Studio

These items have moved with me several times but now we’re both home.

My “studio” is always a work in progress. It began when I took over our downstairs guest room. Later I transitioned into my youngest’s old room, and now my studio space has taken over our master bedroom, which has cleverly been relocated to one of our smaller guest rooms.

The light is bright and the master bathroom is a convenient water source. But the best part is my peek-a-boo view of the cove from my art desk. Nothing stirs the ideas in my head better than that salty sea breeze.

Paper is everything. It’s more than a canvas, it determines what the painting is going to look like. I only use hot-press, and I would buy a million sheets if I could. Sometimes when chatting with other artist friends, our conversation center entirely around paper. That is how much I love it.

My paint palettes are more loosely-goose-y. Not being married to a single brand, I’ve amassed my collection over time and like to mix and match to create the perfect shade. I prefer handmade paints, having purchased my first tubes in France 15 years ago. Nothing beats their smoothness. The added honey makes them supremely luscious.

Story is paramount. I can make a story out of anything and everything. Mapping out adventures gives me the opportunity to depict a simpler way of life, sharing characters, their connections and spinning tales that I would enjoy hearing. It all begins with a concept. Nature is integral to my creative process. Daily walks down to the cove help me structure and form my stories. The common thread is, they always bring me back to gentler, kinder times. Once I’ve settled on an idea, I write out my story longhand, polishing it until I’m happy. My stories are fully fleshed out before I ever pick up a pencil or my paintbrush.

Inspiration is at the heart of my drawing and painting process. I see my world in pictures, so this is where my illustrations begin.

Walks to the cove spark fresh ideas for drawings. Images flit in and out of my head until I settle on one that speaks to me. Back in my studio I sketch and work out these scenes on tracing paper. When I’m happy with my sketches, I transfer them to watercolor paper where the details are refined. Even as I paint, I’m still adjusting and reshaping the final illustrations. The coast and the sea are my companions. When I paint that final stoke, I look up from my art table, feel the gentle ocean breeze and am filled with a serenity.