Favorite things
May 2025
The Sound of Music (1965) is a classic movie with classic songs that I find myself singing randomly during the day. One song that pops up a lot is “My Favorite Things”. I sang this with my sister, other family, and friends!
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things”
Last week I was singing the song in my head and it got me thinking about what are my favorite things in the studio.
I love Caran d'Ache Neocolor I series pastels. This wax pastel is smooth, sharpens easily, reacts with watercolors beautifully, and there aren’t a million colors options. When there are less color options I am more intentional and thoughtful.
I made this bulletin board from a weathered silver-leaf frame when I worked at a framer in Houston. The various items posted are meaningful and remind me of the past, present, and future.
Salt is fun to play with watercolor paintings. I ran out and asked my neighbor if I could borrow some salt. He gave me this shaker.
I love me some clothespins. They remind me of my mom hanging laundry out to dry and the smell of fresh air-dried bed sheets. I use the pins in the studio, kitchen, campsite…everywhere!
These watercolors are the best. I use up the indigo tray No. 67 first, every time.
These brushes are from my dad’s work bench. As I child I’d brush the soft horse hair over my cheek and imagine riding horses. The big yellow paint brush he used over and over again for different projects around the house. I loved watching him work and listen to oldies on the radio while I played with all the nuts and bolts perched on the tall wooden stool.
The Bob Ross finger puppet was a silly gift from my sister to cheer me up. He’s in the studio to remind me to have fun, smile, and everything will be okay.
Gotta love a fresh blade for cutting and cropping!
I started using these clear rulers also at the framer. They are magical to my brain. They help me visualize and measure at the same time.
Dixon Ticonderoga pencils are my fav. Soft, smooth, and come in black!
This travel paint set and water brushes were also a gift and they have travelled! They are handy, great color pallette, and the brushes work perfectly on the go (mainly on the trail.)
It’s great to go through old sketch books for ideas, references, and to go down memory lane. The bound books are from my time in Georgia and Texas. The spiral bound are filled with mountains and rocks since moving to New Mexico. There’s even a sketchbook from a RDA trip to Santiago, Chile.
As I write this list, I’m realizing these snippets are actually bigger life lessons. Also, this reflection is strengthens my appreciation for this practice and artistic path. Let’s end this post with another song from The Sound of Music…so long, farewell, auf Wiederseh'n, adieu…to yieu and yieu and yieu.