Glads and Lilies

Enjoy these beautiful flowers from my garden.

Birthday's

I made these two birthday cards for friends this week. One was for a male and the other for a female. I love that these cards can be for either sex. I used my new Bombay India inks. They paint like a dream. Once dry they are permanent. I even painted the envelopes and a signature on the back of the card. I sure hope they'll like the cards. These were influenced by Tracy Weinzapfel.














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Pot of Geriums

I finished my Matisse painting. I was very pleased with the finished painting.





I coated card stock paper with acrylic ground. I sketched with charcoal and added in the darks with charcoal. Then I did the under painting with archival re- inkers caramel, denim and pitch black. I used Golden's Dioxazine purple and titanium white. Then went back and did the final painting using the same products. The colors were mixed just using the 3 inkers and white. Purple was added where desired.


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Matisse

I've been working on my Matisse "Geraniums" piece. This is the undercoating stage. Sketched in the basic shapes, put the dark areas in with charcoal and then began the under painting. I did this mostly with three Adirondak re-inkers and two colors Golden fluid acrylics. This limits my color palette and allows me to mix my colors.

I am very pleased with it so far. Leaving it alone for awhile to dry and cure. I'm excited to continue. Tried some new techniques for me and am so please with the results.








The Matisse is the top picture in this first photo. I actually found the print in a thrift shop. It was already matted and framed. So i made a copy to work from. I left the original in the frame. It gave me a great reference for my attempt to create it.








This is a close up of my under painting.

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Documented Life week three

January 12 Challenge (Week Three) - Add an envelope from your mailbox. Get creative and add the whole envelope or parts of the envelope. Journal on it, write notes on it or use it as a pocket!








This is the final page. The orchid watercolor is a tag. It pulls out from the top. I inserted it into an envelope that had a clear place for an address. Then I used mixed media to make mail art out of the envelope.






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Vintage Santa

I requested Lindsay from the FrugalCrafter do a Vintage Santa. She did one on tan toned paper and used Pastel Chalk pencils to draw him. So I decided to try it, too. Here's my version. He was so fun to draw and thought he turned out so cute. I still want to do a watercolor one but decided to try this first. Wouldn't have thought of the pastel chalk pencils without Lindsay. I have learned so much from her and really enjoy her videos.

Her link is www.thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com






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Flowers fever

I've worked in my journal a lot this week but haven't had time to post any of the pages. It is more fun to paint than to post. LOL
Here is a page I did in acrylics and used some Pitt pens and charcoal for shading and outlining. I love to feel a page after it has been painted in acrylics and coated in gell medium.
This is a technique I saw Donna Downey do and I wanted to try it. You create a wild background, paint your focal points and then paint over your original background letting some of it show through. Add some textures for interest and you!re through.
I think I'll try this again. It was fun.




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Farmer's Market

Watercolor sketch of imaginary trip to the Farmer's Market. I love to go to our local farmer's market. I love all the fresh veggies, fruits and breads. They have a wonderful selection of flowers and plants. We have a large one and you can find about anything you want.




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Findings and Trinkets Challenge

Marianne from PAO inspired me to try a Finnabair technique. So I looked at her tag video again and attempted to make a tag sort of like hers. Learned a few things that would make it better next time. First picture is how it looked before the spray, spray, spray process. I should have let the spray layers dry a little more before adding more. Oh well.







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Spring in bloom

My Azaleas and Tulip Tree are in bloom. We've had a beautiful weekend! The weather is gorgeous. Have enjoyed time with family.


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Glittered Glass Flower

I used the glittered glass technique to make this flower using Tim Holtz's tattered flower die. I used the die to cut the flower out of cardboard. Painted it black, added a stamped background with versa mark and then perfect pearls. Sprayed with hair spray to set it. Then versa mark again and utee melted on it. You can add two layers of utee, which I did to make it thicker. Users a butterfly brad to attach together. Loved this process and am making more items using some of his other dies.




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Golden Poppies

“Through the dancing poppies stole A breeze most softly  lulling to my soul.” 
-- John Keats

This was done with Derwent's Inktense Blocks.  They are a watersoluble ink block.  The color is so much more intense than watercolor.   Once they are dry, they become permanent.  I've wanted to try them and so finally broke down and purchased a set.  I love, love using them.

Morning Glory

Just having a little fun with my morning glory bloom.  The original bloom was purple!

Day Lily

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!

Contessa Burgundy Bicolor Geranium

                                                    I love this portion of a poem by P. Quinn.

Flower flower,
Seasonal art;
Gracious thing
Glory all worth,
  New in each spring. 

I posted this so fast I forget to say that it is a flower from a hanging basket I bought this weekend.  Isn't it beautiful?  I just hope I can keep it alive and blooming.  The name of the plant is Contessa Burgundy Bicolor an Ivy Geranium.

Azalea's

I've been enjoying my flowers so much this year.  These are so beautiful.  It will be sad to see them wilt.  I've cut them and put in a beautiful glass pitcher and enjoyed them in the house too.

Lady Slipper

I liked the Lady Slipper so much I drew it again, this time in my sketch book.  This was an experiment in seeing how the watercolor reacted to the sketchbook paper which is much thinner.  I'd  done my Funky Owls in this sketchbook and they turned out ok.  This one didn't do as well, mostly in the background.  The paper just soaks the color, as I really knew it would.  I probably should have gesso'd it as I knew I should, but really wanted to see the results.  I think that experimenting with your supplies is more than half the fun of creating.  So just pick up your supplies and just jump right in.

Iris

I took this picture yesterday at the WRAL azalea gardens.  I thought the yellow Iris was so beautiful.  Most of the azalea's were gone but some of the other flowers were beginning to bloom.  It was a beautiful day and a very pleasant walk.

Springtime Memories

Azalea

Azalea

Iris