my "studio"

After sharing the studios that so inspire me with you yesterday, I thought I'd share a picture of what my current "studio" set-up looks like. It's just a rag tag collection of supplies I pull out as needed. I set them up on our wide coffee table and happily work alongside all the other trappings of home until its time to tuck them all away again. It's wonderful at times, and wretched at others. I love the little messes that form out of necessity, but I can't help but long for a space to call my own. We have five-six more months left on our lease- it hasn't stopped me from dreaming up what our new apartment could look like. Until then this is my studio and I refuse to be anything but happy with it.  big kiss, bekuh

a trio of eucalyptus

Growing up I remember my mom being really into dried flowers. We had garlands, and wreaths, and small arrangements in every room of the house, she even took a class on arranging them (it was so very 90s of her). One arrangement in particular sticks out in my mind: in our bathroom there was a small wicker basket just exploding with dried eucalyptus. No other flora or fauna needed, just dusty grey-green leaves complimenting the green and peach wallpapered decor. The strange fan shaped leaves seemed so exotic to me then.

I still have a soft spot for them now. On a recent Trader Joe's expedition Ryan and I picked up some eucalyptus for a flower arrangement, and though the other flowers have been long dead the eucalyptus stands tall. Dying gracefully and preserved for our use.

I decided to do a quick series of paintings on this reedy little green, to immortalize my lifelong fascination with the plant, and to play with using ink to sketch over paintings. I'm pretty happy with the results. big kiss, bekuh

in my sketchbook 8.6.13

Lately I've been dancing between line drawing and abstraction in my sketchbooks. Pulling inspiring images from the web for color and composition inspiration. Ink drawing images from magazines, and even my own photography. Every where I look there's another sketch to draw or design to siphon creativity from. I'm looking for something in my work right now, and I'm going to find it. Every day I'm working towards something new, are you? big kiss, bekuh

back at it

After months of feeling disconnected from my first love, Art, I'm finally picking up the brush and getting back to it. I hit a wall with my creating, unsatisfied with it's direction, and displeased with every creation. It was as if I saw the work I wanted to create but couldn't realize it. Trapped by my own vision. I've been reading more however and books are an amazing source of inspiration for me. One book in particular made it painfully clear to me that art is a process that takes many years to perfect, if perfection is even the point. I needed to just jump back in. And so I did. big kiss, bekuh

Everyday I'm Just Sketching

I made a promise with myself that this year I would fill an entire sketchbook with a little art journaling, and a lot of sketching and I'm trying to make good on that promise. I've pretty much taken the last two years off from art and journaling and it's time for me to get back into it, and explore that side of myself once again. My new job is allowing me much more free time for self expression and I love that.

These are just a few images of what I've been working on and playing around with. Our dining room window seat has become my favorite place to cuddle up with supplies and sketch for a few hours, that is when Nellie will let me. She thinks the window seat is her personal lounge.

I'm loving the moments I get to spend putting pen to paper, and creating something new again. Whether it's a pattern, a silly sketch, or a future masterpiece, this is my happy place. Who knows what these little sketches will bring about in the next several months. big kiss, bekuh

What I've Been Painting Lately

My list of current paintings is not as extensive as I'd like but I have completed two paintings in the last 2 months! This is the most progress I've made artistically since graduating from college in 2010. I must admit it is a little embarrassing to share this as I was a studio art major and once completed 20 works of art in a 2 month period, eep.

You may have seen my progress on the still life painting when I shared my painter's nook a little while back. Well I've finished that project and a painting of our new pup Nellie for my husband Ryan's birthday. Ryan was thrilled to own his very first piece of original art, and I was more than happy to oblige. The images below are of the Nellie painting still in progress, but you can kinda see what it looks like.

Now I'm tasked with finding a home for these paintings in our little apartment, and with finding inspiration for many, many, more. I'd like to tackle more still life paintings and I've been working on a little series in my head; all about the mundane home life of a newlywed couple. Could this be a new venture for me? Who knows. big kiss, bekuh