Category Archives: Nuts & Bolts & Magic

Manage my satisfaction, not my life

If you’re anything like me, sometimes you find yourself stunned at the end of another week, saying, “Where the heck has the time gone, and what on earth have I accomplished?” For about a month I have been experimenting with … Continue reading

Posted in 1- Nuts: Graphic Styles, Musings on Life | 6 Comments

“Why not do it now?”

The other day I found myself at one of those betwixt times, several to-do tasks completed and a little gap of time before an afternoon appointment. No time to start a new project, but too much time to waste on … Continue reading

Posted in 1- Nuts: Graphic Styles, Pen & Ink, Sketchbooks | Leave a comment

I’m just sittin’ here, taking notes…

That’s all my artwork is. My hieroglyphic representation of “Whoa, look at that! No, zoom in. I mean it, REALLY look at that!” First, a place to sit. Then slowly scan the area until the skip happens, when my glance … Continue reading

Posted in 1- Nuts: Graphic Styles, Pen & Ink, Sketchbooks, Watercolor | 6 Comments

That Dang Adolescent Period

A few years back I came across a great video on the importance of doing watercolor value studies. I wish I had saved the link because I would love to give this man credit for changing my life. The big … Continue reading

Posted in 1- Nuts: Graphic Styles, Watercolor | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Deep, not wide

I was chatting with a friend this morning about how grateful I am to have found the art supply that fulfills all my creative desires (watercolor), that I am not even curious about other media, that I am content exploring … Continue reading

Posted in Musings on Life, Sketchbooks, Watercolor | 8 Comments

When The Loft is Between Inspirations…

After a thoroughly enjoyable eight-day trip to England, I have been back in the States for six days and am having trouble adjusting. My English friend and I had busy schedules each day, and full of fresh enthusiasm, I posted … Continue reading

Posted in Musings on Life, Sketchbooks, Watercolor | 6 Comments

Prepare for Lift-Off!

I had a poster when I was in high school that read, “A bird can soar because he takes himself lightly.” That is spiritually true of course, but for the past few weeks I have been adapting it to read, … Continue reading

Posted in 1- Nuts: Graphic Styles, Sketchbooks, Travel Adventures, Watercolor | 6 Comments

Learning Another Sort of Shorthand

Google the word ‘shorthand’ and go to the Wikipedia page. There you will see a series of symbols that made perfect sense to my mother as well as thousands of secretarial workers in the mid-20th century. As a child I … Continue reading

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Who Inspires You?

Ah, the best laid plans, even if written with care and a calligraphy pen in a leather-bound journal, are sometimes no match for distractions no bigger than a bug. Sunday afternoon blog posts every single week? Good idea, great intentions, … Continue reading

Posted in Musings on Life, Sketchbooks, Watercolor | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

[Hand] Dancing in the Dark

We’ve all done it. Woken up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea, grabbed the pencil on the bedside table and that scrap of paper, and scribbled down a word or two before they slip away. The … Continue reading

Posted in 1- Nuts: Graphic Styles, Pen & Ink, Sketchbooks, Urban Sketching (On-Site Creativity) | 3 Comments