A Little Messy?

Maybe. Inspiring? Definitely!!

We are having friends over tonight (the couple who got married yesterday) and so we have a busy day in the kitchen. I hope to remember to take photos to share pictures and recipes with you...

I did take an hour this morning though to spend in my studio and I noticed just what a happy creative mess surrounds me there. How do you like my pile of blank journals? Hey! Just because I'm no good at keeping journals doesn't mean I don't love blank books! (My friend Verena could tell you stories about my love for paper and pens that started when we were still in high school and has not changed!)

A collaged card with good wishes for 2011 from my good friend Beth,

a vintage image Beth sent me some years ago of a young woman looking very much like my sister, one of my very favorite spooky pastel paintings I created a while ago (must get it framed!), and photos of my sweet nephews in those fun frames they made themselves,

more of my paintings and other creative stuff,

my easel (ok, so it's really Daniel's easel) stacked with several paintings,

little pieces of art some of you, my blog friends, have made for me ... and more stuff (of course),

my favorite brushes,

some books and magazines -- all of those things inspire me to be creative right now!

And so I played with washes on a little canvas,

 a bigger canvas (don't know what I will do with that one...), and backgrounds for journal pages,

-- here a close up of some of the texture on one of the journal pages --

and a couple of very light washes on the canvas I had prepared with the papers.

Nothing is finished and with none of them I know where they are going to go in the end. One thing became clear to me though as I sat in my messy little studio looking at the women I have painted -- I miss them! I miss painting faces that then look at and speak to me. So... expect to see another woman soon!

But for now, it's back into the kitchen for me where Daniel is already very busy!

Wishing you all a beautiful Saturday! And thank you so much for your continued visits and comments! I always love hearing from you!! I hope to visit you all tomorrow...