Follow a Paitning - Take 2

Okay... the paints are mixed and everything is out and ready to go. I believe it is time to paint!

Follow a Painting

Hello! I thought I'd do a fun little project in my blog called "Follow a Painting." I thought it would be fun to take pictures of a painting during it's progress from white canvas to, in this case, beautiful rose! I didn't think of it until I was part way through the first brush strokes but here is the very first layer of paint on this painting. This piece is part of my nose to nose with nature series. Just thought of that too! I've been painting close ups of flowers, rocks, and trees for a little while now and this is the next addition to family! This layer is actually in acrylic (it dries faster) and it basically outlines my subject and blocks in the shapes. This will be a white rose. So to calibrate the lights and darks of the flower easier, I put in a dark background for now. I haven't yet decided what color the background will be but this will be a nice base for whatever I choose. Tomorrow, I shall have quite a bit of progress on the petals. Until then...

Snowing Again!

Hello! I think I'll stay in for a little while. It's wicked windy and bit on the snowy side!! Actually, I managed to spend some quality time in the studio today. I worked on another cow and I worked on a practice painting for a new theme I've been thinking about. As I have been running I have been inspired to paint a running gal. I'm usually not comfortable or proficient at drawing or painting people but when you are inspired... things tend to turn out okay. And she actually doesn't look too shabby. Perhaps tomorrow I can try a running guy! We'll keep you posted. Until next time...

Happy Saturday!

Hello!

I'm back today. I pulled another one in the morning last night/ this morning so I did not quite make it to the computer to blog. Yesterday and today were both painting days. The cows are coming along. They now have trees to play in and one has some personality showing through. She is giving me some sas now! I am about to paint her sister after I am done here. They look as though I interrupted a deep conversation so I am titling this one "May We Help You?" It should be pretty fun when all is said and done!

Above is a picture of the quilt I finished earlier in the week. I said I would post it later and here it is! It was a bit of work but well worth it. It looks gorgeous! It was inspired by two or three ideas from various books and combined for something very special. There are actually printed photos inside the stars. All of my custom quilts are designed and sewn by myself based on the ideas of the client ordering. Sometimes photos, fabrics, clothes, or other memory items are provided by the client. A design is approved before I start sewing and they always turn out so special for whoever it is made for. Enjoy looking at this one!

Until next time...

Happy Valentines Day!

Hi! Hope you had a nice Valentines day. My day was pretty normal despite the holiday. I decided it has been way too long since I last ran and my Saturday group would be sure to yell at me if I didn't get a few miles in before then... so out I went. 30 degrees with a wind chill of 13 but the sun was SO inviting. Bundled up I went and toted along my camera this time! I was headed back to the half frozen creek that I wanted to see with snow. The rocks and surrounding banks did have snow and it was nice. I probably should have ventured out earlier if I wanted snow in trees too but the trail was icy enough 2 days after the storm! Trying not to fall on my keister, I continued on and stopped to take pictures when it was too icy to run! You are looking at one of those images now... perhaps an inspiring photo for a later painting? Didn't get the chance to paint like I wanted today but perhaps we'll get to swing a couple brushes tomorrow! Until next time...

Hello

Hi.
It's good to be back. I think I missed yesterday. It just blew right by me! Let's see, it snowed so I had no excuse to leave the studio. I made some great progress on my cows and clouds. They now have a distant field, a couple trees and some grass to nibble on! I also wove two baskets. Then I got the notion to do some art thinking so by the time I thought I was done for the day it was 1:30 in the morning and today was here! Today was bit of a computer day and I spent a shift at the frame shop. Tomorrow promises to be a super productive day (we're moving Valentines day to later this week!!!) so hopefully I have something fun to show tomorrow!
Until next time...

Finally Finished

Greetings to all! I am very excited to announce that my quilt I have been working on for several days is now finished! It turned out quite gorgeous! I need to deliver it and see if I may have permission to share a picture with you. It was a custom commission so I want to make sure it is okay with the owner first. Now, it is time to embark on another project. My dearest husband has a nice fire going on this crisp cold evening so I shall plan a project that can be quite close to that! Until next time...

New Week

Hello!
For me, Sunday marks a brand new week. I write out my agenda and goals for the week and get my mind set for what is about to come on Monday! This week I get to finish a quilt, perhaps start another, paint and frame. I got my red barn finished on my new painting. I have trees, grass and cow details left to go. I'm pretty excited though, because that was my very first barn ever and I have to say, I'm a quite proud of myself! It will be a great place for my cows to hang out when it gets cold like today has become. Brrrrrrrr.....
Until next time...

Lesson Learned

It's Friday! For some people that is the end of a long week at work and if you are one of those people, well happy weekend to you! Today, for me, was a day of errands and getting the miscellaneous "stuff" done! Not sure how well I succeeded in getting it ALL done but that's just how it goes sometimes!

