A Christmas Card

          To all of my blogging friends, I wish you a
                   Merry Christmas. 
Barbra Joan

Progress Report /Etsy

Still with Etsy after a year. A sale now and then is a 'good thing' . !
Happy to report this past week I've sold both of these . 

I hope they like their new homes. 
And many thanks for your interest in my work. 
 

Cape Ann

This is the painting of Cape Ann .. My former blog I'd posted a sketch of it and decided to paint an 11x14" on Arches CP . 
I've been on the pen/ink with w/c washes lately and haven't done any what I call 'real painting' ... Putting it into my Etsy shop.
BJ

A Small Painting/Sketch

Yes, a small sketch , but I am considering it a study for a larger one. I've also done a value sketch of it .. I see the areas that need work and will do it on Arches w/c paper... so fingers crossed..
oh, this is the lighthouse in Cape Ann, MA.  
   

It's Country !

After taking photos of barns and hills, from the surrounding areas,
 I decided to put together a few paintings of country settings.. Since I've not done any painting in a while I found it challenging.. However I went back to the lessons learned from the workshop I took with Joyce Hicks a year ago September.. Her basic principals, light,  dark, warm , cool and  a lot of other things I confess I can't remember.. but I enjoyed it .

 This old barn inspired me. So I tried to turn it into a house. LOL !
  

Sketchy Sketches..

I haven't given up on my traditional watercolors, absolutely not! 
However, I mentioned earlier that I've gotten into sketching with pen/wc washes.  There's a lot you can learn by doing this and I never realized that it's also fun to do .. 
 Some are from life, I do still get to Paneras LOL !  and a few I found as photos. Of course your supposed to do them from life, but then again I don't think I'll be going to Europe anytime soon . 

  'The Taj Mahal' ... ok , so I think big. 

                           Sicily 

                            Somewhere in Copenhagen.   

Oh and a peek into my latest journal go to my 'Journey blog'.
and my all time 2nd favorite medium , the lowly pencil.
here 'tis .

Sorta, Kinda

I don't know how else to describe what I'm up to these days in my art work... Of course I still do my traditional watercolors.  A while back I got interested, very interested in doing pen and ink sketches  with watercolor washes. Drawing in ink and then washes over it seemed like a very easy thing to do... But when I first tried it I had too much information (as in the watercolor.) Somehow that wasn't what I was after... This is the little A- frame place across the road .
 I was pleased that I did it on-site. I've never been good at plein-aire, but I kinda, sorta liked this one. 

Stormy Sail

Although this one was done some years ago I thought I'd offer it for sale on my Etsy shop... I'd forgotten about it , kind of lost in the 'sea' of other works.. pun intended.. !  It's a year I started the Etsy shop ,,, in Fact ...oh I just checked .. a year ago on the 3rd.. It has sales every month .. one or two.. no, I can't fly to Paris on that, but it's a good way to keep yourself  'out there'.  I sold one today, that's what made me think about it ..  
 

Washday ~

Did this little painting last night. Don't really know why the color is so different on each, but somehow it's in between.
Sometimes those little spur of the moment paint feelings take over and it was a pretty quick on.  Glad I did it .
 

Autumn?

Picked these leaves on my walk yesterday.  I guess it's what's called
Autumn. Tried to depict them realistically and think I came pretty close.  

Sketchy Stuff

So I'm into the sketching but this is not what I'm wanting.. it will take some practice. Pen/ink and watercolor, but wanting more of a line drawing with some color washes... Not enough pen work in this, but it was fun anyway.  And does it take practice!! looks easy, but NOT!..  Too wish-washy but I'll keep trying. 
Have you seen the book Urban Sketcher . Well it's sort of what I'm trying to accomplish... I want to be able to sketch while outside . 
I'll probably be hiding behind a bush or a park bench. 

On this Day.

I want to wish my daughter Tina Marie a Happy Birthday. 

 

Just sayin'

Been posting a bit on my 'Journey' blog, but not much art so this blog has been quiet.. Not to say I've not been doing anything .. but I've gotten into some sketching..  pen/ink and watercolor. Something I've always liked but could never seem to do .. A prime example was the hilarious sketch attempt at an airport last year.. NO, I won't post it .. LOL !
 So I'm doing more reading about sketching than doing. 

The Inevitable Pears

Whenever I've been away from any real painting I always start up again with the old standby.  !! PEARS !! .
What is it about them that I can get at least a passable rendering with little effort and it seems to put me into that painting mood.  
 So I'm in my 'pear period' again..
Oh,  the other thing is that I've discovered the Gelli Printing plate... Yes, I'm playing with a new toy.  I sent for one after reading and watching videos about this printing with a gelatin plate. 
I hear you can make your own, but you all know I don't cook,  (this meant gelatin and water) .  So I ordered one... so much easier. LOL As soon as I get some prints made, Or if I take pics of the process I'll share them with you . 
Heres a pic of the package ... and if you want to really go nutz, then just google Gelli Plate. Or go on Pinterest..The package is sitting on a new book I got, called Painted Papers...

