When Magic Happens

It happens at various times along the way. Magic that is. Years ago, when I first swiped watercolor on a white page...I drew in my breath and held it as I watched the color move on the paper, blend with other colors. Something special was happening that was just for me. The magic of watercolor … Continue reading When Magic Happens

FINALLY!!

SKETCHBOOK CHAT #4! Drawings from a two-day sketch crawl in Boone, NC with my parents! Tips and techniques for you to try as well! Enjoy! Artfully Yours, Jennifer

All My Attention

Every drawing tells a story. It doesn't matter whether it is abstract or representational, detailed or dashed off, unfinished or complete...it speaks of life in that moment, what was going on either in the artist's physical world or in their feelings and thoughts. More often than not, it encompasses both. I often feel like Irene, … Continue reading All My Attention

Pensieve Paintings

Some day, and maybe someday quite soon, I want to paint really big abstract paintings. Yeah, this is nothing new. I have wanted to do this for many years. All kinds of reasons blocks rise up when I go to actually make these little ones on a larger scale...i don't have time, no one would … Continue reading Pensieve Paintings

Sketchbook Chat #3

I'm getting a bit better! This one is under 15 minutes! Woo! Hoo! In this Sketchbook Chat I share a demonstration of adding watercolor to a drawing of a privacy fence. What I aim for in these videos is not to teach you exactly how to hold the brush or apply the paint, but ways … Continue reading Sketchbook Chat #3

WAIT!!

It's that moment just before it all happens. That moment much like when the Millennium Falcon prepares to bolt into warp speed. It's that space where the lines are all squiggly just before they pixelate into a zillion dots and we are propelled into something new, something different. It is Christmas Eve and most, if … Continue reading WAIT!!

Beyond the Din

I stood at the pump while fuel flowed into the tank, assaulted by the sound of busy traffic rushing by. It seemed nearly deafening and I realized I couldn't hear anything else. Or could I? I strained my ears to hear something other than the raging traffic. Sure enough the pulsing music from the gas … Continue reading Beyond the Din

Stemming the Tide? or Riding the Wave?

The above drawing illustrates how I'm experiencing my days lately. The reasons for this are many and varied, not the least of which is just trying to get back up to speed with normal everyday living in the aftermath of major surgery. Life as a pastor's wife, a mother of three incredibly talented musical kids, … Continue reading Stemming the Tide? or Riding the Wave?

The Measure of a Life

The true measure of  an artist's life is NOT *in how many drawings one makes *nor in how "good" they are *nor how much money they fetch... ...but rather in a stouthearted search for beauty in everything: *in the little as well as the big *in the mundane and the magical *in calm as well … Continue reading The Measure of a Life

Counting Gifts

On my walk, jewels mark my path as if Royalty had just passed by. Gold, ruby, emerald in every shade...pooled under trees, scattered across the sidewalk, huddled in patches along the street. Hovering gray skies served only to heighten their jeweled glow. I genuflect to pick them up, one by one. Each a different shape. … Continue reading Counting Gifts