Watercolor in Tuscany

Last September I was in Tuscany for two weeks. I had a few days in Florence before I joined the group in my workshop. We stayed in a beautifully restored Tuscan farmhouse in the hills of Lucca. We spent the days sketching, painting, wondering through the tiny villages...shopping and of course eating amazing food. We even had cooking lessons!

Here is a short video I made of our trip. Hope you enjoy the images and sketches of Tuscany!
If the video doesn't show click here: YouTube

Happy Sketching!
Brenda

Twenty-Nine Years and Counting!

Mike and I were married on a three-masted schooner sailing out of Ports O' Call, San Pedro CA. When our wedding vows were completed they fired the cannons from both sides of the ship.  That was twenty nine years ago... I was 25 years old and overtaken by the love of a man I hardly knew. I was worried about being able to love him as much as he loved me...our first date was nine weeks earlier.
How did he win my heart so quickly? The answer is easy... He loved my children. Shortly after our first date he picked me up from work. When I got in the car he asked me, "what does your son need?". He proceeded to take me shopping and filled the shopping cart with clothes and a new car seat for my son.

Early in our marriage Mike recognized the creative spirit in me and encouraged it.  He watched me try my hand at different creative ventures. I experimented with porcelain painting, ceramics, quilting, woodwork... What I really wanted to do was draw and paint but I was afraid I wasn't good enough (I was discouraged as a child). I finally got enough courage to attend classes at the community college. Mike knew how nervous I was. He even bought me a new outfit for school! I was only attending class one day a week. The most valuable thing he gave me was courage to believe in myself.
We have evolved a lot over the years. I am a better person today because of his love. He has helped me grow artistically, emotionally, and spiritually. I have love him with all my heart.

It feels appropriate that I share with you how Mike's love played a part in my life. I am an artist because of his belief in me, love, and freedom to find my way. This short video tells a little more of the story. 

Happy Painting! 
Brenda

Don't Carpet Your Rut

Don't Carpet Your Rut

It's easy to get in a creative rut. It happens when you do the same thing over and over. Any form of repetition can be a rut: technique, subject matter, view point, perspective, lighting, materials... Artists can get in a rut because they want a successful outcome all the time. Anything that seems repetitive is playing it safe. If you want to grow it means you have to take a risk. The risk can be large or small but without the risk there is no challenge, without a challenge you become bored, and your work lacks excitement. Before too long you'll get comfortable, if you're comfortable for too long your work will show it.  If you find yourself in a rut, GET OUT! The fastest way to pull yourself out of a rut is take a workshop with someone who inspires you.
It's the teachers’ job to teach, stimulate, encourage, challenge, nurture, stretch and at times push the students. I'm used to being the teacher but I’ve come to the end of my workshop season and it was time to recharge my creative battery and be challenged. I gave myself the gift of being a student for three days.

I'm careful who I take workshops from. Not all

Jerry Brommer

painters are good teachers. I've taken workshops from the best and worst (that's another story). Who do I consider one of the best? Gerald (Jerry) Brommer. He has become a dear friend and my go to person for honest critiques and advice. He knows my work better than anyone and knows how to push, challenge, inspire and give me a hug when I need it.

The workshop was Line & Shape with Collage. Here is what I learned.

I like control when I draw so to challenged myself and put away my favorite drawing tools for three days. I used a Bamboo pen and dip ink. It was scary not to have control but what I learned was: trust my instincts and abilities. You can see the line work in the face piece at the top.

I like using light valued papers in my stained paper collages. I challenged myself by using black papers in the beginning stage of the collage. I learned not to avoid the dark papers early on as they give under lying strength to the design.

Happy Creating!

Brenda

Are you in a Creative Rut? Come join me at one of my many workshops coming up in 2014. Workshop Schedule.

Illustrated Journal of Tuscany

I've been home from Tuscany a few weeks and I'm still on a creative high. Nothing like spending an extended time focused only on sketching and painting! Nothing to worry about...no house cleaning, grocery shopping, appointments, yard work, bills to pay, errands to run, email to answer... When your only concern is about being creative the mind is free to stretch and reach into greater chambers of creativity.

This was my fourth workshop in Tuscany and I was returning to many of my beloved locations Florence, Lucca, San Gimignano...I didn't want my illustrated journal to look like my prior trips to Tuscany. A couple days before I left I gave some serious thought to how this book would be different.

A few ideas that I came up with:
Different Drawing Tool
My favorite pen is the Pitt by Faber-Castel with black ink. This time I would use a fountain pen with brown ink (Noodler's Polar Brown).

Different Drawing Technique
 I usually stick to contour drawing.This time I would use more crosshatch to suggest texture and shadows.

Local-Color
I have a tendency to LOVE color. This time I wanted my sketches to reflect the true colors of Tuscany. Colors needed to be muted, red tile rooftops needed touches of green to show moss and liken, the trees needed more blue and less yellow...
Page Design
Usually I keep a similar layout throughout a trip with the date on top, name of village in large writing... This time I worked to have each page be unique in layout, font style...

Writing content
In the past my travel journals read like a travel log (up at 6:00am, depart at 8:30 for San Gimignano...). This time I wrote more about the history, people, culture...

