Currently in the Studio - July

Let's talk about the things that have been happening in the studio lately.  If you read my blog in a feed reader you may not know that's I've done a big makeover on the blog and my website.  I overhauled the layout, put up a new banner, and rewrote a lot of the page content on the website.  Stop by and have a little look around - www.slmpetersen.com.

I'm currently reading Art Journal Freedom:  How to Journal Creatively by Dina Wakely. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I got this from interlibrary loan, but I've been pleasantly surprised.  These types of books swing one of two ways for me; either they are enlightening and I enjoy them or they are terrible and I take them right back to the library.  Much to my delight, this one has been enlightening and enjoyable.


Art Journal Freedom is a great starting place if you're looking to get into mixed media.  Dina Wakley share info on supplies and gives step-by-step instructions, how-to for creating various page ideas.

I've also done a bit of drawing.  During the Facebook Live, I created another of my whimsical faces.  Her name is Lilly and she's traveling by mail to a friend of mine.  I really enjoy drawing the faces and love the fact that they are whimsical, not life-like.  They all have a personality all their own and are just plain fun to draw.

I also completed the fourth and final seasonal tree of a custom order I did for a friend of mine.  I created the final one this weekend while enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon sitting in our yard.  I really enjoy drawing outside in the natural light, listening to nature.

I'm still finding photography for my shop listings challenging, but I think I stumbled on to a better way to photograph my stuff this weekend, see photos above.  I've felt like the photos I've been doing for the listing are boring, lackluster, and look staged in a sterile environment.  To put it bluntly, they're UGLY!  The photos I took on my desk reflect my style and I'm loving the new look.  Below I've put photos side by side of the styles.  You can see the difference for yourself.

The one on the left is a bit more of a reflection of my style, then one on the right is the standard Etsy style staged photo that looks like everyone else's.  What'd ya think?  Yay or Nay?

That wraps up the studio update.  Hope you've enjoyed reading.  Remember you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on what I'm creating.