Another nutritious meal

He just cracks me up the way he says butter.
Anyway as you see I have no artwork. Well, I do have lots of pears I have been painting getting ready to film "Pear-ology" but after you paint 50 of them and post most of them they start looking just alike. So I thought I would spare you the pear boredom.

Here's a news flash...
I am starting (restarting) a new venture which will be fun I think. (I hope)
I used to play guitar when I was younger and when I was 13 I had a rummage sale in front of my daddy's store to raise money for this very expensive Gibson classical guitar I wanted. I paid $150 for it 45 years ago so at today's prices that would probably be over $1000 now. I am just guessing on that one but back then is was a nice guitar.

I have agreed to lead some singing at our church with the little ones and I decided I would get out the old Gibson and get it restrung and give it a go. Our son, Zach, the" lawyer by day and rock star by night" said he would help me. I can play just basic little tunes on the guitar so hopefully this will turn out to be fun and not a disaster. Here is the Gibson.

It will be interesting to see if my old skills will come back. I will have to practice up on what I played back then..."If I had a Hammer", "Lemon Tree", " Hang Down your Head Tom Dooley".

You remember those, right?  :)))

Ok, I am off to Chip's Music Store with the 'ole girl and see if she can some back to life.

A Nutritious Meal!

Butter and Cheerios! Yum!
:))

Art Colors Life

Well, I have had a tiny breather from all that has happened lately with Chauncey's mother. His mother survived the surgery and it appears that she just might be ok. Maybe she will walk again but the extreme pain is now gone--just the pain from surgery. She is in rehab in the same place where we have moved them into assisted living. It is very amazing how God was one step ahead of me the whole time.  But I don't know why I would be amazed at that! Their apartment is really cute and I think they will be happy there. Chauncey's daddy is there now and this afternoon I think we might push her down to the apartment so she can see it for the first time. I put some of her pretty antiques in there and it really looks like home.

Maybe Chauncey and I can rest now that they are taken care of. There is still more to do with their finances and stuff like that but that's Chauncey's job to figure all that out.
God is good!

I sat down a few minutes ago and did these color drop flowers and the lettering. Feels good to pick up a paintbrush and pen.
Have a great rest of the weekend, y'all! I am off to the rest home.

I will have to leave you with this thought for a while-->pears are coming!!... but in the meanwhile we have had an emergency with Chauncey's 87 year old mother. She is waiting for hip surgery which will be on Tuesday. Both of his parents are handicapped at this point and have been living independently with help. We will have to move them into assisted living community after her surgery. Right now she needs constant care since she can't walk. 

So, I will return when all this calms down and I can create art again. 

Hopefully all will work out fine and she will be able to walk again.

See you all again later!

Do a little doodle...

I have been busy gathering and planning "Pear-ology: The Painting of Watercolor Pears" class.

 I haven't been posting anything because of the mass studio clean up and the Pear-ology class.

But hopefully I will get back to my acrylics soon. 

I have also been enjoying Joanne Sharpe's Letter Love class. I just love her whimsical and fun lettering and she is doing a great job with this class. Love her!! I recommend it!

All clean and organized!

Very excited about my new area to paint big. This big easel was certainly not fitting in the front room so it took about 4 days of rearranging and sorting to change everything around. Now it's so clean I don't want to mess it up! (That's why I don't have any new art to show)

But it will be messy again soon.

All my paints are together ready to be used. Do you think I have enough?

I can't remember that this area was ever this organized.

Going to Good Will---all but Bucky. I think I will keep him.

Little sweeties

We had such a great time visiting out little ones in Greenville. Morgan is getting so big and she is so sweet. She smiles like this most of the time.  And here is Marc singing his blessing.

I don't have any new art to show although I have been working on a "Pear-ology" watercolor series for the upcoming class I am planning.

I have been totally rearranging my studio and throwing out stuff (actually sending it to Goodwill) and making a new painting room in the back. Maybe tomorrow when  I finish up I will take you on a video tour and show you my new painting room.

Oh, and I think I posted this on Facebook but forgot to post this good news on my blog. I held my breath and entered a show here in town called the"Women Painters of the Southeast."
I really debated on what to enter knowing it would be a juried show. But to my great surprise both pieces got in the show! The show is in April and if you look at the second show you will see all the cash prizes!
I am just excited that I got in!
Here are the two submissions:

This is a dream come true for me. I am glad that I didn't have to face art rejection. I have done that before and it's not too fun.

