Wedding gift

I have a policy that I won't spend any money on wedding gifts anymore, I will just give the bride a painting (or paint the invitation if I can). I am heading to a shower tomorrow for a bride-to-be and unfortunately we won't be able to attend the wedding so this will be her gift.  I don't know her but her future mother in law is a dear friend and the groom to be grew up with our son, Zach. I like to try to give something meaningful and I thought the two palms were just the thing for this couple.

They are both thinking about the mission field so I thought Psalm 92 :12 was a
good Scripture to go with this painting.

 It's an 8x8 on a panel.

I wrote this on the back of their sweet little wedding invitation. It was so pretty on the front. It is still drying so I can't erase the lines yet.  And, here it is Saturday night and I am just getting this present together. I only had one shot at writing it and no time to practice my calligraphy so it's a-- take a deep breath and just write it-- type of thing. Now I need to figure out how to wrap it.

Rainbow Row

I took this picture of Rainbow row in Charleston several years ago. I love Charleston and lived there with some college friends the summer after my freshman year. We all went to the Citadel to take our language requirement. Yes, you read that right, it was the Citadel. Needless to say we were the minority in our class and the cadets acted like they had never even seen a girl before. It was extremely fun!

Anyway, back to Rainbow Row. Rainbow row is actually not very bright at all, at least not from my picture. I do love it though and always wished I could live there one day.
I created a line drawing in Photoshop and printed it on watercolor paper from my Epson printer (it doesn't smear) and started flooding in some bright Dr. Ph. Martins Radiant Watercolors. I wanted it bright and exaggerated. Looks like I got--bright and exaggerated! It was a fun little experiment.

Be not forgetful...

I really love this Scripture and it really makes you go hummmmmm....doesn't it?  Goes to show that angels probably really don't have wings, at least the ones that maybe we might have encountered?  I don't know but there have been times that I have said to myself, hummmm...

This is a Scripture that I wrote in a calligraphy class many years ago and saved it in my files. It is such a good layout that it just about will fit in any background. I change the colors in Photoshop. I painted the little girl several years ago also and with Photoshop I placed her on the background and used the overlay blending effect. There is also another angel face over her left shoulder. Hope that one is not creepy. Well, it was fun anyway.
It says, "Be not forgetful"...the Be not is not as legible. Probably should go and darken that a bit.

Have a wonderful Monday!

I sent out the Artsy Update newsletter today so I hope you all received it. 

This is a painting that I explain a little more in the newsletter. It was

fun to paint. You know how I love pears!

I hope you all have a wonderful and creative weekend.

Sketchbook cover

I find that if I have a cute cover on my sketch books I tend to pick it up and draw more frequently. I know that a  good drawing is the basis of any good painting so I try to draw as much as I can. Even if it's a mustard and ketchup bottle. It all about seeing the object.  I collaged different images in Photoshop, printed it and glued it on.  I love to create digital collages of my art. It's so fun.

This sketchbook is one of my favorite ones and I have several of them with various types of paper. They are Strathmore Visual Journals.  This one is a 5.5 x 8 but I have all sizes. Do you have one yet?

A little more poppy calligraphy

Here is the next page in that journal that also had some painted Poppies--so it needed some calligraphy.

I am heading off to my oil painting class with Diane Fraser, one of the best oil painters I have ever seen and she is just delightful too. She is a realist painter and of course I am not but the principles of color and value are all the same.  Hopefully I will move on along in my oil painting journey.
Have a wonderful day!

Poppy Strength

I am still enjoying going back and adding to old journal pages that could use a little lettering something. I wrote this with an Elegant Writer Marker Broad point calligraphy marker. I think it worked out pretty well with no planning and just a... ready, set... go for it.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This time it worked and I like it.

September JP--Week 1

I think I had a lot on my mind for this spread. These journal pages keep me using all my supplies that I love but don't use that much. I used to be a card maker so I used them all the time. I still make cards but just for personal use.  For the journals I look through my magazines for interesting little ditties and saying that will work as an element for the page.  It's relaxing and fun.

Have a great Wednesday.

A little lettering...and some fun...

Here is what a fun Friday night looks like:

Just need one more shelf, honey.

Having fun at the studio---well, Bucky and I are having fun that is...

All done. 

There's just something about a man with power tools...

Such a sweetheart...

You too, Chauncey...

Here's the cuteness...

Until next time...

Let Your Light Shine

Have a shining weekend!

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that

they may see your good works, and glorify

your Father who is in Heaven."

Matthew 5:16

Journal Happiness

What do we keep a journal for? 

For me it's always been about creating something that I knew didn't have to be a masterpiece;

or a place for a little masterpiece on a scrap of paper.

Or to see where your art journey was at the time--or just to have a little place to write

a thought. I have been looking through my journals and enjoying what I see

because if I didn't revisit then these pages would be gone from my

memory all together.

This is one of my favorite journals that has lots of yummy scraps and pockets filled with

stuff that I did even remember that I created. Yes, it's journal happiness for sure.

One of my favorite shows on TV right now is "So You Think You Can Dance." 

The dancers on this show are just so hard working, respectful and well mannered. 

This is one of my favorite dance routines. I have lots of favorites

but this one really moved me. If you  have even known someone who struggles

with addiction then you might agree that this dance is the perfect picture of it.

It's pretty intense and if you are not crazy about this style of contemporary

 dance then you might not like it at all.

 I think I like this dancer, Cole, because he is a martial arts expert and

 we spent most of my son's younger years in martial arts class. 

It is a wonderful discipline for young boys if they stick with it. 

That being said, here is my favorite dance with Cole and Lindsay.

Unfortunately Lindsay got voted off last time. :((

Filling in some journal pages

I have been missing my calligraphy nib so I have been going back into some journal pages that were ready for lettering to see if I could find a place for some lettering.  The top journal is a Strathmore Visual Journal with the bristol paper. It is smoother so it helps when I am using a pointed nib.

The bottom journal is one that I made out of cold press Arches watercolor paper. The "believe" was already there so I just decided to add to it.

The lettering is a "Martha variation" of a pointed pen calligraphy hand. I guess if it's anything it is a combination of pressurized Romans with a curly twist. Calligraphy speak there...

Also, I sent out the newsletter last night so hopefully all of you wonderful subscribers got it. Remember to look into your spam folder. I am not sure why that happens but some email programs will think that bulk emails are spam---and lots of the time they are.
But if you don't get it you can always go HERE to read all back issues.
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!