Spark & Twig

Oo. Love this guy. Thx! Bookmarked for later!

Yes! Yay! Excellent! 🔥 So happy for you! 🧡 Juggling lots over here and had to pop out of town again, but will be back at my bench next week! 🙂 Will be sharing more metal, tool, and bench photos soon!

Self care can look like so many different things. Getting out into the fresh air, making and enjoying food with your favorite people, taking a long shower at noon, cuddling up on the sofa with a small furry beast and a book you’ve been meaning to spend time with, et cetera 🙂

Good idea. Feeling a bit scattered over here, too, so I’m going to do the same

I love water soluble pencils. The faber-castell albrecht durer are so smooth and bright. But I also like the deep slightly grainy quality of the derwent inktense. Now I’m curious about the cretacolor! Thanks for sharing and talking shop!!! 🧡 [3 of 3]

… but I don’t see myself ever buying a set. A friend recently gave me a handful of koh-i-nor progresso woodless pencils, but they just feel so cold and heavy and my hand. Maybe I’ll give them another spin when the weather warms up. I’ve never tried the cretacolor aqua monolith but [2 of 3]

One thing I was surprised to learn is that if you’re blending, mixing brands doesn’t always work. Each brand really does have it’s own feel and look as it lays down. And it’s all a matter of preference for sure. I’m planning to pick up 3-4 caran d’ache luminance pencils because I’m curious [1 of 3]

💜 What list did I just sign up for? 😂😊

I read "big brat" as "big brat[wurst]" and got happy until the last two words

Safe and sound here! Drifts over 4 feet in some places and we didn’t even get the worst of it. My revamped studio is designed to withstand a little seepage, so it should be okay. Still hoping this all melts gradually! Are you settling in nicely? New place starting to feel like home?

Do you have an all-time favorite colored pencil?

The ALT text 🤣 What are you going to do with the key?

Exactly! I have an old set of pencils no longer made, all down to nubs, and according to all the research, prisma was the closest match. So I picked up a set and struggled with them for while. Hated the wax bloom. The polychomos are pretty great. They layer so nicely!

Ahh the elusive “tidy workbench” 🤣😊

Speaking of the weather, we happen to be in the middle of a historic blizzard right now

Though it makes growing food quite challenging

Well … I’m one of those rare people who thrive in the fog and rain. Makes me feel both peaceful and giddy ☁️😊☁️

Love how you balanced these, with the ball and hanging loop purposely askew. Super fun. Lucky friend!

Ah, I hear you. New England is almost as grey as Old England. Love the fog ☁️

The tulips are pretty, but I can't take my eyes off of the pliers! Love the hello sunshine light. Super sweet space, you!

Woohoo! YAY! This one definitely cheered! Yay!

Like being on the edge of dreaming and capturing that feeling 😊

Rutilated quartz is one of my favorites, too! When I was a kid, my favorite stone was Tigers Eye, and I still love it. I was also obsessed with fossils and would spend hours digging in the woods near my home. Never found anything, but I never tired of trying 🙃😊

Color swatch test of two popular professional quality oil-based color pencil sets. On the top is the Faber-Castell Polychromos Set of 24. On the bottom is the Derwent Lightfast Set of 24. The Derwent set contains more browns and the colors are overall earthier and muddier. The Faber-Castell Polychromos set offers brighter colors and more color variety. In subsequent tests, I found I could layer the Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils to emulate the Derwent Lightfast, but not that other way around. Therefore, color-wise, I feel the Faber-Castell set is a better value between the two.

Unscientific color swatch test comparing the Faber-Castell Polychromos Set of 24 and the Derwent Lightfast Set of 24. They each have their advantages, but if I had to choose between them, I’d pick the Faber-Castell #coloredpencil #colouredpencil #traditionalart #bskyart #artsky #blueskyartshow #two

I’ve been a working artist for a couple decades. The slow times used to freak me out, but I’ve learned to accept and embrace them. Your work is gorgeous! 🧡 Keep making, keep exploring. You’re not alone here. Things will pick up!

🤔😮😃 Rotational ambigram!

These fragments invite the viewer to pause and imagine. Refreshing to both the eye and mind 🧡😊

Yay knowledge! And same, it’s a struggle. Research shows that studying at night before you go to sleep helps the brain retain information. Worth giving that a whirl?

I really love the seashore and ocean in the winter. Brisk and peaceful. And the parking is plentiful and free.

Please share thoughts and comments when you do! Still just beginning to dig in, but I believe it can help us build stronger bridges and bonds within our creative communities. And I feel like it'll also help me identify and create the missing pieces needed to better link my advocacy work and my art.