Playing with Matte Medium WIP

I was adding torn pages of an old book, French of course...since I'm still on my French kick. And, I decided to try and add more dimension with the paper. Took me forever to get all the matte medium off my hands (wear gloves if you try this), but I'm happy with the result. I still have work to do, I think. I kind of like the light, ghost-like quality, but I need to do more work on her eyes, for sure. Well, I promised my family pumpkin pie, so I'd better get busy. I'm using Martha Stewart's recipe. I'll post the recipe if it turns out well.

Christmas Cat Painting

The rain has stopped, finally, and it's a beautiful Autumn day here in Oregon. My little dog, GusGus, and I have had fun walking in the forest...looking at the gorgeous fall leaves! And, it's started me thinking... about Christmas...and how close it is! So, I've painted a "Christmas Cat". He may or may not be my Christmas Card this year. I have another Winter painting in mind...and then I'll choose. I really want a Winter landscape painting for above our fireplace, and I have a vision...it's just, Yet to be seen, if I can pull it off.

MAP PAINTING

Inspired by Jill Mayberg's colorful Bird paintings... I decided to paint a colorful Bird of my own. I used the canvas that I covered with pieces of torn map. I then sketched a very loose bird and whatever else came to mind, and started to paint. I like being able to see the pieces of map through the painting, and there's also a lot more texture...which I really like. It was a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to experimenting more with mixed media.

First Layers on Two WIP Paintings

I have the first layer finished on two of the paintings I'm working on; and I've pretty much completed the underpainting on, "Isabelle". I used an old map and Golden Matte Medium on a 6" X 12" canvas...not sure of what will come next on this painting. The "Isabelle" painting was started with a sketch directly on the canvas. I then added torn pages from an old French Book using the Matte Medium. The next step was the underpainting using Payne's Gray and Titanium white.

To be continued...

Girl's Day

Yesterday was a lot of fun! Two of my daughters and I had a Girl's Day Out. First...picking up a gorgeous wedding dress! Coffee and Portland Coffee Cake at Starbucks...yummy! Then on to The Corvallis Fall Festival, where I met two artists that create my kind of Art! I love their work. Jennifer Lommers (Her Artwork was on the tee-shirts this year), and Jill Mayberg... who has a painting I am so in love with. I'm still thinking about how gorgeous it would look in my living room! Then, if you haven't tried Cafe Yumm... I highly recommend it. We had dinner there and then listened to Calypso music all the way back to our car. Oh, and the French part of the day. I found a book written in French that I plan to use for a painting. If I can bring myself to tear it up. I love old books...and the thought of ripping pages out...is very difficult for me.

Time to watch our nephew play! He's playing in Seattle now... Go Seahawks!!!

FINI ET COMMENCER

A few coats of Varnish...and this colorful guy is heading to his new home. I really had a great time painting this piece. I love to paint on wood! It takes a bit longer, but I love the end result.

If the French is wrong...please excuse. I've decided that I need to get busy learning French. (The year that I took in High School...isn't really helping me.) We have cousins in Europe, and if we don't visit while they are there; I think we'd be crazy! So, more French words will be incorporated in my artwork...for a while.

Next projects... I've just started a mixed media piece using maps that my daughter was tossing in the recycling. Her trash and my treasure!!! And...I'm going to be creating three 6"X6" cat paintings to send to the Gallery in Bandon. I'm really excited, so I best get busy!

Au revoir!

Mr. Gatsby My New Granddoggy

We have a new Granddoggy, Mr. Gatsby. He was adopted by our daughter in Pennsylvania, and soon after made a very long trip to Oregon by car. She said he is an excellent traveller. GusGus and Rory have made friends with Mr. Gatsby, finally, and are having fun playing with him. It's been good for them...they're getting back into shape!

Painting and Crocheting

Our lives have been very busy...having three family members in the hospital at once! They are all doing better now, and we are very grateful for that. We, also, have a wedding to plan! Our youngest daughter is getting married...and we found her dress on our first trip to the Bridal Boutique! It's gorgeous...and so is she! :-)

I have managed to complete a little more on the commission I've been working on...and I'm sharing a picture of the progress there. I plan to finish it this coming week. And, being inspired by our beautiful new granddaughter...I found my crochet hooks, ordered an adorable pattern for crocheted hats, and completed two while watching TV the other night. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to crochet. I'm thinking I may put a few hats in my Etsy Shop soon...after I complete the commission of course!

