A Garden of Gratitude

 I don't quite understand where May went so quickly, but here we are in June. It is a beautiful month here in my little garden as flowers blossom, birds enjoy the bird bath and lots of squirrels visit each day.

I love my sweet garden. I have come to terms that it will never be completely weeded or in a perfect state. There will always be work to do on it. I spend an hour each morning watering, weeding and checking on it. I don't want to miss a single bloom. I have said this so many times, but the seasons pass quickly and it is important to appreciate the passing beauty of each day. I enjoyed my brief time off and I am getting back into my regular studio hours, but still doing lots of reading and studying for future classes.  Private students have been keeping me busy and they always ignite further research for me. I had the pleasure of working on this interesting Butterfly Initial with one of my private students. Transparent layers of watercolour provide the base for the butterfly and create the iridescence. It was a joy to take the time to work on this initial.The gilding was done with Platinum leaf and was a bit of a challenge. I feel as if each design I work on has its own lesson to teach me even though I am working as the instructor. The pigments used for this piece were A.Gallo and Daniel Smith. 

This month's class will be Fainting Fancies for Ardington School. I have taught this class online in 2022 but will take things in a slightly different direction for Ardington. We will explore foliated letter forms as well as these graceful "flying flourishes." They are always a delight to create and I will be so happy to share the story of Fainting Fancies. I return to these letter forms so often in my work. 

 I am also continuing to prepare for the Blooms and Breezes coloured pencil class in July for The Gentle Penman. My pansies are blooming beautifully and I love to see their sweet faces. I visit the garden centre every couple of days to see what else I can find to draw.  The live specimens are so much more exciting to use than photographs. I feel as if I really get to know my subject and truly experience the joy of the little blossom on my desk as I work. It appeals to the florist in me! Although I have been trying many different colour pencils, I always return to Faber Castell Polychromos. Soon, I will share some techniques that combine dry bruh watercolour and coloured pencils but Blooms and Breezes will concentrate on pure coloured pencil. 

One of my friends asked me if I prefer the final result that happens on the paper or the process of creating the art work. I definitely prefer the process. Coloured pencil work takes more time than watercolour and I think there can be the danger of becoming bored with your work. It is my experience, that this can lead to rushing through the process to get it over with. But if you can really shut off the mental chatter that happens when you are working, you can truly become absorbed in the process as you watch the strokes become more clear on the paper. I have learned that each piece of paper is a possibility. There is something waiting to emerge on the paper that only you can bring to life. It takes time and patience but the result is so worth the hours and the energy. Even if you are never completely satisfied with the result, the skills you are learning are cumulative and they will blossom in their own time. It really will happen. Be grateful for the opportunity to work with your hands and anticipate that there will be failures. It is part of every artist's process. Enjoy a beautiful month my dear friends. I hope you all Flourish!