My Painting Room

new painting

2012-02-11T05:07:00.000-08:00

sold

I'm spending the month in warm sunshine......

could get very used to this!

just what I needed

2012-01-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

It's very cold here today. This morning we woke to ice and snow on the ground.

Good thing that yesterday, my friend Linda & I went to Longwood Gardens.

It's cold & quiet there, too, but only on the outside.

Inside is the glorious Orchid Show.

Orchids in floating glass bubbles,

on standards,

on columns,

and placed all through the conservatory.

Beautiful primroses

and stock,

lilies

and tulips,

pansies and daffodils.

Hope it was just what you needed, too!

deep in my heart

2012-01-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

I've just lost my very dearest best friend Janet.

Janet stood next to me at my wedding and then stood by me my whole life.

We met at college as girls and stayed as girls to each other,

even when we were talking about someday being old ladies together.

We were girlfriends for over four decades.

There were never any arguments or anger in all those years,

just so many laughs, adventures, movies, meals, books, Scrabble and fun.

Janet was there to hold my babies, read to them and play with them.

She faithfully attended so many birthday parties, games, recitals, museums,

plays, picnics, holidays and graduations

and loved my daughter and son into their adulthood.

She never failed to express her love and pride for my children

and they, in turn, loved their Aunt Janet.

We frequently told each other how much we valued our friendship, how much

we meant to each other and how lucky we were.

If you are blessed with a life-long friend, you are so very lucky.

I will miss Janet in my life but I will carry her in my heart forever.

Deep, deep in my heart with a million wonderful memories.

a year of painting

2011-12-27T05:07:00.000-08:00

Hope your Holidays are happy &

your New Year is wonderful!

I made it to FrontPage on Etsy!

2011-12-18T09:10:00.000-08:00

My yellow butterfly was featured on Etsy's Front Page

at midnight. I missed it, but woke up to 1306 views this morning!

A winner!

2011-12-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who entered my give-away!

I used the random number generator

to choose between 1 and 23

and this time

the worm does go to the early bird!

My book-loving friend at Pondside is the winner!

Congratulations!

Honora, please email me your information & the print you have chosen.

I'm looking forward to sending you your beautiful book and print!

Thanks again, everyone!

reminder..my giveaway ends soon!

2011-12-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

go here to enter

a give-away!

2011-12-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

I think it's time...

for a little give-away!

I have a copy of Carolyne Roehm's GORGEOUS book

to give to a follower of my blog.

See it here!

I love blue & white

and this is my most favorite

of Carolyne's books!

****and****

the winner also gets to choose a print from my Etsy shop!

I will choose a winner by numbering each entry

& using a random number generator.

The giveaway will end on Thursday, December 15st at 7:00 pm Eastern time.

There are the 4 ways you can enter:

(remember, you must be a follower!)

1. Leave a comment on this post letting me know that you are a follower.

2. Go to my Etsy shop & come back to leave a comment on this post telling me

which print you would choose.

3. Add my shop to your "favorites" on Etsy and leave another comment on this post to let me know.

4. Mention my give-away on your blog and leave another comment on this post to let me know.

Remember: each comment will count as a chance to win!

All comments must be made on this post and I will only number separate comments.

Please remember to leave me your email address if you don't have a blog.

Good luck!

bowls

2011-12-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

This painting was in my head all day yesterday.

Today I got it on paper.

linking up with Mosaic Monday
@ Little Red House

go here for my give-away!

packing up autumn

2011-11-29T11:29:00.000-08:00

It's time to change the decor.

...and, as you can see, I have help.

I always have help...Jack doesn't miss a thing in this house!

I love the way the house looks in Autumn, so warm with the

pumpkins, gourds, berries and leaves.

I'm always a little sad to put it all away.

But December is rolling in, so Jack & I are getting busy!

new bird print

2011-11-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

new little blue jay can be found

here

Cyber Monday photographs

2011-11-27T08:18:00.000-08:00

Free shipping on all photographs

through Cyber Monday

shop

Cyber Monday

2011-11-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

Free shipping on all original watercolors

through Cyber Monday

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:01:00.000-08:00

Best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving!

new painting

2011-11-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

8" x 10" on Etsy

Since I've been in a "rosey" mood lately, I decided to link up with Mary's Mosaic Monday.
Have a great week everyone!

new inspiration board

2011-11-11T06:22:00.000-08:00

My assistant & I worked in the painting room yesterday.

