The Art of Doing Nothing

“Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”
—Henry James

Ah, summer. Here in Wisconsin summer is well and truly here.

a bit of this and that, finding inspiration (and joy!) everywhere

I’ve been feeling so inspired lately. My garden is providing me with abundant painting ideas, but more than that, it seems everywhere I look I see beauty and find encouragement from people who are living authentic, creative lives.

inspiration, joy, life, artAnne ButeraJune 28, 2019inspiring women, inspiring people, inspiration, finding inspiration in the little things, being open to inspiration, joy, adding joy to the world, art, Lisa Estabrook, Amy Butler, painting from the garden, Flow Magazine, Flow Tear Off Calendar, word of the year, grow, Franziska Meiners, Angie Noll, Doodle Journal, Dana Barbieri, Jordan Clark, Commonplace Book, oracle cards, oracle deck, Jessica Swift, self-care, self-imposed limitations, being yourself, newsletter, links, how to break free from self-imposed limitations, Abby Glassenberg, Denise Schmidt, unplugging, summer, savoring each day, journaling, writing in my journal, Ruby Josephine Smith, focus, focus on beauty, refocusing, joyletter, messages from the universe, making mistakes Comments

In the Garden Lately

I’ve been spending as much time as possible in my garden.

The dogs love being outside, too. During the week Jude goes with Matthias to his shop and Charlie stays home with me until I need to leave for my job at the library.

garden, joy, inspiration, sketchbooks, paintings, artAnne ButeraJune 14, 2019garden, gardening, the purpose of a garden, artist gardener, inspiration, garden inspiration, garden flowers, harvest, harvesting herbs, preserving herbs, preserving the harvest, perserving chives in vinegar, infusing chives in vinegar, sketchbooks, colored pencil, strathmore 400 series softcover journal, Prismacolor, garden projects, garden as sanctuary, gardeners' relationships with their gardens, Anne Butera, watercolor, watercolors, botanical art, botanical watercolor, columbine, yellow columbine, watercolor illustrations, watercolor columbine illustration, roses, head over heels rose, in my garden, garden studio, portable studio, mixing colors, greyhounds, retired racing greyhounds, window boxes, windowbox planters, cats, rescue cats, black and white cats, herbs, raised beds, cinder block raised beds, fuchsias, lemon balm, lemon balm for tea, drying lemon balm for tea, using herbs from the garden Comments

The Joy of Whirly Birds! (Maple Seeds)

All week long I’ve been painting whirly birds.* That’s what I used to call maple seeds when I was young.

At this time of year when the seeds come helicoptering to the ground it’s hard not to feel a surge of childlike joy. I walk around with my eyes to the ground trying to find the most interesting ones.

Keep Going

This week I painted bleeding hearts with the paint I mixed last week.

It’s lovely to be working with flowers from the garden again. But it’s also been a bit frustrating trying to get back into a groove of art-making and gardening and all the other stuff that life demands.

Allowing Do-Overs

Over the past week I was painting tulips. I’ve painted tulips before. Even earlier this year from a grocery store bouquet.

This time I was so excited to be working on a painting with flowers from my garden. The first time this season.

Carving Out Time for Art

Today I’m taking over the Carve Out Time for Art Instagram account. I’m so honored to have been asked to share my day with that creative community. Carve Out Time for Art was created by Marissa Huber and Heather Kirtland and this is what they have to say about it:

Battling the Winter Blahs

Spring might be on its way (according to meteorologists it’s already here), but it certainly doesn’t feel like it in Wisconsin. Does it feel like spring where you are?

Happy Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice to you.

It’s the longest night of the year and the official beginning of winter (though around here it’s been feeling like winter for a few months now).

Making Do and Making Art

What are your barriers to creativity? What keeps you from making or doing on a regular basis? A lack of:

time?
space?
money?

