Beginning the Next

Crossing the Mississippi River going east. #bridges #journeys #raindrops #mississippiriver #findinghome #I-40 #august #memphis #longroadhome (at Memphis & Arkansas Bridge)

Last night while driving back highways through Alabama and Georgia the light became magical. I ended up returning to Gainesville after midnight rather than the 7:30 pm arrival predicted by my Google Map program when I was leaving Holly Springs, MS that morning. I believe this was my sixth round trip sojourn to Fayetteville, AR and back in the last 18 months. I have been making a concerted effort to make at least part of the 2000 mile round trip an adventure of sorts. Everywhere I see something I want to paint but especially when the light becomes amazing. #journeys #adventure #roadtrip #light #backroads #silos #Alabama #Georgia #painting #life #august (at Cuthbert, Georgia)

Gardenias and a rose from my garden. Flowers make me happy particularly the fragrant ones. This week finding moments of happiness in the midst of such sadness and tragedy has been challenging. I pray something positive will come from the senseless loss and pain of so many. Our congress must take definitive actions to enact gun controls that are meaningful and truly make a difference. this time it was the LGBT community, in California group of people who help the Developmentally Disabled, Sandy Hook, children and their teachers, and on and on. None of us are immune to this disease of hate and violence. It must stop. (at West Park, Florida)

Working with ink and fountain pens is so messy! I go around with multi colored hands most days and I'm ruining clothing, bedding ( cause the bed is my 'studio' space during this moving 1000 miles saga), and just about anything I inadvertently touch. I'm loving this journey, finding old calligraphy pens, inks, books, etc. while learning the ins and outs of fountain pens and all the amazing inks out in the world! However, unlike a $30 tube of oil paint, if you forget to put the cap back on and knock it off the table, the ink is gone and the clean up is way worse. Hope you have a great weekend! (at West Park, Florida)

Another drawing/painting in process. Everything I do at this point is another stage of learning. #makingmarks #lettinggo #fountainpen #ink #inkdrawings #process #original art #leeanndodsonoriginal #learningcurve (at West Park, Florida)

Been working on this off and on this past week. Not sure if It has arrived at it's destination...#makingmarks #inkdrawings #fountainpens #acrylicink #naturesourced #originalart #leeanndodsonoriginal #beginningthenext #process (at West Park, Florida)

A mosaic I did for a friend's fireplace. #mosaic #makingmarks #fireplace #leeanndodsonoriginal #originalart #peacock (at Kanapaha Prairie)

Brush and fountain pen drawing with a variety of inks. #makingmarks #fountainpen #ink #inkdrawings #originalart #leeanndodsonoriginal

Ginnie does not hesitate to nestle on top of paintings, supplies, or whatever. Didn't realise her eyes are so green. #catsofinstagram #painting #green #makingmarks (at West Park, Florida)

Playing around with various marks, pens, and inks. No cohesion but at least I left white space. #ink #inkdrawings #fountainpens #trialanderror #makingmarks #practice (at West Park, Florida)

This one began to look too precise so I started dropping ink blobs and running lines. When things start looking too precious, well, risks taken lead to different results...I dunno....#itsintheprocess #qualityofline #iroshizukuink #fountainpen #inkdrawings #ink #takingrisks (at West Park, Florida)

Finished this one last night. #markmaking #qualityofline #inkdrawings #originalart #ink #fountainpens

Exploring mark making, trying out different pens, and going back to overlapping forms that I began to do in the late 80s. #fountainpens #ink #inkdrawings #originalart #qualityofline #markmaking (at West Park, Florida)

Tonight's drawing. After spending the last few years concentrating on tightly rendered oil paintings, this kind of mark making reminds me of taking a road trip with no maps and discovering your destination when you get there. #variation #crosshatching #originalart #drawing #fountainpens #ink (at West Park, Florida)

Ink play. #linequality #fountainpen #ink #drawing #dribbles #crosshatching #variation (at West Park, Florida)

After the rain. #trees #reflections #lateafternoon #beforespring #clouds #arkansas (at The Farm House)

Helping a friend with her online course for using arts for healing. #friends #originalart #artforhealing #coloringisfun #onlinecourses (at University of Florida College of Medicine)