Scenes from Italy

I've been working on a series of scenes from Italy the birthplace of my grandparents. Buildings and landscapes are not my usual faire but I'm enjoying trying. Not easy for me as I literally can't draw a straight line. Wiggly or curves ones are fine, just not --- STRAIGHT---- ones. Thats very visible in these shutters!

When All Else Fails---Crop!

My mothers favorite flower was the Tiger Lily. There were a few more blooms in here .. how did they disappear ? Crop! Crop! Crop! I'll give it another try .

The Pumpkin Patch -

I know your saying "what's she doing painting Pumpkins! " Well, I took this phtoto in a little town I lived in called Lake Alfred. (Fl) and I don't live far from there now. Every fall they would do this to sell pumpkins. I loved that big old house. Pumpkin time, Spring time, anytime . I'ts a very small painting. 4" x 6. "

I posted this Cardinal on my other blog and Flickr and made a lot of people happy so I thought I'd spread that happiness around a little. Just a little bright spot in the day. Even here in Florida it's cold, dreary and we need the sunshine. ! Oh, and I painted this with my new water filled travel brush. They're great! You can see them on my Art Hearts Journey

My neighbors Place.. Florida is not all palm trees and beach as you can see.

Sanibel /Captiva Island

Desperation has driven me to post some from another lifetime! Well, one is my neighbors place.. . What you don't see is the many surrounding acres, cows and other assorted critters. . The other is of Sanibel Island , used to go there all the time, and one of my rare still life paintings.

Virtual Paintout -San Francisco

This is the second in my Virtual Paintout .. I'm working on sizing my photos and hopefully I can do this one as I like it better than the first . It's not very good but trust me, landscapes have never been my 'thing'. But I like the challenge, it forces me to do them and I really would like to be better at it. Thanks to my blogging friends who offered help in sizing my photos. You people are great!

My Story about Paper

If you've noticed that I haven't posted any 'real paintings' your right. Thats because I have to play with paper for a while. I make small handmade books, different themes, sizes. They're very homemade looking, thats the way I like them. This one is on nature .. its about 3.5" square and still a WIP. I like working with paper, I collect bits and pieces of ephemera, and for this one it was twigs, feathers, natural elements. There is always some watercolors and even handmade paper beads. The lady can't help it. !!! it keeps me 'glued' together ..... End of story. !

O'Keefe- esque ? WIP

Alright so it's not a poinsietta, but it IS red and it is a flower!. And I am calling it a WIP, because you all know how I'll still be working on it for days. Just wanted to post something for Christmas Day.

The Hawk - Detail-- Pencil

I had to work on this more and more. I was unhappy with my original post. I knew he just wasn't right so kept tweaking it til I was 'almost' happy with the result. As I said before this is a subject close to my heart and it's one that I've wanted to do for a long time.

. I was not happy with the long petal on the lower right side, had to scrub it out and rework it.. Thank goodness for good w/c paper. Arches CP 140 lb.

A WIP

How many peonies and poppies can I paint? As many as I want to. I'm still working some areas that I'm unhappy with, but it's coming along. I used a 1/2" flat for the petals and Permanent Rose, cerulean blue, new gamboge, a little this and a little that.

A funny thing happened on the way to the Birds Nest

A bird built its nest in this can about a year ago. I saved it (posted a pic on my other blog) and wanted to paint it. The paint gave way to pencil and the nest got lost in the leaves. I got so involved in the leaves and twigs, that I forgot to leave the little dark area where the bird stayed . So now its just a can with leaves and twigs. Make sense?

My business card. I paint and sign each one by hand then cut them apart, information is on the back and no, I don't have THAT much time, I just love doing it! Thats one of my little travel sets with it.

Ronahs' Birthday Sunflower

Ronah is the photographer who posted a photo of this sunflower on Flickr. After getting her permission to paint it, I found out it was her birthday that same day, so I sent the painting on to her...

I Dared!

My other blog Art Hearts Journey is up and running ... Not without much help from my dear blogging buddy Veronica. She probably has a big headache today. Sorry V. It's not quite finished, and I'll put the frills to it later, but its a blog that I've wanted to do ....its crafty, its personal and it's me just without the paintings (well, almost) .

Aside from Painting Art

These are some of the ATC's or Artist Trading Cards that I've made. I picked up a square frame at a Thrift store and it was perfect to display them. Besides painting and drawing, I've always had to create something, anything. ! So I've decided to post those 'others' onto another blog. Art Hearts Journey The murals, miniature houses, art journals, quilts, needleworks, weird looking dolls, painted rugs on wooden floors ... just to have a record of some of my thoughts and small acomplishments and sometimes big blunders. .

A Tribute To Georgia O'Keefe

I've always admired Georgia O'Keefe. Not only for her large flower paintings but as a woman she crossed all lines in both her art and personal life. I have a book .. Georgia O'Keefe Art and Letters. (1987) One of the letters she wrote to a dear friend said in part "I don't see why we ever think of what others think of what we do-no matter who they are-isn't it enough to just express ourselves ?" There is a film coming up this month (TV) and I'll be sure to catch it. Although I've painted and posted many a poppy, (my banner on this blog) neither of these are poppies and both were done years ago.

