Caution:Artist at Play-Artwork by Shana Rowe Jackson

   I recently bought myself a set of the Faber-Castell Pitt Graphite Matt  pencils. Having tried other matte graphite (and carbon) pencils, such as the Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black and the Blackwing Matte Pencils , I was eager to try these to see how they differed!       What an interesting pencil! I was pleasantly surprised that these didn't feel like a carbon pencil like the other two pencil brands that I have tried. Usually when a company claims that something is a matte graphite there is typically a lot of added carbon, giving the pencil more of a charcoal like feel. These didn't seem to have that same feeling.       That being said, they did feel different than regular graphite. They did not feel as smooth or slick. This is not a good or bad thing, just an observation. They also had some odd crumbs that were difficult to remove without an eraser, but they were not too much of a hindrance overall. They were darker and less shiny than regular graphite and did not need as

Wow! Can you believe we are already into 2022? The past couple of years have been crazy for everyone. With a world-wide pandemic and growing political tensions, it can be hard to look forward to the future. However, I find that the only way I can personally combat the negativity that comes along with events that are out of my control, is to focus on the things that I can control. That is where making goals comes in handy.   "Tree Song" Acrylics on Panel, © Shana Rowe Jackson 2021 Times are tough, so I have made a vow to be gentle with myself when it comes to setting and achieving my goals. When it came time to sit down and brainstorm my art goals for 2022, I tried to come up with a variety that will not only help me grow as a businesswoman but are also reasonably obtainable in a years’ time. There are some goals that I like to call bite sized goals. Ones that involve using certain media more often or adding to an already existing series of mine. A key phrase when making m