Have a wonderful week!

Summer

Flowers, gardens and babies... I love Summer!

Nice Surprise This Morning

I woke up to a very nice surprise this morning. My painting, "A Mother's Love" is in TWO Treasuries on Etsy! They are great Treasuries, too, lots of fun kitties to look at. Here are the links, if you would like to take a peek. Madison's Treasury and Smokymtcreations Treasury

I'm working on a commission today...and it is a lot of fun! I will share the progress soon. So, I had better get to work!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day! It's so gorgeous here in Oregon right now... You can't help but smile.

News

Hi,

There's been a lot going on in our family lately. We're waiting to meet our new Granddaughter... Which is very exciting!

And, we have family members that aren't feeling so well...so I've been working at my old job of nursing recently. (Prayers are always appreciated)

I have some exciting news concerning my Artwork. I've been asked to show my work at a Gallery in Bandon. Bandon is on the Oregon Coast, and they seem to have a thriving art community. I will post pictures as soon as I get a chance to visit the Gallery. I talked with the owner over the phone and I am so excited to meet her.

In the meantime I've added my first painting to my website store. I'm not sure how it is going to work, but I guess we'll find out! Setting things up, and not really being able to test them out means all you can do is keep your fingers crossed, I guess.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Deb

I have a Website!

I spent all day, yesterday, building a new Website ! (I still have a lot of work to do on the site...but it's a beginning!) I've been thinking about it for a couple of years, and finally got the push to get it done. I will post more about, "The Why", next week. Things are getting exciting, so stay tuned!

My husband and I had such an amazing, "Date", on Saturday. We went to the Salem Art Fair and Festival. The 61st annual! Wow, have we been missing out for a few years by not attending. The artists were so amazing. My husband usually takes a book when we go to an Art Fair, but not this time. He looked at each booth right along with me. We met so many wonderful people, and were mesmerized and inspired by unique and beautiful Art. A great dinner later that evening...just topped off a wonderful day. I'm still dreaming of one painting in particular, though. It was a piece by an amazing artist, Diane Culhane. Such a nice lady...she gave me a few tips I will be trying...and her work really touched my soul. I know I will own some of her Art in the future. Hopefully, that big, beautiful painting that I'm still dreaming about!

I'd better go and figure out how to link e-mail to my website now. Harder than I had anticipated!

Paper Lanterns, Yellow Spiders and Cat Painting

I was painting with my Granddaughter the other day, and decided to do a study for a commission that I'm going to be painting. The original will be different, but I wanted to get a feel for some of the color I will be using.

Busy weekend with a Wedding happening, but I wanted to share a few things. I found these fun paper lanterns at the Dollar Store. They light up at night and are pretty cute...for only $1.00!

I, also, found...rather, it found me...A bright Yellow Spider while I was weeding in our woods. I like Spiders, so I thought it was pretty cool.

Have a wonderful weekend!!!!!!!!!

SUMMER has arrived...FINALLY!!!

YAY! Summer has arrived in Oregon!!!

Our first flowers of the season... More to come later!

Hopefully, it's not too late for our gardens! Mine is not looking so good, yet, but there's still hope! The deer found my new little cherry tree to be very tasty! Apparently Riley was asleep on the job! Oh well... She needs her beauty sleep.

Well, today I am going to have breakfast on our deck, in the SUN, do a bit of weeding and then paint the rest of the day. I hope everyone has a wonderful day, as well!

JUNE! Such a busy month!

Once again, it's been about a month since I've blogged! We have been very busy with College graduations, wedding and baby showers, High school graduation, birthdays and more birthdays and Father's Day! It's been a lot of fun! We've managed to find some time for our new passion...Disc Golf, too! My grandson said playing disc golf, the other day, was one of the BEST times EVER! He's 8 and he outplayed most of us! So did his 9 year old sister! It was great!

Here's a picture of an evening celebration. We belong to a group known as, 'The Friday Night Club'. Every Friday night we meet for dinner, and then play cards or games. I guess our kids noticed that we have a lot of fun.... they are now joining us!

I'm making time to paint today. Hopefully, I will have something to share very soon!

New Painting

I'm almost finished with my paintings...fortunately, since the show is tomorrow night. This is the last one...

I bought Steven Tyler's book, "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?", and he has a quote on one of the first pages that I love. "If you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If you're a singer, everything looks like a song." I would like to add to that... "If you're an Artist, everything looks like a painting." I think I am going to enjoy his book, very much. He's a very creative guy. I'll let you know.

