I painted this Spring Beauty from a specimen my little daughter brought to me one day after school. I thought it was so sweet, I had to document it. I used professional watercolors by Daniel Smith on heavy weight watercolor paper. I’ve also been studying calligraphy, which I practiced here. Tough stuff.

This painting is now available!

The snow glows white over the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen… a kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I’m the queen… or something like that…

I’m already missing my pregnant self. Thomas took these of me a few short weeks before the baby came. I really wanted summery, sun-lit, meadow-frolicking-filled photos but was blessed with a blanket of snow instead. I felt like a snow goddess. A very, very chilly snow goddess.

My mornings almost always start with a cappuccino from my Italian espresso machine and a bowl of hearty steel-cut oatmeal. Oh yes, with blueberries and walnuts and cinnamon. MMMM. It’s more than breakfast, it’s my morning zen and necessary daily routine…

After breakfast, I usually go on a hike. Movement and nature is so calming to me. I seriously would be lost without these habits… I’m lucky have a lot of wooded land to explore, and I’m also lucky to have a family that loves to go and play with me. Nothing beats a family picnic at the end of a good hike through the woods.

Now that we have the baby, I have been wearing her in the wrap I made from scrap fabric from walmart for only $4. SCOOOOORE. Yes indeedy. I wear her when I hike, clean, paint, potty……… sigh.

Sometimes we explore parks and trails too, anywhere we can find. I don’t think we’ll ever stop hiking as a family. It’s seriously so healing, especially during this whole pandemic. If you aren’t hiking in your life already, I beggin PLEASSSE take it up!!! You wont regret it! ::praying hands:: ::sparkling eyes::

Our little one was born on Friday, Jan 24th 2020! We are ecstatic of course, our other little ones have doted on her more than I could have even imagined.

I think a typical artist dreams of having a signature color palette. Colors you identify with and use on the reg, for convenience as well as for the sake of consistency. To have such a signature palette makes you feel confident. You don’t have to think about colors, you can just paint!

….I’ve been a Winsor & Newton gal for quite some time, ever since I got back into art a couple years ago… but recently I’ve made the switch to Daniel Smith pigments… I just personally think they are most delicious…

Above is an example of my go-to palette. (It’s available as an essential palette) Even though I prefer Daniel Smith, brand name doesn’t matter so much as quality – professional watercolor is the only way, and completely worth the investment. If you keep your palette limited, it wont be so costly in the long run, but a better product. And there are additional benefits. I especially like the idea of carrying less around with me as I travel. Also, taking less space on my desk!

…and although all that’s really important is your 3 primaries, these specific colors lend a perfect balance of one cool/one warm tone of each primary color… which basically gives you unlimited combos and mixes and access to ANY color! You know, I think having such a limited palette actually helps me understand color theory BETTER…

…I just the love salmons, mint greens/turquoises, and sepias I can make with this limited palette! I really feel at home with this current set. If you like the idea, you can even choose different brands or colors! Just choose 2 reds (one that has more yellow to it, and the other with more blue undertone), 2 blues (one more green and one more purple), and 2 yellows (like a lemon and an orange-yellow). Your should aim to mix cool/one warm hues together to get vibrant mixes…

In this moment I want to feel complete gratitude. I’ve been wanting another baby for a long time… but we really thought it just wasnt right for us. With this baby as a total surprise, a gift was really given – and I want to enjoy every second of it, treasure it, absorb it….

Fashion has been fun and easy at least. Oversized sweaters and leggings are my friends. I’m just too poor to shop maternity only to wear it for a few short months. I’ve gone this entire pregnancy wearing clothing I can hold on to and wear later as well…

I’ve started another new collection… (big surprise there) I’d like to paint 3-5 pieces from my favorite cult classic… Labyrinth!

I used to watch this movie nearly daily my entire childhood. So nostalgic, it brought be so much joy to watch those masterful puppets come alive. And that quirky yet enchanting romance between Sara and Jarod… I mean, David Bowie seriously had it going on as the Goblin King..

The ballroom scene seemed like the right place to start. It’s dreamy, romantic and extra feminine. Perfect. I love the color palette from this moment. Creamy neutrals and antique ivory…

I worked in thin glazes (layers), so I could develop a good realistic feel to match the original photo. I also vectorized the image to help me identify all the shapes… You can see some dogwood doodles on the left to keep me sane throughout all of those tedious layers…

I used a lot of wet in wet techniques to soften edges, especially for the background. I also used my new favorite gray mix, Ultra Marine Blue + sienna..

It so happens we are pregnant 🙂 We are expecting another little one January 24th!

Some of you oil painters may be more familiar with this method of painting, but the average joe is probably crying out… “Gazelle-what??”

This is my handsome boy and his best friend. Which is which? Ask them. I thought this would be a fun opportunity to demonstrate the Grisaille method in watercolors…

Wikipedia defines the Grisaille method as this, “A painting executed entirely in shades of grey or of another neutral greyish colour”.

Any oil painter will know it is quite common to paint a neutral underpainting before adding more “traditional” tones later in the process, but can this be done in watercolors, a transparent medium?? I say, YES. Not only is it possible but lends quite a wonderful depthy effect I LOVE.

Here is my Grisaille underpainting. The primary reason for doing this is of course the VALUES. If you’re a beginner artist, studying value is GOLD for your art journey. The key elements to any painting are VALUES, SHAPES, and EDGES. When painting in greyscale you are eliminating the complexity of color choice and focusing on one of the most important elements in a painting, which in this case could be translated into CONTRAST for better understanding of the word value (if you are a photographer, you know how important contrast is to a photo). The human eye is naturally drawn to contrast, and this will make everything pop.

So what are the steps in painting the Grisaille method? Sharp control over the water-to-paint ratio is key. You can pre-wet the area for a smooth finish, or simply paint in a very wet, sheer layer. This is your underpainting. I like to turn my own photos B+W to guide me through the values. Allow this sheer layer to dry, and you are now ready to “colorize” your subject. Simply work fast, preferably with a BIG brush to cover more area, and swipe vibrant hues over-top of the neutral tints of your underpainting. Keep your reference photo close by, because you’ll want to follow the temperatures, but I absolutely loved how I can be just a little sloppy as I throw rich hues over the neutrals and suddenly…

Something of note, to paint in the Grisaille method it is NOT necessarily limited to grey tones! Although it would be perfectly effective, I am more fond of following the rules of temperature when choosing neutral tints in the underpainting… In the deep shadows, perhaps a mellow blue or purple. In the lighter areas, could be a sepia, and in some areas you could use green, such as at the neck of a person where the color gets quite dull. Any color will do really, when you work in sheer layers your underpainting will serve as a deep, warm or cool tone… so just think of it that way.

Em7 has to be one of the prettiest ukulele chords. One strum and I’m instantly thrown into a fantasy world. This chord is perfect for songs like Space Oddity… The feeling is instantly mysterious and ethereal!

I’m wearing one of my favorite skirts, from Earthbound. I