Magical things (plus: new art!)

“The universe is full of magical things” Eden Phillpotts 

Whenever I’m having a hard day, I try to remember that there is magic everywhere.

The definition of magic has never been straightforward for me, of course. When I think of magic, I’m not thinking of tricks or illusions. Instead, I think of stars glittering through the sky. I think of rainbows. I think of being with someone at just the time when they need it most. I think of color and music and flowers. I think of unexpected friendship and love.

This was the initial sketch I did for my latest class assignment from MATS Bootcamp. Our task was to explore the world of tea leaf readings, and I’m once again amazed at the sheer number of different interpretations. If you’re interested to see the gallery of student work, check it out here!

I started painting while the Olympics were on, so here’s my super fancy portable painting set-up (aka a cardboard box on the floor) so I could watch and paint at the same time:

Here I am getting close to the end. I didn’t stick exactly to the original sketch – I loved the stars floating out of the bear’s tea cup so much that I just kept painting them instead of other symbols. You can interpret this scene however you wish, but I see a wonderful, unlikely friendship:

Here’s the final:

This class is so much fun. I can’t wait to share my March art in a few weeks (our hint is FACES).

Have a wonderful week!