Whoa it’s been awhile!

I can’t believe how time flew by! A little break turns into a month of nonposting. For me this spring is a time of new directions, capturing ideas….

What a beautiful Earth Day! Today I walked for miles to sit by the pond and gaze into the water and just be. The water’s surface was like a giantic looking glass for the sky, the tree branches and red-winged blackbirds. Their song is my favorite. Look below and you might see one on the tree’s branches.

Things will unfold…

Sitting on the roots of a willow tree I picked dandelions and little yellow flowers and played with configurations on my hands like henna designs that came alive. As the tiny buds floated across the water I thought of things that hold me back, keep me from being creative, keep me from painting. From there I ran the whole way home. And I painted the afternoon in my sketchbook with watercolors and in oils on a wooden panel. It’s a start.

These have been sitting in my studio for some time, new directions I set up in an inspiring little shrine-like fashion. . I am so excited about all of these.

Painting the grisaille layer in burnt umber and titanium white this afternoon.

Everyday small pleasures

♥ moroccan mint green tea, iced
♥ the sound of silver bangle bracelets (like little bells)
♥ blues, greens and grays
♥ rubbing magnolia petals between my fingers til they tear apart (they are so soft!)
♥ the beach and searching for shells and shiney things in the sand
♥ being 29!

And yesterday was my birthday so we spent a beautiful day together roadtripping. The beach being one of our first stops, then searching for thrift clothes (hooray I found a pretty dress and some shirts!) meandering around the campus at Princeton and then to a sushi dinner. Yesterday, a perfect gray beach day:

The first full day of being 29 was beautiful!

Another lovely vintage locket, seashores and ships and all those summery things

Despite the fact that it feels like early spring (I’m not complaining!) I ventured outside in the cold rain to take a few pictures in the moss. I must say, this locket was the best find ever! It’s a rare round shape and has three places for pictures. When I saw the rope-shaped links in the long, chunky golden chain I knew it was absolutely perfect…I am just so smitten by this locket! Take a little look-see…

I absolutely LOVE the golden-roped chain!

It can be found here before it sets out to sea!

Lets see…what else have I been up too…sketching! Lots to share. I just opened my new paints (they sat in their box untouched for 1/2 week due to the fact that I am so, so busy with other things, good things.) But I can’t even express how excited about them and their luscious pigments. How good does it feel to get new paints, open them up and squeeze their little tubes onto the palette?

They Teach Me to Remember

First I would like to thank everyone who entered the locket contest. Such beautiful, touching people you all are! and your writings… I was amazed at the responces! Thank you.

There is still time! I plan to post the winner tomorrow night so please, don’t hesitiate to enter. I can’t wait to send off my little locket to one of you!

I have been spending my nights painting little scenes-within-scenes…stories, memories, imaginary places, animals. I painted They Teach Me to Remember with acrylics on a thick masonite panel with vintage wallpaper. I spent quite some time on her face, changing it a bit from the last time I posted. The whole piece of found wallpaper was hanging over my desk in my studio last year.

AND…Little by little I will be offering prints on canvas! This one is offerered in canvas AND fine art paper, in my shop. The title of the listing specifies paper or canvas.
xoxox!

Locket giveaway!

I was looking into history of the locket and I am pleasantly surprised that they date way before the victorian age. I have a few at at hand and decided it was…

Giveaway time of course!

Last night I made a sweet, sweet locket with mini prints of two of my paintings, One Misty Morning and One Misty Evening …paired together in a giant brass locket which I tied with a vintage snippet of lace and little pink button! It would look so cute around your neck with a pretty blouse or dangling from the wall on an antique hook, mini art!

So precious and totally FREE to one of my lucky readers! All you need to do is imagine that you are a very fashionable woman from a few hundred years ago (and if I know you gals this is NOT a difficult task!) and tell me which pictures of loved ones you would put in your locket and why. They can be loved ones from the present of past…whichever you choose. I will put all the names together and do the drawing in my trusty robin’s-egg-blue kettle pictured here. Oh, I can’t wait to hear about your loved ones, and furthermore I can’t wait to mail one of you a very special gift! Contest ends Friday, January 25th.

xoxo
sarah

wandering

Spent the weekend meandering, hiking and painting! And I am feeling much like a magpie during my woodsy walks…

Collected more rose-printed chards of old teacups and saucers, pinecones and rosehips for inspiration. Yum and I found some old books for a dime each that are already cut up to shreads! Yesterday we had a bit of a snow squall and the mountains in the morning sunlight were glowing with frostiness. Mmm…winter inspiration is tops.

land and sea

I’ve been holding on to these for over a year and have decided to finally let them go. Two sweetly detailed originals up for sale in my shop. In sepia inks.

Forest and Sea

Trees Above and Coral Below

oh wednesday

Tried painting with a feather today. Fingerpainting is much more fun.

Just two little playground pieces. I am most happy painting tight details but these loose concept sketches and assemblages sometimes get the create juices flowing. I usually keep them to myself but why not share once in awhile?

Works in progress

Spent another afternoon in my snug painting room. I have multiple pieces in the works, mostly lush, layered and textured paintings with supports made from antique lace, canvas and papers. Work in progress (and the second one from the right is almost done and ready to be made into a print, very soon)

My work table

And obviously inspired by the texture and color of this broken dinner plate, unearthed behind my house in the bed of a little stream.

Tomorrow we are going to the Whitney and the Guggenheim mmmm!

Under the Cold Cold Earth print

Now that the original sold I have decided to make this little one into a print. Here’s a little snippet, see full print in my shop.