Highlights! I don't know if these were my best performing pieces, but they were the pieces that made me feel I had mastered what I set out to do. 
I don't know if you have ever painted lava or an ocean wave, but it takes a bit of wrangling to have it come out looking right. And the series of reinterpreted card suits was an excellent challenge that allowed me to slip a bit of mysticism into something ordinary. 
Lastly: REPEAT PATTERNS that I have then printed on fabric via Spoonflower. I mean, COME ON. My heart goes pitter-pat every time I hold those fabrics in my hand. And Baba Yaga is both terrible and wonderful, so it feels fitting that her house on chicken legs round out this trio. 

It's fun to look back on what I have been making. It feels a lot like looking at old family photos: a bit of nostalgia and a bit joy all rolled into one. 

​That's all for today, friends.

Day 7 is a Sneak Peek Crop. I decided instead to show you a collection of color swatches. I love color. I love that we have available to us every color imaginable. I love that from the colors available, we can mix new colors. Over the past two years, I have been trying to break out of my color comfort zone and make work with new (to me) color combinations. This has led to some really beautiful and really meh artwork. 

I really wanted the Hooker's Green to work here. From the color swatch above, I thought it might. But it's just too cool to play with the Quidnacrone Rose Permanent. Some things you don't find out until you're in the thick of it (thank goodness for sketchbooks). This sun-and-moon piece is also my Peptober day 11: a Lowlight. At this point, I can't figure out where/when I will use Hooker's Green. I prefer Sap Green for my yellow-greens and Viridian for my blue-greens and I usually mix everything in between. If you are a Hooker's Green fan: give me the details on how this green works for you because I am stumped. 

You may notice that I'm not doing ALL of Peptober. That's on purpose. I had a busy weekend, and decided to skip a few days of the Peptober challenge. That's one of the bonuses of being an adult: you can choose to not do things. It's a choice I make frequently, because I value my downtime. I need unscheduled time in which to relax and play. 

​That's all for today, friends. 

Peptober Day 5 is all about process. Before I make anything, there is at least one page in my sketchbook that looks like the above image. I try to work out all of the composition, colors, and structure before I begin so that I can just work straight through on my final piece. Sometimes that plays out, and sometimes I wind up coming back to the sketchbook if I think I have a better idea.

My sketchbook practice started in high school with my art teacher, Mr Spicer. Fridays were "Sketchbook Fridays" and we would spend the entire period working on whatever prompt he gave us to explore. And then when I was in AP Art, he started to show us what sketchbooks could look like if you made them into a daily practice. The way people can think with their hands has never ceased to amaze me.

After high school and college, my sketchbook practice was sporadic for a while (being a sleep-deprived mom will do that to you), but now I am carrying one with me almost everywhere. I have one that goes to work, I have 3 or 4 at home. Being able to rough out ideas when they strike is extremely satisfying. Not all ideas become finished works, but it's nice to have a physical record of my progress. 

Peptober Day 5 was supposed to happen on Tuesday, October 5, but I had a full day of work followed by metalsmithing class. That's why you're getting a 2-for-1. 

I am currently working on a winter series of fabrics for my Spoonflower shop, and in preparation for that I drew all these winter icons. My question to you is: which of the above symbols do YOU want to see on some fabric? 

​That's all I've got for you today friends!  

Today, Facebook had a very, very bad day. As far as the internet has been able to figure out, someone deleted a bunch of code that tells your device how to get to Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp/Oculus. 
The downside to this is that I can't post my Peptober post on Instagram. I was really enjoying seeing everyone's posts and art styles. 
I'm going to try and post the rest of Peptober here, and if/when Instagram comes back I will post there too.

WHAT IS PEPTOBER? 
Hey, I'm so glad you asked! It's a challenge from Andy J Pizza via his podcast Creative Pep Talk. The idea is that you don't have to be a content-generating machine in order to engage folks on social media. The hilarity of this being interrupted by a social media blackout is not lost on me. Each day is a new prompt, which Andy outlined in podcast episode 333. Today's prompt is Do a Part Two.

