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Category: Peeking Behind the Easel

January 9, 2024
Kathy
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Happy 2024!!

Posted in Peeking Behind the Easel, and Peeking Behind the Seam

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!! The 4th quarter of 2023 flew by way too fast and here we are – 2024!!

What’s happening around here: I am working a little slower as I watch a little grandchild most days. I am sewing and painting during nap time, in the evenings and weekends. But still rocking & rolling with new bags & paintings sitting on my worktable waiting to to photographed and listed. Custom orders being completed. New painting started on my easel, and new bags being cut out and ready to be sewn. These are exciting days!! 🙂

I hope to do better on social media: Instagram, Pinterest, and of course this blog. 🙂

I am also working on setting up a shop on Shopify! I will keep both Etsy shops but this new shop will combine both my art and my sewing all in one place. I enjoy Etsy & it will continue for now to be a great place to sell my bags & art. But I am looking forward to having everything in one place, and having the freedom to experiment with new ideas, as well as lessen the stress of Etsy’s algorithm demands.

So let’s lift our coffee cups to the new year – may it be peaceful, productive and oh so fun!!

November 13, 2023
Kathy
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Old Tree Still Standing

Posted in Art Work, and Peeking Behind the Easel

I took a photo of this old broken sycamore tree about 4 years ago because it caught my attention. Still standing, making a statement amongst the newer trees as an ode to the past.

I used the photo as a reference for a painting: A portrait of an old tree

We were walking along the same path a few days ago and came across the same old tree – still standing 4 years later!

Surrounded by even more young trees. It’s a bit shorter and missing most of it’s white sycamore bark.

A big hole in the lower part of the stump has created a tunnel of sorts for wildlife to use. And a bit of faded bark still on the trunk as well. I wonder how many more years it will continue to stand it’s ground.

October 23, 2023
Kathy
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Blue Poppy Painting

Posted in Art Work, and Peeking Behind the Easel

I finished a small painting of blue poppies I started a few weeks ago. It’s a close of up a beautiful rare blue poppy.

I had an opportunity to see rare blooming blue poppies at my favorite place for flowers: Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. They look like their red and orange poppy siblings, but in a really pretty blue.

It really was a sight to see a long line of people waiting for their chance to see these beauties up close. Some with iPhones and others with super fancy camera equipment, but all anxious to see these rare blooming flowers.

This is one of the photos I took. I used this one for my painting. I liked the close up of the petals and the almost perfect circle of stamens – like a golden firework in the center of the flower.

I used yellow in the background to give the blue petals a nice contrast & pop from the canvas. I used blues & purples, as well as touch of white & yellows for the flower. You can find this pretty 8 x 8 inch blue poppy painting on my SibStudio Etsy shop.

October 20, 2023
Kathy
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Upgraded JoAnn’s

Posted in Musing About Art, Peeking Behind the Easel, and Peeking Behind the Seam

My local Joann’s is getting a make over! I’m not in there a lot because the temptation to buy more fabric is too much lol!! Any one who sews knows this temptation well!!! But I did run in today for thread and low and behold – it’s all changed up. The fabric is actually all in one place with the notions. A much better layout!

This time of year is my favor, by far, to walk through the fabric aisles. All the Halloween costume fabrics, new apparel fabrics, Christmas fabrics – they are all beautiful and definitely give me ideas and inspiration. Of course, I purchased some beautiful faux leathers and satin to go with my thread. 🙂

I also noticed that they are expanding their fine art section! They are bringing in more quality artist brand paints, paper, and drawing pens & pencils. As Hobby Lobby is getting rid of name brand fine art supplies in favor of their HobbyLobby brand, it seems like a good move for Joanne’s to take advantage of the fine art niche. I do like some of the Hobby Lobby brand art supplies. But if I am painting or drawing a piece to sell – I will use the high quality name brand fine art supplies.

I also noticed they have a whole aisle now of wood for painting. I wonder if painting on wood or perhaps combined with Cricket & Silhouette machines is an incoming trend? My first painting adventure was on fabric & wood. I hope this aisle inspires people to pick up a paint brush and delve in to the joy of painting!

September 7, 2023
Kathy
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Butterfly Sketching

Posted in Art Work, and Peeking Behind the Easel

Working on some butterfly sketches for a new painting.

I typically use an H pencil for sketches. It’s easy to lightly sketch out shapes & details, and then erase as needed. I erase a lot in my early sketches as I change my mind, or remove guideline shapes.

I have a canvas started for a butterfly & butterfly bush painting. I am reworking the background and deciding on which butterflies I will use in the painting. Right now my butterfly bushes have quite a few butterfly varieties as well as lots of bees. Lots of choices to consider!