Saturday I went down to Felkins creek which is near the end of our driveway. It’s not that I needed more rocks. I just wanted to see what the recent rains might have turned up. So I should probably have …
Blog
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Soul of the Ozarks
I’m sure by now you’ve noticed I’ve been making paint lately, ha. All of my sets of paints are called ‘Soul of the Ozarks’ collections. Each collection is numbered, and starts over in the numbering each year. This post is …
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I am Going to Call it ‘Nirvana’
When I made my very first pan of watercolor paint, it was a russet from one of the sandstones on the ground outside. The color was nice, but at the bottom of that pan there was a very thin layer …
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How to Make Handmade Watercolor Paint from Rock or Clay | DIY
This is an old post. Click HERE to download an updated tutorial.
When I get a chance, I’ll update this post, but it might be a while.
Original Post:
Today I’m making handmade watercolor paint from some of our native …
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Making Media for Handmade Watercolors
The binder is what makes pigment stick to the paper. Watercolor binder is made from water-soluble tree gums. This particular listing uses gum Arabic, which is harvested from one of two types of acacia trees that grow in Africa.
It …
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The “Panic Stage” in a Work of Nature Art
There’s a new work in progress sitting on my easel. By the time I’m done with this post, it’ll probably be a finished work. It’s another kestrel, and I’ve reached a reliable stage in the process. I call it the …
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All for Little Pans of Color Worth their Weight in Gold
The past week was a really busy one. I spent most of the time busting rocks and grinding them to powder. Why? To make paints! You’ll know why I say they’re worth their weight in gold after you read the …
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A Study in Sandstone
The whole painting is in my handmade watercolor paint made from one of our local shades of sandstone.
Every Sunday I’ll be at the Kingston Square Arts shop with the colors I’ve made so far. If it’s not too busy …
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Clearing the Clutter: Promises, Broken Rocks, and Things to Come
Such promise in a broken rock… I see paints everywhere now. Makes it hard to walk down the driveway. As if that wasn’t already hard enough before I learned about making earth pigments! The path in my office/studio AND the …
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The Color of a Plant Does Not Equal the Color of a Paint
I’ve been experimenting with local plants to get a nice, stable, green color for my handmade watercolor paints. Most of the things I’ve tried in my quest for green has resulted in gray or brown. Lamb’s Quarters, a common edible …
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The Dusty Sand of Doha
My plan all along was to gather a bit of the sand of Doha before I left for the sand-stony ground of home. As it turned out, it was harder to find than I expected. Everywhere I went was nothing …
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Art Satchel-A Souvenir from Doha
This old, beat-up looking camel leather bag is my new art satchel. I love it. It’s a souvenir from Doha, Qatar, where I’ve spent the last two weeks. It has enough room to hold my paints, journal, a few favorite …
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Nature Art Anywhere, Even in the Desert
I brought my sandstone powder and watercolors with me on vacation to Doha because I wanted to be able to experiment with them during the days while Rob was at work and I was at the apartment. They’re fortunately very …
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Nearly Dry
We’ve had some rain lately, but not enough. The creek that runs through our land is nearly dry now. Thankfully, there are still a few constantly refilling pools here and there, or else I’d have to carry water to the …
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Nature Art Recap for the Month of June
The past weeks were very creative ones for me with nature art. I tried something new and have found a new passion that’s bound to grow with a little time – milling pigments! Next step in that exploration is making …
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Organizing, Day 2. One of the More Odd Boxes in My Nature Art Studio
I’ve been organizing my studio and categorizing my nature art supplies so they’re easier to find when I need them.
It’s a normal habit of mine to collect things during my morning walks. Lichens, mosses, interesting rocks, chunks of sandstone …
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Oh no! The Virginia Snakeroot babies are all gone!
I went out to check on the Virginia snakeroot nursery the other day and was mortified to find nothing. Not. One. Plant.
Virginia Snakeroot … What’s That?
Now, you might be wondering just what’s so important about a plant that …
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Morning Birdsong Sounds at Wild Ozark
I’m working on a How-To post for making a Fairy Garden pool because I’ve made a cool little kit for folks who want to make it for themselves, but in the meantime here’s some lovely dawn-time birdsong sounds for you …
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Fairy Garden Accessories from Wild Ozark
Introducing my new line of Fairy Garden Accessories – all handmade and one-of-a-kind artwork to complement your fairy garden terrariums!
Market Mainstays
Fairy Gardens have been a mainstay for the Wild Ozark market booth this season. Now I’m starting to …
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A Week at Wild Ozark … No, I’m Not Lost
I’m just mired neck deep in a To-Do list of my own making, trying to get organized and into some sort of a groove now that market season has begun. Since I haven’t written in a while, I figured I’d …
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RedBubble iPhone Wallet: It’s beautiful! It’s Useless!
The iPhone Wallet from Redbubble
Update 5/28: The Support Team and I have exchanged several emails. I am still convinced none of them were real people, but help bots that chose the most appropriate responses from a queue of options …
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Orioles at Orange Slices, Bird in the Chimney
Not the sports team, but the oriole birds have been daily visitors for about a week now. Orioles are a species that had been on my sighting wish list since we moved to the Ozarks. They migrate through our area …
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Learning the Difference: Ginseng or Buckeye?
Is it ginseng? No, it’s buckeye.
There are a few plants that grow here in the Ozarks that make it really difficult for newbies to identify ginseng. That’s because these look so much like ginseng to the inexperienced eye. These …
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Enjoy Nature: Phlox and Fiddleheads
Here’s a little inspiration to get outside on this beautiful sunny day and enjoy nature.
Phlox is blooming and casting joyful purple splashes all around the Wild Ozark hills and woods, and the fiddleheads are unfurling.…
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What’s Not to Love?
I titled this photo “What’s Not to Love?” because I love (almost) everything about living back here in the middle of nowhere.
Heading home is always a pleasure. Once I turn off the pavement, the half hour it takes to …