Moments and Memories

Just prior to the new year, I received a small notebook adorned with flowers and enough room to hold five years of memories.

Half a decade
recorded one sentence at a time, one day at a time.

I planned to fill the pages with poems and ponderings,
but instead found myself writing about very ordinary things –
the mundane bits of today
that we’ll reminisce upon tomorrow.

It’s a simple practice, writing one line each day, but it’s managed to remap my mind in a powerful way, and when the book is full, I look forward to doing it all over again.

I like to keep an assortment of small painting surfaces in my toolbox. I’m drawn to the 4” x 12” size in particular – they’re the perfect playground to explore and discover. I tend to save my narrative-heavy works for larger surfaces and use smaller canvases to grow and make mistakes.

Often, I paint the same image again and again, challenging myself to use new techniques to convey subjects I have portrayed countless times. There have been many iterations of these brick gardens over the years and, with them, many lessons learned.

Recently, I've been exploring the wonders of acrylic mediums –
in particular, sand texture gel’s usefulness in creating the relief and tangibility that I’ve always craved but never managed to convey –
until today.

I wish you a week of ample sunshine, and while you’re at it, why not pop open a notebook and scribble down a few sentences? Maybe a doodle or two? Your pen awaits! I’d love to hear where your pen takes you!

Until next time,
Stacey