This image started out as a photo taken in Florence of a restaurant window, with layers of very loose  painterly renderings of flowers in digital art programs and a little digital graffiti to tie it all together.  Printed on fabric, this could be part of an art quilt or a background to an illustration.

Wow!  Is it too late to say Happy New Year!?  It was a quiet Christmas and New Year's and a time to soak in family time, lots of good food (too much good food), music, and new books (lots of great books).  A time to forget about schedules, but…….it's also nice to get back to a "new" normal. 

Some of my time was spent re-organizing my studio and workspaces and list the things I'd like to pursue this year, usually based on what was successful from the preceding year.  I take advantage of the clean slate the new year provides by auditioning some new projects.  I'm feeling a tiny bit guilty about straying too far from my painting but on the other hand feel I should pay attention to the little sparks (like fireflies) going on in my brain. 

Painting.....forever and always will be painting.  A continuation of the small format paintings is a sure thing but I have some larger formats I'd like to work on again this year.  

Art quilts however are one of those little sparks that I may have to make time for.  I have a weakness for fabrics and have been steadily building a collection of silks and organzas to play with.  Now I guess I have to justify those purchases (hehe). The quilts I have in mind are more painterly and definitely more contemporary than my paintings.   Having this quieter time has enabled me to settle on a design I'd like to pursue which makes it easier to assemble fabrics and audition techniques.

Illustration…..(I'm trying to learn Adobe Illustrator by myself??)  Watercolor and digital collage snuck into my painting time the latter part of 2011 and I have this burning desire to learn how to do more vector work.   An interesting note is that the digital explorations will be an important part of the fabric used in the art quilts.  So we'll see what 2012 brings.  Focus will be an important word for me this year.

Jewellery is not a separate category for me.  It is simply another art form like miniature sculptures.  An on going journey to reach a comfort level with acquired skills.  I love the learning aspect.  (Enamelling this year!)

Focus is what I did not want to do this month of January (the rest of the year definitely).  It was meant to be a month of play, experiments and uninhibited creativity.  I have assembled my reference material, re-arranged my studio, shopped for fabrics to alter to my hearts content and practiced with many fun free apps available for digital manipulation until I decided on which ones to pursue.

Here's to 2012....a new creative journey begins!

With minutes to spare before the New Year I'd like to thank visitors to my blog for your kind words of encouragement.  I am happy with the direction I took painting smaller formats and look forward to more
creative endeavours in 2012 as I hope you are too.  May you be blessed with all that you need and most of what you want.  Love, health and happiness, Happy New Year!

A Little Something for Me

...and that little something would be "time".  The Christmas season feels closer to me when I'm creating something.  It is such a wonderful time of year for creating and yet is the most difficult time to complete anything.  I was determined to reclaim some time to do something that was not required but simply for the joy of it.  Painting at least three seasonal subjects would make me happy.  I may not get to finish this one until early next week after I return from Boston but I'm quite content to see it on my easel and if I'm lucky I'll start another.

Illustrations Framed

These are prints from illustrations created by me for the cooking school Tavola Mia.  They appear on labels on a series of imported olive oils and vinegars from Italy distributed by Maria Loggia to complement her recipes that are being published into her second cookbook.

I love how they look printed and framed as I had originally meant them to be seen only at label size.

I may design a new series specifically to be framed now that I see how they look.

This week

Michel Oosterhaut from the Netherlands has an online project where he posts a painting of an apple painting from artists around the world appropriately called "An Apple a Day"
Today my painting is featured!

I have just finished unpacking from the wonderful One of a Kind Show here in Hudson.  It's a lovely venue (the Whitlock Golf and Country Club) and the other artisans are truly amazing.  My painting of the Chickadee from two posts back found a home and my silk scarves sold out.  (Yes I know, I am a painter and jewellery designer so what was I doing with silk scarves??)  I occasionally need to indulge in some sewing projects in order to justify my craving for beautiful fabrics.  I'll post pictures in another day or so as soon as I re-group for the season ahead.  Custom order have my focus now.

Radishes II

Radishes II

6" x 8"

Oil on canvas panel

This is the time of year for exhibitions and I'm preparing for the last two of the season.  So posting is a little more sparse.  This is the last of the veggie paintings for now.  I still have some Fall subjects to post

and yet we're heading into the winter season.  The red/green color combination makes me happy.  Makes me think of Christmas........

Chickadee

Chickadee

5" x 7" oil on canvas (framed)

SOLD

Time to put up more bird feeders.  I moved from the corner of the room where the feeders hang outside my window and have neglected to notice when the feeders were empty.  It doesn't take long for these birds to move on when their food supply fails to appear and I miss them.  So that is on my "to do" list

today or else I won't have any more references to paint from!