Paintings

The Little Things In Life

Hello Everyone! My favorite time in the atelier is when I get to play with new ideas. I keep the working pieces small and apply the learnings to larger pieces. Truth be told, I love making little things. They can be a little fiddly sometimes, but I love that. Those tiny little things really uplift my spirit and keep me going more often than I care to count. This book is a perfect example of that. I also have another set of black and white photos of my everyday life, paint making and a few other small paintings to share with you today.

Simple 365 – Set 13

Here is another set of everyday Simple365 photos. A few years ago, I took one b&w photo of simple little things around me every day for a year. I have been sharing those photos here every now and then. It seems I was particularly hands-on with different things during that time.

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

I created a page with all the previously shared photos from Simple365. I continue to add photos to that page as I share them here. That way I can relive my journey through the year via black and white photos, like in an old photo album.

I started making ink from plant materials that year, and then moved on to making pigments from them. Pigments need to be mixed with binding agents to make paints. I am making watercolors with these. Even though ready-made watercolor binder can be purchased, I started experimenting with making my own.

I had a pretty good idea of what qualities I was looking for in the binder. After a few tries and playing with the ratio of the materials, I was very satisfied with the paint I made. This one is from the coreopsis flower. I painted two 1″ x 4″ bookmarks to ensure the quality of the paint.

I really love this golden yellow and orange paint I got from coreopsis flowers. All those months of simmering petals on the stove, measuring, filtering, and making notes paid off in the end.

Once I was happy with the paint after refining it while painting those two trees, I painted this tiny painting for a friend. It is a 1″ x 3″ piece inspired by the glacial lakes at the High Sierra mountains.

Little paintings are always quick and fun to paint. They are perfect when playing with new paint, or even an idea. Monochromatic paintings are also wonderful for that.

The painting accompanied this tiny little 1″ x 3″ book and a pan of my coreopsis watercolor to their new home to a dear artist friend. She loves flowers and the color blue. So I made hers with blue cloth and added a little yellow flower on the cover.

Before I made the blue book for her, I made a book of the same dimensions for myself first. Because of their size, these little books can be a little fiddly to make, and I didn’t want any surprises while making hers. I sat with a stack of paper and folded them before sewing the book together. I used drawing paper for this one.

It looks like a lot of tools for a 1″ x 3″ book cover, but I really did use all of them. No matter the size of the book, sometimes I end up using the same set of tools.

I cut a little piece of washi tape to size, and added that in the inset that I had created in the above picture.

Here is the first painting in the book. It was supposed to be a drawing, but the pen I used was too thick. Not at all what I was expecting. So I thought, even though this paper is not meant for water/wet media, why not try using watercolor with very little water by using a small brush. Since wet paper can damage or tear easily, I was careful to let the paper dry before working on the next layer. Much to my surprise, the paper held up. It is not the painting I set out to paint, but it decided its own path along the way. I am happy with that.

Currently I am working on an idea for a gift for another friend. Tomorrow I will make a little sample piece for that. I hope this inspires you to try out something new. Keep it small. Little things are less daunting and are packed with joy.

Until next time,
-Soma

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page. Please pay a visit to some of them.

Little Stories – Little Dabbles Part II

Posted on December 11, 2024
by Soma Acharya
Bookmaking, Kitties, Knitting, Paintings, Photography, Printing, Sewing, The Girl And Her Cat

Hello! Until I started writing, I didn’t realize how much I got done in these past few weeks. We were out and about, from the Columbia River Gorge to the coasts of Northern California. Walks around the neighborhood prompted some impromptu paintings. I finished making a few toys and blankets for the kitties, and also knitted up a couple of things for myself. Working toward another flower block for my wildflower block printing series and another watercolor book cover joined the list too. Last but not least, I painted this Girl and Her Cat book cover last Monday. It is going to be quite the show and tell today!

Fiber Works

My kitties love to play with these toys. They tend to see red and yellow very well on our light-colored carpet, which is why I picked those colors. I made these with fleece and filled them with catnip. They are also flat, so the kitties can easily carry them around in their mouths.

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the photos –

I got a new sewing machine early this year. That was the perfect excuse to make more blankets for them. They love to sleep on them and it keeps the house tidy. I stitched two layers of fleece together with wavy lines as if I was quilting them.

I always hand stitch my bindings. So relaxing! With these new additions, along with the previous set of blankets, they are all set for now.

Knitting is another very calming activity for me. I particularly chose this pattern because it made me think of both architectural details as well as trees.

This one is my favourite set of mitts. The color of the yarn matches my kitty’s blue eyes. I am glad I got these done just in time for our travels.

Out And About

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the photos –

We traveled to the Columbia River Gorge for a few days. If there was ever a Rivendell (from Tolkien’s stories), this has to be the place. Despite the heavy rain, we walked around on the trails a lot. I also got to have my first snow of the season there and walked on it. These are just a few photos taken from my phone. I will write a proper, separate post on our visit there sometime.

Last Sunday we drove out to the coast of Northern California. We had a picnic lunch there and stopped at several places.

Our last stop was at this place where Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean. We stayed there until it got dark. It was a really lovely day.

We went for a walk around our neighborhood and found these Ginkgo trees. I wanted to get a few leaves, but it got dark and we were both still recovering from being sick, so we decided to come home.

The next day we walked back over and I got my leaves. That afternoon I painted them in my nature journal. I only used a couple of colors and a small brush to paint on the details.

Little Stories – Little Dabbles

In this post I talked about being inspired by brush strokes in the Chinese and Japanese paintings, and about using that technique for painting the water around these leaves. I used a very similar technique to paint the details on the Ginkgo leaves too. I’m getting more familiar with the technique now. Practice makes perfect.

Upcoming Work

I finished drawing the flowers for my next block print in the wildflower series. I always practice a little on a small sample piece before diving into the large carving. Specially useful for all the curves I tend to have in my designs. With newly sharpened tools, I am all set for working on the large piece.

Once I finish, that print will join these – Fairy Lantern and Enduring Thistle. The journals are available in my shop.

I have been working on a book cover with this little owl. I was only going to test the colors on a test piece. Before I knew it, I ended up with this little one.

I need to make a watercolor book anyway, so I will incorporate him on the cover. The book signatures are all done and ready to be stitched. I will start working on them tomorrow.

Book Cover Art

Ever since I painted this picture on the cover of one of my hand bound books, I have been wanting to paint another one like this. It is a little daunting. If I make a mistake, I will have to bind the book again, as I had to do with this book because of a washi tape mishap.

I made this book a couple of years ago, I think. Since then, I have been wondering about what to draw on the cover. I wanted to incorporate the binding ribbons as a part of the cover art.

Then, last week, the idea literally popped into my head. In my sketchbook, I drew the Girl and Her Cat in an old library, leaning against a stone wall, reading. The ribbons became part of the stone wall. I copied the finished drawing on to the book cover and painted it.

Once I finished the front side, the back looked so bland. My husband suggested continuing the stone wall on the back. That was a brilliant idea.

My finished book. I could not be happier with it.

That wraps up everything I have been doing outside and inside and paints a good picture of my winter break. Kitty cuddles, weekend drives, reading by the fireplace and playing in my little atelier. I wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Until next time,
-Soma

The Ink Torrents Graphics shop remains open. I will continue to mail orders, as always. You can also purchase quilting patterns, which you can access immediately via Instant Download. I will also be available via email. Thank you for continuing to shop from my store, so I can support my favorite rescue organizations.

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page. Please pay a visit to some of them.