Watercolor class at IN Tandem Saturday, April 6, 2024, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.:  Watercolor class at IN Tandem Arts & Authors (downtown Des Moines, IA). We’ll be painting street scenes with figures, working from photos (please bring) or sketches. Figures (people) add so much to a painting, so consider photos or scenes with some. They will really bring your painting to life! The Facebook event page has more information including class fee and parking in downtown Des Moines. Call IN Tandem at (515) 246‑0402 if you’d like to join us.     Creative Journa ..read more

    Reminder: Saturday, February 10, 2024 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (note the later time) Watercolor class at IN Tandem Arts & Authors (300 Walnut Street Suite 6 in downtown Des Moines) I’m looking forward to this Saturday’s class at IN Tandem Arts & Authors, and the weather forecast looks encouraging! Call IN Tandem at (515) 246‑0402 if you’d like to join us. Bring photos of travel memories that you’d like to paint (8″ x 10″ if you have them) to work on composition, color, textures and value flow. I’ll do some demonstrating and there wi ..read more

Storyboard:  I added figures in lines to develop the characters     Pages from the updated book As I mentioned in my earlier post, creating the first version of Carol Jo’s Daydreaming Tree made me realize I needed to put more planning into placing the script on each page. I usually sketch with pencil and then paint with black watercolor, finding the values (I even added a little salt). Painting with one color helps me find the best composition. To update the book, I started drawing small black and white sketches, planning where the images and words would go before I starte ..read more

Organizing for things to come It is so cold out so I sit at my window on the 11th floor and watch the plows and brave people work with our 14″ of snow. So thankful I am warm and cozy. While I’m here I can see lots of organizing needs to be done in my apartment. It is a good time to straighten things up! I am using my library card catalog drawers that I got at ISU Surplus about 50 years ago (and often put to use as a large-scale easel!). Like then I am still looking things up. This time the drawers support boxes that are helping me organize my sketches and ideas for 2024. It feels really good ..read more

Poster for the workshop with examples of “finding depth in your compositions” Saturday, January 13, 2024 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (note the later time) IN Tandem Arts & Authors (300 Walnut Street Suite 6 in downtown Des Moines) A reminder to call IN Tandem Arts & Authors at (515) 246-0402 if you’d like to join us for this Saturday’s watercolor class! I’ll do some demonstrating and there will also be time for individual painting. I will provide a sheet of 140 lb. Arches watercolor paper for each student and a small workbook with some of my examples. Bring your o ..read more

Illustration trio I’ll have these books I illustrated at the Eastside Artists Show and Sale this weekend, December 1 –3, along with my other artwork. On the left is an updated version of Carol Jo’s Daydreaming Tree, which I wrote and illustrated. The first version I made just a few copies to show other writers and one publisher. I was excited about the watercolors and not thinking so much about where to put the script when it was added. That is when I knew I needed to learn the craft and plan where to put the script ahead of time. More about this process in a future post! In the middle ..read more

(Click image to visit Facebook event page) Saturday, December 9, 2023 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. IN Tandem Arts & Authors (300 Walnut Street Suite 6 in downtown Des Moines) My December watercolor workshop at IN Tandem Arts & Authors will focus on composition and color. Bring photos of travel memories that you’d like to paint (8″ x 10″ if you have them) to work on composition, center of interest, and dark and light flow. I’ll do some demonstrating and there will also be time for individual painting. I will provide a sheet of 140 lb. Arches watercolor pape ..read more

(Click image to visit Eastside Artists Facebook event page) December 1, 2, & 3, 2023 Masonic Building, 312 E. College St. in downtown Iowa City “Local Art from Hand & Heart” — mark your calendar for this popular Iowa City tradition, just in time for holiday shopping! I’ll have a booth alongside other members and guest artists of the Eastside Artists. You can find details — and photos! — at the Eastside Artists website, E.A. Facebook page, and Facebook event page. I’ll show some of what I’m bringing in an upcoming post ..read more

(Click image to visit Facebook event page) Saturday, November 11, 2023, 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. I’m happy to start teaching at IN Tandem Arts & Authors with this watercolor workshop! Bring photos of travel memories that you’d like to paint, and I’ll help with composition, color, and texture. I’ll do some demonstrating and there will also be time for individual painting. Bring your own paints and brushes and I will supply a sheet of 140 lb. Arches watercolor paper for each student, and a small workbook with some of my examples. The Facebook event page has more infor ..read more

(Click image to view full size) (Click image to view full size) October 12 – 15, 2023: This postcard announces the Grand Opening Weekend at IN Tandem Arts & Authors (The Plaza Building, 300 Walnut St, Suite 6 in downtown Des Moines, IA). You can see my artwork (and many others’!) on display in the gallery. I plan to be there Thursday afternoon for the presentation by Mary Helen Stefaniak (author of “The Six-Minute Memoir“), and I will have a flyer about my upcoming classes at IN Tandem. See the Facebook Event page for all the goings-on ..read more