Beginning the New Year with Stillness and Returning to My Creative Self

All week I’ve been thinking about what I want to share in my first post of 2024.

life, seasons, creativityAnne ButeraJanuary 13, 2024New Year, easing into the new year, beginning the new year with stillness, returning to creativity, returning to myself, studio, nature, inspiration from the garden, inspiration from the winter garden, observing nature, creativity, reclaiming creativity, reclaiming inspiration Comments

August 2023 in the Garden: a Dream Becomes Reality

This photo probably gives it away:

garden, life, studioAnne ButeraAugust 26, 2023studio, studio and garden, garden studio, deck project, adding sliding doors to the studio, sliding doors into the garden, garden projects, adding sliding doors, adding a deck, art studio, botanical art studio, construction projects Comments

New Studio: Progress, a Quick Tour and Some Thoughts and Inspirations

Over the last month I’ve been focused on moving my studio into its new space (maybe you saw a sneak peek in my most recent Joy Letter or in my June Garden Tour video).

studioAnne ButeraJuly 8, 2023studio, art studio, how to plan and design an art studio, art studio inspiration, studio tour, studio move, moving my studio, botanical art studio, garden inspired studio, botanical watercolor studio, developing an art studio space Comments

My Art Studio is Still Evolving but I'm Savoring Its Imperfection

Last year I blogged about planning my dream studio. I was hoping to move my work space from one room in our house to another. For various reasons this never happened.

life, studio, inspirationAnne ButeraNovember 5, 2022In Her Studio Magazine, art studio, bloom where you're planted, dreams, creative dreams, rearranging my studio, studio, dream studio, making do Comments

My Dream Studio: How to Plan and Design an Ideal Workspace

When I step into my studio my mood immediately lifts. I feel calm and filled with well-being. Even if I’m creatively stuck or frustrated or disappointed, setting foot in my workspace brings me joy. It truly is my happy place.

Botanical Embroidery Design: an Exciting New Direction For My Art

Sometimes the universe nudges you forward when you’re not quite ready. This happened a few weeks ago when I checked Spoonflower’s list of upcoming design challenges and saw one featuring embroidery.

Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Boost Your Inspiration

When you hear the words “Creative Retreat” what do they bring to mind? Perhaps you envision a cabin in the woods, light streaming through the windows and a fire crackling in the hearth.

creativity, inspirationAnne ButeraMarch 12, 2021Creative Retreat, March Creative Retreat, creativity, inspiration, doing something different, flipping your schedule, being in nature, get organized, studio, messiness of life, discovering inspiration, where does inspiration come from Comments

Art by Other Artists in My Studio: a Partial Studio Tour

I’ve been wanting to show you around my studio but instead of giving a full tour, today I’m sharing one corner where I’ve collected art from other artists.

Beauty is Important

I am filled with a swirl of thoughts and feelings. Maybe you are, too.

These days. They’re hard. This year has been hard. It continues to be hard.

May in the Garden and the Studio

May is steadily marching by and spring is unfurling a little bit more each day. The nest of baby grackles in the bushes behind our fence has already been vacated. And yet I’m impatient with spring’s progression this year. Maybe every year. But this year, especially so. Mostly I just want nice weather. Sunshine and warm air so I can walk barefoot in the garden and plunge my hands into the soil.

garden, paintings, artAnne ButeraMay 22, 2020garden projects, gardening, spring, studio, art practice, art studio, art evolution, style evolution, artist style development, bee skep, diy bee skep Comments

Now

Right now I don’t have the energy or the brain space to write the post I wanted to for today. So I’ll just check in with you. See how you’re doing. Tell you I’m doing fine. Send some words of encouragement your way.

Finding Joy in Difficult Times

Hello, my friend. How are you doing? Are you hanging in there? Are you riding the rollercoaster of ups and downs that it seems so many of us are feeling?

This is a difficult time and it’s ok if you’re struggling. Let’s all resolve to go a bit easy on ourselves. To allow our feelings. To do what we need to do in this moment.

2019 Year in Review (& Thoughts About a Decade)

Another year has drawn to a close. Another decade, too. On January 1, 2009 I wrote in my journal: “2010. Wow. Seems so futuristic.” And here we are in 2020, even more futuristic-sounding.

