Hello to you!
I’m so happy you’re here with me today. I hope you’ve been enjoying your creative journey and making beautiful things. I want to share with you some of the things I’ve been working on lately. It’s autumn here in North Carolina, and the light is golden and green. The breezes rustle the leaves and there’s a chill in the air.
Colors of the Season
I’ve been painting in a limited palette that matches the season. I’m experimenting with shades of ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, Naples yellow, black, and white. Plus, I added a bright lime green as an accent because I love that color. As part of experimenting with this palette, I painted this series of pumpkins in a variety of sizes. It seems to be an annual tradition for me, and this is this year’s version. But I think I’m ready to move on from this limited palette because I’m feeling a pull for more variety and brightness in my colors.
Ups and Downs, Highs and Lows
Another thing I want to talk about is the creative cycles we all go through. Sometimes we love what we do, sometimes we don’t. Right now, I’m not really liking a lot of what I’m doing- it feels like I’m either repeating myself or trying things that don’t work out. While it’s not much fun, it’s part of the process too.
Sometimes, the cure for a creative slump like this is to do something fun and easy - something light and playful. Lately, I’ve been toying with the idea of making artful papercrafted ornaments. Maybe ornament is too generous a word for what I have in mind, but I’ve made a start and will keep you posted on where they go.
Thanks for joining me on this creative journey - I appreciate your company so much. Don’t forget there are some Sunflower watercolor sketches in the Etsy shop that will expire in November and they have new, lower prices. And I’ll be adding one or two of these pumpkins as well - look for them soon.Psst - this coupon is good until the end of October: just for subscribers - that gives you 50% off an original piece of art. Just use code NIFTYFIFTY at check out.
You know, I also post a podcast based on these newsletters. It’s a short and friendly chat from my studio where I go deeper into some of these topics and ideas. You’ll get a note when the next episode is out.
As always, if you have any thoughts, questions, comments, or just want to share with me about your own creative journey or projects, I’d love to hear from you. Just reply to this email or leave a comment below.
Shine on!
Monette
This bright Skellie is 12 x 12 mixed media on canvas mounted for no framing. He’s just one of the pieces waiting for you in the new shop - be sure to use your subscriber only code that gives you 50% off an original piece of art. Just use code NIFTYFIFTY at check out.