My lesson of the day came while I was running. And the lesson I learned was "ALWAYS BRING A CAMERA!" I was running right along a path I frequently run and I probably could have taken a good dozen pictures today. Now my legs would have been rather irritated at all the stopping, but my creative brain would have loved me! There were beautiful clouds out today and unusually blue skies for a February, Midwest day. I saw a deer very close in my path. There were some trees playing in the clouds that were perfect compositions. And of course the squirrels and birds constantly entertain me on my runs. Probably no pictures of them, but had to mention them anyway. So I need to create a running pouch for my camera from now on! Now to quote Forest Gump, "that's all I have to say about that!"

Until next time...

Clouds and Cows

Good Thursday to you! I like my title today. It sums up a portion of my artsy day! The first part was continuing on my quilt. It is turning out gorgeous. I discovered a new technique for me today that allowed me to "write" on the quilt.
And then, I ended up in the painting studio working on my latest landscape. This piece is for a show called, "Art from the Heart." There were several places that I could have painted that would have struck a cord in my heart but the scene I chose is also very fun for me. My husband's Aunt and Uncle live on several acre's of land and raise Hereford cattle. I had never really paid that close attention to the farm until one day myself and another artist, Beth Crowder, decided to go on a photo shoot of the valleys and farm land around Zanesville. I promised her we would get to see cows on one of the farms and when we got there, no cows were in sight! I lamented this observation to my Uncle and he told me not to worry, when he saw us returning from taking photos of the other hills on the farm, he would call out the cows. Well, he did not lie and there they were coming right out to see us as we came back. I had a blast hanging out with the cows! I got the most fun and surprisingly inspiring photos of those cow diva's and it is his farm and his cows I am painting in my new work! Those crazy cows won over my heart and so they are going into the "Art from the Heart" show!
I have actually painted some of those cows in another painting and they will be hanging in an exhibition called "Wings, Tails, Hooves, and Scales." So far, my cows have gotten rave reviews. Why not paint some more! And of course I love to paint clouds in my scenes, so today in the painting room, it was all about clouds and cows!
Until next time... mooo?

Happy Wednesday!

Hello!
This will probably be a short hello, but I wanted to make sure I got a note out. Today, I did not get to spend a lot of time in the studio. I wore my framer hat today and worked a shift in the custom frame shop. I did get home in time to watch Project Runway though. It is the one show I keep tabs on fairly regularly... it is fun to see art in the form of fashion design. I don't know how they come up with those outfits on such time constraints. It takes a while sometimes for my creative juices to flow. Speaking of... perhaps I'll have something to share about those creative juices tomorrow. Ta ta for now!
Until next time...

Sew Cool!

Hope this note finds you well. It was a lovely rainy, grey day here. A good kind of day to stay in and sew. Have you ever gotten so involved in a project that the day just flies by? That was how today was with my latest quilt project. There was a lot of engineering involved in today's sewing. I am happy to say that I got all but the last border together today! Now I am working with some paints for a nice brain break! It's cloud time for a new painting I am working on for a show in March. I will of course keep you posted on progress with that one!
Okay, we just had a flash of lightning followed by it's thunder! Now you are going to learn a little secret of mine... I'm not much of a fan of thunder storms - so I'm out of here! Until next time...

Final Reveal

Hello!
This will be the final reveal for this particular series. I am actually working on some more paintings now and a memory quilt. The quilt has a nearby deadline so it gets first priority! Sewing has been the name of the game today. For now however, let's take a look at this lovely painting. I told you yesterday that this would be a sister to yesterday's painting and now you see why. This one is titled "Field of Posies." It is also 24" high and 8" wide. This one actually started the whole series to begin with but ironically was the last one finished! I especially like the clouds in this one. The sky has nice negative space. Enjoy! And thank you for the nice comment on my blog. I do welcome comments. I just haven't shared the link with a ton of people yet. We'll get there soon!
Until next time...

A Quiet Sunday

Hello! It's good to be back. I believe my Saturday just slipped right by me! I did have a good time helping my mother pick out fabrics and quilt patterns for some baby quilts she is about to embark on. I have a couple of nieces on their way this spring. Very fun! Well, here is the third painting of my series of four paintings finished recently. This one is titled "Field of Posies II." This is an original oil on canvas measuring 8" wide by 24" high. The posies, trees and clouds wrap around the sides of the stretched canvas so you can follow them around as you pass by it. I love the tall, thin format of these paintings because I can really have a great time with the sky and the clouds! You will find the final piece is a sister to this one. Enjoy and I'll look forward to showing you the last of the series tomorrow!
Until next time...

A New Painting

Happy Friday! It is snowing fluffy flakes outside my window right now! I actually do not mind the snow as long as I don't have to drive on it much!! Otherwise, it can be quite beautiful. However, there is no snow in this new painting! This one is titled "My Head's in the Clouds." It looks like the evergreen trees are enjoying themselves amongst the low clouds. In this painting, as I do with many of my cloud/ tree paintings, I thought about how the tree shapes complimented the cloud shapes. This oil on stretched canvas is 8" high and 6" wide. I paint around the edges of my canvases so there is actually more to this painting than you can truely see! By painting the sides, the image has a 3-D feel and it's ready to hang! Very fun! Enjoy!

Until next time... have a great weekend!