Christmas Painting Final

This is where I left the painting. It was so tempting to go in and detail out all those folds etc...but I think where I left it is enough to suggest those lumpy bumpy petals and give it some dimension...Mollie loved it and that was good enough for me! It ended up about 10x12 I think...which is small for me and really went quickly...making me think I should do more of this and see what would happen...more saleable but would not be competition size. But the biggest factor was it was fun...so that is something to consider as well!!!

Christmas Painting

Since I have not found time to paint as we still have company. I thought I would post a few of the steps to a painting I did for an exchange at the Artcolony. This painting went to Mollie who lives in Texas and is an avid gardener...so felt pretty safe doing a flower. We worked smaller and also faster which was strange for me....I sure would have liked to do more detail etc but time was an element and I needed it to be shipped by a certain date...It was fun to do as it sure went alot faster than most of my work! HA!  My first image was taken in such a dark space and I cannot get the background to look white...sorry about that. I was sort of letting the background color mingle in case something surprising would develop but decided to just continue to go dark...it was the easiest with time constraints.

Milk Glass and Cherries

I have begun a new one...and again I always give myself a challenge. I love color. Let me put that another way. I LOVE COLOR!  I would normally be putting more color into this glass but I am trying to be very grey with this one. It is killing me...and I worry it might be ruined but I have to give it a try...so don't panic...yes it really is grey! HA! Hopefully when done the grey will not be so obvious!!! We shall see. I might also try masking for the first time...I ordered it...we shall see! I am going to be trying a few new things this year...ha!

Another wash on Mondays Wash

I would like to even go deeper but a deadline is looming and so I have to say done...but I did go a little darker and not sure if it shows or not...but here it is...supposedly done!

Season's Greetings!

I do not have a new Christmas card this year...I surely need to do one for next year. So am sending you all my old one...but still a good one!

May you all have a  MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!  And may the new year bring you many blessings, love and joy!

Monday's Wash

Not sure that is the title but so far Monday's Wash is what I am calling it...any further suggestions? It is full sheet watercolor. The decision on the background was made to be simple like a stucco wall of old...as I was afraid too much would distract...however always after I am done I see a shelf with a spool of twine handing down...in the shadows...but too late for that!
I have thought of having it scanned for giclees but right now with all the mail being so crazy I am not sure I want this going out there...so will wait on that I think.
I have the drawing done for the next one...might not start that until tomorrow...I like to clean the studio in between paintings so will straighten it up a little and make it right again...plus have a blue poinsettia waiting to be photographed! Will we have a Blue Christmas next year??? I guess that all depends on the photos! Ha!

This painting is a very limited palette so it was very important to have a number of values going on to make it read properly...I hope I got that part right!~

The Rescue of the Loon

This will become my new Christmas tale to tell grandchildren if I am ever blessed to have any. On Sunday evening my son noticed an otter under out bridge so he went to investigate and thought he saw a loon scoot under the ice. We thought there was no way that was possible...and we had been having -20 degrees at night. Well the next morning I had to go look and sure enough there was an immature loon. He could swim and get under the ice so was not catchable but I knew at some point he would become weak...as they winter in the Gulf. He could not take this cold. He would not be able to fly out as they have to have I believe over 100 feet of open water to do that. I asked for help from the DNR and everyone I could think of but everyone said it was dangerous and let nature take it's course...well no way was I going to do that. I had seen one loon die two days before unnecessarily because no one would rescue it so this one I would save. Yesterday I was surprised he was still alive.at 8 in the morning after the 3rd night of -20 and more degrees...he was still swimming at 10 and at noon he was froze in...so I called my husband and said I was going in...I knew hypotherma was going to be a problem so my local police officer stood guard...I was ready to go in when my husband appeared with waders and he went in...with a hammer he broke him lose and we got him up on the ice and into a net. At 5 he was flown to Minneapolis and at 7 he was seen by a loon rescue vet. He had xrays this morning and I will hear the complete results this afternoon but it appears he is quite healthy. He might be flown then to the Gulf where he should be. That is where they remain for a year until they aquire their beautiful black and white plummage. I will show you the picture of him frozen and one of my husband as he entered the water...then the camera had to be in my pocket so I could help...wish we could have had a video! So needless to say I did not paint! I will get to it...I am getting close to done and the painting I did for a friend will be posted after   Christmas when she opens it...and I have a drawing ready to go so hopefully things will go more smoothly here soon!!!

Time Is Not On My SIde!

It has been a crazy whirlwind around here and I am still dizzy and sleeping [not much] in the recliner...is that a month now? Not sure! But I am better so that is good. I recently lost my dearest friend to cancer. Her funeral is next week. Her had is in my book several times holding the brush when I had to take pictures. She was my greatest encourager. I shall miss her greatly. This will also put me behind some but I will still get things done.
 I have just finished a painting for a Christmas exchange with some artist friends and I will have to wait to post that until after Christmas when she opens it. Would not want to ruin the surprise!
I am singing in the Christmas choir and also wed night services so that is also time consuming but gives me alot of joy at this season.

I will not try to bring the clothespin painting to completion over the next week if possible. There might be large interruptions as I have no idea what this next week will bring but I will try. I have had some nice suggestions as to the title but perhaps you can be thinking for me and add some more to the list. I believe this one will be shipped off to be scanned for prints. That is a little scarey at this time of year with so many packages going around...I would hate for it to be damaged. We will see what I decide. In the meantime I am posting a friendly squirrel who enjoys peanuts in the shell I buy for him and the bluejays. I have found a good source for unsalted ones and they really "squirrel" them away! Ha! I hope to be posting better here soon!