Hydrangia Oil Pastels

Lately I've been wanting to try to paint in an impressionistic style. You'd think it would be rather easy, but it's not. I guess all my years of painting realistic has helped knowing what rules to break and determining different shades of value. I'm practicing small 8 x 8 and eventually will work towards a larger canvas.

Experimenting with neo-crayons

For the past twelve years I've lived with a chronic illness. I have lupus, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue. So I draw or paint when I'm feeling OK. I'm always looking for a way to create when I can't get out of bed. My preferred medium is watercolors, but becomes a little tricky trying to paint sitting up in bed and not spilling water all over the bed. I do use watercolor pencils and neo-crayons using a Aqua-flow brush--it's not a perfect solution, but at least it allows me to be creative.

So today is one of those stay in bed days...I wanted to go for an impressionistic painting, using only 2 complimentary colors...yellow and purple. I used my Neo-crayons on 140 lb watercolor paper. Size 8.5 x 11.

IF - Celebration

A celebration wouldn't be complete without tons of balloons!

Introducing.....Coco

Never take your spouse to the animal shelter because you could end up with a new dog!!!

Right after Xmas, my husband and I took a donation box to the local shelter. At my suggestion I told my husband, let's go see the dogs....Big Mistake!!!! The smell in the kennel was so bad that I turned around and went back to my car. A few minutes later my husband comes back with 2 dog numbers. With tears in his eyes, he said we needed to send some money to extend these dogs lives.

When I called the shelter to make a cash donation they told me that they didn't have the capability to take cash donations, but said I could adopt. One of the dogs was already on hold and also had tags. This little guy was scheduled to be put down the next day.
My husband said we could adopt and he would train,then find him a good home.

Well you know where he found a good home! Yup you guessed it...US...
Coco suffers from separation anxiety, but for the most part he is a sweet little dog and rather smart. He's learned how to use the doggie door; he knows sit, come, and stay; and he's bilingual...Spanish being his second language.

What I learned from this experience is that pound puppies are costly...what should of been $52 to adopt...translated into $500 in vet bills. Needless-to-say, he has wormed his way into our hearts and the biggest surprise is that he favors me instead my husband!!! LOL

Add carving rubber stamps

A new hobby...carving rubber stamps. This is addictive. I ran out of all my soft rubber to carve my own stamps. I guess that means a trip to Dick Blick!!!! I would really love to take a class on print making.

Purple Irises ink drawing

I'm really getting the hang of working with acrylic ink and using a dip pen to draw these irises. I used white Bristol paper and FW acrylic purple ink.

Rubber Stamps

Last night I was up til 1:30am carving these stamps. Once I got the hang of carving the birdie, there was no stopping me.

If -- Time

There is nothing like Time to take a nap with your favorite blanket.

Magnolia Ink drawing

I've always loved the way pen and ink drawings look. Trying to achieve depth and values in one color. So I decided to do a series of pen and ink botanical drawings that once I get my brand new Epson Stylus Photo R1900 Printer, I will be selling prints in my Etsy shop.

Dogs in Chinese brush painting

This was a fun classing painting dogs in Chinese brush. So much easier and carefree. The brush just jumped off the page and I was amazed how quickly dogs could be painted.

Tiger Lillies

In my Chinese brush class in January we did Tiger Lillie's...

Chinese brush work of birds

Over the last few months I've painted these birds in my Chinese Brush class.

I'm Back...

To Kick the month off...a western meadow lark....

I'm back...for the past several months I've been exploring other mediums and trying to figure my artistic voice. I've been making greeting cards, book binding little books of my watercolors and Chinese brush paintings, and working on botanical watercolors. I needed this time just for me, without the pressure to post daily...to just create. Needless-to-say, I've acquired more art supplies and tools. So I'm slowing going through my studio and weeding out art stuff I really don't use.

I've also re-discovered sewing. For Christmas I got a fabulous embroidery sewing machine and have been taking classes on how to use it. I've made a Xmas quilt,dog collars, and table runners. I'm even thinking about making slip covers for my living room furniture. Yes I know a little ambitious, so I might start small...like my ottoman.

I'm looking forward to the coming months to share all my creations.

IF - - Flawed

If everything in life was perfect, I wouldn't have flawed clothes.

I haven't...

I haven't posted in a while because I've been away. Last week I went to the SF bay area to visit with my sister. We had a good time and hitting every scrap booking stores we could find. Michael's and Joann's still seems to be the best price for the tools. Also we spent a day visiting China Town in SF looking for Chinese Brush supplies but only found student grade material, so China Town was a bust.

I discovered a cool scrap booking store in Santa Clarita which is about 30 minutes from my house. This store seems to have a lot of the latest scrap booking supplies. On Sunday I took a card making class where I did some embroidery and bead work on the card. Very time consuming and rather tight working with the seed beads.

Lately I just seem to be bouncing off the walls artistically. I really need to get back into just painting and choose a medium...watercolor,colored pencil, or acrylics. I guess I could view this period as a growth period since I'm trying to expand my bag of tools and refining the skills I already have as an artist.

More flowers

I have a tendency to save up my WIP drawings and paintings and take photo's in batches. I wish I had a better system to be able to draw,paint,photograph, and then add to my blog.

I was going through all my photos that I took from Butchard Gardens in Victoria,BC about 3 years ago. The images were just as fresh as when I was standing in front of them snapping the picture. Butchard Gardens...I wish I'd live closer to visit as often as I did when I lived in Washington State.

I want to start selling prints, so I'm looking at various sites to do so. My prints will be 5 x 7 and can be slipped into a 8 x 10 mat.

Once I have all the mechanics of selling...I'll let you know how you can own one too.

Elephants running...

OK, this might not look like elephants to you, but hey...this is what I see. What about you????

Koi Pond

I love the symbolism of abstracts...this reminds me of Koi fish swimming...what about you?

Red,White,and Blue

New abstract..reminds me of water.

Moving through depression

I sometimes think that this is what depression could look like. I like the colors on this abstract...very mellow.