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

A Giveaway and Gratitude for YOU

This is my last post of 2023 and I’m ending the year with a celebration!

gratitudeAnne ButeraDecember 9, 2023giveaway, stickers, gratitude, thank you, gratitude giveaway, blog reader gratitude, thank you for being a blog reader, custom stickers, Sticker Mule Comments

November 2023 In The Garden: Hidden Colors and Gratitude

“Autumn is the season to find contentment at home by paying attention to what we already have.”

—unknown

garden, gratitudeAnne ButeraNovember 25, 2023gratitude, garden, garden colors, autumn garden, November garden, garden gratitude, gratitude for gardens, gratitude for beauty, noticing beauty, noticing color, joy 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.

October 2023 in the Garden: Nothing Gold Can Stay

When I checked first thing this morning, the temperature was 31 (30 degrees lower than when I woke up yesterday).

gardenAnne ButeraOctober 28, 2023garden, seasons, autumn, autumn garden, autumn in the garden Comments

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

September 2023 In The Garden: Still Savoring

I’m grateful for all these late-season flowers. Not just for me, but for my garden visitors, too. Bees. Butterflies. I still see hummingbirds every day, zooming from flower to flower.

gardenAnne ButeraSeptember 23, 2023garden, autumn garden, garden planning Comments

Coming Back to Myself as the Season Changes and Invites a Fresh Start

Earlier this week I sat in my studio with a steaming mug of Dragonwell tea and watched my garden through my new sliding doors.

seasons, studio, life, gratitude, joyAnne ButeraSeptember 9, 2023in the studio, change of season, savoring each day, gratitude, gratitude for art, gratitude for creativity, gratitude for gardens, joy, gratitude practice, daily gratitude 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

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

July 2023 in the Garden: Savoring My Botanical Sanctuary (and Fighting Resistance)

When I sat down to write today’s post, I felt completely unprepared. And for the first time in a really long time, I was tempted to skip blogging this week.

garden, lifeAnne ButeraJuly 22, 2023garden, garden tour, garden tours, garden tour video, july garden tour, Wisconsin gardening, gardening in Wisconsin 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

June 2023 In the Garden: Nostalgia, Growth and Letting Plants Have Their Way

Ah, June in the garden. What a beautiful month.

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.

May 2023 in the Garden: Renewal and Rebirth at the Start of the Growing Season

I’ve been eating asparagus, rhubarb and young walking onions from the garden. I’m also harvesting chives and pinches of my basil seedlings.

Pausing With My (Uncomfortable) Feelings And an Invitation for You to Do It, Too

Yesterday as a gentle rain tickled the windows, I cleaned and organized my studio and thought about what I wanted to write to you.

lifeAnne ButeraMay 13, 2023acknowledging uncomfortable feelings, struggles, spring, arrival of spring, awakening nature, art from a place of joy, noticing joy, noticing beauty, sitting with our feelings, pausing for reflection, uncomfortable feelings, being gentle with ourselves, being gentle with yourself, claiming space, returning to creativity Comments

7 Plants I'm Not Growing in My Garden This Year and 4 I'm On the Fence About

It’s hard for me to believe the days were sunny and warm and my flowers were blooming only a week ago.

gardenAnne ButeraApril 22, 2023gardening, plants I'm not growing in my garden, garden planning, winter garden planning, deciding what to grow, garden experiments, snow in April, April in the Garden, April in the Garden in Wisconsin, garden vlog, art vlog, art and garden vlog Comments

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.