February has been a very cold, snowy and icy month in my little corner of Ohio. And the significant snowfall we received in the last two weeks convinced me that spring would never arrive. But to my great surprise the first day of March brought lots of sunshine and temperatures near 50, and the second day—more sunshine and 60 degrees. All of the snow and ice melted. The sidewalks cleared and I ventured out for my first long walk in more than a month.

Of course, everything was soggy and brown and dead; yards were full of fallen leaves and twigs that had been buried under snow. The streets also were full of winter refuse and unsightly clumps of road salt. The trees were still bare. Aside from the bright, clear sky and the songs of busy birds, there was little beauty in the landscape. I was thankful for a break in the cold weather but knew spring was still far away.

And then I turned a corner and saw a single clump of crocus, no more than six, huddled together in the wet grass and warming air. They were variegated, purple and white with brilliant orange in their centers and rich green stems and leaves. I was surprised by this burst of life and color. Just a little variety and beauty changed the way I looked at the drab landscape around me. I started to remember the colors of spring—the rich vibrant purples, reds, yellows, creams and pinks found in crocus, daffodils, tulips and blooming trees. It was the perfect inspiration to bring more light and color to my art projects. Who knows what might bloom on my canvas now that spring has arrived.        

Jackie

As I moderate the Painting + More group, I’m finding that I need to expand my knowledge of crafting in order to truly include the “more” crowd. In the spirit of my blog from February 15, I decided to explore mosaics. I know mosaics have been around for thousands of years, but this is a new medium for me. If you’re a mosaic maven, you won’t find any great pearls in this post, but hopefully you’ll be encouraged by a fellow crafter finding joy in a previously unexplored medium.

When it comes to mosaics, I love the look of shapes within shapes, and I think the puzzle-like assembly process is fascinating. And like painting, mosaics can use contrasts and lights and darks to create form. Because I am a true novice, I'm starting by reading a book to get an overview of the medium. I chose Easy Mosaics for Your Home and Garden by Sarah Donnelly. The projects in this book are inspiring but attainable, but I was most inspired by the section on tesserae—the pieces that make up the design—specifically the idea of using found objects in a mosaic. I had always thought mosaics were made exclusively of tiles and glass. I never would have imagined using old house keys, coins, silverware, buttons and toys to create a mosaic (maybe this crosses over into mixed media a bit, but I think that’s OK). I also love the idea creating mosaic pieces out of old china and pottery. There are so many exciting possibilities in this medium. If you create mosaics, I would love to hear from you and see photos of your pieces. I’d also appreciate any advice or instructions you can give. I’ve got a lot to learn! 

Jackie

Hey Everyone: I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to introduce myself to everyone on the site. I'm Jamie and I'll be assisting Jackie and Kathy with the administration of this category. I've been in the art and craft business for over 8 years now and love all the energy and passion painters and crafter possess. My day job provides me with an amazing amount of access to hundreds of painters, which I hope to share with you. My college days were spent painting and drawing, which I still continue today. I've worked in acrylics, oils and watercolor, and tend to mix media these days as well. I paint mostly for myself, but sell my work occasionally. I look forward to sharing my work with you, discussing the latest issues for painters and listening to your thoughts. Happy painting!

Hello, painting friends!  I hope you're surviving winter and are staying well. In spite of bitter cold and icy roads, I actually enjoy our winter season -- it's kind of a quiet time, the lull before the storm of spring and summer activities. I look upon it as a chance to start new projects, organize my home, and maybe even paint something without the pressure of a bazillion other things getting in the way.

Speaking of which, I went back and re-read one of my earlier blogs where I blithely said that "every moment spent painting is a joy."  Well....h'mmm.... When I look around at all my half-finished projects gathering dust and I think of all the time and the little bit of money I've already put into them, some of the joy starts to fade and all of a sudden, they become just one more project I need to finish, in other words, a job.

I know in my heart if I would just sit down and start painting where I left off, I would enjoy it every bit as much as I did at the beginning. But for some reason, I just don't do it. Other, newer projects call to me, but will they eventually suffer the same fate?

And now, as winter slowly turns into spring and family activities start to ratchet up, the old excuse of "I don't have time to paint anymore" starts playing in my mind.

As a very wise person once said, "So much to paint...so little time."  So true!