Early this spring I came upon these marsh grasses and loved how they danced in the breezes along the path. I tend to look to nature for inspiration and these colors and sounds sparked my imagination into suggesting a new series of pieces inspired by acoustic guitar or bluegrass while the grasses inspired the colors. Pulling out my favorite travel…
As I become more aware of native plants especially with an enormous wildlife value, I tread carefully in my unmanicured backyard discovering precious gems. I have learned to observe and document them carefully in watercolor. This is blue eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) which actually belongs in the Iris family. It stands about 10” tall with bright blue flowers attracting hummingbirds,…
It wasn’t always this way. The magic and beauty of a wide variety of subject matter inspire me to no end. From a very young age, I was captivated by the human body. I remember trying to get a glimpse of my extremely modest father as he dressed in his walk-in closet. I was not successful. For a while, I…
After forty years of traveling the country doing art shows, my jewelry career is taking a turn. I have settled down to opening my doors to the public during the the wonderful Orange County Open studio tour which has always been one of my favorites. When you visit you can see an example of how I work, the various techniques…
Four years ago, I was gifted large boxes of French Tinfix dyes. I knew that before I used these rare, no longer produced dyes I must ask innumerable questions on Facebook International’s Silk Painters site. A Master Silk Painter started to answer my questions about many different topics: bases, printing on silk, different techniques, and how to sew rolled edges.…
Years ago, the phone rang and our younger son brought it to me saying, "Dad, there’s a man here who wants to speak to David Stickel." I took it and said, "Well, you got’em. This is David Stickel." He responded, "Ahh…but are you the right, David Stickel?" He explained that he had seen my photo and name many years earlier…
A name from the distant past arrives in an email, asking, “Does this look familiar?” Sent within the message is a photograph from Lawry Sager. We had met in Madrid, New Mexico, circa 1980 and lost touch. The photo shows an unfinished wall with several pieces of art decorating it. One being a small pastel, which I had traded Lawry…
I’m not saying that I’m a hoarder, but my quest for color has led me to amass 1000 markers and hundreds of paints from alcohol ink to watercolor to acrylic. And the real story is about the beauty and vibrancy of alcohol ink. In the past five years, it’s become a lot more available and popular. But the truth is…
Not long ago, my dear friend Jean sent me a picture of an unusual hibiscus flower. The colors were like nothing I had ever seen before, as if the flower was not in a photo, but a painting. I was determined to paint the flower but needed to see it first to believe it was real. I like to have…
Transparent sepia is a fascinating pigment when you mix it with linseed oil. I pick up a Cornellisen bristle brush and stain an empty canvas with lazy rogue strokes, while I take a sip of my strong coffee. My studio turns into a blinding space of endless imagination. Yann Tiersen piano notes swirl into my space from my amazon music…