Laura and Tina share photographs of their studio work in progress.
Hand Painted Feathers Dear Tina, The lovely video you made of our work is what inspired this painting of the hand painted feathers. It’s always so fun to see the work together and how our ideas flow. In your last letter you asked two questions: Can realism be abstract? Can abstraction be realism? You then went… Read More
Dear Laura, It was exciting to read the poetry you sent in the last mailed Collective package. I chose to create this new piece from the poem you wrote about the maple tree seed. I have been thinking about observation drawing and its place in an artist’s practice. It can be confusing because to the… Read More
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct”. ~Carl Jung Dear Tina, How are you my friend? I have to say that the last package you sent me lit me up! I love how you included my collage and painting from all those years back. It was… Read More
Dear Tina, How are you? I too am enjoying the handwritten letters we are writing to each other in our journal. Seeing your handwriting makes me feel closer to you when I read it, like you are keeping me company in my studio. The wild turkey feather you drew for your last piece in The… Read More
Hello Sweet T~ How are you? Fall is happening here in New England and bringing with it all it’s glorious color! Although I am sad to see summer go there is a beauty and crispness in the air that I savor. Fall has a scent that I cannot clearly describe. It is embedded in my… Read More
Dear Friends! Tina made another video of our most recent artwork added to our mail art project. We hope you enjoy watching it to see our progress. We have been working on this for two years and have collected over 25 pieces of art between the two of us. For details on specific art pieces,… Read More
Dear Tina, It was a bit of a bummer to see our work damaged from the postal service. I wonder what happened there! WOW! You did a really nice job flattening everything and packing it up for me. Thank you. I am happy to say it arrived safe and sound. Summer sure is slipping by… Read More
Dear Tina, How are you my friend? My garden is starting to come to life and I am the happiest girl, flooded with inspiration from all the lush color. Winter is WAY too long here in CT! I have been going to a lot of going to plant sales and gardens centers, filling my pots with fresh new… Read More
Dear Friends, Laura and I make the commitment to talk on the phone weekly. We catch up on one another’s lives, studio practice, and our work together. A few times a year we review what we are doing well and what we are ready to change. This past year we have been writing posts about… Read More
Dear Tina, I SO loved that gold shimmer you added to your last drawing for The Collective! It reminded me of the sun sparkling on the water here in CT. I also appreciated what you shared about the Great Blue Heron. What a graceful bird! Their long legs made me think of flamingos, a bird I have been intrigued by… Read More
Dear Laura, I have finally finished the ReVision 120 in response to your Vision 120. I got sidetracked by summer travel and beginning a new teaching year. However….I have followed through and made a piece that is getting back to my assemblage and found object work. I started by photographing the magnolia tree in my… Read More
Dear Tina, I appreciated the video on creativity you shared in your last letter. It reminded me to “trust the process” and allow the uncertainty that comes with the creative process. I was feeling overwhelmed with all the wonderful things we had seen and done on our recent trip to D.C. (much like our NYC trips). Ideas have been pouring in but… Read More
Hello Sweet T, How are you? I am doing well. This week at my Art Salon I got a well needed pep talk/reminder about that evil little word called resistance. I realized once again that my perfectionism (another form of resistance) has been slowing me down and keeping me from moving forward in many areas of my life. I… Read More
Dear Laura, Spring has finally arrived here, but while I was creating this piece for you it was cold and cloudy. This helped me feel your Vision inspiration. I wanted this piece to be a quiet one. I was inspired by your snow drift photographs that I mentioned in my earlier post about the process… Read More
Dear Tina, It was so wonderful to see the bright and cheery camellia flower from your garden! I love that you planted it for Aidan when he was born. I have many flowers in my garden that were given to me from special people in my life and I always think of them when they bloom.… Read More
Hello Sweet T & friends, How are you? I am doing okay. I spent yesterday afternoon in the studio working on a series of cards. I painted old book pages to loosen up and experiment with the new neon pink & magenta paints I am currently obsessed with right now, I then used it to create the… Read More
Dear Tina, Everything is covered in sparkly white up here. We had a big snowstorm which made everything magical. I am learning to welcome winter’s rhythm although I would take a beach day over the snow anytime. Things slow down around here and people don’t seem to go out as much. Do you remember those… Read More
Dear Laura, This drawing will become the fourth in a series of assemblage mixed media works I started last summer, two of which are on exhibition at the Foundry Art Centre starting February 20. Here is more information and images of the work below (one of which belongs to you – thanks for getting it to the show!). I am… Read More
Dear Laura, I haven’t written a ‘working table’ post in awhile, but that is a part of what I will be doing more of this year. I have spent the last six weeks reading and researching with some moments of drawing in between. I needed some room to think for awhile to decide which direction… Read More
Hello Sweet T, How are you? I started to write you a whole slew of times but when I finally sat down to finish my thoughts, they were a jumble, sending me off in too many directions (hard to believe I know! ha!). Too much going on in this head of mine so I will… Read More
Dear Tina, What a struggle you had packaging that artwork! You totally cracked me up and I appreciate your willingness to share the not so fun part of a studio practice. Having had similar issues with shipping I have been shying away from far away exhibitions. Often the shipping costs more than the artwork… Read More
Dear Laura, Yes, this paint bottle exploded twelve inches from the art I am supposed to ship this week. Fortunately, only a few dots of black got on it (I just left it since it was so small). However, it did take me much of the morning to scrub my floor from the wide reaching… Read More
Dear Laura, I have been appreciating the thoughtful state you have been in since your brother passed. The death of someone we love makes us sit back and wonder what living this life is for. You have always been very helpful to me by listening and helping me talk through this, because I often ask… Read More
Dear Tina, How are you? I am slowly finding my way back to a routine. Yesterday morning I picked a book off my bookshelf by SARK called, “Change Your Life Without Getting out of Bed.” I like this idea. Within the first few pages she wrote about her friend Rebecca Latimer, author of “You’re Not… Read More
Dear Tina, I want to thank you for the beautiful picture you posted remembering my brother John. I have not been myself since he passed last week. Waves of emotions overcome me and I don’t know how to “be”. So much of how I define myself is through positive thought and optimism and I don’t… Read More
Dear Tina, I have been thinking about your metaphor for seeds and future growth for Vision 118. It made me feel good that you think of me with a sense of optimism and hope. These poppy pods hold hope for beautiful blooms come spring. They were filled with the tiniest, little seeds that nearly blew away… Read More
Hello Sweet T How are you? I finished ReVision 117 and decided to go with the smaller paintings. I felt like I needed more time with the other paintings I shared in my last letter. Our work opens up new ideas for me and it often takes time to process them. The weather has been amazingly… Read More
Hello Sweet T, How are you? Thank you for reminding me of Parker Palmer in your last letter. I think we could talk for days about his essay, “We Teach Who We Are”. I had never read it and still need to digest the last two sections. There is a lot to think about. This introspection of… Read More
Dear Tina, I loved seeing your ReVision 116. You cracked me up with your “homage to the moth”. Poor little guy…I like the way you incorporated the patterns from his wings in you’re drawing. I think this new format of going bigger is working out great! We will be able to stretch ourselves in ways… Read More
Dear Friends, Laura and I went to Bluff Point State Park today to hike and sketch. We stopped along her favorite part of the rocky shore and chatted lightly for awhile. I headed off to sketch this unusual plant with spikey seedpods, while Laura headed over to draw wildflowers. I usually don’t show this… Read More