He more or less supervised while I took down a big framed print,

measured, drilled, & molly-bolted my new white boards to the wall.

One board did not seem to be enough. So glad I bought two

(at Target $17.29 each..so much cheaper than the office stores).

Now I have a place to hang works in progress, bits and pieces that catch my eye,

art magnets, notes to my impatient self (LET IT DRY..fix it later), etc.

Will this keep my little studio more organized? Maybe, probably not,

but it's a visual treat for artist's eyes.

pink rose

2011-11-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to painting a rose.

5" x 7" on Etsy

new painting

2011-11-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

succulent

This reminded me of my cabbage painting. I started with

a complex drawing & then had fun moving around the paper.

I am loving this book

2011-11-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

new print

2011-10-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

a beautiful new print in the Etsy shop

drawn in pastels by my daughter

I have a very talented daughter.

Her photographs have been in the shop for awhile and

now I'm very proud to include her pastels.

and a pink one

2011-10-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

on Etsy

I've been having fun painting butterflies.

a blue one

2011-10-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

on Etsy

new butterfly

2011-10-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

on Etsy

two whimsical paintings

2011-10-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

house in a forest

8" x 10" on Etsy

house on a hill

8" x 10" on Etsy

Sometimes it's fun to go in another direction. These two new paintings were just that.

They started as collages, then liquid watercolors were added.

I love the results..a variety of lines, shapes and textures. I think they would look great displayed together.

So much fun to do!

lighthouse

2011-09-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

a new painting

stay tuned......

2011-09-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

...to NBC.

My "Irish Cottage" painting was purchased for use on a future

set of the new cop drama "Prime Suspect"!

How cool is that?!

the earth moved

2011-08-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

The East Coast just had an earthquake!

I've never had that experience before.

Can't wait to hear from my husband who is out golfing today!

painting...NOT the fun kind

2011-07-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

It was time for a change in my living room.

Goodbye carpet & old stained woodwork.

I spent days priming and painting!

I'm so happy with the results!

new little orchid

2011-07-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"

watercolor on Aquabord

sealed & varnished

sharing

2011-07-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

What a good idea to plant parsley this year.....

just one little pot and they found it.

There are so many caterpillars and not

much parsley left.

That's OK....I'll grow swallowtail butterflies instead!

new print

2011-07-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Cape May house

8" x 10" on Etsy

turf war

2011-07-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

There's been a little battle going on for the past week.

Buster loves to nap in the sun room,

especially on the sofa.

It's mine, all mine....

I love it!

Oh.....not for long...

It's going to be mine!!!!!!

Buster is suddenly displaced......

because who can sleep on a lump like that?

A lump that turns out to be

Jack the cat!

orange

2011-06-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Orange is not my favorite color...

but I love it in poppies

and nasturtiums,

dahlias and day lilies

and zinnias...

but orange is the sweetest

in the tiny beak of a hungry baby wren!

turquoise blue

2011-06-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

I just love painting with this color!

Have a wonderful summer weekend.

my loss

2011-06-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

I lost a very dear friend yesterday.

Her name was Nancy and she lived to be the glorious age of 97.

She was witty and sharp with a memory you wouldn't believe!

Nancy & I met when she came into my school to volunteer in a classroom.

I just happened to be in the office when she came in & the deal was made:

she would help with my art classes and she was wonderful!

She faithfully assisted me from 1994 for six years.

After I retired, we were able to get together more often.

We were a generation apart, but never ran out of things to talk about.

I heard about her childhood memories, her loving parents,

her daughters and grandchildren, great-grandchildren,

and her cherished husband...I hope she is in his arms in Heaven as I write this.

We went to the movies & lunch, as well as doctor's appointments.

Before a movie, Nancy would Google (yes, Google at 97!)

information about the actors to share with me in the in the car.

She loved the Silver Screen Classics that our theater showed on Mondays.

