More about my life as an artist.

 I am always evolving as a human, as a woman, as an artist. For me, in all aspects, I go forward and back and laterally. Probably like most of us. As a woman I am the Crone and so happy to be here. I look around at others my age and younger and see that, in spite of my health, I'mhealthier than most.

 As a human I find I'm tired of political rhetoric on all  sides but you don't need to read those rants. This is an art blog. Maybe I'll do a personal opinion blog sometime, but not now. 

As an artist I feel a new change happening. I really am not the painter I was, not since COVID. I have my drawing skills back and I've been dealing with color by ignoring it. I've given away a lot of materials that will go bad if not used. I can paint, but not as I wish, so as with most aging artists, I shift gears. That's why I'm working on a coloring book. Not be cause of the trend, but because I have to have a reason to create essentially the same thing over and over again. I get bored, easily. Since I had published coloring books before I know the process. I chose birds because I enjoy them and I chose graphite because it is my first medium and really the most difficult to master after my illness. Handling brushes isn't easy either but drawing is almost like finger painting by comparison. I finished the drawings and now I'm doing colored pages for people to refer to when coloring.

A funny thing happened when I was coloring the Warbler with colored pencils. I realized that I could still use color and draw. Oh, not like all those color pencil artists but like the grisaille artist I had been using watercolor pencil over graphite. But now I don't have to deal with painting and handling brushes. I still have my watercolor pencils if I can step up my game again but now I can have beautiful drawings and beautiful color. Just typing this article is painful but using my fingers and hands is my best medicine in spite of the discomfort. 

Anyway, I don't have to make more coloring books after this if I don't want to but my recovery has brought me back to at least a level of competence. I like drawing pictures that make people happy.   Here are a few of my coloring pages, all colored with colored pencils starting with the Warbler.