Caution:Artist at Play-Artwork by Shana Rowe Jackson

     Those of you who know me know that I LOVE trying new art supplies! Most artists do right? That's why mystery art boxes are such a fun concept! Unfortunately, I do not currently have it in my budget to commit to an art box subscription. Thankfully, most art subscription boxes offer previous boxes for sale so that you can choose a box of your liking and do a onetime purchase.      That's what my husband did for me for Valentine's day, he bought me an ArtSnacks box! In the past, I have bought a previous box for my nephew for his birthday. However, I had never had the chance to indulge in one myself! So much fun!      The box my husband got me was from May 2021 and it was a gouache themed box. It came with two colors of gouache (magenta and white) as well as an eraser, a graphite pencil and a dagger shaped paintbrush. This made for a fun monochromatic challenge. I decided to create a nice warm sky with tree's silhouetted against it, the color scheme made for a delightf

      As some of you may know, I am renovating my art studio. This has given me the chance to look over what I have and to reflect on the tools that I have gathered over the years.       This got me to thinking about all the tools that I have in my studio that are not actually art supplies. I decided to compile a list and share it with others who might find it helpful when setting up their own art studio.     Many of these tools are seemingly uninteresting, I mean, buying paint and pencils is the fun part, right? Who wants to shop for tape? However, it takes more than just pretty art supplies to keep a studio running.     Here are a few of the things, in no particular order, that I touch on in my video. To hear more feel free to watch the video below! * Rags, studio wipes and paper towels. Great for cleanup, to wipe your brush on and for creating certain effects in your work (just make sure you opt for lint free if you are touching it to your artwork.) * Spray bottles for re-wetting p

   What can I say? I'm guilty. I am guilty of buying sketchbooks, using them a few times and then casting them aside. It's not that I am not into creating. Quite the contrary, I think it's the fact that I am so focused on making finished pieces that can can be hung on a wall, that I don't have much time for anything else. Most of the time I do realism which takes a lot of time, leaving me less time to work in a sketchbook.     I see my sketchbook as a place to explore and be creative. A place where I don't necessarily have to work realistically or "perfectly" (as if perfection actually exists.) It's also a place to work out ideas for larger paintings, or to just do some quick, gestural, from life sketches. So to me, there is a lot of use for sketchbooks, yet I rarely make time to use them. That being said, I recently went through my abandoned sketchbooks and found some hidden gems. A couple of highlights are pictured here.    What sparked me looking at

  A different way to use dry media!   Did you know that chalk pastels, soft pastels, and charcoal are all actually water-soluble? I learned this little trick in one of my drawing classes in college and I was flabbergasted the first time I heard about it!    Left-Right-Top-Bottom- Generals charcoal pencil, Pan Pastels, Conte pencil, Royal Langnickel pastel pencil, Derwent pastel pencil, Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel pencil,Blick charcoal, Koh I Noor extra soft pastel, Sennelier extra soft pastel, No name student grade chalk pastel, Grumbacher chalk pastel.    Using water with these very dry mediums can open up a lot of doors for creativity. It's an excellent way to blend, create expressive marks, and to create a painterly feel with your sketches. I love using this technique when I am feeling particularly experimental with my work. You can introduce brush marks, splatters, and washes into your drawings. This technique is also great for plein-air sketching as it requires very little tools

         Crayons aren't just for kids!      I recently had the pleasure of trying the Caran d'Ache Neocolor I wax pastels and reviewed them for my YouTube channel. The Neocolor I wax pastels are just what they sound like, pastels made of wax, IE: crayons. This line is Caran d'Ache's water resistant line of wax pastels but they also offer a water-soluble line called Neocolor II. Their Neocolor II line seems to be a bit more popular amongst enthusiasts because of their versatility and ability to be blended with water. That being said, the Neocolor I line has many attributes of it's own.       My first impression of these pastels was that they are very highly pigmented. I got the largest set, which consists of 40 colors and within that range there seems to be a good selection. I was particularly excited about the amount of colors that could be used for landscape drawings, but there is enough variety to also do a number of other subjects as well.     For my project I d

      I am very blessed as an artist to have such a wonderful support system within my family. Not only do they support my dreams as an artist but they also enjoy gifting me art related things that they know I will surely love. This Christmas was no exception.        I was given a variety of things that are art related, from books about favorite artists, to fun stationary stocking stuffers, as well as studio equipment and gift cards so that I can choose my own art related gifts. I have acquired a bunch of new materials to try and review on my YouTube channel as well as great learning materials so that I can better myself as an artist and a business person. I am starting the new year fully inspired with new supplies in hand!     A few highlights are my new desk chair by Serta, so that I can create comfortably, a book about Vincent Van Gogh, and the Artists that he loved , as well as some fun handmade gifts; a ceramic water pot that my sister bought me from Joyful Clay on Etsy, as well

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