For $2, we could each get our ticket, a drink & a popcorn and

settle in to watch The East End Kids, Carole Lombard, Bela Lugosi, etc.

I spent many fun Mondays last summer watching Gene Autry & Roy Rogers

(there seemed to be a summer theme of westerns).

People always told me how nice it was that I did that for Nancy,

but, in truth, I was the lucky recipient.

I got to have a truly special friendship which I will deeply miss.

My heart is broken today.

agapanthus

2011-06-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Agapanthus, also known as Lily of the Nile,

is just so pretty. I love the structure of the blossom.

I planted the bulbs in a large pot this spring and

they are finally ready to bloom.

I'll be taking lots of pictures!

linking up to Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Have a wonderful week!

thank you Woody Allen....magical...

2011-06-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

& wonderful!

I love hollyhocks

2011-06-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

My hollyhocks are just beginning to bloom.

Some returned from last year

and I threw seeds in, too.

I have never had so many beautiful hollyhocks.

It's hollyhock heaven!

more butterflies

2011-06-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

on Etsy
pinks & purples

sold

mountain laurel

2011-05-19T06:20:00.001-07:00

panda cam.....the very adorable Po

2011-05-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

We saw beautiful little Po last month at the Atlanta Zoo.

I keep checking in on Po & his mom

here.

Mon-Fri 10am-5pm

These pictures are from the cam today.

I had a very hard time leaving the site.

Warning: watching Po can be very addictive!

yellow butterflies

2011-05-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

little yellow watercolor butterflies

5" x 7"

sold

Butterflies are sometimes associated with the passing of loved ones.

While searching on the web, I found a lovely little poem:

Don't weep at my grave, for I am not there,
I've a date with a butterfly to dance in the air.
I'll be singing in the sunshine, wild and free,
Playing tag with the wind, while I'm waiting for thee.

anonymous

sold (Thank you, Dana!)

sold

Happy Mosaic Monday!

two more prints

2011-04-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Janet's iris

8" x 10"

hydrangeas

8" x 10"

Have a great weekend!

new print: true blue delphinium

2011-03-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

8" x 10"

in my Etsy shop

my abc's

2011-03-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

My book-loving friend Pondside recently had a very cute post with an abc meme.
I thought I'd give it a try, too.

A. Age: I'm very content to be as happy & healthy as I am at my age, which is not the age in my head.

***

B. Bed Size: Queen, with very soft white sheets. When my husband snores: Full, with very soft white sheets.

***

C. Chore You Hate: Weeding, especially in humidity. Why am I the only weeder in the house?

***

D. Dogs: Absolutely not....cats only! Sheba, then Zelda, then Cleo, then Max & now Jack & Buster.

***

E. Essential Start to Your Day: a quiet cup of tea, Bigelow's I Love Lemon

***

F. Favorite Color: Can an artist name a favorite color? I paint in mostly blues and violets.

***

G. Gold or Silver: Silver, but not fancy or expensive. I have simple tastes.

***

H. Height: 5'7"

***

I. Instruments That You Can Play: None, but I can fiddle around with a paint brush.

***

J. Job Title: Previously: Art Teacher to hundreds, now Artist, happy & relaxed

***

K. Kids: A wonderful daughter & a wonderful son

***

L. Live: East coast, South Jersey

***

M. Mom's Name: Janice

***

N. Nicknames: None, not ever. Does my online ID count?...lvetopaint

***

O. Overnight Hospital Stays: Yes, for this, and this, and that. Can you see where I'm pointing?

***

Shhhhhhh!

P. Pet Peeve: People who talk during a movie. I can't stand that. Sooooo rude.

***

Q. Quote from a Movie: "Snap out of it!" Cher in Moonstruck.

***

R. Righty or Lefty: I'm a righty.

***

S. Sibling: I have 3 brothers and a sister. I'm the 4th in line. We had one bathroom growing up.

***

T. Time You Wake Up: Around 8 am. Yes, I know...it's sinful, but so lovely, especially in soft white sheets.

***

U. Underwear: I do, every day.

***

V. Vegetables You Dislike: Rhubarb...I think.

***

W. What Makes You Run Late: Answering the phone right before I leave.

***

X. X-Rays: Yes, refer to "O".

***

Y. Yummy Food You Make: Lots, especially desserts.

***

Z. Zoo Favorite Animal: Oh, that would be tigers!

***

So, there you have it! To quote dear Pondside..."your turn!"

so happy it's Spring!

