It's a new year - 2012. Can you believe it? Gosh, I feel old. Yet, occasionally I still like to try new things. Like the clementines that I tried for the first time over the holidays. I had no idea.
And my new header up there. I'll try that out for a while and see.
Santa brought me a wonderful gift. I must have been pretty good this year. It all started when I picked up a copy of
Joe's Journals, The Art and Tales of a Sojourner by Joe Miller, when in Cheap Joe's around Thanksgiving time. If you enjoy looking through artists' watercolor sketchbooks, this is a great book. It is filled with Joe Miller's beautiful watercolor sketches from his travels around home, here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and places farther away, as well as his thoughts and notes.
In the back of the book he notes his usual sketching supplies and referenced a watercolor palette and paints that he prefers. Because I enjoyed his sketches and the colors he used I went searching for this palette but couldn't find it. However, I did find the one sketched above on his website. Apparently it is a new item for Cheap Joe's. It's called the
American Journey Voyager 12 Color Full Pan Set. Well, that went on my Christmas wish list!
And I love it. The box is a sturdy metal tin and bigger than the little tin I had been using, yet it folds up nicely into a convenient size for travel. It has plenty of mixing space and the full pans are removable so you can switch out colors if you'd like. I was feeling that I had gotten myself into a bit of a rut with the colors I had been using so it is really refreshing for me to have a change of palette. Here is the color chart that came with the set, filled in by me. You can click the image to see larger.
I plan on trying a few other new things this year. You may even get to read about some of them here on this blog. And for the first time in several years I haven't made a list of goals, or reviewed the last year's accomplishments or lack there of. Yes, there are those things I would like to achieve but more than that I want to focus on the present. Stay mindful and in the moment.
Now, is my word for this year.
"This year I want to stick a net into time and say 'now',
as men plant flags on the ice and snow and say, 'here'."
-Annie Dillard-
Hi Ann,
ReplyDeleteSure wish I lived close to Cheap Joe's; he's truly a treasure.
Don't you just love the clementines? My little girls love them, especially because even Miss 4 can easily peel them - peeling a naval orange is a bit much for her.
xoxo
Happy New Year, Ann!! Your post . . . so inspiring . . . was a delight to read. Those watercolors look amazing, too, and the clementines are so delicious! Thanks for making me stop and reflect!!!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your posts and wouldn't have thought you didn't like to try new things!! The clementines are beautiful! And I'm considering that Cheap Joe's paint set......
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Ann. I hope you enjoy those new paints - they look gorgeous. I got some Derwent Inktense pencils that I'm excited about.
ReplyDeletehappy new year!
ReplyDeletegreat job with the highlights on the Clementines :)
I love how these Clementines glisten! New palette looks like great fun and the book sounds great.
ReplyDeleteGreat word for the new year, Ann! I love each of the images you posted...the three clementines remind me of you and Gary on the one side and your daughter on the other - as you watch her grow up and become more and more independent. The watercolor pan sketch is wonderful, as is the color chart. It so appeals to the left brained side of me!
ReplyDeleteI love that book of Joe's...a good read as well as his artwork. I hope you have a Happy New Year start, filled with drawing and painting and all things creative Ann!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful artwork! Happy New Year to you too Ann
ReplyDeletea beautiful colourful start to the year.
ReplyDeleteLooks yummy, is that a new header? I like it.
ReplyDeleteWow, you must of been really good! Great colors in that new palette! Just came over from your post about craving color...I like how the choice of your word, now, ties into stopping to seek out color and new things when you need it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work on the fruit!