Patti Gibbons Art

I am on the road at least once a week with art supplies and and not every bag is suitable for every situation. After years of making art and being an art teacher, I have whittled it down to four different bags that I use when I travel/teach. My goal is to get the most that I can fit in my bag, and have ease of  transporting it. Starting from the top; a black cross-body bag, that I got for free from AARP.   I am saving my money for a bigger and better bag, but for now, this nylon freebie works just fine. It is my watercolor bag. In this small 9" x 6" x 3" bag I can pack the following:  3-4 of my Kremer  pan sets, fold-able cup (purchased in a camping store)  folded paper paper towels, waterproof and a non waterproof black ink pen a pencil or two an eraser brushes and water-brushes.  a pad of watercolor postcards, and a 6 x 9 or so watercolor book/pad. The red bag I purchased in a second hand shop in the Adirondacks a few weeks ago for 5.00, a...

I often work in watercolors. Though they can be difficult, and I have made a lot of rather awful paintings using them, they are an integral part of my art life. I have used many different brands over the years, ranging from school grade to the top of the line. I have done good and bad paintings with both. The main difference is the amount of pigment vs. fillers - the more expensive watercolors have a denser and richer color.  Think of it in terms of a mostly meat meatball vs one that is a mostly breadcrumbs meatball. I prefer pan watercolors because I like the ease of traveling with them. When I hike/travel, I have a small cross body bag that fits a 9 x 6" watercolor pad, 3-4 full sets of watercolor, brushes, paper towel, and collapsable cup. If I don't want to carry water on me, I bring my water brushes, although carrying water with you is always a good thing.  I discovered Kremer Pigments which is in located in Chelsea in NYC . My abstract drawing teacher/men...

Spring. A time for growth- new beginnings. It was another rough winter, and I desperately needed something to motivate me, bring people together in sharing and discussion. What better way than to do a 100-days-of-art challenge, both on my Facebook business page ( Patti Gibbons Art ) and on a group I manage- Art Thirteen . (click on links) We just finished the first 20 days...with the theme of spring! Any medium fair game, open to interpretation. The  next 20-30 days will be a serious of prompts. My business page is mostly fine art, though 2 days a week you can get a "photo pass" as there ARE days that the hands on work is nearly impossible to do. The Art Thirteen page is mainly photography, but any medium is welcomed. Most days I can carve out the time to spend what might be an hour or two on a piece. Some days I am squeezing in a photograph and spending 15 minutes making it into something other than a snapshot.   Not every piece is a winner. Some will be re-worked, ...