Jocelyn Curry

Art & Joie de Vivre

recent posts

about

As a retired lettering artist and illustrator, I still create a lot of visuals and have fun doing it. My website is a place I can post and share them from my Shoreline, Washington studio in my home.

Category: Uncategorized

  • Tiled and Timeworn: Rutherglen Mansion

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

    We received mixed info: one person said that the tile was from Italy, and another source said it was French. Staying in historic B&B's always has appeal. Exploring a building that has served as a residence for significant citizens of a place can be intriguing, and revealing. Last month we stayed in one such B&B…

  • Tiaras and Bow Ties: Lettering for Theme Namebadges

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

    All I have to do is look at the date of my last post to confirm what I knew already: it's been a very full 6 weeks since I have posted anything new! Summer activities are coming to an end, signaling a return to the studio. There are design projects coming up, workshops being discussed,…

  • A Day Reserved for Painting

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

    Daily life responsibilities tend to sweep us along and we often never get around to doing things that nurture our creative selves. To remedy this tendency, my friend Claire and I set up our second date to paint together last week. She paints with watercolor, I with oils (these days). We commit to a 10…

  • Larger Event: Refreshed Herb Garden

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

    It's been over 25 years since I first designed and constructed my "Early Garden." It was thus named because it was the first part of our property that receives the morning sun. Over the years, I've wearied of weeding and maintaining it all. Know what I mean, fellow gardeners? But this spring has brought a…

  • Cosmos

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

    The cosmos is not a flower I knew until I was an adult, and when I first saw cosmos it was love at first sight. What a fabulous name for an easy-to-grow species. I never fail to feel moved by their simple beauty. Two days ago I wrote to a close friend. On the left…

  • Inspired by Places of the Heart; Artful Maps Part II

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

    Of the eleven map designers in The Artful Map, A One-Page Journal, five elected to create maps unrelated to the North Cascades environment. Being in a place where the tools, materials, and design instruction were available to them allowed them to fulfill their concepts of maps that illustrated other meaningful places and heartfelt experience. Patricia…

  • Where to Draw During Summertime? On a Sun Hat, of Course!

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

    There's something potentially scary about freehand drawing when it's done in acrylic on something other than a sheet of paper. My years of doing loose hand lettering by squirting sumi-e ink out of an eyedropper have given me confidence, I guess, even though a disaster is never out of the realm of possibility. Last week…

  • Skulls, Feathers, and Bugs: Specimen Drawing at the Burke Museum

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

    Beginning with a challenging subject, a mammal skull, each student in this North Cascades Institute-sponsored class began the day with warm-up contour drawings. Shading with graphite and charcoal was practiced, and then a more developed drawing was made during the morning hours of this one-day class held in the classroom at the Burke Museum on…

  • From Salmonberry Blossoms to Sea Anemones: A Workshop Review from Padilla Bay

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

      Drawing and photo by Libby Mills On March 17th and 18th*, a group of twelve artists gathered with me at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Bay View, Washington. It's hard to imagine a place better suited to a weekend dedicated to drawing, painting and writing about the surroundings. The Bay, the…

  • Feather and Bone: One-Day Drawing Class at the Burke Museum, University of Washington

    November 23, 2025

    Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

      As one of the spring classes offered by the North Cascades Institute, Specimen Drawing at the Burke Museum: Feather and Bone is now open for registration. Class will be held on Sunday, April 22, 2012, from 10 am – 5 pm. This is an opportunity for those especially interested in natural objects to practice…