The Answer to Slowing Down? Gratitude

How is possible that Thanksgiving has already come and gone? If you celebrated it, I hope it was peaceful, joyful and filled with love.

It seems I’m always pondering how fast time is flying by and how I’m not able to keep up with it. Am I the only one? Do you feel this way, too?

seasons, life, gratitude, artAnne ButeraNovember 23, 2018gratitude practice, gratitude, giving thanks, slowing down, being present, mindfulness practice, mindfulness, gratitude is the answer, thanksgiving, joy, seasons, changing season Comments

Any Step Will Do -- How to Move Forward with Your Creative Journey

For a while now I’ve been in a weird place in my art journey. Knowing that I need to change, or am on the cusp of change, but not knowing how to do it or what that change is supposed to look like. I know I mentioned it last month.

Successes, Failures and Celebrating Where We Are

This morning there is a blanket of snow over everything. When I checked the thermometer it said 23. And yet I have more energy and feel more inspired today than I have for a long time because the SUN is shining.

Being in the Middle

When I sit down to write to you it’s usually with a plan that I’ve been thinking about for a while. I usually start writing about a week before I’m planning on posting. I have lists of topics. I have a schedule. But sometimes things don’t go as planned.

The End of the Season in the Garden -- Reviewing and Planning for Next Year

We’ve been having cold nights for a while now. We’ve even had snow. Except for a few hardy growers, my garden is finished for the year.

At the end of the season (and in truth, even during the season) I’m looking forward to next year’s garden.

garden, art, creativityAnne ButeraOctober 26, 2018gardening, reviewing the garden, end of the season garden review, garden planning, garden flowers, zinnias, nasturtiums, cut and come again zinnias, dahlias, artist's garden, garden assessment, planning for next year Comments

Learning to Slow Down

Lately I feel as if I’m always in a hurry. As if the days are hurtling by and I can barely keep up. I’ve been feeling like this for a while and I don’t like it. One of the reasons we moved out of the city was to live a slower life, but here I am rushing, again.

life, joy, inspiration, artAnne ButeraOctober 19, 2018creativity, PRESENT, word of the year, slowing down, slow living, being present, paying attention, living a slower life, antidote to rushing, joy, inviting joy into your life, being inspired Comments

Allowing The Change (And New Calendars)

I’ve been thinking a lot about change lately. In part with the changing of the seasons as I wrote last week, but also because change seems to be all around.

Isn’t it always?

Honoring Seasons, Transitions and Change

Last week the weather shifted dramatically from summer to full-on autumn. Suddenly the days were cold. Dark. Wet. I layered on sweaters and hats and scarves. We turned on the furnace and brewed pot after pot of hot tea.

I felt lethargic, melancholy. It was hard to get out of bed in the morning. I made soup and baked bread. I wrote Joy Lists. But nothing seemed to help. I was uninspired and discouraged in my art, too. All I wanted to do was snuggle beneath my quilts and crocheted blankets to wait for the sun to come out again.

2019 Tea Towel Calendars and Coordinating Fabric

I want to thank everyone who voted for my Tea Towel Calendar design. Although this year’s tea towel didn’t place as high as in the past, my Blue Roses is one of the Community Favorites on Spoonflower.

fabric, artAnne ButeraSeptember 14, 2018fabric, surface pattern design, Spoonflower, fabric design, tea towel calendars, tea towels, watercolor illustrations, kitchen decor, cloth napkins, independent fabric designers, gift ideas, sewing, calendarsComment

Joy List Monday

It's been ages since I've done a Joy List Monday post (I've never done one in this space), but this morning I am overflowing with joy and wanted to share it with you (and encourage you to discover some joy at the start of a week, too).

joy, garden, Joy List Monday, artAnne ButeraSeptember 10, 2018Joy Lists, joy, joy list monday, garden, september, seasons, tea towel calendars, The Essential Herbal Magazine, autumn, summer, savoring each day, slowing down, savoringComment

notes from the studio