Six years
Back in 2007, during our second anniversary, B and I celebrated by having a fun, spontaneous studio photo session. In one of the photos, he wore a fedora, while I wore… angel wings!
Fast forward to June 4, 2011. B proposes… And surprises me with one of the most beautiful handmade gifts I’ve ever received–his own watercolor rendition of the two of us in that photo.
Today, we’re celebrating six years of being together. But now, I’m not just looking forward to another year–I’m looking forward to the rest of our lives :)
WIP 08.10.2011
Drawing leaves, stems and flowers has become an obsession–and learning experience–as of late. And because I’m no botanist, I’ve turned to Google to help me capture plant parts as accurately as possible!
Here’s a lavender themed piece that’s about 80% complete (sorry, but the exhibit theme will definitely be revealed when it’s launched–and I promise, it’s not just about flowers!). Although I’m loving the effect of utilizing negative (white) space to define shapes, objects and people, I still need to color in some of the lavender flowers on this one. I might reduce or enhance some of the shadows on the girl, too, and fix her hair a bit (I think it’s a bit too big and poufy).
I love… Bonne Maman
One of my constant companions is this empty jar of Bonne Maman strawberry preserves, which I love using for watercolor painting (with how wet my work gets, I’m amazed the label hasn’t really come off). So far, I have a couple of these empty jars at home (the other one says “Peach Preserve”). I can’t wait to acquire the rest–especially the tiny versions! I can imagine a kitchen shelf holding nothing but these pretty jars. And, it goes without saying that they taste just as good as they look.
Working with a lot of red hues lately, I love how the water in the glass turns into a pretty red strawberry shade. It always get me hungry for breakfast–one that’s set atop sweet, red-checked cheesecloth.
WIP 08.03.2011
A lot has happened these past few weeks–the most important being, I’ve changed the direction of my upcoming exhibit–opting for a more cohesive and refined theme over what I’d originally envisioned. What you see here is about 90% of the first piece. I don’t think I want to touch this further for now; it’s a habit of mine to let the piece grow on me and see what I might tweak along the way.
The last couple of months have been difficult for me, and I’ve learned some things about myself and doing art in general. First, painting always comes with (a lot of) pain–be it internal conflict or dissatisfaction or endless revisions (birthing pains indeed!). Second, between others’ opinions and your own instincts, it’s always best to trust the latter (otherwise, you might end up ruining your own work and regretting it).
Finally, I’ve come to realize that my greatest enemy isn’t fear–it’s self-doubt. And I learned that the only way around this is to keep creating, creating, and creating. It’s the reason why I sincerely salute all talented AND successful artists out there. It’s not just skill that matters. It’s NOT giving up that counts!
