This time of year is always hard for me… I struggle just like mother nature is struggling with letting go of winter and allowing the warmth to happen.

The change of seasons feels exciting and frustrating all at once. But it’s usually during this time that I do some of my best creative work and exploration. I call it my season of growing.

This week as I was reflecting on how I was feeling…. I wrote in my journal… ” Me a small seed pushing my way through the dark, cold, wet ground, searching for the light. Finding my way and learning to live in the sunshine. Enjoying every moment of warmth, rain, and growth. Feeling the breeze sway me but not break me and watching the butterflies dance around me. Cherishing this season of growing and being present and peaceful.”

It was the perfect description of what was happening inside me. And I love when I can capture those things and use it to inspire me. So, of course, I decided to paint it!

I don’t know if you have any of those same feelings as winter comes to a close…. but I share in the video how I use this time to play, and experiment and how I work my way to blooming again.

I hope you are inspired and enjoy the project. YOU are loved!

Oh, and this original is available here and prints are available here.

Supplies used:

1. 11×14 gallery depth birch wood panel
2. Collage paper
3. Liquitex fluid matte medium or matte gel
4. Utrecht gesso white
5. Liquitex gesso black
6. Koh-i-noor soft pastel pencils 24
7. Regular soft pastels in black, brown, and olive green
8. Sharpie water-based marker white
9. Generals charcoal pencil black and white ex. soft and hard
10. Filbert brushes in a variety of sizes
11. Soho acrylic paint – rose madder, olive green, green gold, burnt sienna, primary yellow, turquoise, light portrait pink, yellow ochre
12. Winsor and Newton acrylic raw umber
13. Lukas acrylic in turquoise
14. Blick acrylic bright aqua green
15. Amsterdam acrylic olive green light

Stencils used: THESE WILL BE ON SALE THIS WEEK

1. Eucalyptus Branches
2. Daisy 2
3. Daisy 1

Collage packs used: THESE WILL BE ON SALE THIS WEEK

1. Botany flower book (instant download) or (printed version)
2. Ephemera collage pack (instant download) or (printed version)

These will be free to you in the Subscriber resource library. Remember the password is always in your weekly email and it does change every couple of months.

If you’re not a subscriber you can sign up here and an email will be sent to you automatically with the password to the library.

This post contains affiliate links from Amazon and Blick at no cost to you.

This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission and we are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.