After many years away, I'm reinvigorating my ceramics practice at Clay Coven.

I'm getting involved with Coloricombo by the artist Esté MacLeod. I've done these challenges in the past, however with our recent move I've had to put art on the back burner. Cheers to restarting old habits in the new year!

I made this paper while at university, so it's likely 18 years-old. I have kept it all of these years, partially because it was painstakingly made from artichoke pulp that I cooked down in my studio apartment, but partially because I knew it would be a part of something more beautiful one day. Such as carefully slicing then weaving delicately to create a rough pattern. The fibers were so brittle, but the effect of the layering is lovely.

Swatches of these designs have been ordered and, if approved, will be available on Spoonflower. (Check them out here.)

Our moving process began one year prior to us departing and I have found it difficult to cultivate a creative energy. I have been busy snipping the small threads of our lives in England while simultaneously trying to re-sew them into America—all while ensuring the whole piece didn't unravel! 

But last week I felt a wave of creative roll through and the citrus painting above is the result. The process was fluid and organic; pure emotional release pouring onto the canvas.

While the piece is not completed (is any piece ever really done?) I wanted to share, because maybe it's just what you needed to get your creative energy flowing again, too.

It's official – we have moved back to America! In 2015, my husband and I moved away from Washington, DC as two, and are now returning back as a family of four.

Some of my supplies is being shipped, so in the meantime I'll be sharing new inspiration on Pinterest. I'm making plans to re-engage the studio and my art practice now that this major hurdle of internationally moving has been cleared. Part of this will be reintroducing Instagram—my previous account was a personal account and has been made so again, so a new fresh art account has been created.

Probono poster design.

When my eldest was younger, she forged a relationship with our dog. Watching this friendship unfold was so special. I started sketching what it might evolve into in a few years. These are now factually true sketches which once were a daydream. Drew in quick sketches at first but the two-tone watercolor was needed to add the binary relationship of excitement and warmth (yellow) with the comfort and calm (blue). These five are a sampling of a collection.

We are on our way to Edinburgh from St. Andrews via train. I brought my Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils along with a portable paint brush/water set to capture the Scottish countryside.

Probono poster design.

Probono poster design.