Works In Progress

Life has been busy, as usual! I have been painting... Getting ready for the Artists' Reception; which I just learned I have to speak at. UGH! I am not a fan of speaking in public. It is easier talking about something you love...as I love painting. Hopefully, it won't be too painful. I've, also, added new items to my Cafepress store...in the whimsical cats section. I love their new iPhone covers. It's fun adding personality to items you use everyday.

Here are 2 of the 4 paintings that I've been working on. I'm hoping to finish them today, so I had better get busy! I hope you are having a great weekend!

Two of my favorite flowers

I couldn't resist, once again. Our Safeway's floral department is the first thing you see inside the front door...need I say more. Today they had two of my favorites...the little green spider mums and lavender campanula. Even Rudy couldn't resist them!

Visual Inspired Shopping

My Sister-In-Law and I went shopping yesterday and we had a great time. Even though I believe she believes, that I shop a little strangely. I just can't help myself! I've been known to buy music, wine and other treasures that move me...not because I like the music or the wine...I've usually never sampled them, but because of their visual appeal. My husband, her brother, is used to me and stopped wondering why I bought a CD, I've never heard, because the artwork on the cover is amazing. And, really, it doesn't have to be something purchased in a store. To me it's surrounding yourself with beauty and things that make you smile. When you're happy...you will probably pass that feeling on to others, or at least amuse them.

Yesterday I turned the corner and saw the most beautiful wine bottle I've ever seen; found a pretty little container for our coffee and who could resist fresh Basil!

Painting Finished

SOLD

I posted three, 'Work In Progress', paintings a while ago. They are paintings inspired by my imaginary flower doodles. I've finally finished one... I call it, "FIRST DATE". She's all dressed up...waiting for her handsome guy to arrive. This painting is going in my Etsy shop tonight.

I haven't had a lot of new paintings to share lately, because I've been busy painting for an Artists' Reception and show... I think there will be 5 or 6 local Artists. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I will be sure to post pictures.

Have a great evening...

Deb

Happy Easter!!!

I have one Easter decoration on display this year...it's my favorite. A little bunny made of Spun Cotton that I bought on Etsy. I saw the artist, Crystal, on the Martha Stewart show; fell in love with her creations, and had to have this bunny. Martha has the directions on her site to make one of Crystal's bunnies; which I plan to do in the future! Here are both links. Enjoy!

I wish everyone a wonderful Easter full of family and love!

Crystal's Site

Directions for Spun Cotton Bunny by Crystal on Martha Stewart.

Sudoku = Meditation=Art Journal

I've enjoyed Sudoku for a while now. I call it my meditation. So when I feel stressed...I grab my little book, the time flies by, I feel relaxed and I usually don't remember what I was stressed about after several puzzles. Very similar to creating Art, so I guess that is how my Sudoku books gradually became my Art journals. I started, rather unconsciously, using the finished pages of my sudoku books to experiment with ideas for art projects. It's fun and seems to help me with that dreaded artists' block.

Here are a few of my Sudoku pages and three Works in Progress that were inspired from these pages.

Rudy And The Scratching Box

Hi,

I have been very busy, and have a lot to post about, but I've decided to make one post at a time. Rudy and his new scratching box are first! He was so excited about this new box, loaded with catnip! He scratched it, licked it and laid by it; until, I'm guessing, the catnip was gone. He's a very funny guy!

We have a glass table in our kitchen, and I couldn't resist taking pictures of Rudy laying in the sun, under the table. I then played with one of the pictures on my computer, and I really like the way it turned out. I'm going to play around with it at cafepress next...and see what happens.

Well, it's early, on a Saturday night, but I'm thinking bed and my Sudoku puzzles sound pretty good. Tomorrow I think I'll post about my obsession with Sudoku, and how it's turned into one of my all time favorite Art projects and inspirations.

Have a wonderful evening!!!

Deb

EBSQ Team Treasury on Etsy

I am very honored to be a part of this wonderful EBSQ TEAM TREASURY. A very nice surprise indeed!

Thank you, Theodora, for including me! I love your artwork, by the way!

Spring Kitchen!

The sun has been out, and it's been 60 degrees!!! So when I saw the fresh Cilantro, pansies and the pretty little violas...I just had to bring them home!

Have a fantastic Weekend!!!