The Winding Roads Art Tour and Another Reader Conversation

Last weekend was the Winding Roads Art Tour.

I keep trying to write about it, but nothing I write truly captures the experience.

joy, inspiration, Reader ConversationsAnne ButeraJune 11, 2022reader conversations, Winding Roads Art Tour, 2022 Winding Roads Art Tour, making connections through blogging, Kathleen Aaker, Deborah Conlon, making connections, bringing people together, bringing people together around beauty and joy Comments

June 4 and 5 is the Winding Roads Art Tour

After being canceled the past two years because of Covid, the Winding Roads Art Tour is finally going ahead.

art, inspirationAnne ButeraMay 28, 2022Winding Roads Art Tour, Kathleen Aaker, Deborah Conlon, Viroqua Wisconsin, Viva Gallery in Viroqua Wisconsin, 2022 Winding Roads Art Tour, Artist Studios, Wisconsin, Driftless Region, Driftless Wisconsin, art and artists, art community, local artists Comments

May 2022 in the Garden

Not much was happening in the garden in April, but now things are really starting to take off.

garden, joy, life, seasonsAnne ButeraMay 21, 2022garden, garden tour, garden tours, monthly garden tours, spring in the garden, spring, garden dog, gardening, gardening season, spring bulbs, May garden tour, May in the garden Comments

A Day in the Life of a Botanical Artist: Inside My Spring Studio and Garden

Before I dive in to talking about what a typical day looks like around here, I want to take a moment to thank you for sharing your experiences with online subscriptions and communities in last week’s post.

Reader Conversations: Do You Subscribe to Any Online Creative Memberships?

I regularly invite you, my dear readers, to engage in conversation here on my blog by asking questions in my posts. Nurturing an open, encouraging and inspiring environment is important to me.

inspiration, Reader ConversationsAnne ButeraMay 7, 2022reader conversations, online communities, let me know what you think, online memberships, membership subscriptions Comments

What if You Don't Feel Like Creating? How to Handle Creative Slumps

Your materials are gathered. You have time. You have a space to work. But when you sit down to create… nothing.

creativityAnne ButeraApril 30, 2022creative slumps, ebb and flow, creativity, creative ebbs, creative blocks, how to handle creative blocks, how to handle creative slumps, what if you don't feel like creating, rest, creative cycle, treating yourself with grace Comments

April 2022 in the Garden (And Indoors Dreaming, Planting, Painting, Reading)

I spent Monday in my garden. Mondays are technically the weekend for me and I was so glad my time off coincided with good weather.

books, garden, art, houseplantsAnne ButeraApril 16, 2022garden tour, garden tours, monthly garden tours, books, book review, garden books, painting, watercolor houseplants, indoor garden, seed starting Comments

What I Learned During My Four Week Blogging Break And What Happens Now I'm Back

I was going to jump back in to blogging today with a post addressing a question I’ve gotten from readers and students, but then I realized I want to talk about my blogging break.

business, bloggingAnne ButeraApril 9, 2022blogging break, blogging, blogging schedule, business, seasons Comments

Why It's So Important to Create Time and Space for Yourself During Difficult Times

At the end of 2021 when I was starting to plan for 2022, one of my goals was to take an art sabbatical at some point during the year.

Finding Inspiration in a Student's Review of One of My Classes

In a recent review of one of my classes, a student wrote:

“She encouraged me to step out and paint for me instead of for approval.”

February Garden Tasks: Dreaming, Planning, Doing

When I woke up on Wednesday the temperature was 43. The warmest we’ve seen this year. On my morning walk I didn’t need a hat. Chickadees and cardinals sang their delight at the taste of spring in the air.

The next day it was more than 30 degrees colder.

A Love Letter to Blogging, or Why Blogs are More Relevant than Ever

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and if you’ve been around a while you know I love it. Not for the commercial aspects (though I’m a fan of both chocolate and flowers) but because the idea of a day devoted to LOVE makes me happy.

This Week I'm Turning it Over to YOU! What Would You Like to See Here?

I’m deep into creating my next class for Skillshare. This one is about blogging, a topic you know I love. As part of the class, I talk about coming up with ideas for blog posts. One of my suggestions is to write a series of posts based on reader questions.

bloggingAnne ButeraFebruary 4, 2022about me, skillshare, ask me anything, AMA, blogging, blogging community, send me your questions, what would you like to know? Comments

Surviving Winter: 11 Ways I Bring More Joy and Warmth into Cold Days

Wednesday morning I woke up and checked the temperature. Negative 19 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of negative thirty-two. It was our second day in a row of bitter cold.

How to Discover Joy in Subtle Colors: Lessons from the Winter Garden

The sun is shining, warm and bright. The garden is humming with bees and I catch the scent of roses, mint and spicy tulsi. I step among the blooms with my scissors at the ready,

10 Ways to Invite More Ease into Your Days and Why it Matters

When I think about the word EASE, I imagine serenity and calm. I picture being able to do hard things with confidence. I see myself flowing through my days with lightness, finesse, grace.

inspiration, joy, lifeAnne ButeraJanuary 14, 2022inviting more ease into your days, why it matters to invite ease into our days, what does it mean to live with ease?, how can we invite ease into our lives, 10 ways to invite more easy into your days, 10 Ways to Invite More Ease into Your Life, changing our perspectives, choosing a mindset, what does it mean to choose a word for the year?, setting intentions, letting go of anxiety, release yourself from busyness, free yourself from anxiety, how to free yourself from anxiety Comments

Saying Goodbye to 2021 and Welcoming 2022 with EASE

Wednesday morning dawned with a blowy, snowy storm. Most mornings after breakfast and coffee I start my day with a walk.

Finding Solace in the Garden's Beauty: Why I Grow Blooming Plants Indoors

One of the first things I noticed in the oncology waiting room were two huge Christmas cactuses filled with blooms, even though it was late January.

Gratitude and a Giveaway Inspired by an Exciting Collaboration and Fun Stickers

Sometimes a project comes along which is a complete joy. My collaboration with Kickapoo Meadery was one of those projects. This fall I worked with Roots and Refuge Farm on another.

art, garden, paintings, gratitudeAnne ButeraDecember 10, 2021giveaway, 2022 Botanical Watercolor Calendar, Anne Butera, art by Anne Butera, collaboration, commissioned paintings, the story behind a commission, Roots and Refuge Farm, Jessica Sowards, Jeremiah Sowards, stickers, stickers from Roots and Refuge Farm, 2 Million Blossoms magazine Comments

Savoring the Quiet Gifts of December and the Winter Season

I cut handfuls of dead flowers from my garden this week. Their shapes are interesting. Petals twisted. Leaves furled as if frozen in motion.

notes from the studio