You'll Never Walk Alone

I finished this painting Tuesday at 4:30, and had to rush it to the Art show by 5. Luckily, it is in acrylic, so that can be done without any problem. This is a 30 x 40 inch gallery wrapped canvas.

This is a very stylized painting. I love to play with the colors in the sky and clouds. I meant to put in more fluffy clouds, but it didn't happen. I had a great time with this painting, and would love to still be working on it.

This boy is the child of one of my good friends. He's two, and just as cute and smart as can be.

Jayne's Water Bottle

It's another month, and time to once again enter paintings into the Heartland Cultural Alliance art show.

This is a 16 x 20 acrylic painting on stretched canvas, which I just finished.

It is called, "Jayne's Water Bottle", and is done in homage to Andrew Wyeth's watercolor, "Christina's Teapot". I did one on canvas board in college, but this is a new one, with an updated bottle.

Jake and his Guitar

I did this 8 x 10 acrylic painting for my grandson Jake's 15th birthday. He loves to play guitar, and is happiest when playing it, or spending all day in a music store checking out all the instruments. For this painting, I used a photo that he posted on Facebook, because it shows how happy he is.

His birthday was March 15th, but I wasn't able to visit him until this month, so I waited until the painting was delivered before posting it. I like secrets and surprises. This was his "Golden" birthday; 15 on the 15th, so it was special.

My photo is a bit fuzzy, since photography is not my strong suit.

In Memory of Mason

Today I finally have decided that I am finished with this painting. I feel it needs more, but I am not sure what it should be. I did this for my niece and her three children, in memory of her husband, Mason, who was tragically killed in a small plane crash nearly 3 years ago.

This is a 20 x 24 gallery wrapped canvas painted with acrylics. The oak tree represents Mason, and is taken right from the program used in his celebration of life. I wanted to show that God's light shines through Mason and onto his family, friends, and the community who love him. The flowers in the field represent the many people his life touched. The four daisies in the foreground represent Mason's wife and three small children. Hidden in the branches of the oak tree, printed in gold, are the words used in his celebration of life service, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Phillipians 1:3

New Year's Flowers

This is my second entry into the Heartland Cultural Alliance 30 day art exhibit. You may recognize it as my first Art-Project-A-Day painting.

There wasn't much time between when I discovered the Alliance group, joined, and found out how to enter. I did manage to mat and frame this and enter it today, though.

I think the artist reception will be fun on Saturday night, whether or not my pieces are accepted for exhibit.

This is an 11 x 14 inch watercolor of flowers in my purple glass pitcher, with the 2011 headband from New Year's Eve. It is matted and framed to approximately 17 x 20 inches on the outside edge of the frame.

Zurapha; which means giraffe

I went out with my daughter, Danielle, for green beer on St. Patrick's Day at the Kenilworth Lodge. There was a 30 day art exhibit, set up by the new Highland's Cultural Alliance, which really made me happy. So, I immediately joined the Alliance in Sebring FL. There is another 30 day art exhibit starting this Saturday, April 2nd at the Kenilworth Lodge in Sebring.

Each member is allowed to enter 2 art works, which were due today. I painted this giraffe, and turned it in this afternoon. I don't know if it will make it into the show or not. I guess I will find out at the reception. It will still be fun to see what the Alliance does, and I am looking forward to the reception regardless of what happens with my painting.

My giraffe is 20 x 30 inches, on a gallery wrapped canvas, and is done in acrylic. This pic is cropped somewhat due to my lack of photo skills. But, it looks pretty much like this.

http://www.heartlandculturalalliance.org/ 

Art Project A Day #59

Art Project A Day #59. Today, I chose my last project for February's Tea for Two theme. It's an iced tea carafe that was given to me in 1993 by Amber's 5th grade teacher, because I had been volunteering that year to tutor small groups of students in her class in Math.

It's a very pretty glass pitcher with another glass insert that holds ice to keep the tea cold longer. It has a wooden stand, and a wooden lid. The carafe is sitting on a little table covered with a white battenburg lace tablecloth.

This is an 8 x 10 watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper and Reeves watercolor paint.

I have truly enjoyed my Art Project a Day for the last 2 months, but I have put many other things on the back burner, which I now intend to work on. If I could do an Art Project a Day every day for the rest of my life it would be so awesome. But, in reality, I have to get back to my real life. I have some art projects that are too big to finish in just a day, so I will still do artwork, but I will also have to catch up on some housework and yardwork.

