Caution:Artist at Play-Artwork by Shana Rowe Jackson

      Sometimes it takes going through tough times to realize what's important to you. I had that moment recently when I hurt my left arm and my lower back at my day job. Nothing too serious, but I missed a day at work and the injuries did warrant multiple visits to the doctor.      I was told by the doctor that I needed to do light duty at work for a while and since it was my dominant arm that was injured, when I asked about creating art, I was told that I should also refrain from drawing and painting for a couple of weeks.      I heeded the advice of my doctor, I took Ibuprofen, used heat on my injuries, and did the stretches they recommended. I also took time off from creating art. However, after the first week away from art, I was going stir crazy and could feel my mental health declining. That was something that I was not okay with. I cannot be without art.   So, I decided I would create art anyway, but instead, I would use my non-dominant hand!!                       

   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

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