Making Lavender Sachets

I love sewing, smelling lavender and painting so combining these three activities into one tiny bundle delights me to no end. Here you can see some of the steps it takes for me to make my lavender sachets. I grow the lavender in my front yard from two plants and my next door neighbor also is giving me her lavender now. Then I harvest it and let it dry in pillow cases and roll the cases to release the seeds. After I paint the paintings I take a photo of them and then copy them onto printer fabric. The fabric is then ironed and cut and sewn onto pouches. Then I clean up the lavender by sifting it etc. and scoop it into the pouches. There you have it: 72 pouches of lavender and 2 days later! I'll be selling these lavender pouches at my 4 upcoming shows in October, November and December. One of the shows will be at Villa Montalvo at their Yuletide celebration in November. Come on by! There's one with your name on it!

Watercolor Art Journal

A new art form for me! Here is my first Art Journal. I have 2 new jobs now and for one I'll be team teaching art with my friend Christine (from www.ChristinesArts.blogspot.com) at the Saratoga Senior Center. Our first 4 week class is going to be on how to make Art Journals. Christine came over for a few days this week and we each made one (I'm sure Christine will show you hers if you ask nicely.) You can make these for telling stories, dreaming about what you'd love to do, writing poetry, scrap booking, you name it. I decided to make my first one as an instructional tool for showing some color theory and watercolor techniques (for example, you can see I sprinkled some salt on the bottom right corner of the cover to get the paint to push away.) I haven't finished the last 3 page pull out yet. I'm thinking of painting an actual landscape painting applying all the techniques and demonstrating which brushes I use. (I'll add that when I finish). I'll take photos as I teach the class too and I'll let you see what they've created. So more to come! Special thanks and recognition to Teesha Moore for instruction on her blog on how to create Art Journals.

Villa Montalvo Stables

Today, 9/18/2010... Finished!!! Thankyou Deborah for your suggestion on finishing touches. And now (drum roll please Rich, on to the calendar!)

And now I'm almost finished, but what else does it need ?(beside my signature).

and then...Stables with more color and tree. Halfway there?...

The next day 9-17-2010...Stables with some color...

9-16-2010: Here is my preliminary pen and ink drawing for the Villa Montalvo Stables. I didn't even know it was at Montalvo until someone at the summer luncheons suggested I'd like to paint it. I found it off the last parking lot nestled in the woods. Now it is used as a ceramics studio and for other things, but I can imagine it as it use to be, with the horses nearby ready to retire for the day. Tomorrow I hope to watercolor it and then... I will have all the paintings I need to finish my calendar!! I love the challenge of completing a project. So rewarding.

A Window and Camellias at Villa Montalvo

I saw this while walking around the Villa and thought it was so pretty I just had to paint it.

Villa Montalvo Domed Resting Spot

I'm getting closer and closer to finishing the paintings for my calendar! Here is a pretty little resting spot at Villa Montalvo. One day last winter I parked in the lot and then was so surprised to see this dome when I looked up. This one probably will be December in the calendar. Two more to go!

Villa Montalvo in the Springtime

Villa Montalvo in the Springtime. I just finished this one today but I drew it out while sitting at the beach a few months ago.

Villa Montalvo Wedding Day

Here is a commission I just finished for someone I met at the Montalvo Summer Luncheons. It was fun to paint from the actual photos of this wedding, especially the people. This painting will also be in the calender.