The Creative Process: Color the Dark

I feel like I spent days playing with neons + neutrals before this sort of fell into existence in the middle of my living room floor circa 11:30 pm last night. More often than not, this is how the creative process works for me -- I plan, work, revise, and try to "systemize" my process, and then something I truly love forms itself out of the scraps when I'm not even paying attention.

More close-up photos and a listing on Etsy are forthcoming. I'm feeling like this piece has the texture/simplicity for a good art print... thoughts? :) xo

[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]

Weekend Visits and Easter Eggs

This weekend I got to try a new creative outlet at my mother's suggestion -- making traditional pysanky eggs! (Confused on how to say "pysanky?" It's just like "spanky" with the p and the s reversed... I still have to resist the urge to call them "spanky eggs" and laugh hysterically.)



Starting with just a raw egg, it's a very labor-intensive process, but totally consuming and relaxing and almost therapeutic.



Using just a block of pure beeswax and a kistka stylus, you layer on melted wax and dip the egg in dye, then repeat the process over and over again.











If you're super curious, you can read more on the traditions and symbolism behind pysanky eggs here and here.

Also, my mother and I were discussing -- what do you do with these eggs after you've created them? They're super fragile, roll around, and can't be in bright sunlight. I put them in a dish with some plants (you can see them peeking out below)... any other ideas?



As always, more photos on Instagram and Tumblr.

[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]

Bits of March - Jesus, Lentils, and Sketchbooks

On the road near my school there's this old abandoned building, with the words "JESUS SAVES" and "JOHN 3:16" in red letters on the boarded up windows (if you look really closely, you can see them in this picture, right above the truck thing that is permanently parked out front). Anyway, this building has always fascinated me, and today there was the most crazy light shining down on it right around 3:00 -- right after the world found out that we have a new pope! When I was little, I always thought that's what God looked like -- light shining through clouds.

Recent sketches of jewels and wheat grass... 

...and, a DELICIOUS goat cheese and lentil salad. You have to try it.

xo

[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]