2011-03-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday & Happy Spring!

I spotted these little lambs on my way home one day.

So very precious!

I've been back twice to take pictures.

Today, they were closer to the fence!

Mama did not like me so close & sounded the alarm.

The little one was still curious...

but then...just hungry!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hop over to Mary's Little Red House

for more Monday Mosaics

art in my house

2011-03-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

a collection of some of my paintings around the house

Spring is just a few days away,
happy, happy!

joining Mary for another Mosaic Monday

Have a great week!

new prints

2011-03-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

new prints in my Etsy shop

my orange tree

2011-03-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

In the sun room, my little orange tree is blooming like crazy.

I don't remember having this many blossoms.

The scent is heavenly!

The little oranges that follow don't have much of a chance to survive.

Someone thinks they are just little toys, waiting to be plucked

& bounced around the house.

Spring is just 17 days away!

butterfly

2011-02-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

a new watercolor painting, available on my Etsy
sold

I've been thinking about painting butterflies all winter

& finally made the time to watercolor.

mother & daughter fun

2011-02-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

Two weekends of fun!

Sanding, painting, gluing, hammering, drilling,

cleaning, scrubbing, sorting, organizing, etc, etc.

Well, two weekends for me.....

my daughter worked hard in between.

She's become very good at mitering corners!

We took her plain little orange oak cabinets

and transformed them with moulding

and Behr's Sagey.

It really was a fun project with beautiful results

and

we did it all by ourselves!

Linking to Mary's Mosaic Monday.

Have a wonderful week!

more snow???!!! and a great find at Home Goods

2011-01-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

I reached my quota for snow weeks ago.

Another 8"-10" are on the way tonight.

: (

I am SO ready for Spring.

I found the perfect piece of furniture for my sun room

last week in my favorite Home Goods.

You know what that means, just what I wanted

but very reasonable.

This was just what I was looking for,

but not that day, which was why I found it!

So perfect for that spot! It was marked down 50%

and love at first sight. Pictures of it went soaring into

cyberspace for my daughter's, husband's and sister's

approval. There were scratches & big nicks, but

a can of satin black enamel solved everything.

Hope your week is happy!

Irish cottage

2010-12-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

painted for Virtual Paintout
sold

a year of paintings 2010

2010-12-27T21:10:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a year of health & happiness!
I'm linking to Mosaic Monday at Mary's
& I think there's enough blue for Smiling Sally, too!

season's greetings

2010-12-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

and wishes for a wonderful holiday!

This little chickadee turned out to be our Christmas card.

I can never find much time to paint in December.

There's just too much to do.

I do love when life slows down in the deep winter

and I feel free to paint and knit and relax.

Until then...

wrapping, baking, cooking, etc, etc.

Enjoy!

do you have a budding artist?

2010-12-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

As an art teacher, I was always asked by parents

for good drawing book recommendations.

This was my favorite.

I taught hundreds & hundreds of children how to draw in 3-D

(they REALLY loved that!) using the basics from this book.

It's not at all intimidating and lays the foundations for

inventive and creative drawings with simple lines and shapes.

Ages 9-12 (I started the basics with my second graders).

224 pages of FUN!

here's a good one

2010-12-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

Oh, yes! This book would not let me go.

It's a tangled suspenseful puzzle of

three stories.

I was not disappointed!

new photos

2010-12-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Bridge of Sighs

Venice

I have added some photographs to my Etsy shop

They were all taken by my daughter who has

a wonderful eye for detail.

Sacre-Coeur

Paris

Paris Opera House

View from Notre-Dame

Paris

something new

2010-11-29T18:18:00.000-08:00

blank cards on Etsy

Great Chinese State Circus - Swan Lake

2010-11-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

A friend sent this to me & I thought I'd share.
The performance is amazing!

just finished reading

2010-11-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about it ever since I finished reading.