 

Watercolor Canvas Board?

    A few weeks ago I came across this pack of 3 Watercolor Canvas Boards.  Now maybe I'm a little behind the times, but I'd never seen watercolor 'canvas'.  So today I tried this little 5x7" and I must say it was a very different experience.. It's like painting on canvas, so what's the deal?  Totally different than paper, and it says it is primed with acrylic to accept any kind of media. WELL ! 

Just Sharing

'Savannah'

Been a while and I thoroughly enjoyed doing this drawing. 
From a photo by Edward Forster. 

If you want to visit me on my 'Journey' blog, I'll see you there. 
Barbra Joan

Thanks to all my blogging friends

Thanks to all my blogging friends who wrote and commented that I was missed.  Yes, missed you all too.  I'm back to painting, running my Etsy shop, and life in general .   I've been away in more ways than one.
A complete life change emotionally, and physically kept me from both painting and blogging.. I'll be catching up on you all very soon.  Hugs to each of you.  
Barbra Joan

YES!

"Even if I knew the world would end tomorrow,
I'd still plant my apple tree. "
MLK.

I have always felt just this way... and still do . 
I'll be back .... Barbra Joan

ATC'S Mixed Media

Most of you know and might even be involved with ATC's also known as Artist Trading Cards.  When I first came to know about them was around 2007. I joined a group and we traded . ATC's if you don't know are small art cards, sized as a playing card, made and traded by artists, but not to be sold ... only traded.. I know the trend has now gone a long way away from that original idea.

I can't say how many I created but let's say lots.. traded yes, but kept some of them which I mounted on a square piece of foamcore and framed..

Some had meaning for me, others were just wherever my creativity took me... Mixed media is the understatement here.

Ribbons, lace, stamping, cut out papers, gold leaf, beads, watercolor, gold string, etc.

After being put aside for quite a while and although somewhere in one of my blogs I may have them... I decided to post them today. 
Want to see the rest of them go to my Journey blog.

Untitled

 
 

A recent pencil drawing. Haven't done any pencil works for quite some time, so this was enjoyable... It's in an 11x14 " mat.
Image size 8"x10" . Using a small range of Derwent Graphic pencils. It is for sale on my Etsy shop.
BJ  

YES

'Party on my Head' took a fourth place award in the Pro Division, Graphics and Mixed Media Category at the Plant City Strawberry Festival.
I was especially pleased as the competition was tough, and the judge is an international artist.. So yes, I'm happy about it ..
I'll be at the show for a 4 hour shift on Sat. eve.
WELL ! someone has to guard the masterpieces . LOL !
The show runs for ten days.  Hey , it's why Plant City is on the map.  Barbra Joan 

This One...

ok, I like this one better... 
 Yes, I'm talking to myself ...

Flowers #2

 

Using my flower vase as inspiration and some of what I learned from the workshop last Sept. I did this still life.  
I photographed it as a WIP .. Funny after you photograph it, you do see all the "what did I do that for?" 
However this is how it came together..  I may do a smaller version for my Etsy shop.  

A light sketch for placements ... the one thing I know is not right, and that's the flower placements.. Trying to get five in there. 

Putting the second wash .And for those who think I don't get messy.
 

I do like the color, the setup, everything about it .. the looseness, 
BUT composition was wrong from the start... sooo, I'll do it again and pay more attention to that very first step.
I'll hang this in my bedroom because it makes me happy to look at it.   

Time Out!

Time out for painting, drawing and the arts. This photo is of an old 
water cooler. Not sure how it worked but it has sat in my house for years.Kind of summery all year long .. and possibly would make a good painting.. if anyone would like to try it... feel free. 

P.S. Some of you have asked me what this is ... so I've posted 2 new photos up close ... I don't know what's missing on it possibly a spout of some sort at the bottom... 
It was laying on the ground of a friend about 15 years ago, I admired it and she gave it to me.. It has always been on this table.  

Strawberry Festival Time

Entering the Strawberry Festival Art Show again.. It runs for ten days starting Feb. 26th. It's Statewide and here in Plant City Florida we are famous for Strawberries.. In those ten days  half a million people visit from all over this country and abroad.. If it's made with strawberries it's here. Country Music shows every day, lots of exhibits, and of course the art show...
The first 2 years I entered I won awards...This will be my fourth year and my entry is "Party on my Head" .. a mixed media Pencil/Watercolor/Gold Leaf... I finished this piece last year.
Come on down... we are 'live and in color'  .