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'  .

Brain Freeze. !!!

A lot of my paintings come from the copyright free site PMP.

I painted these a while ago, and can't for the life of me remember where I got them from .. I know it was very recent like the past week.. So can't even name the bird... if I find it I'll come back and tell you...
The important thing is that it was taken with my new Nikon S6800... I love, love this camera... easy , simple, great photos. 
I cannot have a camera that I have to change lenses... I am camera challenged LOL !!! In other words I'm not a techie , heck I don't even know if I spelled it right.. 

OK.. Thanks to a fellow blogger Laura I now know the name of this bird, it's called a Eurasian Oytsercatcher .
Laura's watercolors have been my inspiration for as many years as I've been blogging. 

Sunday Flowers

Feeling bad for all of you up north, having cold weather .. Even if it's not today you know it will be... Soooo just a warm, colorful painting .

Today

My philosophy is simple. I'm passionate about the art I create.
 I don't paint paintings to match someones sofa. I have to love what I'm painting, then be willing to part with it.
 Barbra Joan

This painting has recently sold.

Today

Seeing the date on this I realize I felt the same way 22 years ago.
 I still have days like that. 

' Bob '

This is 'Bob' . I did the painting of him for someone as a commission from my Etsy shop .
 His coloring was so white/cream not your usual orange or marmalade cat. Bob passed on some years ago, but as all of us animal lovers know we never forget them.

 ok heres' BOB.

The Year Past- 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

To all my blogging friends that come visit me through the year. 
As the year comes to a close, I thought of what exactly did I do this past year. Could I have done better? more? 
First of course, what did I do for others?  Humans and animals. Well, that would be a personal thing.. so let's leave it at that. 

 I exhibited in the Strawberry Festival at the beginning of the year.. 
 and finished my Alaska journal from my 2013 trip.

How could I forget my trip to Alaska and the Northwest, the year before.  Managed to make a quilt, two actually, one for my dear friend..  

  Also did some Florida series paintings, after all I do live there.

Forum Challenges, and how could I forget the '30 paintings in 30 days Challenge" ?

  It took me a month to recover from that .! lol . 
 A trip or two to Biloxi,.
Then the 4 day workshop that I took in Sept.. over on St. Pete beach.
The memory of that will last and will do another one this year. Same place different instructor .... after a lifetime of painting I finally got to take a class. ! 

  

Opened my Etsy shop and working at it to make it a success. 
I've gotten a few commissions from it and that's always nice..made a few sales already... that's good too. !!

Letting any unpleasant instances go, and there are always some.
Life is never without those bumps and bruises...My mom had a saying that 'what doesn't happen in a year, happens in a day'.
We never know. So,... I'll put my foot into the New Year and start walking like I've always done.  
Thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement for my art, my health, and my life. 
Barbra Joan...

Pirates Gold.   Some things are hard to leave behind. 
Mom.

Hi All

Hi everybody, here I am at my art table doing some sketches.
The holidays are upon us and always difficult for me.. I get around it by trying to keep busy. 
 A very big Italian family and all the traditions have been replaced by mostly dear friends ... if it weren't for them, I would probably go to Tibet and become a monk . lol.  
 No, not a laughing matter,  but I make the best of what I have and try to not think of what I don't.. Life has taken it's courses, people have made their choices, and I get on with my own. 
I do want to wish all my blogging friends, a very Merry Christmas,
and the Happiest of New Years.   Barbra Joan ...

Josie / Sold

Somehow without looking for it I've been designated a pet portrait artist.  Someone who purchased the 'Naptime' painting has asked me to do 'Josie',  and now another commission for a pet cat.. 
As long as they are happy, I will comply. 
I tried to capture that personality of Josie whom I am told loved playing with that ball above everything. Here is the photo it was taken from ... 'Josie and Her Ball' . What a beautiful girl..

 

Nap Time / Sold

I'm in my 'cat period '. Painting some different ones for my Etsy shop.  Plus I love painting them.. Cats and I go waaaaay back. 
Anyone who says "I don't like cats", probably has never had one.

Tuxedo Cat Watercolor/ Sold

This is the finished painting done on Arches 140 lb CP paper and ready to go into my Etsy shop.. It's in an 8x10" mat. 
So I'm in my cat painting mood. People like cats, and I've sold the one of the cat looking out the window.  Which BTW was my own cat Jenny... yes, she is a model.. lol 

Tuxedo Cat Sketch

A 20 minute kitty in my sketchbook ... I had a cat like this .. His name was Mickey...oh some of the light spots are from the sun..
You all know what a great ! photographer I'm not.... 

Pencil Finished

Just found this piece that I'd started about a year ago... I'd never finished it but now added a few touches this week.. One thing about my photography or editing, I can't seem to lighten my photos . Not that I don't try..... In this one, the paper is white, but it and everything else looks darker.. This about a 16x20". 

Parrot Tulip

Forum Art Challenge

This was for an art Challenge on a Forum joined years ago.. http://www.jwjonline.net/.     
It's a piece of a puzzle  and other members have to guess who is the artist... Well this cutie was my piece and they've already guessed it.
So... safe to post it here.  Darn she had a flower on her hat and I completely forgot to put it there.. Didn't want to scrub out, but guess I could have..

Boots 'n Jeans

This is my pencil version of 'Boots 'n Jeans'.
Pencil / graphite seems to be my 'art of choice' for this minute. 

Sketches

 I've not been up to serious painting, so just posting a few quick pen and ink sketches from my sketch book. And that is all I've been able to do in the past weeks.