Free Spirit

 Grow wings and take flight looking for a place to express your free spirit.

Take flight!

Distressed Sketch

I took a sketch of down east and distressed it a bit. I love to take original art and make interesting changes to create a whole new piece.

Today is Memorial Day.  Take time to remember those past and present who served to protect our freedom.

Mother's Day

             Looking out across the Indian River over to Merritt Island 

I had a very enjoyable Mother's Day.  It was a peaceful and cool day.  I sat on the porch and just sketched what I saw while enjoying family and a hot cup of coffee.  It reminded of being back home and looking out over the sound to the beach.

Quote

                 Linda Naiman said, "When we engage in what we are naturally suited to do, our work takes on the quality of play and it is play that stimulates creativity." 

I pulled this quote off of a blog I was reading because her quote rang true with me.  My studio is a place for me to play and to create.  It is a place that is all my own where I can get lost in the sheer joy of creating.   It can be a happy place and a place of escape.  I recently told some friends it was great therapy. 

Play is a great motivation and inspiration.  It is liberating to just have fun with your art.  When you're having fun with your art, you will allow that which is within you the freedom to come out in your art.

Cute little blue bird

I did another version of this blue bird earlier today.  To qualify for a challenge, I digitally enhanced the frame to pull in the purple.  Love the way it turned out.  The challenge required three colors: yellow, lilac and peacock.

Peacock Tag

                                                  Peacock tag for a swap lottery over at PAO.

Bird

Have no idea what kind of bird this one is.  Just thought it was pretty and begged to be painted.

Enhanced Back to my roots

I took a photo of my sketch and enhanced it.  I think it turned out kinda cool!

Back to my roots

I was raised at the beach and around boats my entire life.  This reminds me of my childhood.

Amaryllis

I bought this Amaryllis last fall after it had already bloomed.  I had no idea what color the bloom would be, nor the size.  I think it's beautiful!

Ringed Kingfisher

Similar to Belted Kingfisher but larger, and with more chestnut on belly. Bushy crest and large, dagger-shaped bill. Blue-gray above, chestnut below with white collar. Female similar, but has gray band across upper breast.

Painted Bunting

With bright blue, green, and red plumage, the breeding male Painted Bunting is one of the continent's most gaudily colorful birds. The species breeds in two different populations, one in the south-central United States, and one along the seaboard of the southeastern states.

Scarlet Tanager

A striking black-winged red bird, the Scarlet Tanager is a common species of the eastern forest interior. Despite its brilliant coloring it is often overlooked because of its rather secretive behavior and its preference for the forest canopy.

Birdsong

I have no idea the name of this bird.  I found the original picture in a bird magazine.  I took a picture with my cell phone to remind me what it looked like because I knew that I had to paint it in watercolor.  I think it turned out great!  I'll keep looking and see if I can identify it. 

I finally identified this bird.  It is a Russett-crowned Motmot.  They live in Guatemala and Mexico. Coffee, grown in the traditional way and in the shade of native canopy trees, provides good habitat.

Lazuli Bunting

Trio

            Top Row: Cardinal, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
                  Bottom Row: Evening Grosbeak (Yellow Finch)

 I'm having such a wonderful time creating these beauties in watercolor.

Nuthatch

The Nuthatch is an interesting bird with a long, narrow beak.  Often perches upside down to eat.  Prefers suet, nuts and sunflower seeds.  These birds are fun to watch.  I have lots of them at the suet feeder.

Indigo Bunting

The Indigo Bunting is commonly known as a Blue Finch.  It is a small finch and is a rich deep blue all over.

The all-blue male Indigo Bunting sings with cheerful gusto and looks like a scrap of sky with wings. Sometimes nicknamed "blue canaries," these brilliantly colored yet common and widespread birds whistle their bouncy songs through the late spring and summer all over eastern North America. Look for Indigo Buntings in weedy fields and shrubby areas near trees, singing from dawn to dusk atop the tallest perch in sight or foraging for seeds and insects in low vegetation.

Red-winged Blackbird

One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. In the North, their early arrival and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring.

Even though they are supposed to be abundant in our area, I have never seen one in our yard.  I saw these while at the farm.  I had a hard time catching him in a position where I could get a good picture of his shoulder patch. I had a great time talking with friends and watching these beautiful birds.

Blue Jay

   We went to the farm this weekend to visit with friends.  We ate, rocked, talked, laughed and watched the birds.  There were Blue Jays, Blue Birds, Cardinals, Red Winged Blackbirds, Wrens, Titmouse, Chickadees, Doves, and so many more.  I took some good shots of the different birds.  One that I wanted to capture was the Blue Jay.  Here's one of the shots I took, of course with the zoom.  It was such a relaxing time, just catching up with one of my closet friends, enjoying the mountains and watching the birds.

Art

Look what I found this weekend.  I got to go to Hobby Lobby and get some TH Distress markers, with coupons.  Then went to Cheap Joe's Art Supplies outlet store.  This was my first trip there and it was great.  I picked up things that I couldn't find locally.  I'd say I really scored on these finds.  YAY!!!!!

I've been wanting a KOI travel water color set.  Found it!  I have so many water colors now, I didn't really need it but I wanted it.  NOW IT HAPPILY SITS ON MY ART TABLE!

Purple

Purple, I love purple!

Grandmother's Favorite Knitted Dishcloth

I keep losing the pattern for this knitted dishcloth.  I found it again tonight, so I'm posting it so I'll have it to refer to whenever I want.  I've made dozens of these and you'd think I'd remember the pattern.  It is really easy to make and they make great gifts.


Materials: Sugar and Cream yarn; Size 6 or 7 needles (US) 
Instructions:
Cast on 4 stitches
Row 1: Knit 4
Row 2: Knit 2, yarn over, knit across the row.
Repeat Row 2 until you have 44 stitches on the needle.  (more or less stitches here will vary your overall size)
Row 3: Knit 1, Knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row.
Repeat Row 3 until you have 4 stitches on the needle.
You can now either bind off or do a round of single crochet and make a little loop of chain stitches in one corner so you can hang the cloth to dry when you are finished using it.