Soft Pastel Play My great aunt, Carrie Clark, was an eclectic artist who painted china and worked with soft pastels. I have her china, her paintings, her tracings, and her set of soft pastels. Pastels are a medium that I have yet to try, so I gave them a try. Holding those pastel sticks was a profound tactile experience; her hands held those very same sticks that mine now were holding. Wow. Lots yet to learn with this medium, a totally different experience. There is something very primal about it. No tools, no brush, just applying directly with my hand and smudging with my fingers. Very chalky fingers. Kind of like child’s play, really. Yet a very challenging technique. I do like the expressionistic result. Much, much more practice needed!  Aunt Carrie and her art deserve a separate post. Will write that now.

 Never Enough Florals  I’ve been so hooked on florals lately!  Lily pads and coral - watercolor, acrylic, acrylic markers Watercolor bearded iris and a couple other florals to use leftover paint.  Acrylic florals in bold,  primary   colors. 

Islamic Geometry Rosette   “ The mathematical elegance of Islamic designs is that no matter how elaborate they are, they are always based on grids constructed using only a ruler and a pair of compasses. Islamic design is based on Greek geometry, which teaches us that starting with very basic assumptions, we can build up a remarkable number of proofs about shapes. Islamic patterns provide a visual confirmation of the complexity that can be achieved with such simple tools. Geometry is really a universal language, everyone can – and does – relate to it instinctively. There is a joy to be had in starting with a blank piece of paper and to draw lines and circles and end up with a pattern that is recognizable and beautiful. This process connects you very directly to a design heritage .”* In Islamic art, the geometric figure of the circle represents the primordial symbol of unity and the ultimate source of all diversity in creation. 10-fold radial symmetry. Fascinating. With its focus, t...

Meet the Happy Couple . . . Meow 🐈‍⬛🐈 Cleaning the garage is a chore that we’ve put off for as long as possible, but it did ultimately yield some interesting finds. One of those finds, wrapped in crumbling tissue paper was this little wedding cake topper. Made of crepe paper and wire, the poor couple, headless and drab, definitely needed a new life. They’ve been sitting on my art table for a couple of weeks now, waiting patiently for their makeover. My guess is that their original heads were made of fabric or canvas. (I can hear the Queen of Hearts yelling, “Off with their heads!”) : The closest vintage cake toppers I could find were these  ($60? Good grief!): Because the tag at the bottom indicates that these were bought in Springfield, Ohio, my guess is that they were on Mom & Dad’s wedding cake in 1944. Now that‘s vintage!!  Drawing faces just ain’t my thing, so the poor couple just hung around, waiting, for a long time, as I tried to teach myself to draw. Then, this ...

  Zen Garden Art is not reserved just for the art studio. Our backyard is now my new canvas. We have replaced the deck, replaced the old hot tub, painted the greenhouse, replaced  the flea and bug-attracting bark with gravel, and  pruned  the foliage around  the pond. One more upcoming project in July. . . a new fence.  Welcome  . . . enter . . . flowers, ladybugs, my dad’s sculpture, the scent of jasmine and roses, the sound of the waterfall in the pond, a haven for birds and squirrels