Slowing Down, Nurturing and Taking a Break

Everywhere I look right now I notice glimmers of magic.

blogging, lifeAnne ButeraMay 11, 2024blogging break, blogging, spring garden, slowing down, living a slower life, focus, savoring, nurturing Comments

Hope, Patience, Joy: Lessons from the Garden for Art and Life

My peach and cherry trees are filled with flowers. Daffodils are blooming and everywhere I look outside, spring is progressing.

The Driving Force Behind My Business and Why I Write This Blog

Over the last almost 14 years I’ve blogged my way through growth and development as an artist and as a person.

business, bloggingAnne ButeraApril 13, 2024blogging, why I blog, why i write a blog, my newsletter, why I write a newsletter, The Joy Letter, Instigating Creativity and Joy, my creative journey, blogs, creativity, the why behind my business Comments

The Best of 2023: My 12 Favorite Plants and Garden Projects

In winter and early spring, it’s easy to forget how abundant and colorful my garden is during the growing season. I jog my memory by looking through photos and coming back to my blog posts.

Returning to a Big Project and Getting a Surprise Reminder of Gratitude

Every morning I try to spend some time sitting on the floor in my studio with my coffee or tea.

studio, gratitudeAnne ButeraMarch 9, 2024dream studio, dreaming big, projects, Writing a book, joy, savoring, dreams, don't give up on your dreams Comments

(Still) Loving Houseplants: 10 of the Easiest Plants to Grow and a Growing Houseplant Obsession

Last month I wrote about my love of houseplants, how they inspire my art and help me get through our Wisconsin winters.

Putting together that post was so much fun and although I was already enjoying tending my plants, it sparked a renewed obsession

books, houseplantsAnne ButeraFebruary 24, 2024houseplant books, houseplant portraits, houseplant paintings, watercolor paintings of houseplants, houseplant watercolor paintings, botanical artist, artist gardener, houseplants, growing houseplants, easy houseplants to grow, fiddle leaf figs, growing cuttings, propagating plants through cuttings, rooting cuttings in water Comments

Dreaming Big, a New Project and 5 Ideas for Moving Forward with Your Dreams

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been dreaming about projects and setting goals for this year. As I mentioned here on my blog and in my Joy Letter, I’ve been taking my time with this. And it feels good.

art, creativityAnne ButeraFebruary 10, 2024dreams, creative dreams, dreaming big, dreaming big dreams, moving from dreaming to doing, stickers, art journey, creative journey, creative journeys, how to move forward with your creative journey Comments

Seasonal Cycles, Sharing Indoor Gardening Inspiration and Why I Grow Houseplants

Every time I went into the kitchen this week, I visited spring.

My baby* Hoya lacunosa is blooming on a shelf above the sink.

joy, studio, books, life, houseplantsAnne ButeraJanuary 27, 2024houseplants, botanical artist, artist gardener, artist studios, plant filled studio, seasonal cycles, Hoya lacunosa, growing houseplants, growing plants indoors, a studio filled with plants, poinsettia painting, watercolor poinsettia, painting process, art inspiration, painting inspiration, gardening inspiration, gardening books, garden books, houseplant books, spider plants, Thanksgiving cactus, Anne Butera, my development as an artist, my development as a gardener, my favorite garden books, Tovah Martin, Elvin McDonald, James Underwood Crockett, night-blooming cereus, plant stories, connections to plants, sharing plants, growing plants from cuttings, rooting cuttings in water, fiddle leaf figs, pothos, pothos cuttings, impatiens, growing impatiens inside, scented geraniums, growing scented geraniums inside Comments

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

notes from the studio

Shared the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.