Next year I'm returning to Tuscany and I'm already thinking of ways I can be more creative and inventive with watercolor.
Details here: Tuscany En Plein Air October 20-30, 2014

Happy Sketching!
Brenda

Home!

~~~~Tuscany En Plein Air~~~~~

Our amazing chefs Karolina and Dana

I've been home four days... which means I wake up at odd hours and I'm ready for bed before the mail arrives in the afternoon … and I have to eat my own cooking. 

Out my window in Lucca

Sleeping in my own bed is wonderful but the view can't compete with the amazing view I woke to each and every morning. Here you can see my sketch-bag. It's my faithful companion and has traveled with me on many adventures. We've covered a lot of territory together.

The trip was especially wonderful on many levels.  I was joined by thirteen amazing women from many different walks of life. Each person brought a richness of conversation to the group and a couple times discussions lingered long into the night. We shared our love and passion for watercolor, life, family, careers and much more. The trip was much more than a "workshop", it was a time shared with encouraging, talented and empowering women. I was blessed by their presence.

Group lunch at Kitinka's home, in Lucca

The hardest part of any adventure is the long trip home. Add to that airport security, a couple plane changes, airport food...it reminds me of doing the Hokey Pokey when I was a child (but less fun).

Finishing touches while on the plane

The best part of a long travel day is making use of my time on the long plane flight (15+ hours) especially since there is little else to do. I keep my smallest of sketching supplies with me and put finishing touches and notes in my illustrated travel journal.
It was wonderful to see my husband's smile greet me at the airport and be welcomed into his loving arms...I was home!

I'm returning to Tuscany October 2014! The first session filled (Oct. 8-18) immediately...so we added another date! If you'd like to join me October 20-30, 2014 here's the link: Tuscany En Plein Air.

Ciao!

Brenda

When I Hurt...

This morning I caught my breath...it has been a year since Daniel and I made our trip to Trinidad,  CA to be with Thomas & Lisa (my oldest son and girlfriend).  The long weekend was perfect in every way... even Daniel catching poison oak was a blessing because it got him into the doctors office. While at the appointment Daniel asked the doctor about a lump he felt on the side of his neck.  Most of you know the rest of the story...(you can read it here). 

A year has passed and Daniel is doing wonderful for which I am very grateful. Nowadays I'm surprised that whenever I talk about it I begin to cry. During the year of turmoil I held my emotions in check (most days).  I wouldn't dare give thought to the idea he wouldn't beat cancer!

Why am I telling you this? Usually I share sketchbook pages that reflect joy, travel,  adventure, and all around happy experiences. Rarely do I share pages of when I'm at my lowest.  For some reason I feel compelled to share my experience of how I process emotions in my sketch journals. Does somebody need to read this today or is it part of my healing process to let it go? I don't know the answer to that question.  I simply feel I am called to do so.

On my page, I AM SO TIRED OF BAD NEWS! I write that along with Daniel my dad's cancer has returned. It's been nine months since I wrote this page. Today he is being treated at the City of Hope and he's not doing very good. My heart aches to see him so sick. I save all his phone messages, little notes... I want to treasure each and every minute with him. Please keep him in prayer. He's name is Wes.

On the page OUCH! I was raw with emotion and wrote some pretty strong words... I needed to get out. When I write something like this I'm conscious that these books will be around after I'm gone.  I don't want my words to hurt somebody I love that is why I'll use a water soluble pen. When I am ready I use a wet brush and smear the words.

We all need a safe place to express ourselves without fear or concern of what others may think. I hope

♥♥♥Me and my Dad ♥♥♥

through sharing these pages I've opened your mind to ways of healing through art and words.

Happy Sketching!

Brenda

What's Your Signature?

What’s Your Signature?  I’m not talking about the way you sign your checks I’m talking about how you sign our paintings and sketches. Some artists sign their artwork as if they’re embarrassed...they hide their signature, or make it so tiny no one can read it. Don’t hide your signature…let people know who you are!

I use to dread signing my artwork. I felt my signature wasn’t interesting. Many years ago I fell in love with old trucks and I began painting what would become a large series of paintings. I needed a signature that looked strong, and not like a sissy girl. I decided I would change my signature. I spent hours writing my name over and over until I was pleased. I still have the sketchbook that showed how my signature evolved until it became what I use today. 

I am often asked if I use a stamp or stencil to sign my name. The answer is neither. To be honest at first I was a little annoyed with the question and one day I realized I had achieved what I wanted, people not only recognized my signature they remembered it…they remembered me! Now when people ask if I use a stamp or stencil I take time to show them how I do it. I sign my name freehand with a brush.

Many artists sign their names with those funny little initials after their signature, I don’t.  People may think I haven’t achieved signature status in watercolor societies, I have.  I am a signature member of North West Watercolor Society (NWWS), San Diego Watercolor Society (SDWS) and Watercolor West (WW). What are my reasons behind not wanting to use these esteemed initials? The best way I can explain it is like this. Placing society initials after my signature feels like I’m adding a logo or advertisement to my artwork. I don’t wear clothes with a logo plastered on the front or back of my clothes, either. My name is good enough! The initials I have earned belong on my resume, not on my artwork. I know this is a very personal choice and many will differ in their opinion…that’s okay.  I have a choice what I put on my paintings.

In closing I’d like to share a thought. When we die and leave this earth we take nothing with us...but our name. Don’t hide your name/signature…let the world know you were here!

Happy Painting!

Brenda