To me, that's a good book.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

a new little bird

2010-11-24T13:32:00.001-08:00

watercolor

5" x 7"

morning glory

2010-11-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

Hope your mornings

and your days are glorious!

morning glory watercolor

I'm linking up to Mosaic Monday

@ Little Red House.

There you'll find links to many wonderful mosaics.
Thanks for visiting!

following Van Gogh's irises

2010-11-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

I love the work of the Impressionists and Post Impressionists,

most of all the work of Vincent Van Gogh.

I am currently reading a little book called

There is a very interesting appendix that follows the ownership

of Van Gogh's "Irises", one of my most favorite paintings.

I often wonder how museums come to own such famous works.

Vincent Van Gogh painted "Irises" in 1889, while being treated at

an asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. He considered it a nature study.

Theo Van Gogh (Vincent's brother) who was an art dealer,

saw that it was much more than a study.

Theo had stored many of Vincent's painting with Pere Tanguy,

who owned an art supply shop and gallery. "Irises" was among those paintings.

Theo died shortly after Vincent and Pere arranged a sale of

Vincent's work for Theo's widow.

Octave Mirbeau was the first owner of "Irises" in 1892. He bought "Irises"

and "Three Sunflowers" for 600 francs.

The second owner of this painting was Auguste Pellerin, a margarine manufacturer,

who bought it in 1905. He sold "Irises" in 1925 (probably to finance

the purchase of work by Paul Cezanne).

The third owner was Jacques Doucet, a fashion designer.

"Irises" hung in his study along with works by Manet, Monet, Degas & Cezanne.

Before his death in 1929, the painting had been loaned to The Museum of Modern Art in NY.

In 1935, Doucet's widow arranged for the sale of her late husband's collection.

The painting was loaned to museums for Van Gogh exhibitions.

The records become vague until it was purchased by Joan Whitney Payson in 1947.

She was hesitant to buy it at the asking price of $80,000.

Whitney's son inherited the painting in 1975 and placed it for auction in 1987.

Purchase price was $53.9 million to Australian Alan Bond.

Bond had a turn in fortune and had to default on the purchase.

In 1990, the Getty Museum acquired the painting, in a private

& undisclosed transaction. "Irises" was made part of the permanent

collection in the J. Paul Getty Museum.

it's my birthday

2010-11-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

morning glory

8"x10" watercolor

It's my birthday! I don't mind getting older at all...... I never have minded age.

I make it a point to treasure each day, each year.

Free shipping, today only, at my Etsy if you mention

"Happy Birthday" with your order.

morning in the sun room

2010-11-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

The day is crisp and clear here.

Blue sky and lots of sunshine through the leaves on the trees.

I'm glad I brought my geraniums in this year. I'll probably paint them.

I love the beauty and challenge of white flowers.

I just saw

2010-10-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

a little slow in spots, but I really liked it.

I am reading

2010-10-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

and really enjoying

A little girl is orphaned aboard a ship from Ireland

and is brought to a plantation to live and work as a slave in 1791.

blue forget-me-nots

2010-10-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

watercolor 8" x 10"
sold

I plan to be a better blogger next week.

This week was way too complicated.

In fact, the last several weeks have been too complicated.

...and this week, I have something filling the calendar

every.single.day.

Good thing I'm retired.

I'm linking up with Mary's Mosaic Monday.

Lovely week to you all!

rose of sharon print

2010-10-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

5.5" x 7"

Have a great weekend!

new blue

2010-10-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

10" x 10" acrylic canvas

this peony

2010-10-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

This peony is the very first one I ever painted....

way back when I decided that I had to start painting.

I remember painting it from a photograph,

while we were on vacation at the shore....

sitting at a little kitchen table very early each morning,

before my family woke up.

Isn't it funny how strong some memories can be?

I can distinctly remember the morning light, the quiet of the house,

and...most of all...

the feeling that I had finally painted a painting.

I signed up for my very first workshop with Arleta Pech.

I had her book and admired her work so much.

We needed to bring a painting for the critique on the last day of the workshop.

I was so nervous! I can still remember that feeling.

