Just relaxing...

you are on a journey; a balance-finding mission...

Today was a rainy, no stress type of day. No stores. No last minute trips for Thanksgiving food items. No housework. I totally enjoyed cruising the internet reading some of my friends' art blogs, playing with my art journal, and hanging out with my family. These simple pleasures are the ones I enjoy most of all. I'm thankful today for good health and a fine life with many joys and blessings. It's about balance and knowing who you are!

Our morning sky

This is what I woke up to this morning before my 5K training run. :)

It's a small world...

planning stages...

in progress...

Components I
finished painting
8x10 inch acrylic and pastel on gallery wrapped canvas

I've had some small ATC-sized conceptual drawings that I have wanted to paint in acrylics for a long time, so I found three 8x10 gallery wrapped canvases in my studio closet and began the first one this morning while my internet was out of service. It's amazing what you can get done when you stay off of Facebook and Farmville. :)

I sketched out all three ideas based on each of the drawings. The original thumbnails were done in watercolor, ink, and pastel. For some reason, these smaller formats are very satisfying to me at the moment. I think it just feels good to complete something, and I like the effect of several smaller paintings hung together as a series... sort of like a painted story developing frame by frame--linked to one another with common shapes, colors, and lines.

Vanderbilt college trip...

We just returned from a fun four day trip to Nashville, Tennessee to take our daughter to see Vanderbilt University. The fall leaves were a delight, and the school was everything we had hoped for. I planned on sketching around campus, but we ended up too busy for art projects. I did get some nice photos though, and we made a bunch of sweet memories. :)

Quick sketchbook entry

Three in a spinning world...

Some days all you can get out is a quick sketch before dinner, but most of the time that is satisfying enough. Surprisingly, the simplicity of shapes and color fills the need to express a thought or feeling.