March, 2024

 

 

Dear {{ subscriber.firstName | default('Hello') }},

I hope 2024 is moving along smoothly for you. I have been quiet with my communications as the new year began on a sad note. On January 25th we lost my sweet 91 year old dad. If you have been following me for awhile you know that dad and I shared a very close bond. We shared a deep love for both nature and gardening. Dad was my nature soul friend; he is deeply missed. 

 

As many of you know grief is not linear. As I continue to process dad's passing, I have turned to my art practice for comfort and healing. Our new addition of two Persian kittens have also brought upliftment to our home. 

 

In this update, I'm sharing insights on a new project as well as some intentions for the upcoming months.  

 

Happily, glimpses of spring are slowly beginning to appear. This week, I noticed tulip and snowdrop leaves popping up in my gardens. Have you seen any signs of spring yet? 

 

I am more than ready to experience warmer days and the joy of spring blooms. I can't wait to head back out on location immersed in nature. This year I welcome nature's embrace more than ever! 

 

Warmly, 

Debbie xx

 

P.S. If you celebrate Easter in any way, I hope you enjoy a beautiful weekend with family and friends or  immersed in the beauty of nature! 

 

 

The last few weeks I've been tucked away in my studio prepping for and beginning a larger studio painting. The accumulation of  earlier plein air studies, photos and notes have been a great resource for my present project. They aid in helping me recall my sensory experience while I was working on location. 

 

Tapping into these emotions is one of the most important aspects of creating studio work. It is what gives the painting life and what hopefully stirs emotion in the viewer.  

 

 

Before I began my new project, I painted a study based on a plein air painting, notes and photo references. It was time well spent as I resolved compositional and color problems. Problems that would probably have arisen while working on the larger piece if I had not worked them out in a smaller format. Studies take extra time, but are well worth the effort! 

 

Stay tuned for more updates on this project. I will most likely share details behind the scenes in a future blog post. 

 

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In 2024, the value I place on maintaining a sketchbook practice as well as small studies will continue. Both sketchbook practice and studies offer a method in which I can explore ideas, practice skills and ignite new working methods for future work. Sketchbooks, Studies and Art Journals are an important part of my practice which connect me to the process and help work through ideas. Or some entries are just for the pure joy of creating and exploring.

 

 

I have a few sketchbooks on the go at the moment. Two hardcover sketchbooks are amongst my favorites.  I have designated one for landscape and cloud studies and late last autumn I began another hardcover sketchbook specifically for botanical type entries.  I love how the hardcovers feel a bit like coffee table books. It will be fun to see them once completed.  I envision them being left out for others to peruse while sitting with their favorite brew in hand. 

 

You can take a deeper dive into my various sketchbooks by following the links below. Let me know if you keep a journal or sketchbook and if not do you enjoy viewing artists' sketchbooks? 

 

P.S. You can view and read more about my sketchbook habits and thoughts in the following posts:

 

 

 

Before I close, I want to take a moment to share a few words about my dad.  One of the traits I admired was his love of  people and his gift for engaging strangers, friends and family in conversation. He was truly interested in others and loved chatting with people. Dad was both an excellent listener and fun story teller.   

 

Babies and children were extra special in his books and he quickly established a fun rapport with them. 

 

I am so grateful to have had extra time with dad after I retired from teaching in 2014. Special memories have been a source of comfort. In the spring of 2017 I followed and documented his gardening journey on both Instagram, Facebook and a Small Blog. I learned so much and greatly valued our time together! 

 

We all dearly miss his gentle, fun loving manner, especially my mom. She and dad celebrated 66 years of marriage last November. We are especially grateful to still have mom in our lives. We value the time to continue making special family memories. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Willow and Mocha, our fun loving sisters who have injected much affection and joy into our home. They have also been a source of comfort over the last two months. 

 

I've included a bit more of their story in this blog post if you are curious.