April 14, 2019
Musings Studio Arts Blog

Summer Travel Journals

Recently, Oliver asked to go to the California Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento. Having been there a hundred times, I decided to change it up a little. I told him to gather a bag with notebook, pencils, and erasers. We will go, but we will also sketch the things we see. Light grumbling ensued. Once we got there and he began to sketch, something in him lit up. We closed down the museum, pencils still skittering across our pages. We went outside and wandered familiar scenes through...

by Emily May
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September 6, 2017
Musings Studio Arts Blog

Head Space

'Doing Art' is a practice. And an area I need work at. I often find myself beginning a practice and then somewhere along the way I find myself trying to turn it into a masterpiece, sometimes wishing I'd used better paper or the opposite, wishing I'd just kept it short and sweet. Alas, I am a sucker for detail and can get sucked in by the allure of another dark crevice, a shadow perfectly placed or a hint of red just there in the corner. Today, I pulled...

by Emily May
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March 9, 2017
Paint Play Studio Arts Blog

Freedom Painting

This week was an unusually stressy week for me. Household circumstances shifted wildly and found me solely in charge of the kids, house, meals, schedules, etc. It's not that it's difficult, none of it is difficult. It's that I seem to be clunky with transitioning from one lifestyle to another with no notice. It's very jarring to my system. And my system thrives on creative time, productive time and alone time, in big chunks. When that time isn't available for me I get all kinds of crossed...

by Emily May
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February 21, 2017
Animals Light The Way Studio Arts Blog

Moonglow and the Raven

The recent full moon has stirred me to pick up my paints and throw a bit of salt around on my paper, watching the colors bleed and move at will. The moon is a feminine symbol, universally representing the rhythm of time as it embodies the cycle. The phases of the moon symbolize enlightenment or the dark side of Nature which we call the shadow. Shadow reflects inner knowledge yet to be brought to light.  It also provides analogy for the stages of human development: the new moon...

by Emily May
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February 8, 2017
If These Wings Could Speak Studio Arts Blog

We Are The Music Makers

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams." ~Arthur O'Shaughnessy, as quoted by Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory   Ode Related Poem Content Details By Arthur O'Shaughnessy We are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers And sitting by desolate streams; World losers and world forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world for ever, it seems. With wonderful deathless ditties We build up the world’s great cities. And out of a fabulous story We fashion an empire’s glory: One man...

by Emily May
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February 1, 2017
If These Wings Could Speak Studio Arts Blog

Me, MySelf and the Big I

Sitting in the discomfort of growing pains is an art unto itself. We all have that innocent desire to be more, grow more, do more. Born from that internal push to move forward into our greater potential, we sometimes find ourselves wearing boots just a tad too big, a dress, maybe not our own. A time comes to shed or shelve our cozy sweaters and pair of well worn leggings.When I sit in contemplation about the archetypal message behind this sweet young lady, I think of all...

by Emily May
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January 6, 2017
If These Wings Could Speak Studio Arts Blog

Mother Mary 2… Tribal Mary

For the gypsy parts of myself I wanted to take the original Mother Mary that I wrote about in the previous post, and make her bliss out in tribal dress. Love, love, love her. However, I did not love painting on this surface. It was new to me and it seemed like a brilliant idea. I got everything all sketched in and started painting only to find my face contorting rather quickly.  It is Fredrix 100% Cotton Canvas for water based paints. Watercolor. It doesn't absorb much at...

by Emily May
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January 6, 2017
If These Wings Could Speak Studio Arts Blog

Mary, Did You Know?

Part of my If These Wings Could Speak Collection, where I take the average person and transform them with wings. I try to find a diverse and sometimes overlooked ethnicity, sexual orientation, or neglected seeming spirit, all practicing being human. I'm sharing how to see differently, how to find our common ground together. It's deeply nourishing to my soul to paint people in an elevated way. Painting them as having the same aspect of 'goodness' we all feel we have inside of ourselves. Everybody has it, somewhere,...

by Emily May
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January 5, 2017
If These Wings Could Speak Studio Arts Blog

In the Aftermath There is Light

I woke up the morning after election night and couldn't believe my eyes. Trump won? I wasn't particularly excited about any of the candidates on the ballot. And I wasn't excited about him either. But I certainly didn't expect a win from that corner. I sat in bed, leaned back and stared at the ceiling, trying to comprehend what this meant. Because, I find him strangely disconnected and unbalanced. And that's the nicest way I can put it. That's not really the kind of guy I expected to...

by Emily May
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January 4, 2017
Morning Sketches Studio Arts Blog

Freak With A Beak

I aptly named this guy (drumrollllll) "Freak With A Beak". Freaks are brave. They hold their heads high. Their tail feathers are proudly displayed. Color shoots from their sometimes awkward (have you seen them walk?) and often quirky selves. You might see a freak in the most unexpected places, let this open you to shine your light so bravely. Fly your freak flag with no regrets, for you are one of a kind and this world needs your voice. Just by being your full, freaky self, you give others permission to be...

by Emily May
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January 4, 2017
Morning Sketches Studio Arts Blog

Who Emu?

Another Morning Sketch that I just adore. I could sit and paint Emus for hours. Not kidding. Have you seen those dreamy eyes?? Well, in this one I had fun playing with my calligraphy pen and ink nib.  Which I absolutely love to use. There's something about the scratch of the nib on the paper, the ink control as I press down and the tines separate and ink flows out, sometimes unpredictably. The ink I used in this one was just plain old India Ink and it bleeds....

by Emily May
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January 4, 2017
Morning Sketches Studio Arts Blog

Figs In The Morning

Another one of my Morning Sketches that I did during the month of Inktober. I was having fun playing with some of my M. Graham watercolors and really love this one little tiny spot. On the lower right fig there is a patch where just a twiddle of granulated blue can be seen poking through the glorious purple shades. Because I mixed color on my paper when it was wet. Oh this small thing just makes my morning to witness. Pigment on paper. Smile....

by Emily May
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