Day 11 of 30 in 30

Not even half way through. But one step at a time.  Today I'm  #78 on the Challenge website. Click on the link if you want to see others . 

Day 9

My Day 9

https://www.saetastudio.com/february-30-in-30-blog
This is the link to the Challenge blog, where there are thumbnails of the paintings on there.  Today I'm number #100.  

Day 8

Day #8 .  This is this mornings effort right out of bed.  More flowers?  I know.  I hear you, but crocus' are a sign of spring. 

Day #7

Day #7  Well one week has passed and three more to go.  It is accomplishing what I wanted and that was to paint every day to get me on the track again.   
And yes Candy, that was my favorite 'kid',  Redd.   Rescued him from the street..   

Day 6

 This is when I get 'picky'.   Yes, this was my favorite guy, Redd.

#5 30 In 30

  #5 is again flowers. When I first started watercolor around 1987 I probably did more flowers than anything else.. Back then I was a little more realistic in my painting.  For the last 20 years I've tried very hard to loosen up. I do like this style of painting but every once in a while I revert back to my nit-picky ways as you'll see tomorrow.  I can't thank you ladies enough for all your wonderful comments.  

DAY 4 ... of the 30 in 30

My trusty pear painting... for Day 4 

#3 30 IN 30

Number 3 in my 30 in 30 days Challenge. 

DAY #2

Ok, Ok... so I tried to do a "theme", .  Doesn't look that way, but then again I'm just doing what I feel.. Probably more teacups , small landscapes, and they are all done same size, on 5x7" watercolor paper.
Thanks for your comments.. You can see everyones' work. Just click HERE . 

Day #1

The 30 in 30 Challenge

Well here we go again... I've joined the Challenge again. Second time that I've completely lost my mind. Just kidding, it was fun and has been a couple years since I did it ... 
You try to do a painting every day for 30 days. And post it to the blog . Here's the link ...Challenge.  It's Leslie Saeta Fine Art blog. 

So the last time I did it I manage to do it every day.  Hooray for me!!  But this time?  Hmmmm! not so sure.. For one thing I'm having a hard time thinking of subjects to paint. I'm thinking of doing a 'theme' ... one subject and paint it 30 times.. Like I thought of teacups, or coffee cups. Or maybe one theme for a week and then change to another.. and so on.. 
Gotta go right now... but we'll see how this goes.. Fingers crossed. 

We Need This

We all need the sunshine right about now.. yes, even in Florida it's been cold. Sorry to the tourists that come here for a week.
I painted this on HP paper, although not my regular paper I wanted to try it again.
Happy Painting to all of you. 

Watercolor 2018

I've been away from the easel for a while .. No excuses just the way it's been.. The last few day I did try some flowers and just couldn't get it.  So made a big jump to a portrait which was an improvement over the flowers.   

My New Colored Pencils

So here they are.. and I"m finding them easy to work with.. 
Colored pencil  (definition) ::: Something I do when I'm procrastinating about watercolor painting . LOL !!! 

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.