Sometimes my pencil art doesn’t sell. It might win awards, sell as a reproduction print, garner much praise, get borrowed by someone to decorate their vacation rentals and second homes, but just not sell. It is a mystery. Sometimes I can look at a drawing and see what it is lacking. Sometimes it needs a […]
Remember. . .
Faded (poppy) Love #3
Truthfully, this mural is not in a highly visible place, it is rarely noticed, and no one cares if I refresh it or not. I don’t think anyone will notice if I leave the dreaded door. So, maybe I am finished. I didn’t sign it this time, so maybe I am not proud of it. […]
Faded (poppy) Love, #2
We have had weird unusually cool weather here in Three Rivers, and I took the opportunity to continue working on the faded poppy mural. A list of what remains to be done, depending on the weather and my availability: The dreaded door The tree Pinkish poppies, both close and far Adding more popcorn flowers (or […]
Faded Love (of Poppies)
The first public mural I painted was in 2008 on a Seatrain storage container at my church. 2008 was a “super bloom” year of poppies, and we were in love with those flowers. Eleven years have passed, and most of the yellows have disappeared from the mural. Yellow+blue=green, so the greens are blue. Yellow+red=orange, and […]
Blog Idea
Since April of 2008, I have been posting to this blog, in an irregular fashion at first (I knew nothing about blogging), and then consistently 5 days a week. Current blog wisdom from the Internet-Know-It-Alls is that 5 days a week is too often. Since I am not seeking a multitude of “Likes, Followers, or […]
About shows
There are several different kinds of shows for artists to participate in. The elegant type at an art gallery – a dress-up indoor event, usually with wine and hors d’oeuvres, often shared with other artists and usually preceded by a postcard mailing. These range anywhere from a nice opportunity to a Big Deal, depending on […]
In Bloom
Sometimes I have the overwhelming need to share some beauty with you that is not of my making. (I hope you know me well enough to not take that sentence as if I believe all my art is beautiful. Gotta stay real and humble here.)
Wondering About Colored Pencil
A year or so ago I bought some new colored pencils. Blackwing manufactures something called “Blackwing Colors”, and I am a sucker for new pencils. With the box of 12, I did this 5×7″ drawing. I posted it on Instagram (if you like Instagram and want to follow my very occasional posts, I am JanaBotkinArt) […]
Lighthearted Lessons
Three things happened in drawing lessons last week that made me smile or laugh. Maybe they will also affect you thus. A drawing student finished this picture. 2. A drawing student said to me, “I can’t stand to draw”. I was horrified, until I realized that she meant she could no longer stand up while […]