In my planned Instagram post, I had really pithy things to say. Trust me.

I chose to showcase these folk-art inspired flowers because they have led to a part two, three, and four. When I was in undergrad, our art profs were always telling us to make a series of work. Never just one! And it turns out they were right. The more you make, the more opportunities you have to explore the "what ifs". When you're in the "what ifs" things start to get really interesting, your art starts to expand, and you find yourself in a completely new place of making. 

So the next time you sit down to make some art, don't just make one. Make three. 

Until next time, friends!

I'd like to draw your attention to a new tab on the website: Downloads! 

I'm consolidating all of the handouts from teaching and a couple of other things there. 
Feel free to download, print and use. But also attribute because it's good manners. 

First up is the handouts from the mini zodiac painting class I'm teaching (virtually) at Elmhurst Public Library. 

I decided that my big goal this year is to encourage more people to make art. Anyone can do it and it's good for you. 

​Enjoy the downloads and go make stuff!

And why I think it is so important to vote in every election--not just the big ones. It's so important that I spend time researching the candidates on the ballot (do you know who's running for Board of Directors at your community college? Because you should).  I was looking around for a shirt that says "VOTE" to wear and I couldn't find one I liked. In true DIY fashion, I decided to design one myself. And then I fell down the rabbit hole of fonts and wound up designing 4 different options. All of which are available at my Society6 shop.

I really liked the shape of the E on this one. 

This one is why I shouldn't do line work after 3 cups of coffee. Everything wobbles....

I think this one is my favorite. I like the balance of the white inside the letters against the color outside. 

Do you have a favorite? 

It's me! 
This bizzaro year has had me reevaluate how I want to spend my days. The short answer is that I want less time in front of a screen and more time with people I care about, doing things that bring me a deep sense of satisfaction. I'm going to be leaning harder into art-making and applying to various publications as an illustrator. I'm also going to be updating my Society6 shop, and taking more private commissions. 

Thanks for checking in and riding along. 

This piece is available as a print in my Society6 shop. 

Crafts are fun! Crafts are great! I love crafts!
No seriously, I am one crafty mammajamma. But crafts are for school and adult-type people.

Process art allows for exploration, experimentation, and provides an environment that is conducive to peer-to-peer learning.

So what's the difference?
A craft is a project with a specific end goal in mind.
Process art is a project that focuses on the making (or process) rather than the end product.

We frequently hear that libraries are about fostering life-long learning. I ask you: are you likely to continue with an activity that is not fun? One that has a narrowly defined version of success? Or are you interested in spending your time doing something that is fun, open-ended, with a wide variety of outcomes?

Oh my gosh--I'm so glad you asked! 
If you take a look at the way preschool is being taught right now, you may have an idea.  A better concept comes from schools that have a Reggio Emilia based curriculum. The thing I like best about Reggio Emilia is that you show the kids how a thing works, and then get out of their way. You put before them tools, tell them this is the time for them to explore the tools and watch what happens. If they get bored, you can ask: what would happen if you added water? Or what would happen if you combined two of these things? 

It's really hard to let go of the idea that everyone leaves your program with something pretty to take home. I know. And more often than not, what kids create is (to the casual observer) a mess. 

But what they are actually getting out of the time spent with you is so much more than a craft that will ultimately find it's way to the recycle bin. 

Process art 

• Builds confidence
• Encourages creative thinking
• Enhances vocabulary (use those fabulous art-words like form and composition!)
• Stimulates curiosity
• Strengthens children's ability to predict, plan, and problem solve

There are a lot of places you can go for crafts (Hello, Pinterest!) but I have found that some of the process-art posts there aren't truly process art. 

If you want to read more about Process Art and what that looks like, go to the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Meri Cherry in L.A. spent several years as a K-2 teacher, before leaving to pursue running art workshops fpor families and kids. 

TinkerLab is a great resource for art and science for young people.

ArtBar Blog is a favorite out of Connecticut--and her Instagram feed is a delight. (@artbarblog)

These are just a few places that I go to for inspiration. If you have a favorite resource, I'd love to know what it is!