Dandelion Studio

After trying out several different colors for the background of my next painting and just not “feeling it,” I decided it go for a collage “under painting” instead. I love this process of tearing and glueing and it reminds me of a vintage crazy quilt, except made of wallpaper scraps!

“Live in the layers, not on the litter.” Recently, I stumbled upon this random line from a poem by Stanley Kunitz. The words immediately resonated with my introverted soul, as I’ve always loved rich layers and texture in both my art and in life. While the surface might catch my attention, the stories that live within all those layers are what really light me up on the inside. “How did that artist create that texture?” “What medium could I add to make this painting more interesting?” “What life stories live beneath that person’s polished exterior?” In my own life, “What stories led me to where I am now and better yet, what might need to be composted into richer soil so that I can keep growing stronger?”

By the time we reach mid-life, I think most of us, at one time or another, have found ourselves planted in unexpected places, often places we would not have envisioned or even chosen. While my initial reaction to these “surprises” in life is often fear, I have learned that if I can just sit with the discomfort long enough, my fear turns to curiosity. “What can I learn from this experience?” “Can I learn to see things from a different perspective?” In staying curious, these hard seasons have become my biggest growth opportunities. And for that, I am grateful.

This week, I’ve been experimenting and laying the foundation for my next piece of art. Once again, fabric from my great-grandmother’s old ironing board cover is coming to play…I love this part of the process as ideas start to come to life!

For those who have known quiet grief, the kind that we don’t always recognize. Unrealized dreams. Loss of a desired outcome. Loss of identity. Loss of health. Loss of a relationship. I see you. These are for you.

(Thank you, , for this poignant quote.)

A peek at what I’ve immersed myself in this afternoon…

Vintage quilts & jewels + Hearts + Love notes = The perfect ingredients for making homemade Valentines! This sweet little batch of Valentine ornaments will arrive at One Rose (Hull Street location) THIS Friday!❤️

It all started with a vintage box lid, fun packing tape saved from a recent mailer, and a need to process some big feelings…A peek into my latest tiny sacred journal (and some thoughts to ponder on this rainy day)!

A brand NEW batch of mixed-media bookmarks arrived at The Midlothian Book Exchange today!