Author Archives: esanford

Mystery Technique #105

Painting these roots was fun! Next month you can find out what special techniques I used if you’ve signed up for email updates!

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #104:

Consistent measurements are so important when you’re making the hinges for a tunnel book, and this mini spring divider makes it easy to be precise! Once you set the distance between the 2 points, you can repeat it over and over again. I started by drawing a template for the hinges, using a scrap of blue card stock for visibility. After carefully lining it up on top of the selected fold, I used the points on the divider to punch through both layers of paper at once, making small holes. After removing the template, the holes served as a guide for my craft knife to cut 2 sides of a triangle for each hinge. When you look inside the tunnel, you can’t see the hinges; so the inner panels appear to float with no support. You need to reverse the template to make the hinges for the left side, as you can see below:

A Question of Light

Lighting makes such a difference with my watercolor sculptures! This is Among the Trees, which I just delivered to the Curb Center at Vanderbilt University for the Art of Healing Show. Since I use natural light for photos, it takes some experimenting to find the right location and the right time of day to get the best image, especially since the light changes so much at different times of the year. You can compare the next 2 photos with the first one and pick your favorite:

It was exciting to hear about some of the many events they have planned in connection with this show, which will run for over a year. It opens on September 17, and you can learn more here: https://www.artofhealingexposition.com/

I had the pleasure of listening to a gifted storyteller this month. While she writes beautifully, and I’m happy to own a copy of Braiding Sweetgrass, the stories really come alive when you hear the author speak the words! The Nashville Public Library has an eAudiobook available, and it’s definitely worth waiting for your turn:

Mystery Technique #104

Recognize this tool? You can learn how I use it next month if you’ve signed up for email updates!

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #103:

It took lots of layers to create the feeling of leaves on the forest floor! I used the liner brushes to make networks of crisscrossing linear strokes. The first layer was a mix of yellow and yellow green; next came golds and oranges. Since I got carried away adding the various browns, I mixed a little white gouache with yellow and yellow green to add a few lighter leaves into an area that got too dark.