The most orange flower in the world

It all started this afternoon with a flower in Lucy's garden. My daughter Lucy told me to go look because it is the brightest orangey red flower ever. So I did. And it was. So I grabbed my sketchbook and did a quick watercolor sketch.  But then, I just couldn't get that orange out of my head. It was stuck there like a melody that won't let go. 

So I pulled my outdoor oil kit out and set up to do a quick painting from my sketch and a few pictures I took, while I sat on the deck and listened to some music. I'm still getting back into the swing of things with oils, but I am not unhappy with this little 6x6 oil on panel study of Lucy's most orange flower in the world :) 

Making art

I started making art every day recently. Not just doodling on stuff while I made phone calls, but actual art outside a sketchbook. And I think that's a good thing, to be doing it every day. But what I discovered is, like with any practice, whether it be yoga, drawing, painting, getting out of bed at a new time, or remembering to get to a new class on time, making art every day is a struggle at first. 

I am in the first weeks of this commitment to make art outside my sketchbook every day and I am working on putting aside a time every day to paint or draw. With my three young daughters in the house all day long for the summer, it's work just to find time to make decent, healthy meals and to get a shower a few times a week, but making time to make art is a commitment that they understand even less, and so it is hard to imagine how I will make this work every day. But I am committed and that must be the first step, I think. 

A friend of mine who practices yoga recently posted on Facebook about dragging himself onto the mat to practice yoga even when he didn't want to because he knew it would make him feel better. And there is an element of making art that is like that. It's easy to fall into the trap of other things that must be done. There are always other things. 

How does a mother of 3 make time to make art? How does anyone who has children make time to create? It's a question that I struggle with, the need to create, the commitment, and how to make it actually work realistically in the day to day busy-ness of life with children? 

Been a long time....

It's been a while since I posted here. Mostly because I get into a habit of doing other things and completely forget that I could post something here. So, here are a few drawings from the last few months and a vow to post more often from now on. We will see how that goes :) 

These lovely ladies are some models I drew at a local Dr. Sketchy's event on Cape Cod. I had a great time drawing and the Brazen Belles Burlesque ladies were fantastic models and so much fun to draw. :)

I started drawing more from imagination lately. This is one of my favorite imagination drawings lately. 

In other news, I have a new scanner but haven't had time to set it up, so hopefully soon my pictures will look better here!