But I don’t want to jump into 2020 without spending some time considering 2019 first.

life, creativity, studio, sewing, paintings, gratitude, joy, artAnne ButeraJanuary 3, 2020word of the year, year in review, 2019, 2020 Calendars, 2020 desk calendars, art, painting, goals, intentions, 2020, welcoming the new year, growth, Grow, GROW, greyhounds, retired racing greyhounds, challenges, life, life challenges, watercolor paintings, a year of paintings, a year of watercolor paintings, joy, handmade joy exchange, failure, being unafraid to fail, learning from our failures, art dreams, art by Anne Butera, artist, art exhibit, Viroqua Wisconsin, Viva Gallery in Viroqua Wisconsin, Rooted Spoon, Rooted Spoon Kitchen Table, Rooted Spoon Culinary Viroqua Wisconsin, Viroqua Healing Arts Center, McIntosh Memorial Library, embroidery, sewing, spoonflower garment sewing, fabric design, Spoonflower, studio, art studio, sketchbooks, sketchbook practice, Sketchbooks, Dana Barbieri, collaboration, collaborative sketchbook, artist collaboration, yoga, yoga mats, Youtube, skillshare, Skillshare, sketchbook class on Skillshare, Skillshare classes, Skillshare teacher, teaching on Skillshare, Anne Butera's Skillshare classes, gouache, creative journey, creative journeys, garden, gardening, garden joy, looking back, looking forward, dreams, don't give up on your dreams, dreaming big, creative dreams, big dreams, moving from dreaming to doing, living your dream, making our creative dreams real, making your creative dreams real, going for your creative dreams, grow, intention, inner critic, Sonya Philip, Yoga With Adriene Comments

Getting Out of the Box

The other day my cousin Sarah* shared a post on Instagram which was a part of a longer piece she shared on her blog. In it she wrote “stepping out of the box I decided I was going to do something to treat me.” Although her words were about the importance of doing something for yourself, what kept running through my head was idea of stepping out of the box.

gratitude, joy, magic, creativity, lifeAnne ButeraOctober 11, 2019mindfulness, mindfulness practice, beauty, beauty is not insignificant, being open to change, being flexible, being present, cats, rescue cats, black and white cats, greyhounds, retired racing greyhounds, animals help us be present, Magical Mindfulness, Jools Sinclair, Sarah Venema, studio, art practice, art studio, gratitude practice, gratitude, transformative power of gratitude, joy, Joy Lists, art by Anne Butera, anne butera, nasturtiums, dahlias, spiderwebs, gardening, gardens, cooking, fall, autumn, autumn in the garden, making soup, making bread, making art, sketchbooks, nature, healing power of nature, magic in nature, observing nature, beauty in nature, stepping out of the bos, stepping out of the box, getting out of the box, boxes we create for ourselves, schedules, routines, liitations, breaking free from limitations, self care, self-imposed limitations, creativity is self care, treating yourself Comments

a little goes a long way

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been enjoying practicing yoga with Adriene, whose free videos I watch on Youtube. She often says “a little goes a long way.” It’s an encouragement to add yoga into your life, even if only in a small way.

I’ve been thinking about the idea of a little going a long way, not just in terms of yoga, but in all areas of life.

Rest, creative energy and art

Last week I wrote about how making time for doing nothing, for rest, and for savoring the joys of summer is important for well-being and creativity.

And then a funny thing happened.

Keep Going

This week I painted bleeding hearts with the paint I mixed last week.

It’s lovely to be working with flowers from the garden again. But it’s also been a bit frustrating trying to get back into a groove of art-making and gardening and all the other stuff that life demands.

Lessons in Patience

It’s another rainy day today. Last week I wrote about making time for the garden, but since then I haven’t been able to spend much time outside. It’s been too wet and cold.

I’ve been thinking a lot about patience. I’d say I’m a fairly patient person.

2018 -- a Year in Review

Reviewing a whole year is a hard thing. Once you sit down to do it you realize how slippery a year can be. How difficult to contain with words or even photos.

gratitude, life, paintings, studio, fabric, creativity, bloggingAnne ButeraDecember 28, 2018new year, year in review, word of the year, accomplishments, creative accomplishments, artists, sewing, crochet, studio, paintings, press, being present, gratitude, Anne Butera, 2018 Comments

Stealing Calm Amidst the Chaos

This has been a chaotic week. Or maybe I should say, my studio is in chaos. I’ve been filming my next Skillshare class and somehow my studio always ends up looking like a small tornado has passed through when I’m filming. Having my sewing table and ironing board set up in the room hasn’t helped matters.

notes from the studio

Shared the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.