"Room to Bloom" with Jennifer H!

Welcome to my blog series "Room to Bloom"! Some amazing women from around the world will be sharing their personal creative spaces with us. No matter if our space is desk in a corner of our kitchen or a spacious loft studio, we all need room to bloom, don't you think? I know you'll find these sanctuaries as inspiring as I do.

Today, welcome Jennifer H! It's not just because we're both Texans that I love her like I do! Really, it's not! I love her attitude and her smile! I love how she assigns herself projects - like her current "30 Portrait Series". What a great way to grow as an artist! AND do click on the link to one of her fave singers - very cool to experience the sounds of Jennifer's "room to bloom".

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I created my painting corner (a.k.a "starter studio") when I registered late last summer for BIG, a fabulous life-changing online workshop taught by Connie Hozvicka @ Dirty Footprints Studio. I set up shop in the corner of my bedroom - my easel cradled between a bookshelf and a wall of windows. I love all of the natural light that flows in and when the weather is nice (or rainy) I can open the windows, feel the breeze and hear the birds sing. Aaahhh!

Space is a little tight but it works! For storing painting supplies, I keep my brushes, palette, gesso and other miscellaneous items on a small wooden cabinet next to the easel.



My paints are separated out by color and stored in small white containers which I stack next to the cabinet when I'm not using them.



As for other art supplies, I store them in nooks and crannies such as a little corner next to my bed, my nightstand drawers and storage shelves in our family room.

My hopes are that by the end of this year, I can round up all of my supplies and move them into a newly created studio - which is currently a 12 x 22 foot porch that we seldomly use. I am so stinking excited about it! It will have two walls of windows and doors that will lead out into a backyard area where I can paint en plein air. I'm dreaming up now what kind of water feature and landscaping I want as my view from the studio! A bird bath or koi pond perhaps?

On days when I've made an actual date to paint, I have a special ritual that I like to follow:

I pin up my hair,
don my apron,
light a candle,
open the windows,
put on my favorite Pandora music stations (Asylum Street Spankers or Melody Gardot),
brew some delicious hot tea in my little red teapot

all before I get to swishing!



Then there are the days when I decide to paint on a whim and I just grab a brush and water and squeeze a few paints out!

On of my ongoing projects is a 30 Portraits Series I started in October 2010. As a beginner painter, I had no idea how to paint a face. I've been diligently experimenting with sketching and painting faces. I'm currently on Portrait #13 and am enjoying seeing the small changes that are occurring over time. It's truly a journey!


Portrait #1



Portrait #13




I live in Austin, Texas with my husband and three kids. I'm enjoying my creative journey one day at a time. My passions are laughter and learning new things. I've recently been dabbling in painting BIG, photography, creative writing, neuroscience, and piano blues. I have my sights set on sewing Little Red Dresses, playing the harmonica and gluten free pie-baking in the near future! Please visit me at Cherry Pie Butterfly as I love to make new friends and learn what inspires you!