Category Archives: Nuts & Bolts & Magic

Part 1 of 8: The Secret of Water(color)

Posted on July 14, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

Right now, my favorite chapter in my new book, Look at That! – Second Edition, is Chapter 6, called “Introducing…WATER!” The key to effortless watercolor painting, surprisingly, has nothing to do with paper, or paint or brushes. Nope. The Secret … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Look at That- Second Edition, Second Edition of Look at That!, Sketchbooks, Watercolor | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Invisible Second Edition

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

Oh my. All that work, and now it’s a secret. Almost. Amazon’s algorithm (which is perhaps a new swear word for me) says that as long as the FIRST Edition has sold more copies than the SECOND Edition, then only … Continue reading →

Posted in Look at That- Second Edition, Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The bumpy journey from “yeah, but” to “yes, and”

Posted on June 26, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

It’s amazing how the mind works or doesn’t. I worked fast and furious the whole spring of 2024 to finish editing and publishing the 2nd Edition of Look at That!,** which is available now on Amazon as an eBook, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Look at That- Second Edition, Musings on Life, My Story, Second Edition of Look at That!, Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“Look at That!  Second Edition” is almost ready!

Posted on May 5, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

What a roller-coaster ride it has been! This delightful book is the high point of my entire long life, and I am so proud of it. Here’s what you can expect: Stats: This Second Edition  is twice the length of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1- Nuts: Graphic Styles, 2- Bolts: Sketching Tools, Beauty, Cartoons, Design Basics, Look at That- Second Edition, My Story, Nuts & Bolts & Magic, Pen & Ink, Pencil sketching, Second Edition of Look at That!, Seeing and looking, Sketchbooks, sketching, Sketching tools, Urban Sketching (On-Site Creativity), Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Only 16 “Look at That! ™ Art Pouches” left!

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

I have been busy at work since you last heard from me in January. Here are the highlights: Yesterday I uploaded images of the last of my handwoven, handsewn, designed-by-me Art Pouches. The sixteen pouches that are available now are … Continue reading →

Posted in 2- Bolts: Sketching Tools, Beauty, Look-at-That! Pouches, Second Edition of Look at That!, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Learning to Trust Your Creative Instincts

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

Sometimes when I am in the middle of painting a watercolor, a voice inside nudges me to take a photo midway through. Perhaps I have hit a place of hesitation, and I want a record of what it looked like … Continue reading →

Posted in photography, Seeing and looking, Sketching tools, Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Your artistic license is mandatory.

Posted on November 25, 2023 by Bobbie Herron

I have heard people say, apologetically, that they took “artistic license” when they changed a scene they were trying to draw or paint. I get it, but they’re wrong to apologize. The truth is, your artistic license needs to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Books I Love, Design Basics, Seeing and looking, Watercolor | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

I never have to sit waiting for the pencil to start

Posted on November 11, 2023 by Bobbie Herron

I just spent a chunk of time trying to open a properly-saved file on my computer that, for some reason, now needs to be recovered. Couldn’t do it. That file was a blog post draft in MS Word, so instead … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Musings on Life, Pencil sketching, sketching, Watercolor | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

“Look at That!” Second Edition will arrive Spring 2024

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Bobbie Herron

On August 27th, 2023, I wrote an enthusiastic post about the work I am doing on a revision of Look at That! So clear-headed. So excited. So methodical. Then Life happened. I can smile as I write that now. Long … Continue reading →

Posted in 3- Magic: Art Epiphanies, Beauty, Book #2: Double Take, Look at That! book, Look at That- Second Edition, Musings on Life, Seeing and looking, sketching, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

What does global warming have to do with watercolor? 

Posted on July 22, 2023 by Bobbie Herron

(Note: This isn’t a quick read, but it’s well worth your time.) Marc Taro Holmes gave me my first glimpse of this connection between art and climate change when he published his seminal work, “Apocalypse Variations” in 2019. The art in this … Continue reading →

Posted in 3- Magic: Art Epiphanies, Beauty, Look at That! book, Musings on Life, Seeing and looking, sketching, Urban Sketching (On-Site Creativity) | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments