Coloring My Days

From the very beginning, my world has been one in which color has played an important role.

I love all color, of course some more than others, and my preferred palette has changed through the years.

As a child I would beg my mother for a new box of crayons, every time we shopped at the discount store, even though I had plenty at home. I always wanted the largest box on the shelf. You know the one... with 64 waxy color sticks, neatly lined up in ascending rows, looking almost like a choir. The cool box with the bonus crayon sharpener built right into the packaging.

I adored opening a new crayon box, and seeing all the brilliant hues with every tint and tone of the color wheel that my child heart could imagine.
As an artist, my life is still filled with many, many colors! I have the pleasure of playing in my so-called crayon box almost everyday.
One of the interesting projects I have been invited to participate in, along with fifteen other talented artists, is a year long collaborative challenge focused on Nature themes.

We have started a blog called Nature Gathered, and by the end of this month, each of us will have posted our first work for others to view.

I have already started working on my July piece for this challenge. The first theme is birds.

Now you would think this would be an easy subject since I am constantly showing you birds on my blog, selling works with such subjects in my little shop, and teaching Nature related workshops. But in realty, I have been ponder on this piece for over five weeks.

Why so difficult, you may ask. Well...the word challenge according to Webster's Dictionary means,"to arouse or stimulate especially by presenting with difficulties".

This is the first piece in a body of work I will be presenting. It will represent a subject I hold most dear. I am also wanting to take full advantage of this opportunity to grow and stretch my art in new directions.

After much thought and consideration regarding this new path, an area that had always fascinated me when I was working in retail product design was patterns or patterning. Although I consider myself a representational painter, I am constantly drawn to more abstract elements. This is something I would like to begin incorporating into my future works.

As I have been furiously creating, new ideas keep coming at me like wildfire. I find myself snipping bit and pieces of inspiration from here and there, tucking them away to use later.

Although the work you see above has yet to incorporate any birds... never fear, I have my fine feathered friends waiting just off stage ready to make their grand entrance.

I also want to take this chance to give you a studio remodel update, as I have had several personal emails inquiring about my progress.

The remodel, I am very happy to announce, is almost complete! And you are NEVER, NEVER, NEVER... EVER, EVER going to believe the transformation. Just a FEW more finishing touches and it will be ready.

Below is a sneak peek at the freshly painted work tables and my brand new fabric storage bins from Target.com.