Virtual Blog Tour!

I've been invited!!!  Patsy of Heartworks who paints and draws wonderful small portraits asked me to join her in this tour.  She is inspired by her faith in God and always paints to fit a particular scripture.  How great to combine your faith walk and your art journey.

You can find out a bit about me and my art today and then tour with someone else next week (directions at the end!)  Now to answer the 4 tour questions:

1 What am I working on?

I am building a "body of work" - meaning a bunch of paintings based on the subject matter that I like- funky animals and people (right now stylized angels).  Here are some pictures of recent work -

2. How does my work differ from others of it's genre?

I am a mixed media artist - meaning I use every available material, including the kitchen sink, in my work.  I desire for my art to make people smile and that is what I strive for.   I love to use strong combinations of color in all my work - a dash of blue, a dash of red, etc.  I often paint my board with an undercoating of bright red, orange or blue before starting to sketch in.  I love how it peeks through the painting and adds depth.

3. Why do I create what I do?

Because I have to!  I didn't get serious about improving my painting skills until I moved to South Carolina 3 years ago.  It took me a long time to say to anyone that I was an artist.  Painting and drawing have become part of my life like breathing and eating (with less calories!).  I love what I do now and I am grateful to have the time and space to do it.

4. How does your creating process work?

That's a hard one - I don't have any specific method to get started.  I am inspired by things I see online, art and photos.  I am inspired by the world around me.  I usually sketch out what I am planning to paint and then just begin.  Sometimes my paintings take surprising turns and sometimes they look pretty much as I saw them in my mind (less often - lol).  I guess I just let ideas percolate and then create.  When I hit a rut, I find something I like and paint it.  Best rut beater I know.

I hope you have enjoyed my tour.  Next Monday - July 7th - you will be traveling to see Katherine Jeanne Wood (or Katie as she calls herself) who is a fabulous artist using many different media.  She paints wonderfully sensitive portraits.  Her work is unique and beautiful.  You can find her here at her website (http://katherinejeannewood.com/) and her blog is here.

 Here's a short bio - Katherine Jeanne Wood is a daily painter focused on portraiture, collage, and abstract art in her own unique style. She works in acrylics and oils. Her artwork has been published in three books, and a fourth will be out later this year

Thanks so much for visiting today - have a blessed and creative day.