Italian Countryside

I love any pictures of an Italian Countryside. I would love to go to Tuscany and paint and that is on the top of my bucket list for sure. I painted this from a picture that I liked. Not sure if I captured the perspective or not. The picture was so beautiful looking down into a valley. It's an odd size--about 7x11 and the paper was already primed and ready for something. So that something was a landscape. I have an opinion about it and my opinion is based on my expectation of the outcome. This turned out differently than my expectation for this piece. I am not saying that I don't like it but it is different from what I tried to paint. I am trying to capture the essence and not every detail. I fight hard to simplify because in a painting giving every detail is not necessary. Tell my left brain that!

I am off this morning to Greenville for a week to see my grand babies! See ya when I get back!

White Flowers

I really like this one actually. It's a 5x7.
I am reorganizing my studio to make the back sun room just for painting. I put the big easel out there but doing this involves a complete reorganization of all the supplies that were out in that room. This is a huge job and I have been working on it for several days. I have to leave it for now because I am off to Greenville this morning for a week to see Macaulay, Marc and Morgan while Daddy Marc is out of town.  I should be back sometimes next week. I am hoping everyone will have a wonderful rest of the week!

Green Pear

"It's not easy being green," said the pear.
Actually I think that was Kermit.
Well, that's just the first thing that come to my mind about this pear 'cause I paint so many of these so just what is there left to say? Ok, here's something... I actually painted this pear with Windsor Yellow then added some Antwerp blue to turn it green. No green paint on this pear.

This was that...

I finished up this painting so it could go into my spot at the Women's center. I like the way it turned out. Good thing I like green! Maybe some green-loving person will buy it.

Art of Your Heart

I write this little saying all the time because it is just so true for me. It is so amazing to me how different (and better) my art is when it comes spontaneously and serendipitously straight out of my heart. Most (99%) of the art I post on my art du jour blog is created this way.  I have had to do many commissions and other art on demand throughout the years and although I love my art and love to create it, if it is "on demand" from an outside source I feel that it is forced and contrived. I don't think the viewer can see (I hope not!) it but I sure can.

This was written quickly with my new fabulous Pentel Pocket cartridge brush fountain pen. I also got out my Pan Pastels for the sun and one of my favorite stencils. I should do that more often because that was awesomely fun!

So today was quick and fun = art du jour!

More in the Pear-ology Series

Painting pears definitely makes me happy. This is another piece of 5x7 Twinrocker paper with the fabulous deckled edges. Ok, gotta go now and do my happy dance. :))

CalligraFUN in Orlando

I just can't tell you how much fun it was to teach CalligraFUN to my fellow scribes. They are all such a talented bunch as you can see from the images. They had great success and I am so proud of them!

OK, I think I am ready now!!

CalligraFUN Samples

I am teaching CalligraFUN to the Scribes of Central Florida on Saturday and I have been really busy getting packets and samples ready for them. They are a great bunch of talented people so it should be lots of fun!
Here are a few examples I have created in the last few days to show them.

Cinco de pears

This is how I practice glazing the pears. It is just on a scrap strip of 300 lb Arches paper. I never waste any scrap of this paper. I can always paint something on the scrap and make a "snippet." I love the 300 lb and even though it is much more expensive I try to watch for sales and buy it then. Dick Blick is usually the lowest but Jerry's Artarama and Cheap Joe's are great too. 

My try to paint the pears so they will appear to glow in the light. A lot has to do with the paint colors too. Here are the 3 main colors I use:

Windsor Yellow---Windsor Newton

Quinacridone Gold--Daniel Smith (WN has a good one too)

Quinacridone Burnt Orange--Daniel Smith

I also mix up a shade color.

Reds in Water

Here is another 5 x 7 "Burridge" style floral which I love to paint. They are getting easier, 

at least for the 5x7s. 

I am certainly collecting a big stack of these! 

