’s been a ton of work but it is just about done now. Need to read through and make any last minute edits, but it is almost finished. I’ve said it before but this book kept my mind occupied during those initial scary months of the pandemic. I had a deep focus which kept me off the couch and in the studio. This book was originally scheduled for November but, well, we all know how Covid threw a wrench in everything. But I plodded along and kept to the schedule, regardless. It was such a challenge but also such a joy since this book was both the brainchild of all my morning nature loving walks and the watercolor work I did on my last picture book. I feel like this process was a metaphor for life in some way—you stay focused, keep working hard, ignore the noise and at the end you have this thing that may not have seemed possible a year ago.
Quarantine works goals
Hope all of you are safe and making the most of the stay at home orders. I’ve never been a fan of being a couch potato, so I have been spending my days in my sunny studio working on everything from new story ideas and sketching to continuing work on my upcoming art instruction book. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy taking a walk and taking advantage of the down time, but for me it is best to keep pursuing goals at this time. It keeps my mind occupied and gives me a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. My teaching gig at the Museum is on hold (well everyone’s!) so I look at this time as an opportunity to really hunker down and focus. And I am still teaching—but just in book form for the time being. I’d really love to write more and with less distraction I hope some of the ideas can materialize on paper. And it seems less scary to keep my routine going versus succumb to 8 hours of CNN. I’ve been self employed for a LONG time. So, each day I wake, I make my little to-do list as I have for years and get cranking! Sharing this floral border I started for the book so that the designer can have a fun area to run some text inside. Keep creating everyone! We need to stay in for all the brave healthcare workers out there. We will get through this.
keeping it loose!
I’ve been working on the new book a lot lately– and each time I do a small test off to the side of my paper–I like the results much more than the actual “finished” piece I am trying to achieve. I love the loose feeling of watercolors and letting them work their own magic. I hear other artists mention how they like their sketches more than the finishes so I suppose this is similar. Hard to keep the lightness…
On teaching
In between growing a business, making final edits on a manuscript (again) and some much needed R&R pool time, I taught a few classes this summer. I enjoy getting students excited about creating. Here are some pics from a 4-week Mill class I dubbed “Floral Pop”. In it, we explored lots of unusual techniques to create florals. There are always a few students that really dive in and experiment, which delights me to no end! :)
Will miss seeing these ladies. Such a great group.