Like every year summer goes by way to fast, but I can’t lie my body craves the slowing down. After a short but super hot summer, i am looking forward to slower pace, cozy times and the sun rising just a little bit later.

The garden is in full production, too many sunflowers, the beans are starting to grow and patches of zinnias and cosmos are in full bloom. Abundance and color surrounds us.

I have been making time in the studio to play, to learn and work with indigo, a beloved color of blue. Oh what magic indigo is, and the way it is interacting with the canvas is a delight! The new piece in the works is focusing on exquisite, whatever comes from this. So far I have taken a large canvas and torn it into three parts, hand sewing this back together to tell a new story. And a hidden paw print left by my dog, Bodhi.

I believe exquisite is the balance of fine and worn, a life lived well but some scars along the way. The beauty and light within always shining bright through the imperfections.

I am looking forward to seeing this piece unfold, a mystery to me. It reveals the steps as we go. A lesson in trust or trusting in that anything can be worked with mistakes and bad decisions are always fixable.

The Process

This piece I started with raw canvas, roughly 4’ x 4’, working with an existing frame to mount this to when finished.

Over the months i had made botanical ink from madder root, onion skin, avocado pits and black walnut.

I laid out this canvas in the garden so I could work with the sun, pouring layers of different inks and letting dry. A process that unfolds over days, unless it is in the middle of monsoons then you got to wait until the sun returns again. So a little bit of patience is required. Once I achieved a beautiful result with the lighter inks it was time to see what would the indigo do. Amazing, such an incredible color to work with and has been used so beautifully throughout time for dyeing.

And then after getting back into the studio I felt the need to tear it apart. Oh my… What happens if I ruin it, well then i guess you start again. But to my surprise this was another unfolding with great benefit. Now I have moved onto hand sewing stitches as texture and design. So loving this process, stay tuned for finished piece.

Peeks from The Garden

Block-print inspired by Botanical love

Jill Sans is an artist based in Flagstaff, Arizona. Her work is that of beautification from paintings to cosmetic tattooing. She currently works out of The HeArt Box Studio and Gallery in historic downtown, Flagstaff.