Every Day Beauty, colored pencil on vellum

Every Day Beauty
colored pencil on vellum
7in x 5in
copyright Rose Welty

As I was casting around for an idea for my next flower portrait, I came across some lilies in the store. My first instinct was to draw them, they are such a beautiful flower. My second thought was that they are so common in the art world, everyone has drawings and paintings of lilies. As I thought more about it, I realized that we do that alot - we overlook beauty just because it is around us every day.

I'm thinking here of those ladies - you know the ones, the ones who never make it to the salon often enough, wear clothes they've had for years, choose comfort over fashion - instead they get up early every day and make sure everyone else has enough to eat and clothes to wear, they take care of that hurting neighbor, they don't forget important days and events in the lives of others, and they always have time and energy for someone who needs a listening ear.

Such ladies are very common in a sense, they are found all over and you likely don't notice them. But, in a greater sense, they are rare and precious and bring beauty to our lives.

Swapping the Drip for the Fountain

Work in Progress - Every Day Beauties

Do you feel like you have to check email every time you sit down in front of the computer? Maybe it's more like "I'll just check email and Facebook then ease into it." Not so much a "I have to check", more of just an unwise habit? I confess that I am very guilty of that. Sometimes it's "oh, I have a minute, I'll just check." The problem is that I just stole that minute from my brain. And, on occasion, I get sucked into something and the cost is much more than a minute!

This week I've tried to stop that habit. If I decided to do a couple of hours of artwork after lunch, I tried to not start the time with checking email, FB, etc. I have not been entirely successful in resisting the urge - I'm very ashamed to admit that, it was surprisingly hard to resist. But, when I did, I got much more done than I thought I was going to - and I had more productive thoughts running through my head. When I shut myself off from the constant drip of the internet, I find my own fountain!

Now that I've said it here, I hope to do even better next week. Will you come back and ask me how much I resisted the drip? You'd be doing me a big favor. :D

New Brushes

Royal Lily,

click here for purchasing information

There was a 40% off sale on Robert Simmons brushes recently at my local store. Naturally, I raced down there and bought a couple. Their “white sable” brushes have fast become my favorite to use with acrylics. I now have two flats, two filberts, and a round.

The question of edges has come out recently in relation to my art. There are plenty of decisions around when to have hard edges and when to soft ones. The choices you make create movement or slow it, give new direction or maintain it. In short, it’s a fascinating part of art making, one that I have only begun to appreciate.

Wish I Had Something Clever to Say

...but I don't so...this is more in the flower book...

Lily and New Project

The above sketch is the first in my new black pocket cahier moleskine. I was rather inspired by Jeanette and Jeanne's participation in The Sketchbook Project. I thought hard about joining in, but decided that I didn't have time - which turned out to be true, I never would have finished it.

But, I still like the idea. I am thinking of filling this with flower sketches...