dec '25 favorites
Small things that made my December just a little bit better.
creating
I talk a lot about loosening up in my art, trying to shake free from self-imposed expectations and digging for the essence, but not an exact replica of a reference photo. It’s harder than it sounds, especially if you lean heavily into the end result and not the process. One way I try to help myself in this regard is by setting limitations.
I challenged myself to paint 3 portraits in 30 minutes. Did I succeed? You can watch the video here and decide for yourself.
following
YouTube: Betty Franks creates colorful abstract art with inspirational demos
Pinterest: Florence Lee has many boards filled with inspiring art
Instagram: Flavia Birsan’s abstract art is large and colorful
Art is a line around your thoughts.
—Gustav Klimt
inspiring (artist)
Olga Boznanska was a Polish painter best known for her melancholy portraits of women and children. She developed her dark and subdued style early on and received many accolades for her work. Although Olga never married, she independently left Poland for Munich and then Paris, where she would live for the remainder of her life.
I have attempted a very quick study of her most famous painting, the 1894 portrait Girl with Chrysanthemums (oil on cardboard). It currently hangs in the National Museum of Krakow.
reading
My husband, Rick, read Get the Picture by Bianca Bosker earlier this year and recommended it to me. Did it sit on my shelf for 9 months until an artist I admire (Jeanne Oliver) included it in her book club? Yes, it did.
To be honest, I initially found myself annoyed as I read the book. The details of Bosker immersing herself in the New York art scene made me question, veer, and bump into what I believed to be true, although frankly, I hadn’t a clue about this world. Assumptions aren’t reality. As the book progressed, I eventually felt enlightened by her journey and admiration for her deep dive. And by the end, felt encouraged to consider and reconsider, “what is art?”
PS…Rick would also recommend Bosker’s book Cork Dork, where she immerses herself in the world of wine.
Beauty isn’t something we have to agree on. Beauty is that moment your mind jumps the curb, the instant you start paying attention. Whatever makes that happen for you can be beautiful. Math equations. Gymnastics. Planes landing. However, you must be open to seeing it. Beauty doesn’t just find you. You must look for it, and when you do find it, stop and pay attention.
—Bianca Bosker
sipping
Rick's birthday falls 4 days before Christmas, a time marked by general cheer and festiveness. When our daughter Mackenzie offered to make a special drink for the occasion we were all in. Her shaken Thai Basil Gimlet poured into a vintage glass with rosemary sprig was pure celebration. One I would highly recommend,
indulging
While on the topic of Rick’s birthday, I would be remiss in not mentioning the delightfully delicious and adorable Salted Caramel Gingerbread Cake my daughter-in-law, Melanie, made. Epic in size, flawlessly decorated, and regally presented, it was a work of art. The words, “Over the top,” floated through my mind as my mouth salivated. Outer beauty in a cake does not always mean inner tastiness, but no need to fret, this cake was as divine as it looks.
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
—J.R.R. Tolkein
arranging
A single pear. Simple. Elegant. Beautiful. And isn’t that leaf amazing? The pear, with its organic shape, is timeless, unpretentious, and you might even call it a classic. The next best thing to flowers.
Although I can’t recall painting a pear myself, there are many famous pear still lifes painted by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Monet, and more.
capturing
I took this photo while peering into the bottom tier of our outdoor fountain. In the winter the afternoon sun casts a sharp shadow across the stagnant water. Initially perplexed I looked closer as an almost mirage-like image appeared. The shadow offered a crystal clear view of the dead leaves resting peacefully underneath the water while leaving the rest of the basin blurry similar to fogged glass. My brain was working overtime to figure out what I was actually seeing.
To make living itself an art, that is the goal.
—Henry Miller
enjoying
I’m slightly obsessed with my grandkids. (Sorry. Not Sorry.)
PS….other Seattle skyline viewpoints to check out here
merrymaking
From my family to yours….Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.
—Emily Dickinson
writing
The longer I write these monthly notes, the more I realize how much I enjoy the process of writing. That’s not to say it is easy. Or quick. You would be shocked at how much time I waste searching for a fascinating adjective. But despite my lack of compelling or well-articulated thoughts, I press on month after month.
I blame making art for this. My inner writer was safely lying dormant, living carefree of critique and vulnerability. But then in marches creativity to stir things up. It’s like being tossed into a maze filled with dead ends, zig zags, and obstacles and yet so contagious that you can’t stop yourself. There is always more to discover. More to try. More to learn. And certainly more to share. The tentacles of creativity permeating everything you do.
So each month I write, sharing a bit of this and that. Over time, my writing has cast a wide net, including topics ranging from art to food to books to family. Ironically, the topics that received the most responses this past year had nothing to do with any of those subjects. The top 3 were more in the humour genre and include The Great Rat Debacle, Rotting Banana, and The Hornet’s Nest. (To read, click on the link and scroll to the bottom of each blog post.)
So to end the year, I want to say thank you for reading, for following along, for your kind words. I am grateful for each one of you. My hope is that you, too, get lost in the maze of creativity and allow it to change your life. It really can.
A writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, or because everything she does is golden. A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway.
—Junot Diaz
I’m curious, what’s on your list of favorites?
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