Art Project A Day #58

Art Project A  Day #58. Sunday is my hang with friends day, so I got started late on my art project, and finished it as I watched the Oscars. I couldn't find my camera last night, so I couldn't post it yesterday, but here it is today.

The subject is tea sandwiches and tea cakes. I love all the tiny treats that tea houses serve. I make them when I throw a tea party, too.

This project is a 9 x 11 watercolor, but could be matted at 8 x 10.

Art Project A Day #57

Art Project A Day #57. I drove around town trying to find some large leaves to carve with an exacto knife into a cup and saucer with steam. These leaves were found under an orchid tree near my house. These leaves were dry, but not so dry as to be brittle. I also tried cutting green leaves, but they broke even easier than the dry, brown ones.

This is a 6 x 6 inch design.

Art Project A Day #56

Art Project A  Day #56. Today, I made Sun Tea in a mason jar. It's so easy that all you need is a jar of water, a large tea bag, and sunlight. The sun does all the work.

I liked the shadows behind the jar on my sidewalk. These were made by tall grasses (AKA weeds) growing in my flower bed.

This is an 8 x 10 watercolor on Arches 140 pound watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #55

Art Project A  Day #55. Today, I painted with my friend, Vivian. Because of my trip, we haven't painted together in about a month and a half, so we also were able to catch up on what's been happening.

I set up this still life of one of my tea pots with an Iris design, some ancient loose tea I happened to still have, and a strainer which is used for loose tea.

This is an 8 x 10 watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper. I also used a fine black Sharpie, and an Elementz metalic marker just for fun.

Art Project A Day #54

Art Project A Day #54. Crafters make these cute bird feeders with various kitchen items. I love them! I chose the tea cup and saucer, of course, to stay with my theme. These two birds are enjoying munchies together in a field of daisies.

This watercolor is an 8 x 10, but I cropped it here to 7 x 9. It is done on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #53

Art Project A Day #53. This is a glass of Long Island Iced Tea with a slice of carambola, or star fruit. I know; this is not actually tea. I wish I had known that the first time I ordered it. Whoa! I am not much of a drinker, so it was interesting.

Today's project is an 8 x 10 watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #52

Art Project A Day #52. Instead of "Tea for Two", today I did, "Tees for Two". My niece, Brooke just gave birth to her second daughter, Hazel. Her first daughter, Amaia, is now a big sister. So, I painted tee shirts for the two new sisters.

Brooke and her husband, Ivan, are marine biologists, so I decided to incorporate fish into the design. These shirts are 100% cotton painted with acrylic fabric paint.

Art Project A Day #51

Art Project A Day #51. This girl is wearing a pink boa, and a black broad-brimmed hat as she attends a tea party at the Twin Oaks Tea Room in Sebring.

It is an 8 x 10 watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #50

Art Project A Day #50. We have no water at our house right now, so I couldn't make tea. It seemed reasonable to go to Mc Donald's to get some tea, and an egg McMuffin, too.

I opened the breakfast, and it seemed like a Kodak moment, as well as an art project for today. This is an 8 x 10 watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

After eating it, I drew it from the photo, but then I went out for the day with friends. So, I didn't paint it until tonight.

Art Project A Day #49

Art Project A Day #49. Today I chose a Gustav Klimpt "The Kiss" mug. I have a collection of great artists mugs, but this one belongs to my daughter, Amber.

This is a 5 x 5.5 inch watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #48

Art Project A Day #48. I drove home to Florida from NC today. I haven't got as much time or energy as usual.

This is another cup and saucer from the British Tea Room in Texas. It's a 5 x 5 inch watercolor on 140 pound watercolor paper. As I was photographing it, I noticed how lopsided I have the saucer. Oh well, it's the best I could do today. But, tomorrow is another day. Right?

Art Project A Day #47

Art Project A Day #47. This was a teapot from the British Tea Room in Texas, We  had the best scones, too. Yum!

This is an 8 x 10 watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #46

Art Project A Day #46. This is another cup and saucer belonging to my daughter, Amber. She took the photo for my "Tea for Two" collection. I love all the colors in it.

It's an 8 x 11 watercolor on Arches 140 pound watercolor paper. It could be cropped to an 8 x 10.

My photo has shadows in it. The background is actually one solid color. A photographer I'm not.

Art Project A Day #45

Art Project A Day #45. Today, I had lunch with my friend, Jane. She is also my granddaughter, Elyse's other grandmother. She had a cute set of mugs, so I took photos, and then chose this one to paint. It features a cat singing with a microphone.

