Jamie Hansen: Everything sounds better with music.

As an artist, I feel that it is important to use archival and time-tested materials in my work. I have a responsibility to sell a work that is not only beautiful but also designed to last. I was delighted to find a line of products by Kolner made specifically for gilding on paper.

Eleven years ago, I remember the resignation that I felt when I found that I was pregnant and the doctor told me that I needed to reconsider my oil paints.  I remember converting my art studio to a nursery, and the final oil painting that I created there.  I remember struggling with difficult and confusing watercolors that could not be corrected.  I made the switch to exclusively watercolor about eleven years ago. I finally gave away the last of my oil paints and I don’t regret it. Here are some of the reasons I love watercolor:

Sometimes we do the work but we don’t know the entire story, or exactly why we hope to do what we do.  Sometimes there are plans and meanings and stories much larger than ourselves, and we see only a tiny piece of the larger plan.

Some of the old masters painted on wood panels, and their work has survived for hundreds of years.  Here's how I learned to make wood panels work for my watercolors. These are the specific materials that I use to display my watercolor art without a frame.

I painted a 24" x 36" double bass while listening to the bluegrass band on stage in front of me.  The afternoon sun was warm and my paints dried quickly.  I started and finished the painting during the event, and talked to lots of people as I worked.

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Central Presbyterian Church has been an anchor for me and my family since we arrived in Anderson last year. I'm celebrating this beautiful building and the inspiring mission inside its walls with this watercolor and ink on yupo paper.

Download this painting for free when you subscribe to my email updates. I usually send 1-2 emails each month about my upcoming events and projects.

Use this art for anything you like: cards, prints, totes, mugs, or gifts. Look for more freebees in future email updates!

I am showing selected original art and prints at the Anderson Area YMCA. I'm so delighted to donate thirty percent of the sales of the art to fund scholarships for kids at the YMCA. I work out there regularly, and my son attends programs there. I am inspired to help other families enjoy the wonderful services at the Y.

What is it that you want? Where do you want to go? Create a plan, make a map, dream big, and go there. Set your intentions high. Be kind, be patient, be giving, and be in love. But also be daring, be disciplined, and be driven. I took a chance when I walked in the arts center and asked to show my art there. I was so delighted that my daring resulted in my first art show in Anderson, SC.

What an amazing opportunity it has been to show at the Anderson Arts Center!  Many of the works there will be returning to my studio next week.  A few of the largest pieces have been purchased and will be hanging around Anderson.

There are no maps to follow as I go; I am drawing my own. On my map, there is not an “x-marks-the-spot” - no ultimate destination. There is only a series of amazing discoveries and treasures to find as I journey.  Thank you for following along on my journey!

I am a greyscale version of myself when I cannot create. I am called to create because when I do not, I feel less whole.

I can create images to describe the dreams of my friends, family, and myself.  I create bright images to lift the darkness of grief. Sometimes I create images because I can't find words that would detail the darkest places in my mind.

I create to see the joy in my community; I create because it delights me. Creating is my expression of hope: I want to make images and ideas that will outlive me.  I want to take a tiny piece of my soul - a prayer whispered without words - and I want to send it out into the world to speak for me. 

This morning, I stepped out of my studio on a mission: I needed good photos of my art in a craft show or market setting.  I needed to show potential venues how my pieces might look if they invited me to show or sell in their space.  I hoped to shoot some beautiful photos of my pieces telling a more cohesive story.

Last week I reached out and reserved the fellowship hall at my church for a photography session.  I rented a white table cloth, and got all my prints together as well as a few display pieces that I had made for past events. My husband helped me load several boxes into the car. I'm just getting started, but I want to look like I've done this before! 

What I brought:

• Camera and tripod
• easels and display pieces
• art and signage
• iron and ironing board
• 6 foot table cloth that I rented

What I used at the church:

• their beautiful space
• one 6 foot table
• natural and overhead lighting

My takeaway: the space was beautiful and provided me with everything I needed to create sharp photos of my art in a potential market setting.  Now, armed with great photos of my work, I'm ready to start applying for some shows! I hope to see some of you in the Anderson and Greenville area as I start planning to attend some markets for the holiday shopping season.