Seafoam Pastel Ripples Through the Enchanted Forest

Hoorah! I am very pleased with my first embellished giclee print

Back in May, I was pondering whether to add color to the charcoal drawing of a forest. I was yearning to add magical color, but reluctant to give up the elegant black and white drawing... when it occurred to me that I could have both.

After scanning the original drawing at a high resolution (600dpi), I ordered large prints from Imagekind. Two types of paper looked like they might have enough texture to take the Pan Pastels I wanted to use. This one is my favorite, Somerset Velvet, with enough tooth to hold the pastel, with the luxurious feeling of working with a quality watercolor paper - yummy

(I am still working on the second print: too much texture for my taste, and less fun to work with)

Both the paper and ink are archival quality, and these guys could get really big! Up to 58 x 44 inches, although I'm not sure my easel would manage that, I'd have to work on the floor. That's it, Lulu is banished from the studio - doggie paws were not the kind of embellished prints I had in mind

I have a notion to do a set of 4 prints to represent the seasons at some point, but I am also taking requests. So please help me out and leave a comment with your favorite color scheme to inspire a creation - one dark color, one mid range and one highlight should be all I need

Description: Burgundy red and seafoam green pastel ripple through the woodland, adding enchanting mystery to forest shadows.

Black and White Charcoal forest art print from Imagekind

Burgundy and Seafoam Pastel Forest art print from Imagekind

pssst - I'm Hiding in the Basement

framed artwork lines my hallway - want to buy some?

What a blistering week here in the scorched Northeast. The basement is now the coolest spot in the house, so what better way to escape the heat, than to catch up with all my framing.

Those pictures that I was smart enough to make in a "standard size" have been matted; backed with acid free foam core and wrapped in protective glassine paper. They are ready at a moment's notice to pop into my stash of standard frames for a future show. These chaps, however, were all a slightly awkward size and needed custom frames of their very own.

Will I ever learn? - I sincerely doubt it

And yes, that is Lulu's Christmas stocking still hanging on the fireplace - ever hopeful, that dog.

What is it about Snow...

...that makes me want to snuggle down with a good book?

Is it the calm serenity of the snowy garden and gently falling snow?

Because my studio is currently the most uninviting, coldest room in the house? (note to self - fix the storm windows in the studio)

Or is it my furry reading companion?

Whatever the reason I have devoured the following in the last week

Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing Margaret Livingstone

Sort of work related, as it does have "ART" in the title, but in the opening paragraph there is a jolly quote from 19th century physicist Thomas Young:

"The nature of light is a subject of no importance to the concerns of life or to the practice of the arts, but it is in many other aspects extremely interesting"

and he was quite right, extremely interesting indeed, and with lots of juicy art illustrations too.

The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier

vaguely work related, as it is about artists and making medieval tapestries...somewhat

Ross Poldark quickly followed by Demelza by Winston Graham

Utterly self indulgent fiction, escaping to 18th century Cornwall to go romping with tin miners, lords of the manor and kitchen wenches

Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury & Aly Sujo

Just started this one, so pray for more snow and I'll let you know how it ends by Friday.

Please stop making Pumpkin Pie! (Carbon Footprint #31)

empty pumpkin pie can - charcoal still life drawing by Jo Bradney

This was my last can of pumpkin. I forgot to budget for the Fall Pumpkin Pie Frenzy and my store has been out of canned pumpkin for almost a month now. It seems they just can't keep it on the shelf. Now what is Lulu going to have for lunch?

It's loyal customers like Lulu that keep the canned pumpkin industry going through the lean Spring months; through the humidity of Summer, when pumpkin pie is the last thing on your mind. I'm pretty sure pumpkin is always on Lulu's mind - she's even added it to her growing list of vocabulary.

She's just going to have to make do with green beans until after Thanksgiving

Don't forget to leave a title suggestion for a free mini print

Description : An empty squashed can of pumpkin with a torn paper label, captured in a charcoal still life drawing

This charcoal drawing is part of the “Carbon Footprints” series.

Look What Lulu Found in the Garden - Oh Deer

Nestled in the weeds at the side of my driveway, sheltering from the drizzling rain, the spindliest wobbliest little bambi.

Now I know it'll grow up to strip my garden faster than an all-you-can-eat buffet in a college town, but I'll gladly trade my hosta for such a joyful surprise on such a grey morning.

I'm so glad that I have reclassified my weeds as "volunteers" and left them to flourish and bloom in the autumn.

Today's Muse is brought to you by Lulu a very elegant German Shepherd

Winter Sun Snack Time?

For the past month I've been meaning to photograph Lulu basking in the morning sun, but never quite got around to it. Today I was heading down to the studio to start a new painting, and instead of hopping into the warm vacant seat, Lulu starts padding around the studio and up and down the hallway like she does when she wants to go out. So I go back to let her out into the garden, but instead she jumps straight onto her bed and fixes me with a meaningful stare.

Today she wants her picture taken. Today she is a film star, not a shy teenager slinking out of the shot as quickly as possible. Today she is my muse.

Tomorrow she will be my Snacktastic Fluffbag of a dog again

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