Paper Pinwheels

   Last summer, shortly after I moved to Texas to be with Steven, I began making little paper pinwheels to draw from.  They've appeared in a few paintings since then; to me they seem youthful, celebratory and hopeful. 

   I'm working on sketches for a new painting about patience & home.  Last week before one of my classes at the painting studio, I watched a tiny bird pick up twigs and things from the sidewalk to build a nest.  Peacefully and steadily, she flew down to retrieve the supplies.  The next day I returned to the studio and saw a half built nest had blown down on the sidewalk.  In the sketch, a bird has made her home in the wind, hopeful for the future.   This song has been on repeat in my studio while I work.   

I copied the drawings from my sketchbook onto tracing paper. The images were then layered and taped down in their ideal arrangement.  Figuring out the composition using tracing paper allows for easy rearranging until the scene is balanced. Plus, I get to keep my sketchbook intact.  #Printmaker