A relaxed mind, original art and a new workspace

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." - Chinese Proverb

The last few months have seen an interesting internal shifting of things. It comes as I am reading more about plants, discovered diffused-mode of thinking and connecting more to nature. On top of this, I have been receiving some Energy work from my good friend and Energy practioner, Abueng Nalebi.  Embracing what might seem an obstacle, as part of the path, the way, or at least as a path of least resistance. I recently got a new table and a dedicated space for my art-making in our shared office/studio room with my husband. It's a mess at the moment, but a beautiful, inspiring one. 

I’ve also had more time to experiment and work with the mineral pigments I’ve photographed below. Creating my own watercolors was much more therapeutic than I expected. I especially loved the ultramarine blue (and have shared videos of it on Instagram and pinterest).

DIY Archival grade artists watercolor: Combine Gum Arabic powder, Honey, hot water and earth pigment. Let it set for 3-5 days.

With these new handmade watercolors, I’ve stepped on a journey of creating original works of art. I am starting small, at 8x10”, works on paper. Using masking fluid also to create interesting effects. The new works shown here will be listed on Minted’s ‘Direct from Artist’ marketplace. Below, you can also see some photos of my process.

Before it got too cold to venture outside for long walks, I was able to do some foraging in our local nature reserve and our own garden to collect some source material. Using ultramarine blue and gold mica, the effect was really nice.

Even though I enjoy the focus of drawing and painting realistically, I find real relaxation and comfort in my free-form marking making sketchbook doodles. Both are really necessary I think for cultivating skill and technique, but mark-making is really just so enjoyable.