Get Inspired!

When I'm stuck, tired or burned out, I tend to go to my sketchbooks and do small studies. It keeps me creating art in a non-pressure mindset.

They start out as doodles or light studies of a favorite subject. From there, they usually grow into detailed little paintings, drawings. Possibilities for future artworks in one of my mediums (glass painting, glass mosaics, colored pencil, acrylic).

Tiny Verdin on Cactus - SueBetanzos.com

I love songbirds, hummingbirds, birds. They are so full of life, lively. Actually, I love animals :) but find myself drawn to bird subjects these past few years.

Working in a series, exploring a theme, subject, style, medium is how art develops for me. My Gemini personality really shows in my ability to multi task in several mediums, enjoying the process of each one.
Example - diving into glass mosaics for a project, then acrylics for preliminary studies is effortless for me and many artists I know.

The only medium that require a day of mindset prep is going from painting traditionally to painting in reverse on the glass. It takes a day or so of practice for a few hours to rethink how I paint, front to back, backwards on the glass!

Butterfly Roses

Having fun painting watercolor roses in a new style. It's out of my comfort zone, a nice challenge.  The style is very loose, interpretive and colorful.  A great excuse to buy fresh paints and brushes!

Butterfly Roses. 5x6" mini watercolor. Canson watercolor paper, Winsor and Newton watercolor 

Letting the watercolors flow, playing with the differentness of the medium. Even so, I just had to add the dog faced butterfly with tighter rendering :)

Watercolor Practice I

One of the most important things to know when starting something new is that at first it's going to be awkward, uncomfortable, even frustrating at times.
That's expected and o.k.
KEEP GOING.

Eventually, as you become more comfortable with the new venture, your confidence will grow.
Watercolor is a medium I am using more this year, enjoying the new feel of the luminous watery media and it's challenges.



Here is one of many practice sheets using the paper that came with an inexpensive kit. The repetitive brush strokes are part of the learning.
Even though I have been painting most of my life, practice is part of my routine. It's relaxing too.

Watercolor classes 1 & II at the Kirk Bear Canyon Library:
• March 27 - 5:50 pm - 7:30 pm
• April 3  5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Now get back to work and practice :)