A very Happy New Year. !!

Wishing all my blogging friends a very Happy New Year! 
Thanks for your support and encouragement. I really appreciate you. 
Barbra Joan

It's Christmas Time Again

Anyone who has followed my blog for the past ten years knows that I've posted this before. It's a tribute to my Dad and it's for him, but as I always say you are welcome in my world. I was reminded of it today by another blogger who is having her first Christmas without her dad.. I hear you Debbie. 

     

                     

The Christmas Letter

Although I've thought of my Dad often in the past twenty years...its this week that I've missed him most, so I write this for you Dad,

When I was a little girl  you took me everywhere with you.  Deep sea fishing off the coast of New Jersey, and were always so proud that your daughter never got sick no matter how rough the ocean would be.   You brought me to NYC to see everything from the Empire State Building, Radio City Christmas Show, the Rockettes,  the Statue of Liberty.   We'd go to Coney Island and I'd make you ride that Cyclone roller coaster with me over and over . You never said no.
   You taught me how to ride a bike, fly a kite, build a snowman,  and made me that real little house in the backyard. I put curtains on the windows.
   You taught me my love for animals and all living things.. We took care of injured wild birds and rabbits, you'd make a box for them and if I cried when they didn't make it, you'd say " Barbra , you can't save all of them,  you just do what you can".  I still do that Dad.

   On Sunday mornings you'd drive out to that little airport and we'd watch the planes take off and land..
  One Sunday you managed to get a pilot to take me up for a ride in a small plane. And when Mom found out she had a fit. !

    We'd hike in the woods and go target shooting. I'd get poison ivy every time.
 You'd take me to the christening of the new big ships at the shipyard when you still worked there.

  We'd go to your welding shop on Saturdays and you showed me how to weld. Then taught me to drive my first car and bought a red convertible because I liked it..

You were the first one I saw when I woke up in the hospital .. more than once.
   I thought you had the strength of ten men, you could do anything and make everything alright. I remember the night we lost Louis, you looked right at me and said,
 "Listen to Me!~ This is the ONE thing I can't do for you".    I knew you were right because you never lied to me. .
    I learned so much from you Dad. Any good that I am it was from you.. and the not so good ... you were still there for me every single time.
   Every Christmas you and I would go and look for the tree.
 I'd bother you for weeks ahead of time.. I was good at that !... finally you'd  say 'ok, time to go and  get the tree,' and then with all the patience in the world you'd help me put it up and decorate it.
  I remember the time my new kitten went behind the kitchen stove and you spent hours taking it apart to get him out.. oh, all the kittens I brought home and said 'they just followed me" and you let me keep them..
   This time of year brings back lots of these memories and even more, and I haven't forgotten a single one .
   If I were given just one wish for Christmas, I would ask that every little girl be blessed with a Dad like I had. What a beautiful world this would be.
from your daughter, Barbra Joan
   Merry Christmas again, Dad

Whoops !!

Problems with internet here, but hoping it will be fixed soon.  Lucky to have gotten on tonight for a few minutes.
See you all soon.. 

Just Posted

Posted a few small watercolors on my Etsy site. Done a few months ago and they were hiding on me..With the mat they are both 8"x10".

A Mini Art Journal

     

 

    This week doing what I want to do..a mini journal that measures no larger than 2 inches, if that.  Why? because I can and because I enjoy doing this. Pages with quotes, pages with other pics and some blank etc.  The paper used for this one is called 'Once upon a Springtime'. I have many stacks of themed paper from way back, so I just picked this one for now. 

  I hand bound it with Japanese stab binding using a waxed thread. I then added beads and here's a few more pages.  I plan on putting a few into my Etsy shop .  

Pencil on Bristol Smooth

Needed a change of pace, so this was it. Pencil on Bristol smooth 11x14".

The OCD with Art Papers

If you want to see more... go to my 'Journey' blog. 
Here's the link >>     Art Hearts Journey  

Art Supply Shopping

I ordered some art supplies last week and hooray!!! They came on my birthday.  Whaddya know!!! 
I've always used W/N paints, but decided to try Daniel Smith.  So ordered a bunch and then started to try them out.
Quin Magenta, Perylene Green, Cobalt teal amongst others.
I'm really liking the Quinacridone Burnt Orange 
Still doing some small sketching pieces, but I'm working on a large one..

My Series Continued

Although I'm painting other subjects right now, I'm still doing my country cottage series.  When to stop?  
Who knows?  

Watercolor/ink whimsical cottages in the country.  They are on my Etsy and sold the first ones I made so playing catch up, although I think that's a 'very good thing'.
 

Still on my Series

Watercolor Sketches

Whimsical watercolor/ink sketches that are 5"x7" .
Sold

I'll be doing more of these and offering them on Etsy  BarbraJoanOriginals.etsy.com.  

Sketches

Right now I'm obsessed with doing these.  Small ink and 
watercolor sketches.  Bear with me. !! 
No, I haven't traveled to a foreign country, but I google places. And use my imagination.  What's left of it anyway.!
I think it's called conceptual art.  And I'm having fun with it.
 

New Series

This has been calling to me for a while. Pen/ink/watercolor. 
I do these every once in a while, but now I think I'll do a series,...a few,... a bunch,...maybe even a ton.  !!
 When I've finished half a dozen I'll offer them on my Etsy shop, no mat, no frame, small works 5"x7", very affordable..  but probably minus the ink border.
Here is one of them . I like them to look a bit primitive and hope I can accomplish that .

 

Sunflower

I really like to do pencil work.. It's so relaxing, and it takes over my mind.. I forget everything but what I"m doing. 
You don't need a therapist.. just pick up a pencil .

Pencil

Haven't done a piece in pencil in a long time.  And looking back at my last two posts I'd say I'm in my 'cat period'. 

Orange Cats

No secret... I love cats! I've just painted these 2 . I've done similar ones before, they are beautiful.The first one is the 
Cat Nap and the one below has amazing amber eyes. 

Harmony Hills

My blogging friend Debbie from View From Harmony Hills gave me permission to paint this from a photo near her home. I think it's heaven here on earth.  Debbie has the most awesome photos, words and inspiration on her blog.. I can never visit there without feeling peace of mind, and seeing the beauty of nature. 
Thanks Deb... 

  I can't speak for the quality of the photos because it's my first time doing this from laptop.  (which has been OOO for months. ) 

Pacific Coast Hgwy

An oil painting I've attempted. This is from a photo I took on the West Coast when I lived out there in the late eighties.   Not especially good, but it got me started and maybe I'll attempt a few more. 
BeeJ

Moving On

Working on some new watercolors to add in my Etsy shop.
There's more coming. 
And I've started working in oils.  Been a long time and want to see how that goes.  

Some detail ....

Today

Took the photos in different places outside.  Don't know which ones will show up true to color.  Just finished this one today. My first attempt didn't have that small flower on the left and it looked 'off' ' . So I added it and am happier with it.  Sometimes taking a photo does show what it needs. 
 

Latest

Iris

 It's been far too long since I painted my old standby ..... flowers.  watercolor  It's matted in an 11x14 mat. 

It's Country !!!

It's Country and it's simple. 

              Boots are Us ... 
Two watercolors that I managed this week... They are in my Etsy Shop.  I always like to keep at least 50 pieces in there, and sold a few this month.
 

Bowl of Flowers

Not very recent but I came across it and here it is.

Panama City Fl.

An afternoon in Panama City. 
Art Center,  old town, Sunflower Fields. 

What could be better? 

 Not so sure about this !  ^^  lol!

    Acres of Sunshine.  Blue skies.

All THAT and this too.