Willowing Arts: A Year of Magic & Fairy Tales (July)

 

(Watercolor, alcohol markers, acrylic markers, colored pencils)
They say that portraits look something like the person who paints them...
Hmmm...
Well, the examples always have red hair or blonde or brunette...
but mine often end up gray or silver.

(Watercolor, inks, splatter, drip... fold, fold, fold... cut...
black & gold Posca pens... butterfly quotes)
So many steps, but such a fun little end product!

(Collage with printed napkin, magazine cut outs, & paper, stenciling, gold pen)
She's a little lopsided and the dragonfly makes her look like a unicorn... oh well...
Love how printed napkins work with collage.

(Gesso for texture, purple, yellow, & white inks and acrylic)
It's nice using a limited color palette.

(Collage with magazine & collage papers, black, red, ocher, & white acrylic)
It still amazes me that a few colors and a few daubs of paint can turn into a face.

(Fold, cut, measure, draw, flip)
Just a fun silly quirky bird flip book.
The grandkids think it's funny.

(Watercolor pencils, pen, Splatter)
Somehow the teacher's example always looks better...
oh well...

(Wrinkled packing paper, inside of envelope paper, stickers, gold paper)
I don't know what to say here...
Sometimes you just do the lesson because you've committed to do all the lessons...

Purple Onion

This is is a painting of a big purple onion...

(Just a description in case you wondered.)

LOL!

Sometimes as I walk through a museum and read about the deep meanings of paintings, I wonder if all great works of art have to have a "deep meaning." Can a painting not just be a really good painting?  Does it have to mean something more?

My Weekly-ish Challenge this week was pretty specific. "Purple Onion Done From Life on a 6"x 6" Canvas."  Wow... really specific... not much room for interpretation!

How can I describe how I feel about painting from life without using such a strong word as hate?  But, I do follow rules, and I even had Ron take a picture of me following the rules as proof for my partner.  She and I do laugh so much when we talk each week-ish to reveal our paintings.

First I did a warm up "purple onion from life on 6"x 6" just to see if I could!

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 6" Wrapped Canvas

Click "Purple Onion" if you'd like to have it for yourself.  You can attach your own deep meaning. 

Puppy Love

What can I say about this sweet painting...

pretty girl... sweet pup... precious together... gentle expressions... relaxed pose... a captured moment perfect for a painting.

How lucky am I that I got to be the one to put it on canvas!

I hope the little girl recognized herself and is pleased.

I wonder if the pup will recognize himself!

I know the grandmother and pup mom loves it. 😊

I love it too!😊😊

 

I could not settle on a shirt color that didn't take away from her pretty face!

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Three Pink Tulips

I told my nephew and his wife that I'd paint anything they wanted for their baby's nursery.    She sent a few photos of what she wanted... three big pink tulips to go above the crib.

I do love getting the chance to smear paint with a palette knife!

A few days later, he sent me a photo of the painting in its new home.  

Now, can't you just imagine all the lovely pink things that will come next... blankets and stuffed animals and a rocking chair and books and... a sweet baby girl.

Original Palette Knife Oil Painting on 24"x 36" Wrapped Canvas

[GIFT]

I Like... (August 2026)

I like having an air conditioned house during these long days!
So does Buff.

I like watching Lola She Is A Showgirl teach her
7 little ones how to grow up and be good hens.

She's a tiny little bantam, and they're regular sized chickens.  They'll all be bigger than her in a few short. That red teenager hen in the top right is her daughter, the sole survivor or the raccoon fiasco earlier in the year.  

I like the 3-days of family time we have each year.

I like laughing at him.  
Have you seen the videos of cats on concrete pavers?
Hilarious... and true!

I like having a garden.  It slows down in August,
but there are still vegetables to harvest every day or two.

Thank you to Leeanne of Not Afraid of Color for reminding me to notice things I like. 

Click on HER BLOG to see what positive things others like..

1. I know it's the end of summer when...  The end of summer always started when we left our family reunion at Lake Ouachita and headed home in the first days of August.  It would be time to start thinking of school, setting up my classroom, and getting back to routine.  However, I haven't taught for a decade, so I guess I need to get over that!  August has been so hot and dry, and there's no rain of drop in temperature in sight. The end of summer will be the first morning that feels crisp, a little chill. The end of summer will be when there are few red and yellow leaves. The end of summer will be when the chickens stop molting and start to lay eggs again

2. what has been the highlight of your week? We're getting new flooring!!! That's also the low.  It means we've had to move everything... every... thing... We've been kind of banished to live in the art for a few days. There are worse places to be stuck though!!!

3.imagine you won the lottery, what are your first three purchases? Oh, let's see... I don't need much. Maybe I'd buy a great vacation or two.

4. Prioritize your favorite here, one two three  Books 1st. TV 2nd. Movies 3rd.