Dreaming Big, a New Project and 5 Ideas for Moving Forward with Your Dreams

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been dreaming about projects and setting goals for this year. As I mentioned here on my blog and in my Joy Letter, I’ve been taking my time with this. And it feels good.

art, creativityAnne ButeraFebruary 10, 2024dreams, creative dreams, dreaming big, dreaming big dreams, moving from dreaming to doing, stickers, art journey, creative journey, creative journeys, how to move forward with your creative journey Comments

The Business of the Studio: a Class, Calendars and a New Painting

In September I mentioned some of the projects I’d been working on after moving into my new studio. One was prepping for my show at Viva Gallery, which I wrote about last month. I’ve since finished the others and thought I’d share them with you today.

Showing My Art at Viva Gallery and Becoming a Member of the Artist Cooperative

On Main Street of my little town of Viroqua, Wisconsin there’s an art gallery run by a cooperative of 23 local artists.

artAnne ButeraOctober 14, 2023art, art gallery, art shows, art exhibit, Viva Gallery in Viroqua Wisconsin, Viroqua Wisconsin, botanical art, botanical watercolors, botanical watercolor paintings, art by Anne Butera Comments

Painting in the Garden, A Fun and Different Project: Barn Quilts

Some projects live in my head for a very long time before I get around to bringing them into the world. Painting a series of “barn” quilts for my house and garden is one of those projects.

art, books, joy, gardenAnne ButeraAugust 12, 2023barn quilts, quilts, quilt blocks, garden decor, art in the garden, painted quilts, flying geese painted quilt, projects, art projects, books, quilt books Comments

Reminders About Life and Art and Recommitting to Noticing and Savoring Joy

Today on my blog, I planned to share about the Winding Roads Art Tour, but as I was driving home on Sunday evening I realized I hadn’t taken a single photo all weekend.

Is Perfection Possible? Contemplating Simple Shifts in Business, Art and Life

When I was first starting to learn to make art I thought that if only I could discover the perfect art supplies, I’d be able to create the beautiful, perfect art I imagined in my head.

business, life, artAnne ButeraApril 8, 2023perfect schedule, creative schedules, art work balance, life work balance, creativity, art supplies, choosing art supplies, learning how to make art, learning to paint, Artist Dates, Searching for Perfection, Is perfection possible?, Is there a perfect schedule?, simple shifts to make life easier Comments

Falling in Love with Sketchbooks Again and Again (and a New Class)

In the middle of winter when frost decorates the windows of my studio and I pull on another sweater, I’ll think back to summer days in my garden, cicadas singing, sketchbook on my lap.

sketchbooks, art classes, artAnne ButeraAugust 27, 2022sketchbooks, sketchbook class, sketchbook practice, sketchbooks as self care, self care, self-care, how I use sketchbooks, why I love sketchbooks, skillshare, Skillshare teacher, creative self-care Comments

My Favorite Self-Seeding Annuals For Effortless Beauty Each Year in the Garden

One of the things I love most about my garden and gardening is connecting with nature. I plant my garden and I tend it, but I’m not really in control.

garden, art, inspirationAnne ButeraAugust 6, 2022garden, self seeding plants, self seeding flowers, growing herbs, garden flowers Comments

June 4 and 5 is the Winding Roads Art Tour

After being canceled the past two years because of Covid, the Winding Roads Art Tour is finally going ahead.

art, inspirationAnne ButeraMay 28, 2022Winding Roads Art Tour, Kathleen Aaker, Deborah Conlon, Viroqua Wisconsin, Viva Gallery in Viroqua Wisconsin, 2022 Winding Roads Art Tour, Artist Studios, Wisconsin, Driftless Region, Driftless Wisconsin, art and artists, art community, local artists Comments

April 2022 in the Garden (And Indoors Dreaming, Planting, Painting, Reading)

I spent Monday in my garden. Mondays are technically the weekend for me and I was so glad my time off coincided with good weather.

books, garden, art, houseplantsAnne ButeraApril 16, 2022garden tour, garden tours, monthly garden tours, books, book review, garden books, painting, watercolor houseplants, indoor garden, seed starting Comments

