Welcome To My Passion Project!
My passion project for this upcoming year is to use as much of my "stuff" as I can. And to do it as fast and as free as I can, meaning I'm stepping away from realism and am just allowing myself to be free to create, with whatever speaks to me at the moment. The goal is to avoid overthinking and to just express myself artistically and have fun. If something turns out GREAT, sure I may finish it out and offer it in my booth -- but that's not my ultimate goal.
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It seems every year close to November, I start a new passion project. I don't share many of these projects, but this year, 2025, I've decided to invite others along for the ride! As an artist, I find it inspiring and interesting to watch other artists make a variety of art. As for myself, I've been a professional wildlife photographer and artist for years, and I've spent the last decade making textures and backgrounds for other photographers to blend with their photos. Everything from realism, to abstract, from handmade to digital...I've done it all!
A couple years ago, I set up a local art/antique booth at Carriage House Antique Market here in Jackson, TN. While I thought it may help me pass on some of my things, I found I've collected even more STUFF! And lots of it is things I can use in ART. 
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So here I am introducing Art Bits. I came up with the name because 1) I use many bits and pieces of things in my art, and 2) because I'm creating mini abstract pieces {most of the time!}, which are essentially little bits of art. I decided to video my adventures into Art Bits, and share those videos free on my YouTube channel, because I love to inspire others and share creative things I do, in case it may help someone else be even more creative. You're all invited to come along on this journey with me and watch me create Art Bits -- and maybe, just maybe, you'll start creating your own Art Bits as well!
The color palette coincides with the colors for each birth month, plus some extra colors, as I've pointed out in the May color square. I don't HAVE to use all the colors -- they are just a visual suggestion of what to consider, and I think it will be challenging to work with a particular palette and not get lost in ALL the colors I have here!
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While I want to be free and expressive with this project, my organizational self says I need a little bit of a road map. So I've created a formula to use in order to keep myself on track, and I've created this color palette I intend to work with for each month. You can click on the large palette if you'd like to download the image file, and print it out for yourself. I print two out, one to keep intact, and the other to cut apart the individual monthly squares so when I'm working on a particular month, I only look at that one square to keep myself focused, as far as color choices.
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My Art Bits Creation Formula
In a nutshell, here's my formula, although once again, nothing is set in stone and I can alter things at any time! But just to get me started on the Art Bits project, this is what I'm following:
• I decide on my painting surface, which can be paper, canvas, or anything, really. Canvas is usually a "one off" thing...but when choosing a paper page surface, I'll mark the back as to where I want to cut after I'm finished. For example, a 9"x12" sheet of paper will generate me twelve 3" squares, so I will measure and mark those squares before flipping the paper over and starting. Sometimes, I may want a certain size...for example, I may have a 5x7" frame I wish to occupy with something, so I may mark that size, along with whatever other sizes/shapes I can get out of the sheet. Sometimes I may decide to draw some shapes on the back, like animal or bird shapes, and I may cut those out after finishing -- it all depends on my thoughts and mood of the day!
• Using my color palette for the month I'm on, I pick some colors to paint on the page. I use whatever media I feel like working with that day, and whatever additional mediums I may wish to add, such as texture paste or mat gel medium to protect some pastel marks, etc.
• After the page is dry, I then add my collage elements. My collage elements consist of bits and pieces of various vintage ephemera, like old book pages, recipe cards, receipts, whatever. I also use bits and pieces of any painted papers I've made and work these into the collage. I also use at least one piece of fabric or lace type object to add in something interesting. I don't overdo it on the collage...I use up to 3 vintage ephemera items, one of my painted papers I personally made, and one piece of some fabric/lace. I cluster these together in various spots around the page, leaving empty space in amongst it all to add more paint later. I attach the collage elements to the paper using mod podge or mat gel medium.
• After the collage part is dry, I then bring in a neutral paint {white or titan buff usually}, and I dry brush that in some of the empty areas, making a point to go right over the edges of what I've collaged. Then I let that dry completely.
• After everything is dry, it's time to flip the page over and cut out my squares/shapes I've marked. When I've cut them all, I turn the pieces over individually to see what I have, and what I like and dislike.
• At this point, I usually will use a palette knife to add a mark or two of paint to each piece. Maybe I'll use markers and add some marks from them, too! And many times, I add a little dash of my favorite gold to finish it up.
• Once completely dry, I then decide what -- if anything -- to do with the pieces. I may mount them on a wood block. I may frame them one at a time, or even together. I may attach them to cards. I may stick them in a box and pull them out years later and use them in another project! The point is, I've DONE SOMETHING...I've used my materials on hand and I've spent time CREATING something new out of bits and pieces of what many people would think are nothing exciting.
• I decide on my painting surface, which can be paper, canvas, or anything, really. Canvas is usually a "one off" thing...but when choosing a paper page surface, I'll mark the back as to where I want to cut after I'm finished. For example, a 9"x12" sheet of paper will generate me twelve 3" squares, so I will measure and mark those squares before flipping the paper over and starting. Sometimes, I may want a certain size...for example, I may have a 5x7" frame I wish to occupy with something, so I may mark that size, along with whatever other sizes/shapes I can get out of the sheet. Sometimes I may decide to draw some shapes on the back, like animal or bird shapes, and I may cut those out after finishing -- it all depends on my thoughts and mood of the day!
• Using my color palette for the month I'm on, I pick some colors to paint on the page. I use whatever media I feel like working with that day, and whatever additional mediums I may wish to add, such as texture paste or mat gel medium to protect some pastel marks, etc.
• After the page is dry, I then add my collage elements. My collage elements consist of bits and pieces of various vintage ephemera, like old book pages, recipe cards, receipts, whatever. I also use bits and pieces of any painted papers I've made and work these into the collage. I also use at least one piece of fabric or lace type object to add in something interesting. I don't overdo it on the collage...I use up to 3 vintage ephemera items, one of my painted papers I personally made, and one piece of some fabric/lace. I cluster these together in various spots around the page, leaving empty space in amongst it all to add more paint later. I attach the collage elements to the paper using mod podge or mat gel medium.
• After the collage part is dry, I then bring in a neutral paint {white or titan buff usually}, and I dry brush that in some of the empty areas, making a point to go right over the edges of what I've collaged. Then I let that dry completely.
• After everything is dry, it's time to flip the page over and cut out my squares/shapes I've marked. When I've cut them all, I turn the pieces over individually to see what I have, and what I like and dislike.
• At this point, I usually will use a palette knife to add a mark or two of paint to each piece. Maybe I'll use markers and add some marks from them, too! And many times, I add a little dash of my favorite gold to finish it up.
• Once completely dry, I then decide what -- if anything -- to do with the pieces. I may mount them on a wood block. I may frame them one at a time, or even together. I may attach them to cards. I may stick them in a box and pull them out years later and use them in another project! The point is, I've DONE SOMETHING...I've used my materials on hand and I've spent time CREATING something new out of bits and pieces of what many people would think are nothing exciting.
The takeaway here is...
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