In springtime

Artist trading cards with pastel colors and peony blossom

After an all too brief burst of spring weather we are back in a rainy stretch, but the plants are loving the mix of warmth and rain. It is how the season unfolds, a delicate balance of elements to bring forth the blooms.

Serenade

Artist trading card with cut out and transparent overlay

I wanted a simple peek-a-boo effect for this card, just to try a different technique and see how it would look before trying something more involved. The background started out in the right direction, took a detour, got lost and finally got back on track. But without the overlay it wouldn’t have the final impact that it does.

Projects often go through a lot of phases that have no relation to the original idea. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they end up a mess. It is all part of the process, learning to experiment and trust things to unfold correctly. It can be frustrating to see a step not look the way you hoped, and have to cover it up and start over. I am getting better at letting the process take the lead and learn from it.

With grace

Purple and blue paint on sheet music artist trading card

Allegretto con grazia has such a melodious sound to it, it rolls off the tongue easily and sweetly. I have books of old music which I like to use regularly in my art because of the pattern of the notes and the lovely ivory of the paper. It can be hard these days to move through the days with grace; world events, entrenched ideas, and a general sense of people looking to start a fight to prove their POV is the right one, it all adds to the unease we are living with. Possibly you are as tired of it as I am, and struggle with the anger people are bringing each day. There is no easy solution, all that can be done is to try to have a bit of grace.

Cash scrapped

Close up of mixed media piece featuring scrap of $20 bill

I often find scraps of bills in my outings, worn and torn, discarded to the elements. The detail in currency is amazing, a delicate balance between design and art. I like to incorporate found items into my art as it adds a bit of the unexpected to the pieces.

Artist trading card with the scrap of money from previous image.

Gentle spring days

Artist trading card with watercolor and stamped background,
and spring flower on top.

There is a sweetness in the wind as it carries the scent of final snows and fresh daffodil blossoms as it passes. It is nearly time to throw open the windows and usher that freshness inside.

Going like 60

Artist trading card in natural tones with black, gold and purple accents

Time is racing by me, I blink and the day is gone. I blink again and the month is half over. I wonder “Am I making progress?”, it can be hard to tell with so few events to differentiate the weeks. I have reached and passed my 60/100 mark, and am in that stretch where it is feeling like a bit of a slog to make something fresh every day. But I manage to get in the flow and do it, and generally like what I have made. Outside of creating these daily artist trading cards I find it harder to see progress. Work is work, chores are chores, and errands are errands. But spring is here and I can see progress in the garden, and that soothes me.