Tina Marie -

A pencil portrait of my daughter done from a photo taken a while ago. She's an excellent artist and very creative.

The 'Gallery Wall'

I suppose all artists have at least one wall where you hang your work so you can see how it looks from a distance and other vital statistics, (like..... , is this any good?). I've been known to take mine down, unframe and do 'something else' to it . Of course with me I have 'gallery walls', 'gallery hallways' even gallery floors, you get the idea. I have a lot of 'stuff' . Thats my security cat Mary Louise on duty. She takes the morning shift.

Is It Real?

I wondered why I had so many comments on the drawing of the "Eye' (below) after I posted it on Flickr. It was picked to be on 'Explore ' of which I never knew about. I'm guessing it's a page where they post what they think is 'interesting'. Some people commented on what a "wonderful photo" it is.... No , No, not a photo,... a photo of my drawing! But thank you anyway.

The Answer

This week has been one that I don't want to do too much thinking or analyzing , not good at that anyway. Life is going to come at you whether you want it or not. When that happens to me, this is my best medicine. And I have that obsession with drawing and painting eyes. So that's exactly what I've done !

Watercolor 11x14

Same subject posted earlier in pencil . I love working with both mediums, so I did one of each. Why Not ? I don't own a tube of black. All my near blacks are made with either paynes gray or a blue ( ultramarine, indigo, plus Burnt Sienna) I'll sometimes add a touch of sap green, or if I want a reddish cast, alizaron crimson. Collar bones need softening . Yes!

'Gracie'

This is my latest pencil work. Thanks to Stephen Baird an amazing photographer you can find at http://nikonsniper.blogspot.com/. He joined my blog this week and when I saw his photos I asked his permission to do some in pencil and watercolor. He travels and gets to record all the wonders of different people, places and things. Stephen, thank you for your generosity. This was done using my Staedtler drawing pencils on smooth Bristol paper about 11"14". I use diagonal, vertical and crosshatch lines, and my trusty kneaded eraser.

UPDATE:: I picked a few of Steves photos to recreate, this one I couldn't wait to do, it was five hours work , I enjoyed every single minute, and after I posted it found out that its his granddaughter. Well hello Gracie. I hope you like your picture. !

Pencil / Graphite

Yesterday my mind was going from one thing to another, watercolor? flower?, landscape?., accomplishing nothing, I wound up posting a small watercolor that I did eons ago and don't even like that much. So what did I do? I did what always makes me feel better, thank you very much. And thats to draw. Last night picked up my Staedtler Drawing Pencils, smooth Bristol paper, trusty kneaded eraser and away I go.!

To Russ O'Brien

Today I want to thank Russ O'Brien , an amazing artist that I just reconnected with online. Russ gave art lessons at a craft store in So. Florida early '80's, and although acrylic wasn't my medium, I did learn many things from him. He was an inspiration and mentor . Later on he did a painting of Christa McAuliffe the astronaut who tragically lost her life in the Challenger accident. Copies of his painting hang in many schools to this day. Years later when I was asked to teach a watercolor class to the seniors in my community, I remembered and tried to model my class the way he did it .. tons of fun. Thank you Russ for all you've done.

Pots and Posies

For lack of a better title, because the flowers are just in my imagination, color splashed on top of pots. Terra cotta pots are easy to paint. Wet in wet technique. Burnt sienna, drop it in, and the shadow side is indigo blue. Thats a color that I always have on my palette.

Summertime!

No I haven't been this busy!

I rarely do a still life and this was years ago. 1992. It's also a lot larger than the pieces I do now. This is the second of the same subject, someone came along and wanted the first one, so I painted it again, this one for myself. . Since today is first day of summer I commemorate that by posting yet another floral. Happy Summer to all my blogging friends!

Todays Painting

I always feel like I've accomplished something when I've at least painted something for the day. So this was it. I have three African violet plants and they do pretty good for me. I like the looseness of this one and think I'll put it into the Etsy Shop ... As you already know all of my originals are for sale . Friends from Biloxi are coming in this afternoon , so painting is done for the day.

The Wonderful World of Blogging!

Through blogging I met Nancy from Adventures With Paint. We discovered that we live about an hour apart here in hot muggy, soggy Fl orida. We made a plan to meet last Wed. in Dade City, a quaint little town 20 min. from me, but a lot further for Nancy. We had a wonderful day ,walked around visiting some antique shops, had lunch at an interesting in-town restaurant (with real tableclothes and napkins )No paper plates for us that day! We came across an interesting art studio where a lady sits in the window and paints. Fun!! We have a lot in common , she's a Scorpio like me and we had our share of laughing too. I look forward to seeing her again. Thanks Nancy it was a good day for me.

This Is Who?

This little girl was sitting in a sandbox and someone took her picture a long time ago. The little girl is me... I painted it from a black and white photo a few years back...Well, those were days.!