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Monday Musings

 Monday Musings and a New Year ahead...


Hello everyone.  I hope your Holiday was joyous and filled with family and friends.  May you all have a wonderful 2023. 💖 


I'll start out musing about some new colors Santa brought me.  I got the autumn color set with the small palette and Zan's Sun-kissed trio set all by the Da Vinci Paint Co. In total about nine different colors.  There were a couple I already had but there were at least five I'll be trying in the future.  
I'm especially excited about the Gold Ochre (PY42, PY83) and the Alizarin Gold (PR177, PY42).  I think both of those will work extremely well with the Prussian Blue.  
I'll be doing tests of those colors soon.
It's always fun getting new colors.  The possibilities is what keeps creativity going. 

On a colder musing:
We had some pretty chilly days leading up to the Holidays.  The wind blasted across Eastern NC with a vengeance.  We had freezing temps for several days.  Though, it seems mild considering up in New York where they got lambasted with snow and the freezing temps.  
   
All that said, Winter is still my favorite time of year.  When the earth falls to sleep under a blanket of white snow.  Even though I live on the Eastern side of North Carolina where our winters are mild and snow rarely falls, I still dream of that somber landscape.  

The warm autumn colors mingle with cool shades of winter.  The sky is a cool blue against the gray/brown leafless trees and lingering ochre grass.  It's a time of year that really comes alive.  The silence and stillness that winter brings makes observing the world around me even more exciting. 

Winter Road - RLDavis 2022

Winter is a good time to practice tree branches.  You can see how the branches grow, curve and spread without the foliage getting in the way.  Below is a pencil sketch of a holly tree trunk.  If you can brave the chilly weather, observation is wonderful this time of year.  This sketch took approx. 30 minutes or so drawing.  However, I spent a good amount of time just studying the smooth-ish surface - the divots and scratches and how the knots protruded from the trunk.   

Holly Tree Trunk Sketch - RLDavis 2022

The old year is behind and a new one ahead.  2022 was a good year.  Yes, things got more expensive (art supplies certainly did!) but I still created artwork and I still have a place to do it at.  A loving and supportive partner to help and keep my feet on the ground... 😏  I couldn't be happier or more grateful to those who support my work. 
2023 is a time of new beginnings and hope.  My hope is for another creative year of paintings, teaching and good friends along the way. 
Be safe, healthy and happy in 2023. 


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