ArtWalk Readiness

Notecards from my watercolor paintings all ready for Natick Center's ArtWalk!

Lots of watercolor painting going on in the studio lately! My challenge for 2015 is a 4 x 6 watercolor painting a day for the year. A REAL challenge! Here are a few.

are a few.

Shout it from the rooftops! Someone at Kickstarter loves our project! They are featuring Rock Star! among their STAFF PICKS and NEW & NOTEWORTHY projects. We are so excited and thrilled! Check it out! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1501942658/rock-star?ref=email

So excited that "Rock Star!" my second children's book collaboration with author and friend Kelly Darling is ready to go! Check out our project on Kickstarter; if you like what you see we would love your support! Your support will help us with publishing this great rhythmic "science story" describing the natural wonder of the rock cycle. Click the link below and Rock On! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1501942658/rock-star?ref=email

This painting is done and I am thrilled with how it turned out!

I have been working on the next book written by my friend Kelly. This book; ROCK STAR is completely different from the first: A FISHY TALE. Fun to illustrate but taking longer than I thought! It always does. This is one of my favorite 2-page spreads.

I just had to share this gorgeous dahlia from Natick's Community Organic Farm.

Perhaps a future painting?

I have been remiss not to post about the incredible watercolor class I took in June with Birgit O'Connor.  I took the class at Northeast Art Workshop Retreats in Gloucester. A fabulous facility, great group of people and excellent teacher. This iris is not quite complete but I am thrilled with what is happening so far. I will post the final painting soon!

Thanks for looking!

I've been working on the next book written by Kelly Darling. Kelly and I worked on "A Fishy Tale" together and have joined forces again for ROCK STAR. This is a fantastic rhythmic story about the rock cycle. I am so pleased to be working with Kelly again; a gifted writer! Illustrations are coming along nicely and will be a combination of watercolor and my hand-painted papers. 

Here is a two page spread not quite complete but well on the way. Look for more pictures and the completed book, ROCK STAR, soon!

Journals! Journals! Journals!

Been making lots of journals! Some traditional with my paste papers and coptic binding, others with old book covers and some creative binding techniques I have come up with. Tons of fun AND function!

March 31, 2013

I can not believe how long it has been since I have posted. I've been very busy working on illustrating my friend's children book. That should be complete TOMORROW! Yeah! I am very excited about its completion and printing!

I have also been working on two mixed media pieces for a show entitled 8X8 at Fountain Street Fine Art in Framingham. The pieces are also complete and pictured below.

Interactive I is a mixed media piece that is meant to be handled. Made from a recycled book and my recycled watercolor paintings. The watercolor strips have quotes written on them: pull one out, read it and return.

It is a mixed media piece that was just plain fun to create. Enjoy finding "it".

Blizzard & Watercolors

Well, the blizzard of 2013 has come and gone leaving the world looking quite beautiful! I know many hate the snow but I love it! Everything is scrubbed clean and white and the sky after a big snow is always so blue!

 After  hours of shoveling and scraping cars I spent the afternoon setting up my new travel watercolor palette. I got this one from Ken Bromley Art Supplies in England. I love that I can fill the individual pans with the colors I choose. I have extra pans filled with colors I do not use very often. I found they fit perfectly in an Altoid tin! I am all set to PAINT!

Lastly, I painted a color chart, fun!

Way too long since my last post! Its been busy and I am working on a new and very exciting project.

My dear friend Kelly has written a children's book and she has asked me to illustrate it for her!!! I am so pleased and honored!

So the process has begun. She and I have laid the book out, she has approved my rough illustrations and I am now in the process of tightening everything up. Here's a look at my progress.

 I have been doing a bit of research on New England based seaweed and sea life. The book is about a fish living in the waters of

Southern New England/Cape Cod. 

I am going to be watercoloring the final illustrations.

This is my work space over looking the happenings in downtown.
Very sunny and bright and filled with good friends.
Pretty sweet!

I will continue to update my progress. The deadline is the end of February so I am going to be VERY busy!

The end of the 2012 is here!

It is time to look to next year, 2013, and think about all the wonderful possibilities.

I am excited to be adding resin jewelry to my repertoire! 

 I have attempted a few items so far, it is definitely going to take some practice and PATIENCE!

(Not my strong suit).

It will be fun to experiment with my hand painted papers in the various bezels and molds. I will upload pictures as soon as I have something more to share.

We had the most beautiful snowfall in the Boston area yesterday. The snow was a little heavy and wet so it stuck to everything. My bottle tree in our back yard took on a whole new look!

I love the snow, how clean and fresh everything looks. I don't even mind shoveling!

Happy New Year to All!

I hope that 2013 brings you all health and joy, success (however you define it) and PEACE!

Zentangle Weekend

 Been having some fun with zentangles this weekend. These are really relaxing and fun to work on. I love working within the different shapes and on different surfaces.

BOXES!

 I though it would be fun to show a few of the steps it takes to build and finish one of my boxes. Above; boxes that have been wrapped in my hand painted papers are being pressed between marble tiles and antique irons.

 Tops are carefully chosen for each box, matching my papers.

 Some of the tools of the trade.

 Each lid needs to be clamped while the glue dries. All book board, glue, and paper used in the building of my boxes are archival quality and acid free. 

 The end product! Above is a rich maroon, purple and orange box with a felted ball top.

Dimensions: 3x5x3

 A little jewel toned box with over sized hollow purple glass top.

 Dimensions: 1.5x1.5x1.5

This box reminds me of spring! The top was a gift from a friend; a clear glass ball with green highlights. Dimensions: 1.5x1.5x1.5

Preparing for Natick Artist Open Studios! Making paste paper earrings and lots of other fun art; boxes, necklaces, aluminum can angels and more!

I made this collage at a watercolor class with Nan Rumpf at the Danforth Museum. We  enlarged the collage and then created watercolor paintings of the collage. Very different work for me.  FUN!

 So now that I have completed my first two posts I wanted to show everyone a little of what I enjoy creating. Above are earrings and necklace punched from books with paste paper end papers.

 These are folded books that were part of the Natick Artist Open Studios 2011 Show - Theme: TEN

 Rainbow boxes created with my own paste papers and felted knobs.

"Oscar" was created for the Natick Artist Open Studios 2012 Show.

Theme: ANIMALS

One happy thumb after a busy day of creating! The eyes are COMPLETELY coincidental! 

Welcome to my new blog!