My thanks to Anne Hevener and all the staff at Watercolor Artist Magazine for giving me the opportunity to share part of my process when creating watercolors.  You can find the article under the Creativity Workshop header in the Spring 2026 issue.  Also, many thanks to those that kept these POCs so I would have the visuals for the article! (I barely finished the bird POC before it was tagged by someone and that person was happy to see it published.) The fact I usually set a match to these left me in a bit of a bind as to choice, but I was pleased to be able to share these lesser known paintings and stories. (The story for Ekman’s Enchantment can be found in a previous post.) But there's more! Having one of my favorite paintings Hashtag Harmony in the Society Showcase “The Best Paintings of 2025” was quite a treat for me as a full page image.  Asked to write a paragraph about how I painted it, instead of the narrative about harmony, was a twist for me because I am all about the story.  Even simplified to an almost graphic representation, it still took me almost four months to paint.  I’m serious when I tell y’all I am the slowest painter. You can pick up a copy at your local Barnes and Noble Bookstore or ArtistsNetwork.com.  Back to my brushes.  

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"If a story is in you, it has to come out."  - William Faulkner

Hope you are experiencing joy this first day of 2026 and not a headache. I shall pick up my brushes once again after a four-month break. I have something in mind, we shall see if it works out, but I'm afraid it will take awhile. Who was it who wrote "Nature doesn't rush.  Nor shall I. "? My mantra it seems.  

To backtrack just for fun, I am posting a pic of the puzzle we completed while celebrating the winter holidays. Seven adults and two kids and we all participated at one point or another. Everyone commented on the wonderful quality of this puzzle and the subject matter. I picked this up at my local Barnes and Noble bookstore. I'm sorry I didn't write down who made it, but when finished we take it apart after taking a pic and then donate locally.  I'm sure you could still find it if you're interested.  Only 500 pieces so it goes rather quickly.  Back to my brushes.  
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"When I find myself in the company of scientists, I feel like a shabby curate who has strayed by mistake into a room full of dukes." - W. H. Auden