It is a 5 x 5.5 inch watercolor painting on 140 pound Arches paper.

Art Project A Day #44

Art Project A Day #44.  My 11 year old granddaughter, Elyse, did many watercolors today to give as Valentine's Day gifts to her Mom, other grandmother, Dad, and for her room. We had a fun day painting together.

This is my son's dock. Elyse loves the dock. Yes, I know it isn't anything to do with tea, but Steve suggested it as a painting, so that's what I did today.

It's an 8 x 10 watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Here she is, the budding artist, Elyse.

Art Project A Day #43

Art Project A Day #43. I just watercolored the drawing from yesterday's post.

So, it is an 8 x 10 watercolor of the British Tea Room in Harker Heights TX.

Art Project A Day #42

Art Project A Day #42. February 11th was my son, Steve's birthday, so I only got a drawing done that I wanted to watercolor, but didn't get time to finish it. I should have photographed the lasagna I made for his party; it was a masterpiece, and could have easily been my completed project. lol

But, the drawing is my art project for the 11th. The subject is the tea house in Harker Heights TX, where I had lunch and high tea with my daughter, Amber.

It is roughly 8 x 10, and is on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #41

Art Project A Day #41. This is an 8 x 10  watercolor of a copper tea kettle owned by my daughter, Amber. It is done on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #40

Art Project A Day #40. This is a pottery tea cup and saucer. It's 5 x 5.5 inches, watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Again, I'm traveling, so not much art time. But, I arrived safely to my son, Steve's house in NC.

Art Project A Day #39

Art Project A Day #39. This is a little brown cup and saucer done with colored pencils on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper. It's 5 x 5.5 inches.

I was driving from Texas to North Carolina starting on this day; I got halfway, and stopped at a motel. No time to do more than draw it.

Art Project A Day #38

Art Project A Day #38. This is a watercolor of my daughter's cup display stand. She has four different cups and saucers on it.

It is done on 140 pound watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #37

Art Project A Day #37. Today, after church, Amber and I had brunch at the Vineyard in Florence Texas. We wanted to see another daughter, Kelly's art exhibit there. We came home, did some skyping, made some mustaches, and watched the Super Bowl back and forth with some other movies/shows.

This is just a 5 x 5.5 inch watercolor of a blue cup and saucer that was at the British Tea House in Harker Heights, Texas.

Art Project A Day #36

Art Project A Day #36. This is a silver tea pot that my daughter's friend gave her as a wedding gift. It is sitting on one of her kitchen towels.

This is a 7 x 8 inch watercolor on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #35

Art Project A Day #35. It snowed in Texas last night, so my art project today is a sculpture of a tea cup in snow. It is a demitasse.

Art Project A Day #34

Art Project A Day #34. This is a 5 x 5 inch watercolor of a Stangl pottery cup and saucer in a design called "Magnolia".

Art Project A Day #33. Today was Miss B's birthday, so we let her eat out of a tea cup, mainly so I could paint her, and tie it into my tea project.

This is a 7 x 10 inch watercolor painting on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project A Day #32

Art Project A Day #32. Since February is month number two in the year, my Art Projects A Day for February will have the theme of "Tea for Two". I like tea, and have many items related to tea at home. Amber has a large tea cup collection, too, so I will be painting some of her things while I am still in Texas.

This first February painting is an 8 x 10 watercolor of some canisters of loose tea (one is antique), along with a mesh tea ball infuser. It is done on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper.

Art Project Day #31

Art Project  Day #31. Today, my daughter, Amber and I drove around town and found these old dilapidated buildings in a field, down an old country road in Harker Heights, Texas. I really wanted to paint it as my last painting in my January Art Project a Day.

This is a 9 x 12 watercolor on 140 pound Arches paper.

Art Project Day #30

Art Project  Day #30. Today, I made all these mustaches; 77 of them, for my daughter's etsy shop; whiskerworks.com. I mixed two resins together, and poured them into the molds that my daughter made. After they hardened, I took them out, and did it again and again. It is so much more work than I had imagined. These still have to be sanded, but I'll let her do that.

Art Project A Day #29

Art Project A Day #29. I was looking for an apple to paint today, but all I found at my daughter's house was a banana. I paired it with a green and red kitchen towel. The piece is an 8 x 10 watercolor on 140 pound paper.

The next morning, we ate my model, and it was delicious.

Art Project a Day #28

Art Project a Day #28. My son-in-law, Alex was deployed to Afghanistan on day 28, so I photographed his uniform before he left.

