Yesterday I had some fun with hand made paper. This is one of those experiments I love to do.  I bought a new 6x4 mold and deckle to make paper the exact size for my tea bag paintings. Very little trimming.    I’ve been thinking about using the shreds of paper as they are for paper. Usually I shred and then blend the shreds into a smooth pulp with a blender, for making paper. I add dye, sometimes flower heads, and metal leaf scraps to the pulp.   This time I used the whole shreds. I really like the paper but it is unstable in just a water bath. I made 8 pieces ..read more

I have a new large commissioned painting coming up soon. I like to do a lot of research before I tackle them. One of the preparations I do is to begin with a potential color chart to show my client.  I have spoken briefly with them about their color favorites. Yesterday I did a chart to show them. This will give me a start and clue about their likes.   I have expanded my palette to seven colors, to give a nice range for them. Most of my paintings are with 4 to 5 colors, but with commissions the painting is about my client’s desire, not mine.  Next, I will send my cli ..read more

  I had forgotten how much fun I have in doing tea bag paintings. First I look at flowers to decide which will be painted. Then I get to select which hand made paper color I will choose. Then I disassemble the tea bag and glue it to the hand made paper. At last I am ready to choose the paints and begin.    I’ve never been a floral painter, but I am improving with practice. Having been a tea party fan for some years and serving tea to my studio guests, this genre is great fun for me. I try to do one or two a day just for fun.   Country painters love a cup of tea…….   ..read more

Some artists think that art should sell itself. Often gallery artists have that attitude. They feel that they have a beautiful gallery to show the work and that is enough.   In the fantasy world they are right. In the real world they are naive indeed. Art is seldom sold at random. In my long career, rarely have I sold to strangers who know nothing about me or my work.  Relationships are so important with collectors. Trust and friendship are built over time, even if you have never met in person. I have many collectors I’ve not met, but we become friends through others or similar inte ..read more

  I have a lot of ups and downs as a painter, with periods of struggle and then nice easy periods. I never know when I will come into a bad stage or how long it will last. When I was a young painter, I used to feel panic about the bad painting spells, worrying that I would never come out of them, but now I know that they are a signal of a growth period for me.  I’ve never been one to learn technique and then cruise. I see that frequently in some pretty highly skilled painters. Painters who have a real gift, but for whatever reason, don’t have the will or desire to push their skills ..read more

  My walk this morning was nice and cool after yesterday’s rain. I began to think about my childhood. In those days kids spent a lot of time outdoors. I think that was the beginning of my lifelong love of trees and the natural world.    There were chores of course, hanging laundry on clothes lines, ironing, learning to cook and do dishes, dusting, sweeping and mopping as well. I recall that we spent most of our time at school or at home. We were self entertainers.  Most of my early passions for art and science were developed in my childhood years.   I have been ..read more

Well, I’ve been placed on the top 25 Art Blogs list at www.feedspot.com What a nice honor. I know that blogs are not as popular as they used to be, but I continue to blog a post every couple of weeks. My FB Group Linda Blondheim Art and Stories has become fairly popular and it is a nice bunch of friends.  I have had a blog in one form or another since 1995, so blogging is a great format for me. I am too busy to write long complicated thoughts. A paragraph or two is perfect for me.   Many former bloggers have switched to podcasting. I enjoy those a lot, but it is not for me. I like t ..read more

I’ve been doing some research on our dear live oak trees here in the South. I have studied and painted them for many years, and there are many I call friends. I found this about them from the Natural Wildlife Federation:   “Southern live oaks are majestic trees that are emblems of the South. When given enough room to grow, their sweeping limbs plunge toward the ground before shooting upward, creating an impressive array of branches. Crowns of the largest southern live oaks reach diameters of 150 feet (45.7 meters)—nearly large enough to encompass half of a football field. On average, tho ..read more

I enjoyed watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy last week. It had been a few years since I watched it. It is a fantastic film trilogy. The cast is first class with many of my favorites. The story is a rich, epic story of the struggle of good against evil. I have two favorite parts, the cinematography of the horse scene where Liv Tyler outruns the dark lords on black horses. That camera man and editor were genius! All horse lovers would treasure that scene. It is true art, celebrating the beauty and dignity of horses.  My other favorite were the scenes with the ents, Shepherds of the Fo ..read more

Most of my charity donations went directly to help artists, homes for homeless, and land trusts in 2023. I think many artists don’t understand how much work it takes to have a sustainable career. Many just give up before they give it time to  succeed. In my youth as a painter, I would have given anything for a sponsor,  or to get mentoring help from an established artist. You must be determined and relentless in your efforts to be a professional artist.    Emerging artists need to understand that an art career is daunting. It is a 6 day, 12 hour shift, with enorm ..read more