How to Discover Joy in Subtle Colors: Lessons from the Winter Garden

The sun is shining, warm and bright. The garden is humming with bees and I catch the scent of roses, mint and spicy tulsi. I step among the blooms with my scissors at the ready,

Gratitude and a Giveaway Inspired by an Exciting Collaboration and Fun Stickers

Sometimes a project comes along which is a complete joy. My collaboration with Kickapoo Meadery was one of those projects. This fall I worked with Roots and Refuge Farm on another.

art, garden, paintings, gratitudeAnne ButeraDecember 10, 2021giveaway, 2022 Botanical Watercolor Calendar, Anne Butera, art by Anne Butera, collaboration, commissioned paintings, the story behind a commission, Roots and Refuge Farm, Jessica Sowards, Jeremiah Sowards, stickers, stickers from Roots and Refuge Farm, 2 Million Blossoms magazine Comments

Savoring the Quiet Gifts of December and the Winter Season

I cut handfuls of dead flowers from my garden this week. Their shapes are interesting. Petals twisted. Leaves furled as if frozen in motion.

2022 Watercolor Calendars: Looking Back at 9 Years of Calendars and Dreaming Big Dreams

Last month I wrote about how creating a tea towel calendar has become a yearly tradition for me*, but it’s not the only tradition for my art.

This is the 9th year I’ve created a desk calendar with my seasonal watercolor paintings.

An Exciting Commission: Working With Kickapoo Meadery on Six Botanical Paintings

A few times over the summer I mentioned working on a big commission. I even shared a sneak peek of one of the paintings.

Today I want to share the full story.

art, paintings, gratitudeAnne ButeraOctober 22, 2021watercolor, watercolor paintings, wild bergamot watercolor painting, wild bergamot, Kickapoo Meadery, mead, mead labels, Kickapoo Meadery mead labels, Tim McDonald, Diane Roy, Wisconsin, Wisconsin small businesses, Viroqua Food Co-Op, pollinators, pollinator plantings, pollinator habitat, milkweed, watercolor milkweed painting, bees, beehives, mead and honey production, local food, Staghorn sumac, staghorn sumac mead, staghorn sumac painting, Ohio spiderwort, Ohio spiderwort painting, lance leaf coreopsis, lance leaf coreopsis painting, ginger painting, staghorn sumac watercolor, Ohio spiderwort watercolor, lance leaf coreopsis watercolor, botanical watercolor paintings, ginger watercolor painting, staghorn sumac watercolor painting, lance leaf coreopsis watercolor painting, common milkweed watercolor painting, botanical watercolors, botanical watercolor series, botanical watercolor commissioned paintings, the story behind a commission, creating paintings for Kickapoo Meadery, Kickapoo Meadery in Blue River Wisconsin, farm to table, farm-to-table, popular posts Comments

October 2021 in the Garden, Thoughts on Joy and a Nature-Filled Vacation

I’m never certain if I’ll have flowers blooming in my garden in October or not.

Vining Clematis and Painted Lady Butterflies: Garden Delight for the 2022 Tea Towel Calendar

Designing a tea towel calendar each year has become a tradition for me. This is the 6th year I’ve created one.

Why I Love Sketchbooks and How I Use Them in My Art Practice

This week I finished filling up my 16th sketchbook.

art, art classes, sketchbooks, houseplantsAnne ButeraSeptember 24, 2021sketchbooks, Sketchbook Playground, Dana Barbieri, developing a sketchbook practice, developing a creative habit, developing as an artist, Anne Butera's Sketchbooks, my history with sketchbooks, why I love sketchbooks, how I use sketchbooks, my favorite materials to use in my sketchbooks, about me, my story Comments

How a Sunflower Painting Brought Back My Creative Joy: Behind the Scenes in the Studio

Right now zinnias, dahlias, cosmos and marigolds color my garden and feed the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Celebrate Summer Joys: Sketchbooks! Week 4 of a Month of Gratitude Practice

It’s hard to believe this is the last week of my month of gratitude. August has flown by.

I think back to childhood Augusts with school looming and days of freedom dwindling. Back-to-school was both exciting and welcome but also tinged with sadness for the ending of summer.

notes from the studio

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