Amber was gone all day with him, seeing him off, so I stayed home and painted the uniform. It's on an 8 x 10 gallery wrapped canvas. I am giving it to them.

Art Project a Day #27

Art Project a Day # 27. It's been cold in Texas, so every night, Aex gets a fire going in the fireplace. I thought I'd paint it. So, here it is; an 8 x 10 acrylic painting on a canvas panel.

Art Project a Day #26

Art Project a Day #26. I am in Killeen, TX now, at my daughter, Amber and husband Alex's house. They own a bentwood rocker, which I think is so beautiful.

It is an 8 x 10 drawing on 140 pound Arches watercolor paper, with watercolor pencils. It really deserves to be an acrylic painting, to bring out the warm colors and gloss of the wood. Maybe I will do that on another day, when I have more time. This is a 2 1/2 hour effort.

Art Project a Day #25

Art Project a Day #25. My son-in-law, John, makes fantastic lamps with lots of Goodwill and flea market finds.

This is an 8 x 10 watercolor of three of his creations. They are much cooler in person, and especially at night when turned on.

Art Project a Day #24

Art Project a Day #24. On this Monday, I was able to attend a life drawing session in Austin with my daughter, Kelly. (I wish we had these where I live.) I like to go to them whenever I am in Austin, because it is so reasonable; $5.00 for a 3 hour session.

This model, Hannah, was so good at poses. I have posted one of the series of drawings I did of her that night.

Art Project a Day #23

Art Project a Day # 23. A family friend, Trang Do, had cut some leaf silhouettes of My daughter, Amber and her husband, Alex as a wedding gift. Since then, I have wanted to try it.

My project for January 23rd, is a generic profile with a Bradford Pear Tree leaf. The leaf was brittle, so it cracked, but I definitely know I will do this again with fresh leaves in the future.

Art Project a Day #22

Art Project a Day #22. While living in Italy, my daughter, Kelly, was able to visit Burano Island. She took many photos there. I have painted part of one here. I love the colors. Wouldn't it be great to go there?

It is an 8 x 10 acrylic on canvas board.

Art Project A Day #21

Art Project a Day #21. I am visiting my daughter, Kelly, and son-in-law John in Cedar Creek TX. Kelly studied Art at the Angel's Academy in Florence, Italy. She fell in love with Florentine Calligraphy, and has been working on quite a few paintings with it on the side.

I decided to try my hand at it. This is done with watercolors on 140# paper. It's about 5 x 11 inches.

Art Project a Day #20

Art Project a Day #20. This was a tunnel on Interstate 10 in Mobile AL. I love tunnels, especially when you can see the light at the end of them. ;^P This was done on January 20th, and I tried to post it last night, but couldn't. I'm glad I could get the project on  today, though.

I will be out of cell phone and internet area for the next few days, but will play catch-up later.

Art Project a Day #19

Art Project a Day #19. This day I drove from Foley AL to Killeen TX after lunch with my brother, Dan and Pat. I could see I wouldn't make it before midnight, so I quickly got a magic marker and a sheet of paper to so my project which tells the story of my exhaustion, and desire to hit the hay.

I am in TX now, visiting my daughter, Amber and her husband, Alex. I have wireless now for a few minutes, so I catching-up on my postings.

Tomorrow, I'l be in Cedar Creek with no wireless or even cell phone, so I will be playing catch-up on another day later on.

Art Project a Day #18

Art Project a Day #18. This is the project for January 18th. My brother, Dan, and sister-in-law, Pat took me to see the shoreline. A fog had rolled in and there wasn't much to see, but we saw some people they knew, who were eating at the Hangout Restaurant. This sign was a the building, made out of licence tags. It is in Gulfshores AL. We thought it was really neat, and Pat suggested I paint it that night, while we watched Biggest Loser in Foley, AL.

I am in TX now, visiting my daughter, Amber and her husband, Alex. I have wireless now for a few minutes, so I may be able to catch-up on my postings. Tomorrow, I'l be in Cedar Creek with no wireless or even cell phone, so I will be playing catch-up on another day later on..

Art Project a Day #17

Art Project a Day #17. This was from yesterday, but I had no internnt connection. My brother and sister-in-law drove into town today to the library, so I could post yesterday's project. Tomorrow's will probably be delayed, too.

This is a fragrance or aromatic wick and candle tray. I just did this as we watched Kathy Bates newest TV show.

I took some awesome shots on the road yesterday, but my camera battery died, so I couldn't do those....maybe later.