Art by Niki Hilsabeck

"Bloom Where You Are" 5.5 x 3.5 in. pastel on paper Click here to view on Etsy It's been a long time since I've posted-- over a year!  And what a year it was--  Like many people, I had more time at home than ever this last year.  The extra time, however, did not translate into productivity.  I did learn to make my own bread, and am now the proud feeder and caregiver to my very own sourdough starter.   I wish I could say that I got better at something I'd wanted to have time at home to do-- gardening?  Finishing more paintings?  Writing?  Of course, I know from experience that being home more doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of things that end up needing attention--cleaning up after pets, kids, homeschooling, cooking more.   Instead of being productive, I found myself spending additional time reading.  I was also able to do some commission work, which gave me the opportunity to be creative (and carried the bonus of built-in deadlines, which always help

"Joy Comes with the Morning" Click here to view on my website Morning has never been my strongest time of day-- and yet, I find it the most beautiful time to be outside.  The cool, fresh air along with the sun's approaching light are hard to resist.  A morning after a storm can be particularly beautiful, with the colors and remnants of storm clouds streaked across the sky. "Stormy Dawn" Original Sold Even if the night was not particularly restful, or the previous day ended in tears, there is something uplifting about waking in the morning and knowing you have the whole day ahead of you to find something joyful.  Even if it's something small like the smile on my child's face, a happily wagging tail, or a delightfully strong cup of tea, I try to find something each day to enjoy. "Early Light" Click here to view details Even when there are clouds in the morning here, there are still unique sights such as dew on spiderwebs a

Now that I've gotten a little better handle on gardening (or at least not killing my plants), I find myself doing "plant checks" throughout the day.  I check first to see what's been munched on by the gophers, squirrels, bunnies, hornworms, or whatever else helps itself to my plants.  I also check to see what needs to be deadheaded, what's sprouted, and what needs water.  Sometimes I just like to pull up a gardening mat to sit on and observe the plants.  This is especially fun when new things are sprouting-- if we're not in the middle of a heatwave or a cold snap (rare here in Fallbrook), I usually have new seeds going somewhere. This morning was wet and foggy, so I also got to go out early and look for unique spiderwebs.  I haven't tried painting one yet, but having grown up a fan of Charlotte's Web , I take pictures of the more intricate ones.  The kids and I also do a "wellness check" on our current crop of entertaining bugs and reptiles

Have you ever wondered whether to call a piece of artwork created with pastels a painting, or a drawing?  Does it even matter what you call it? For starters, pastel paintings are definitely paintings!  A medium doesn't have to come out of a tube or be applied with a brush to be considered eligible to make a true painting.  Despite this common knowledge among those who appreciate pastel works, many art websites and organizations have their own differing criteria for labeling pastel works. So how do you know whether a pastel artwork is a painting, drawing, or sketch?  In this post, I'll share how I define my pastel artworks.  I don't follow any official guidelines, but I do try to stay consistent with how I label my works so that they're easy to identify across my online portfolios. Pastel Sketches: "Raggedy Bird" (Available on Daily Paintworks)  A pastel sketch is something I created in one quick go with dry pastel, using little or no blending. It m

Impressionism has been popular for over a hundred years, while many other art styles have come and gone... why is that? "Water Lilies" Prints Available I used to thing it was just the immediacy of the artwork, combined with the picturesque scenes painted by the original impressionists.  Those are of course great reasons to love impressionism! However, I enjoy a modern-day impressionistic scene just as much as those of the original famous impressionists.  "Mission Water Lilies" Available on Etsy Of course, water lilies are just as amazing to observe and paint today as they were 150 years ago.    "Oak Pair" Available on My Website One reason I think impressionism is still a popular style is because for us (the viewers), it allows our eyes to do part of the work.  It gives the initial impression, and lets viewers fill in the details on their own.  (This might also be why some people dislike impressionism-- they are searching for details

Cactus seems to be everywhere in Southern California!  It can be a nuisance or a blessing, depending on how you look at it. "Prickly Paradise" 5.5 x 5.75 pastel on drawing paper Click here to view on my website I have to be in a particular mood to draw or paint cactus-- it's got a lot of funny shapes and details.  I see so much cactus every day I don't always think to paint it.  Having lived with a large patch of cactus near my house for many years now, I realized that although I may not take the time to paint it often, it really is an amazing plant.   I've written about painting cactus previously,  and the challenges I had this time were still the same.  I've come to appreciate cactus more, though-- if I take the time to walk over and really look at it, there's always something interesting to watch. It's provided a home for many squirrel babies, who are pretty adorable in their own mischievous way. (Their parents are entertaining too,