Rainbows from Real Life

I actually wrote this post a while back, thought I had posted it and discovered today I hadn't. I love the days I get to spend with my girls so much that I can't help but post this now.

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 Today we painted "rainbows from real life," as my daughter called them. It was raining on and off throughout the day but the sun was up and shining bright so there were rainbows to be seen.
A fun day all around. I was happy to spend some much needed time with my two favorite girls.

Medium: Watercolor

Spring

Where I live everything seems to liquify in the spring. Even the air has a cleansing wet glaze to it. I'm sure this happens in many places around the world, so it's nothing special. However, I find when I'm craving art this time of year I tend to lean towards watercolors. Watercolors happen to be one of my least favorite mediums, which means they surprise me each time I dabble in them.

This painting is of a flower, of sorts (not really sure what type of flower it was), my daughter picked for us to paint. I actually discarded it after I painted it, using the rest of the sheet to test a few techniques on. When I came back to it after it dried I was surprised by how much I liked it. 

In fact, I like it so much I might even frame this little gem to remind me to not be so quick to dismiss, to slow down a little, and have a bit more patience when I paint.

Medium: Watercolor on Paper

Scribble of Trees

I needed a mini vacation so I scribbled these trees on a lake. 

Somehow it helped, but now I want to go camping. 

Medium: Permanent Marker on White Paper with Digital Finishing

Rain

I love the rain... that is until it never stops. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest we get a lot of rain. The funny thing about this drawing is it was done while I was on vacation in Las Vegas. However, it reminds me a lot of home, in a good way.

Medium: Black Permanent Marker on Rough Bristol with Digital Finishing

Misty Morning

I worked on several drawings while on vacation this last week. This is one of them. It reminds me of how mist seems to float through the air in the fall. 

Medium: Permanent Marker on White Paper with Digital Editing

Fall

Fall is probably my favorite season. Here is a permanent marker drawing that was inspired by fall. 

 

Medium: Black Permanent Marker on White Paper with Digital Finishing

Winter Moss

I took these photos last fall in the Eastern Oregon wilderness. I just love the contrast between the moss, snow, and weathered fence. 

Medium: Digital Photography

First Wedding

I don't do a lot of photography for other people, but lately the subject has been coming up quite a bit. I did a wedding yesterday and the coordinator of the venue asked me for business cards. It took me by surprise because I don't think of my photography as a business. In fact the only reason I was doing the photography for this particular wedding was because the bride is a friend of a friend. By chance, however, several months ago I had the opportunity to get free business cards and rather than let that pass by I decided to get cards printed with information about my art. I thought, at the time, if I ever enter my work in another show they could come in handy, and since they were free... why not?! It worked out well. I was able to provide some cards for the coordinator to add to her directory.

This year has been full photo opportunities for me. My sister's pregnancy photos, family photos for two friends, and a wedding. It has been quite the whirl wind for this amateur. I have to say I find it much easier to take photos for family than anyone else. I think I put less pressure on myself to get it right and in the end the photos come out much better.

The wedding yesterday got me thinking about some of the past weddings I have done and some of my favorite photos from those weddings. Here are some of my favorites from the very first wedding I did. The bride is an amazingly beautiful young woman and she was a wonderful inspiration. I couldn't have asked for better subjects for my first wedding.

 

 

Medium: Digital Photography

Looking Up

There are certain things I love doing simply because they are relaxing. One of my top favorites is simply pausing long enough to enjoy the world around me. The painting I am sharing today is a reflection of these moments but it is also a reflection of who I am. I claim to have grown up a country girl. By all rights I am not sure this is entirely true, however in my heart it is most definitely who I am. While I can't say I ever lived on a farm, I did grow up in small towns and I worked a fair share of my younger years in the hay fields and raising cattle. Some of my fondest memories consist of sitting quietly listening to the wind in the trees and watching the clouds pass by. These moments are the inspiration for this watercolor painting. Watercolor is not a medium I work with very often but I do love experimenting. What I love about this painting is the perspective. I picture myself laying on my back under the tree looking up into the sky. The warm sun shining down as a cool breeze drifts by. A peaceful moment I can loose myself in.

Favorite Photos

I thought it would be nice to follow up my last blog with some of my own photography. Here are some of my favorites. 

You can do anything...

My parents always told me I could do anything if I put my mind to it. I am sure I am not the only one with such great parents. I mention this for a very important reason, which I will get to in a moment. I have been frustrated lately with blogging. I just haven't felt like my blog was personal enough. In my search for uniqueness I have looked high and low, googled, binged, yahooed, and who knows what else to find the answers I was searching for. At first my search was simply to find a free template that screamed "ME!" It was a wasted effort. Then I began to think.......scary, I know...... If I can teach myself how to use excel, create an access database from scratch, edit in adobe photoshop without a manual, and write queries in SQL then I can teach myself how to personalize my blog (all because my parents told me I could do anything if I put my mind to it).

