Summer Hiatus

carrot sketch

approx 7" x 12" gouache on colored paper

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

Hot humid days are upon us, school is winding down and the farmers' market is in full swing. That means it must be nearly summer.

Every year I look forward to summer. The pace of our days is slower. We have more time together as a family. Days often start with breakfast on the screen porch. It feels like a special time.

As has been my tradition for the last few years, I am planning on taking a hiatus from my blog over the summer months. This will be my last regular post until the beginning of September.

The good news this year is that I will still be sending out my monthly email newsletter over the summer months. If you want to stay in touch all you need to do is subscribe. You can do that here. If you hurry, you can sign up in time to receive the June edition which is scheduled to be emailed next week.

Besides squeezing in some time to relax on the porch and have fun with the kids, I hope to make progress on a few art projects which I have been contemplating. So when I return to my regular posting schedule in September I should have a lot of new things to share.

In addition to publishing my newsletter, during this recess I will probably also be popping into Facebook with short updates, so you might want to "Like" my art page there if you haven't already.

I hope your summer is filled with all the best that summer can bring. I look forward to coming back together here in the fall and reminiscing about catching fireflies, eating ice cream and jumping waves. In the meantime, I'll see you in your inbox!

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About the sketch: I am ridiculously pleased with this sketch of carrots. It is one of those instances where the process just flowed and the outcome matched the image that I started with in my head. I love when that happens! I am hoping that my summer schedule also provides me more time to play with these gouache paints and all my other sketching materials.

Changing the Mood of a Painting

Promise of Spring

approx. 4" x 3" watercolor on paper

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

Last week I did a sketch of snowdrops for my newsletter. I love snowdrops because they are the first flower of the new growing season to bloom.

As soon as I notice the winter sun feeling a little warmer, I go out into my yard and see if any snowdrops are peeking up out of the ground.

To me these flowers represent hope. Hope that winter is coming to an end and that the warmer, brighter days of spring are on their way.

Not being a big fan of the cold, gray weather, come the end of February I am normally desperate for some sign that winter is going to retreat and allow the sun to return.

This year we had an uncharacteristically sunny and dry winter. When the snowdrops bloomed we already were enjoying the clear blue skies that I am normally pining for.

As I painted my sketch for the newsletter I was thinking of the type of weather we had this year when I found the first flowers, and I painted the snowdrops on a backdrop of cheerful blue. You can see that sketch (and this months newsletter) here.

As I thought about my painting and how it was representative of this year's winter experience, I had the urge to create something that would be a better representation of the typical winter.

On a typical March day the snowdrops are a bright spot of hope on a landscape of gray. Their white flowers stand out against the bleakness and whisper the promise that soon color will flood the world.

With these feelings held firmly in heart and mind I created a new version of the snowdrops . This time I chose complimentary colors, applied them wet to the background and allowed them to mix to grayish-blue hue which better represents the cloud cover of our winter months.

By changing the colors, I changed the mood and created an image that reflects my feelings of finding these little white blooms after a long, cold winter.

Announcing "Sketchy Details" Newsletter

I believe all artists share a common goal for their art of wanting it to be able to inspire feelings in the hearts of viewers.

Some artists use their art to make social statements because they want the viewers to experience social injustice and be motivated to action.

Some artists paint images of sadness, loss or despair so that viewers know they are not alone in these feelings.

My desire is for my art to inspire feelings of gratefulness for the beauty and blessings that surround us, because I believe that the seeds of happiness grow best when planted in a bed of gratitude.

There are also other feelings that my paintings embody. Things like love, fun, joy, and connectedness. I think the world needs more of these feelings, and I believe that they are all around us if we just look for them.

I not only look for them, but find them and share them through my art.

If you know anyone who would like more of these good feelings in their life, please direct them here to my blog.

And if you, or they, would like to receive my version of happy once a month right in your inbox, I am pleased to announce that is now possible with the start of my monthly email newsletter!

The newsletter will be delivered the first week of every month starting in April. In it I will share new sketches along with details of life inside and outside of the studio. Which is why I named it "Sketchy Details"!

To sign up please fill in the boxes at the right under the heading "Subscribe to my Monthly Email Newsletter" and click the subscribe button, or head over to this page and complete the form there.

I love sending my art out into the world. I am excited that I am going to get to share it in this new way. And I am so very grateful for all of you who take time to experience my art and read my words. Thank you!