I can't wait for springtime so I'm hurrying it along by painting butterflies again! I've also been busy teaching a watercolor class to five ladies, doing acrylic demonstrations at Michaels, and painting a background set for my daughter's high school musical. More to come on these projects... stay tuned.
Going back in time, here is one of my first attempts at watercolor painting in 2002. I call this one 
Here's another room at my friend's former house. Right after we painted the butterflies, I tried to paint the living room in watercolors using my oil painting techniques and some pointers Beth had just taught us. At this point I realized that I could paint in watercolors by using what I know of drawing and painting. After this, Bethany and I took more private lessons in watercolor together from another artist. This all happened during the years Bethany was home schooled.
Last weekend I had a show at the Elizabeth F. Gamble House in Palo Alto, CA. They were having a house tour of six houses and gardens in the area with Gamble Garden being the last house on the tour and lunch was provided. Since I was selling there, I thought it would be nice to paint the house and the gardens and make prints, cups, and magnets with the images on them. What a weekend it was. The gardens were filled with flowers, vendors, strolling musicians. people milling around enjoying the wonderful weather. The fragrance of flowers and flowering trees, crepes and scones was in the air. And even though I was working, I got the benefit of being in wonderful company on a perfect weekend.
This farm was across the street from the seed flower farm in Gilroy. So much yellow, orange and green in one place. I painted it on a full sheet of watercolor paper and had it professionally matted and framed for my gallery show.
Hot off the press! I just finished this painting last night. I took the photo while on a road trip to Los Angeles with my daughter, Katherine, this summer. I was snapping photos along the way when to my great and delighted surprise I saw this flower/seed farm at the 101 and 152 junction in Gilroy, California. Then I looked to my right and saw a sunflower farm! I've already drawn that one out on paper and I'm ready to paint it today. Both of these paintings will be ready to show for my artist's reception at Gallery Saratoga on Dec 12th. Come on by!
This is the view from the back deck of our cabin in the Sierra foothills. We just had some trees removed so we can see the view of the next mountain range. I painted the same spot for Cabin Dreams, but it looks very different from that painting. This is the 2nd time I posted this painting (see April 19th). Since I had this painting already, I had the idea to build on it to make a collection of one of my favorite places.
What do you know. On the back deck of the cabin we have a hammock for dreaming, but on the side deck we have a hammock for resting. The hammock was actually blue and white stripes, but I wanted to paint it like Joseph's coat of many colors.
At our cabin in the Sierra Nevada foothills, we have this peaceful spot off the back deck where we can nap as long as we want to. Heres to the lazy summer days at the cabin.
Hi! In this entry I want to show you what it was like at the end of July, beginning of August for me. I took on this project of making an entirely new collection of paintings to hang at the gallery for August. I've been in the gallery since February and have had to provide from 5 to 8 new paintings each month (with a few I could carry over from a previous month.) So by the time August rolled around I ran out of new and slightly reused paintings! The only thing I could do was to paint like a madwoman... 7 paintings in 2 weeks! I drew on my old elementary school teaching skills to "assembly line" each step of the way. First, I drew them all out. Then I painted one background, and while that was drying I started another and then another and another....
This is my third painting of the Wedding Bluff. I enjoyed spattering the tree.
I painted with my friends yesterday!! It's so much fun to paint with buddies who love the same things. This painting is the second in what will be a series of paintings of this location. The original and prints will find new homes soon, I hope.
This weekend we had a great time with family and friends. One of my friends, Beth, painted with me for a day while we sat on the deck at the family log cabin in Nevada City, California. Since we recently had many of the trees cleared, we now have a wonderful vista view, and I have a renewed inspiration to paint, paint, paint. Looking at the beauty of the woods reminded of the bible verses in Isaiah 55:12-13. They say," You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands...This will be for the Lord's renown..." And I say, "Let it be Lord! Let it be!"
Here's a class study of a painting by the amazing artist, Dan-Fong Liang. (I liked it so much I painted it twice.) The photo I took is of my painting behind glass, so you see a reflection of me taking the photo. I went online today to discover more about this artist and what I found out about her is a treasure in itself. She lived life under difficult circumstances and conditions, but these only made her more determined to paint the beauty of the world. You may find it interesting and inspiring to read what I read. Here's the link:
I painted this for my niece's graduation present. I love painting historical sites and places of interest. The Freshman class at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island enter the gates and don't officially exit the gates as a class until they graduate. I was privileged to share in this moment at my niece's graduation when the gates were opened wide and hundreds of happy graduates in cap and gowns poured through them.
