A Year of Light - Taster Sessions 1-10

My next on-line mixed media art class is called A Year of Light from Willowing Arts. 

Another one? Why? 

I guess I just like being a life-long learner, and I learn something new with each lesson.

By the way...

That second one... 

As I started working on it, I thought... "This looks like 2nd-grade me!!" 

Ha ha ha ha!😁😁

Tweet! VI

This little bluebird has been my partner over the years to guide a lot of different people through their first oil painting.

Which means I've put him on canvas a bunch of times.

Yesterday I got to bring my little bluebird friend back to the canvas with these three. They thought they could never do it, but... voila! Aren't their bluebirds beautiful!

My little Tweet! VI is going to live on the wall of my good friend Wendy of Pieceful Thoughts.

The blog world is an amazing way to make friends from all over the world, friends that you know you'll never actually meet in person... unless... Unless one day you DO MEET IN PERSON!!

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 8" Wrapped Canvas

[GIFT]

Kaleidoscope 2024 - October

I'm continuing to work through my on-line mixed media art class called Kaleidoscope from Willowing Arts. 

I'm trying to be faithful to do every single lesson even when I'm sure they're "just too hard" for me! It just proves all over again that good teachers guide their students to accomplish more and do better than they ever imagine they could.

Bride & Cardinal

Sometimes I get the most interesting requests.

Often those have to do with the loss of a loved one. It seems like it usually begins with "Could you do a portrait?" (In this case, "It's for the girl my nephew is marrying.  The wedding is in 10 days? Is that enough time?") That's followed by a lot of back and forth of what's wanted. Mostly they don't really know; they just want a remembrance, a symbol, an image to bring a smile.  My suggestion for the portrait is that they find a great photo and have that printed to frame.  Then we talk about the reminders or symbols.

"Her mother passed away a couple of years ago... She thinks of her or is comforted whenever she sees a cardinal... She also feels that when she sees a bee... Her fiancé always gives her long stemmed roses..." among other ideas.  

Let me see what I can do...

... start with a photo of her the day she said yes to the dress...

... sketch with colored pencils...

... get approval... (She loved it.)

... give it a try in a couple of ways...  

(She tells me the bride loved it.)

Original Acrylic Painting on 5"x 7" Canvas Board

Original Watercolor Painting on 7"x 9" Art Paper

[SOLD]

 

I Like... 10/24

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

I like pretty my eggs.

I like our squirrels, even if they eat the bird food,
steal tomatoes, and litter the deck with hickory nut shells.
This guy's just chilling on a branch.

I like how cute raccoons are. But, if they learn how to get into the chicken food,
they get to go live in a different forest.

I like my colorful yard.

I like this book so much!
Lois Lowry... always so good.

I like traveling to new places with him.
(Olympic Peninsula, Washington)

I like having a garden.
There won't be much more, but it's been a good veggie year.

LeeAnne's  get-to-know-you writing topics this month:

What is your favorite fall scent? I guess I didn't know there were scents assigned to fall. Would you rather have a pumpkin spice drink or apple cider? Neither, thank you. How about hot cocoa!

Do you like a cornfield maze, tell us about a time you did one and where it was. I've never been inside an actual corn maze.  But being 5'0", my whole life is like a corn maze since I can never see over things.

Do you like hayrides? Tell us about one you experienced.  We went on hayrides as teenagers. What fun. Although looking back, what was wrong with adults that they thought it was a good idea to put a bunch of teenagers on the back of a trailer snuggled down in hay on a dark night.

Do you like to carve pumpkins? It's become a fun family tradition.   Have you ever been to a display or contest of carved pumpkins?  I actually won a pumpkin carving contest years ago.  The prize was an electric knife.  I still have that electric knife.

I do you enjoy going in a "haunted house?"  or scary movies? I do not.

What is your favorite Halloween treat? Candy corn!  Do you give out candy to kids and what kind? have you ever run out? We have about one trick-or-treater every couple of years, but we always have some candy ready just in case. 

Kaleidoscope 2024 - September

I'm continuing to work through my on-line mixed media art class called Kaleidoscope from Willowing Arts. 

I'm still not comfortable with watercolor or acrylic or pastels or collage... 

But, I'm still trying, and I'm still learning so much!

Harvesting a Rainbow (September)