Surprise! I'm Back!

Hello out there to any of my followers who might still remember me after a three-month absence from my blog.  We're still here...Charlie is doing a little better with his blood counts following his last radiation.  I had a total ankle replacement in Charlotte on January 9, which has left me in non-weight-bearing status since then.  We go back to Charlotte on January 26, and hopefully will get rid of the giant heavy cast and switch to a walking boot.

On Monday, January 29, we go back to Sarasota for Charlie's six-month check-up at Dattoli Cancer Center.  We are looking forward to the warmer weather and visiting with family who live down there.  We have had an exceptionally cold winter so far here in the North Carolina mountains, so it has been a good month to hibernate inside.  Even though I stay on the couch all day, I can see outside through our glass door and big windows.  Here are some visitors that I spied on one of the snow days.

I was really getting motivated to finish organizing my basement studio when deer season arrived, then  Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Had to add air beds downstairs for company and a table for a gift-wrapping station.  The painting side is in pretty good shape, but not the fabric/quilting area.  Maybe when we get back from Florida.

I did paint some winter scenes and a Christmas card before  I got laid up.

Snowy Woods

Snowy Woods was this year's Christmas card.

Light in the Forest

I started Light in the Forest four years ago.  One of my former workshop instructors, Karlyn Holman, wrote a step-by-step tutorial in Watercolor Artist magazine about creating a snowy woodland scene.  I did not like mine at all and put it aside.  Four years later I got some new ideas and am very happy with this luminous scene.  In fact, it is sold!

I have done a little art journaling, as well.  My brother Chris sent me a photo of a very angry screech owl he encountered while mowing his grass, and I tried to paint him.

Here are my last three journal pages for the Monthly Art Journal Challenge Group on Facebook.  The moderator always suggests a theme for the month.

November:  Glitter


























It's a little-known fact that when my husband and I ride the Gator through a dark piny section of our mountain, he often quotes lines from this beloved Robert Frost poem to me.


December:  Poinsettias


















Inspired by a watercolor painting on Pinterest

January:  the year 2018

I painted this luminous angel some time ago, but never finished the page.  I used a white Sharpie paint pen (extra fine point) to add the journaling, halo, and flower.

I have done quite a bit of Bible journaling while recuperating, and will post some of those pages next time.

Thank you to my sister-in-law Alice Turner for requesting that I start blogging again!  I needed a nudge!

Happy Easter!

We had a very enjoyable Easter with our family this year.  After church and brunch with family on Sunday, we brought our two grandsons to the mountains with us for their Spring Break.  They have been enjoying a lot of fishing and Gator rides.


Here are some Bible journaling pages that I made for the Easter season.

 

Selling Angel Art for American Cancer Society

Sorry for not posting recently...but I am excited to report that I have submitted four of my angel paintings to the Fine Art America website!  All proceeds from my Angel Art will be donated to the American Cancer Society.  This fine organization not only helps fund much-needed research, but also provides services such as transportation to treatment for cancer victims and their families.

Ice Blue Angel

Pastel Angel

Glowing Angel

Rainbow Angel

Many of you are aware that my husband is now a one-year survivor of metastatic prostate cancer.  Today he spent the afternoon helping me take some high-resolution photographs with his Nikon camera and a tripod.  I purchased some black velvet fabric and covered a Masonite board with it.  We set up outdoors in the sun's natural light with a tabletop easel perched on a stool.  We were ducking showers, but managed to take some good-quality photographs in direct sunlight.

The Fine Art America website lets you choose from products such as prints, (framed or unframed), notecards, greeting cards, phone cases, postcards, pouches, tote bags, towels, even shower curtains with the artwork that you select.  All of the financial transactions, printing, and shipping are provided by the company.  I have added the minimal mark-up so that any profits will go to the American Cancer Society.

In the near future I will also be adding some original Angel Art to my Easy shop...I have many small original paintings that can be framed or used on notecards.  

Thank you for your encouragement and support!

Watercolor Washes

Today I continued with several more quick watercolor washes, and worked on  one of yesterday's.

Here is a little painting developed from yesterday's spring palette wash.

Spring Wildflowers

red and turquoise wash

yellow-orange and green wash

Pastel color wash

I also did a wash in my watercolor journal using shades of blue and added salt.

Blue wash with salt added

So far, I have turned it upside down and made an angel by painting the negative space around the wings.  I may add some scripture to this one.

Angel from blue and white wash

These paintings are loose, fast and fun.