Grandma's Sewing Machine

We had one of these little black sewing machines in my family.  It had been passed down several times. It fit perfectly in its little black case, and many ladies in my family had her turn with it.  

It finally ended up with my sister, and that's the perfect home for it since it continues to be used often as she makes quilts.

I did some thinking outside the box... or thinking outside the frame to create a companion piece for this one.  I made my plan as I went along. As I worked on each step, I tried to figure out how I'd do the next part. First I made a tiny quilt top for the background then added some tan scraps stitched in a what I thought looked wood-like. The machine is just collaged scraps of black, gray, and gold.  (Is there anything quite as satisfying as using up bits and scraps!) The fabric that drapes out of the image was an experiment that worked!

My favorite thing about each piece is the thread. In the painting, I made that straight line of pink thread with the edge of a credit card.  In the fabric collage piece, you'll have to look closely, but I left a tail of pink thread hanging loose from the needle. 

I admit that I did double dip this project.  This month my WordSpark was "Vintage," and my Weekly-ish challenge was "Fabric."  Shhh... neither project needs to know!!!

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas

Click Vintage Sewing Machine if you'd like to purchase this painting. Send me a message if you'd like to purchase the quilted framed piece.

A Donkey Named Carlos

I always love the challenge of painting what someone asks me to do.

"Can you paint my mom's donkey?"

"Can you put him in the view from her window?"

"Can you finish before Mother's Day?"

 

These are the photos I had to work with for this piece.  I didn't have a very good photo of Carlos, but was told he spent many hours with his head over the fence waiting for a treat. 

Wait... Fence? What fence?  Ooohhhh.... there is a wire fence in front... Yikes! How to do that... 

Challenge 1 - Find a better photo of a donkey and make it be Carlos.
Challenge 2 - Use the edge of a credit card to make the fine straight fence lines.

I hope their mother will be surprised and pleased. 

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Easter Bunny & Some Springtime Bunnies

I painted this Easter bunny...

Then all of her springtime friends!!!

Whenever I'm planning to teach a painting lesson, I want to practice until I can do it without much thought. So... My bunnies multiplied... as bunnies do.

These lovely ladies of my church worked (and played) so hard and painted some lovely bunnies of their own.

It all started with a Weekly-ish challenge which was "All the Colors of the Rainbow." That's when I painted the Easter bunny with the R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. eggs in her basket.

Acrylic Paintings on...

12"x 16" Canvas Board

Click HERE if you'd like to purchase the first one.

9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

Click HERE if you'd like to purchase the last one.

9"x 12"  Flat Canvas

9"x 12" Watercolor Paper

Let me know if you'd like one of these others.

I Like Thursday 3/24

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

I like having a friend to paint with and to get to share our art with.

I like walking around the bend and seeing deer. 
They stand still and stare... until they raise their tails and run.

I like flowers on the table. So does Buff.

I like Pete. 
He's a good protector of his hens.
But Lordy, he does crow all day and all night!

I like collecting colorful eggs.

I like the beginnings of spring!

I like our YELLOW March yard!

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

Describe something you experience with each of your senses every SPRING taste,  touch,  sight,  hearing,  scent  

I wrote this the year after I retired.  I think it's a good description.  I re-read my words and still love them.  

You can tell these words were written 5 years ago as some things have changed... I only had 5 hens... I had an outside cat... I had a little dog.  And some things haven't... I still don't know which birds make which sounds.

What is your favorite spring flower and do you try to grow them in your house or yard? Daffodils in March... then irises in April... then lilies in May.

What Spring creatures might you see in the wild where you live right now?  White-tail deer and squirrels every day... possums, raccoons, armadillos on occasion

Baby animals are often born in the springtime. If you could choose any baby animal to be your pet, what would you pick and why? Don't worry about space or legal restrictions, just imagine having it.  Sorry to be boring, but I'll pick kitten.

Yellow Daffodils of March

This painting was so fun for so many reasons.  

The combination of turquoise and purple... Yummy!  

Smearing paint with a palette knife... Yes please!...

Daffodils... Love!

March is the month of yellow where we live. 

The Weekly-ish prompt was "March."  

Thanks to Sara for a reference image that I used once with irises and again now with daffodils.

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

If you'd like to have this painting, click Yellow Daffodils of March.

Parrot

I don't think I know any parrots personally.  

They're pretty.

It's amazing that they're that beautiful and just go about their bird business in the rainforest.

It's fun to see someone walking around with one on their shoulder.

I'm not a fan of seeing them in a little cage.

It's crazy that they can "talk."

I wonder if they have personalities.  My chickens do, so surely parrots do too.

Their feathers are simply fabulous.

The very first watercolor I ever attempted was about a year and a half ago.  It was a feather.  I thought I'd give that first lesson another try. If you zoom in and look closely, there are some hidden words on that feather... some goals... reminders to myself.

The little painting trio I'm in finally chose a name for ourselves.... Wordspark. (I'm not sure if that's the name of the project or the name of the group.)  Each month we'll get one word then see what kind of creativity sparks from that word.

This month's word was "Feathered." 

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas

If you'd like to purchase this painting, just click Parrot.