Pear on Pink

This pear is on a 5x7 sheet of St. Armand's paper. I am trying different watercolor papers and still my favorite is Arches 140 lb cold press. There is nothing much better than that for watercolor. Fabriano is good too but I think that Arches beats it for watercolor.
As I told you I am on a "pear tear" so you will see lots of pears in the coming days. I try to paint one everyday. I plan to do them in watercolor and acrylic.

Abstract 1

I have always been very drawn to abstract art but some abstract art is hideous (to me) but some is very pleasing to my eye. So with that being said, from time to time I delve (again) into the abstract area and try my hand. This one is on a 10x10 piece of 300 lb Fabriano paper. It's ok but I am still going to try to be a bit less busy. I guess I don't need to throw everything plus the kitchen sink into every piece. But I will say that I did enjoy painting it and watching it change and go in different directions. The focal point is guilded with 22 Karat patent gold leaf. So easy to do.
So, the question is, which way does it go?  This way...

Or this way...

Hummm..I really don't have a clue. I painted it turned the top way but turned it all around when I painted. I guess it can go anyway.

Repeat Pattern Blocks=FUN!

During one of my Pinterest wanderings where I sit and drool and become glary-eyed and sometimes go into an eye-candy coma (don't laugh you know you do it too) I saw this site. You might have seen it too. But I have gone crazy doodling these repeat pattern stacks. There is a help sheet in the site so you can do it. It is extremely easy and so fun so... go do it!

You'll thank me for it later!

Three Illusion Pears

I called these pears "Illusion" pears because they are in the Illusion Floater frames that I got from Jerry's Artarama. They are a really great way to display different size canvases and it really makes a big difference.  They come in silver, gold, black and white. I absolutely love them.

I thought I should take a picture of the 3 pears before they went into the show at the Women's Center here in Jacksonville. They are on the curb outside of the center. These were really fun to paint. Hopefully they will sell. These are 5x7s.

More on Twinrocker

I have been saving this Twinrocker paper and actually I probably shouldn't gesso over it and paint with acrylic. It is great watercolor paper so maybe this is the last time I will use this for acrylic. I do like the deckled edges though.

New Flowers for a New Year

I have been down with a nasty old cold and coughing thing since right after Christmas but I have gotten up to paint when I would have an upswing. I painted this yesterday. I got some new paints (to add to the warehouse of other paints I have!) It is Australian Sienna Structure Acrylic by Matisse.  I know that I could easily mix this color it's nice to have it in a jar. It comes pretty dark in the jar but mixes down to almost a lemon yellow. I love it.

Since I have been in my "pear phase" I haven't painted in flowers in a far in so long I was afraid I had forgotten how.

This one is on a 6x8 sheet of Twinrocker 140 lb watercolor paper. I love the deckled edge.

Hope everyone is well and feeling creative!

Also, here is something I thought was really funny!

Happy New Year

SENDING YOU MANY BLESSINGS FOR 2012!

Pears in Paradise

Hi Y'all. I have been enjoying my vacation but I have been painting like crazy even though I have been out of town. You know I can't put a paint brush down!

21 Secrets  will be available for purchase on January 2nd but it doesn't begin until April 1.

I will teach you how to paint flowers with a credit card. I will show you how I cut my card for pedals and leaves and we will use the easy value system to make our flowers pop!

If you sign up by clicking my button on the right side of my blog roll then I get "credit" for it.

Sending thanks to you now if you do that!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Merry Christmas

I am going to take some time off for Christmas and will return in the new year. 

I hope you all have a very blessed Christmas!

Bye for now.

Mother of all Pears

Yep, it's a big pear for sure. I think this is 18 x 18. I sat "her" on the front porch to show how big she is.
 I added some scrapbook papers first and then added the cranberry-ish background color all over. Then I drew out the pear with some sidewalk chalk (that was the closest thing around at the time) and started to layer on the color.  It took quite a while. For some reason painting a pear in different colors, like blue, is pretty easy but when I start to paint a "real" looking pear it gets harder.  But I love pears. There is something just wonderfully lumpy and whimsical about them. And if they are ripe--they are just about the yummiest thing ever.

Here is a journal page I forgot to post the other day.

Also--> Check this out! 
I will be teaching how to paint Credit Card Flowers in the upcoming "21 Secrets" workshop.
It looks like it's a great group of artists this go-round!