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Posted on 3/25/2026 12:57:45 PM
By Susan Gainen
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In the beginning of Painstaking Exuberance
PROGRESS AND PROCESS
2025 was not my year for blogging. In my defense, I'd been injured and distracted. BUT I'M BACK and ready to share my art in a new way. I will take you through my style, the process and the progress of Painstaking Exuberance. I hope you enjoy seeing it as much as I do making it. #artfun
IN THE BEGINNING: a pencil drawing
This substrate is a high quality 14 inch diameter art paper round, probably 300#, that came from a pack of paper that had been hiding under some other interesting art supplies. (This should be a reminder to dig and search into your piles of art supplies. I promise that there are treasures buried there.) After using up the pack of rounds, I started cutting my own out off 300# paper, and I used a #FiskarsScissor to make the edges look a bit raggy. Finally, I begin drawing with a very sharp GeneralsPencil #7.
Tipping my forever grateful hat to the late great Tracie Thompson, I cover the pencil with clear gesso to set the pencil, otherwise the whole thing would be a mass of smudges.
PAINTING BEGINS
Using a tiny (Princeton#0Round) brush and acrylic ink, I begin applying color at the center. One little piece at a time. Slowly. With joy. I use acrylic inks because the colors are SOOOOOOO bright and saturated.
PROCESS: ONE TINY SHAPE AT A TIME,
AND IN THE END: Each tiny piece gets a fountain pen outline with carbon black ink: STAY TUNED