So... I have begun my journey. If you have visited my blog previously you might have already noticed I have made a few changes. I am sure there will be more to come but I am really excited about how this adventure has begun to unfold. I have made it over my first big hurdle and am staggering towards my second but I am sure I will make it, with time.

The first hurdle was, I think, my biggest challenge which is why I chose to conquer it first (why start small?). You could probably guess this hurdle was my blog header. While it is not the most glamorous showstopper out there I think it turned out quite nice. The best part is I was able to use only my photography, how cool is that! For a moment I felt like a real pro. I am starting to get the hang of this blogging business and am excited for the changes I have lined out for my future. I hope you will enjoy them too.

Family Craft: Painted Garden

This spring I decided I wanted to work on a craft project with my girls. It took me a while to decide which one we were going to do first, but I finally decided we would paint a pot for planting veggies. Since our backyard isn't ready for us to plant a real garden I thought it would be fun to start a planter garden on our deck. The weather cooperated perfectly and we had a blast creating our masterpiece. Maizie said she wanted to do crafts all the time. In my book I would call that a success. 

 Lilly called her painting "Scenery".

 Maizie called her painting "Red and Blue Stripes". 

Our masterpiece is now brightening up a corner of our deck. It is home to three bell pepper plants. 

Project List: Acrylic Paint (assorted colors of you choosing), Terracotta Pot and Base, Paint Brushes, News Paper or Butcher Paper (to keep the mess off your table), Aprons or Smocks (to keep the mess off you), and lots of fun. You might want to use a clear coat sealer after the paint dries, this will help protect your masterpiece from the elements. 

Playing with Space

This is a first attempt at taking some of my sketchbook drawings and turning them into a finished piece. This is also my second attempt at re-introducing vine charcoal to my drawing pallet. While I am liking the direction I am not liking the outcome, although the rough organic imperfections are growing on me.

Medium: Vine Charcoal on White Bristol

My Favorite Subjects...

It doesn't matter if I am snapping photographs, drawing, or painting, my favorite subjects are my family. When Maizie was about nine months old I had taken a picture of her I later started to turn into an oil painting. I never finished it. It was the first painting I attempted after college and now it sits in my laundry room waiting to be finished. A year or so ago my brother-in-law sent me a photograph he took of Maizie, it is one of my most favorite pictures. It is mostly blurry with the focus on her eyes, the image seems to dissolve as you get further away from her face. I was looking at the pictures in my phone tonight and came across the photograph, I couldn't resist. My heart has been begging me to pour it into some piece of art and I thought, "why not?" I grabbed my vine charcoal and four hours later here we are. God is good and I thank him everyday for the small gifts that he has given to me. This picture is a reminder of one of the most precious, my children. Thank you Jordan for inspiring me with your wonderful picture. I hope you will know how much I appreciate it.

Medium: Vine Charcoal on White Bristol

Pods

 

I love plants, particularly green plants like grass, and plants that are not overwhelmed with flowers. I am not so good at keeping them alive which is why if I could live anywhere It would be in a tree house in a rain forest. You can't get more plants than that, especially ones you don't have to water and take care of. The only thing that might hold me back are the insects.

Ripples

I love watching water move. The ripples, bubbles, lines, shadows, reflections,... all of it is hypnotizing. Sometimes I find myself just staring at the surface of the water trying to memorize each ripple, the forms and shapes I see. It is calming and, ironically, refreshing.

Medium: Permanent Marker on White Paper with Digital Finishing

Reflections

Back to the permanent marker. This piece happens to be one of my favorites so far. It reminds me of a window at night. I have a love hate relationship with windows, I think windows are some of the most beautiful things but they make me feel really insecure and can be a bit scary, especially at night.

Medium: Permanent Marker on White Paper with Digital Finishing

Winter

Here is another college project. This is only one quarter of it and I will not be posting the other seventy five percent. This project was based on creating four pieces each representing a different season. I got board half way through the seasons which means the remaining three seasons leave a lot to be desired. I do wish I had taken more interest in this particular project. I think I could have ended up with a nice arrangement.

Medium: Acrylic Paint and Glitter on White Bristol

Pipes

This one always makes me laugh. It's more the memory of making it than the piece it's self. This is another piece from my basic design class in college. At the time I thought it ridiculous for our teacher to have us cut squares out of construction paper and make designs out of them. Now I just laugh because even though it seems grade-school-ish I think it would be fun to be able to spend my days playing with construction paper. 

Medium: Construction Paper on White Bristol

Emotions: Part Two

Can you guess the emotion?
...and another piece from college...

Medium: Mixed Media (Ink, Pencil, Conte Crayon, Acrylic Paint) on White Bristol