I brought my little peony.

I was so intimidated that I almost didn't put my painting in the critique.

When it was my turn, Arleta said

"This peony. This peony is soft, delicate and beautiful."

She told me to trust myself and trust my style.

I remember driving home that day, practically floating on air.

..and in my journal I wrote

"I am an artist".

Thanks for visiting today.

Please visit Mary's Little Red House

for more Mosaic Monday!

a re-styling

2010-09-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

parrot tulips

8"x10"
sold

I painted the tulips below awhile ago. I loved the tulips, but was bothered by the background.

Today I added more leaves and painted the background black.

Now it's more my style.

new print: peony

2010-09-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

peony

8" x 10" print

Rain is on the way, hooray!

Looks like a very rainy Monday for my very dry garden.

new print: agapanthus

2010-09-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

Agapanthus

8"x10" print

Agapanthus is also known as lily of the nile.

So much fun to paint all those petals!

Have a sunny weekend!

welcome autumn

2010-09-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

I am so happy that Autumn is here!

This summer was so hot and dry. My garden is just making it's

fall comeback, but we need to be careful with watering.

I joining Mary's Mosaic Monday today.

Make sure you see her gorgeous mosaic of goldenrod!

A switch to acrylics & back to watercolors this week:

my new pumpkin painting

acrylic 8" square

Have a lovely autumn week!

Gift of Jewels

2010-09-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

Don't you love getting mail?
Last week I mailed a package to Australia to someone I have never met.

This week, a very large envelope was in my mailbox from Libby in Salem, MA.

Libby sent me a lovely hand-made collage!
Thanks, Libby!

I do enjoy participating in *Gift of Jewels* hosted by

sweet Se'Lah of The Necessary Room.
Se'Lah matched us all up for a wonderful international pen-pal exchange.

I'm looking forward to next year, Se'Lah!

a house

2010-09-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

It took me all weekend, this little 8" x 10" watercolor.

My very talented daughter managed to paint three houses to my one,

but that was ok.

I was painting a house...very calmly, very happily...

on the sidewalk of Howard Street in Cape May.

The weather was perfect and I was actually comfortable

sitting on my folding chair painting en plein air.

If you read this post, then you know I was a tad anxious,

comfort zone, etc.

But, I wasn't once I started...I just painted.

Sometimes we need to just get started.

I used butterfly pictures from Saturday to fill my mosaic.

They were everywhere in Cape May this weekend.

I'm joining Monday Mosaics at Mary's Little Red House.

Mary is so sweet to host this fun event & her photos are just breathtaking.

Have a great week!

I love Lucy

2010-09-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

No...not that Lucy.

I love Lucy Willis,
extraordinary watercolor painter of light and shadows,

and author of several wonderful books.

Lucy is my go-to-woman when I need a back-to-the-basics pep talk

and a reset of thought processes.
Just looking at her books inspires me and quiets the doubts.

I'm getting ready for a wonderful weekend workshop in Cape May with Marge Chavoosian.
Marge is an excellent artist and a very patient teacher.

The weather looks beautiful for our ~~torture test~~ plein air painting
in front of the grand ~~no way can I paint those~~ Victorian houses.

My stomach is already in a knot. Why, you wonder?

Because painting houses is out of my comfort zone,

painting houses in plein air is really out of my comfort zone.

My sister asked "well, then why go?"

and of course, the answer is

because it's out of my comfort zone.

It's intimidating, and frustrating and anxiety-producing,

but I'm going to be there painting along side my daughter,

my architect daughter whose houses fly right out of the end of her pencil.

I'm packing my Lucy books for comfort.

If I produce anything not too humiliating I might post next week.
Have a great weekend!

frog blog

2010-09-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

NJ has been so hot and dry this summer,

so this clever little frog found his own private swimming pool

right in my garden fountain.

It's a great spot....

lots of bugs to eat, fresh water every few days & plenty of sunshine.

Today he decided to pose for me.

Later on, when my son came over, there was a little garden snake

slithering up over the edge of the fountain to take a drink.

So now.....

it's a community pool.

