Playing with the Process

I got thinking the other day about just how cool all this techy stuff I don't understand is. The way that blogging, Facebook, twitter, instagram, (etc, etc) makes connecting with other artists and learning from them about a bajillion times easier and faster than it would have been before. 

Learning from other people inspires me so much! While wandering on instagram, I came across Flora Bowley's work, and couldn't pull myself away. Turned out, she also had a book that was being published, so you can guess what I did next. 

All that to say, she's awesome, it's an awesome book, and when I'm not working away on commissions, I've been inspired by her to 'step out of my comfort zone' and paint/collage in a freeing way, just layering and layering for the love of it (note: I was a little too into it, and didn't get pics of the first layers!).  Though when I have an image in my head, it seems to decide for itself what the painting's going to be about (ex. the penny farthing below! Saw one of these in front of a bike shop at the beach and fell immediately in love). My dear friend Kat just sent me pictures from a hot air balloon fiesta (what could be cooler?!?) that happens yearly in New Mexico, so they're back on the brain. Think they'll be working themselves to the surface in my next series of therapeutic paintings!

Playing with papers, shading and handmade stencils...