Meanwhile.....

while I'm inside trying to paint

Buster decides to keep me company..

and that was the end of that!

new treasury

2010-09-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

My cabbage painting is in a beautiful brand new treasury:

here

pink dahlia...new painting

2010-08-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

I think dahlias are the prettiest flower at this time of year,

especially the pink ones.

I painted my dahlia a very pinky pink...quinacridone pink!

sold

Hope you're in the pink this week!

Joining the fun at Mary's Mosaic Monday.

white clematis

2010-08-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

sold
new watercolor of white clematis from my garden

8" x 10"

selected for this lovely treasury

blue poppy..new print

2010-08-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

my newest print on Etsy

5"x7"

new little nest

2010-08-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

sold
new little acrylic painting

8" x 8"

I like switching to acrylics every so often. In watercolors, I work from light to dark.

It's just the opposite in acrylics & the work is much faster for me.

Have a great weekend!

treasury

2010-08-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

I'm in my 25th treasury on Etsy!

here

summer flowers

2010-08-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

It's been awhile since I participated in Mosaic Monday....

busy, busy, busy.

We have had one hot summer! My roses are just starting to re-bloom

and the zinnias are beautiful. We have some tall sunflowers, but the ones that

inspired my center painting belong to Nancy @ Porch Days.

She kindly gave me permission to use her photo.

Have a great week, everyone, & check out those beautiful mosaics at Mary's Little Red House.
Also participating in Mellow Yellow Monday!

new hydrangeas in vase print

2010-08-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

8" x 10" print of original watercolor painting

here

Nancy's Sunflowers

2010-08-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

Nancy, over at Porch Days, very sweetly gave me permission to use one of her sunflower pictures

in a painting. Sometimes, when I'm blog-hopping, a picture will just stop me in my tracks

& this one did! Nancy, I hope I did your photo some justice:

5" x 7" watercolor

a book to read

2010-08-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

I love historical fiction! This one's about the Romanovs

with some interesting twists to the story.

new print

2010-08-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is my newest print on Etsy.

8" x 10"

babies & a book

2010-08-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

I went out to water my pots today

and saw two little babies waiting for their mama bird...

no...three little babies!

Mama bird swooped in as soon as I walked away.

....and the book I'm enjoying is

I love reading historical novels.

This one follows the journey of a beautiful 15th century Hebrew manuscipt,

the Sarajevo Haggadah.

What a busy week this has been...no time to paint.

Have a great weekend!

featured & a give-away!

2010-07-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Heather @ Joy De Vivre Design

is featuring me as her Etsy shop of the week!

Hop on over there to enter her give-away.

(winner gets the choice of one of my prints)

Thanks, Heather!

I'm back

2010-07-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

I'm back from a wonderful trip to Chicago.

Beautiful botanical gardens, museums,

landmarks, sights to behold

& great food!

These two pictures have nothing to do with my trip,
just new prints on my Etsy.

Now, back to laundry!

featured

2010-07-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

My boathouse painting is featured on a blog today:

Mystic Wynd.

Thanks Karen!

great summer movie!

2010-07-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Wow!!!!!

I really enjoyed this!

simple things

2010-07-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Christina!

simple things

my paintbrush

a palette full of beautiful colors
time on my hands

rain

sunshine

a flower bursting from a bud

a bird house full of babies

(peep peep)

a slow quiet morning

deep quiet sleep

old soft tee-shirt

kitty faces
sweet purrs
*
beautiful words in a book
*
beautiful words
wondrous photos
from a beautiful person
Happy Birthday Christina!

Christina weaves magic with her words and pictures on her beautiful blog Soul Aperture.
No matter what your mood or feelings, you leave Christina's feeling like your heart has been hugged.
Christina is hosting her birthday blog party today
and she will welcome you with open arms & sweet words.
Thanks Se'Lah for the snazzy button!

I'm in a treasury!

2010-07-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

My pink tulips made it into an Etsy treasury.

This is the 10th treasury that my work has been selected for!
I always thinks it's such an honor.
Reminder:

Saturday is the last day for Christmas in July here.

Christmas in July at my shop!

2010-07-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

I'm having a sale at my Etsy shop.

20% off all original paintings

7/11-7/17.