Hand Painted Bird Nests

I painted up another batch of postcards last night. I'm thinking I should make some to add to my etsy...then comes my question...postcards or make cards or make them to fit into frames
any ideas?

and then...
I used up my last bit of pale green wool for my birdies...I purchase wool skirts from thrifts stores, I cut up into pieces and boil. Now, there are a LOT of different colors of white...this one had a yellow undertone. It took me quite a few pieces to come up with the right combination of greens and blues. because of the yellow, I found I was using more blues, its hard to tell be the ones on the right are the pale green that I like to use to make my birds
oh, I had to show you my wonderful pencil that I got at Dick Blick...It fits my hand beautifully.

I even dunked some rayon ribbon

60 roses later....

April is Letter Writing month. I've signed up to have a pen pal, there are about 20 gals in the group, so to start things off, I thought I'd send them each a hand painted postcard. I have a postcard stamp. I used multi media paper, great big pad, 1 sheet made all these.
I sold two more of my birdies, they are flying out of etsy again, I want to thank all of you that have been purchasing them. I'm out right now and have orders, I'll keep them coming. Here is a package I painted for the gal who just bought my last two.

Chunk of Wood

Amazing what you can do with a chunk of 2X4 and a little gesso.

Adding a little wire on the top, a note can be added

My Day and Art Journal

With the threat of a major storm in So. Cal, we decided to get away, so we went over to the other side of the mountains to the sunshine. Had a great breakfast, then headed back home...when we came out from breakfast these clouds appeared...we could watch them rolling in towards us
We had to come back over the mountains...it was a white knuckle experience. we were swerving to miss the rocks tumbling from the hill, major rushing water crossing the road, once we made it safely to our freeway to home...it wasn't much better...the clouds were on us, it turned black, couldn't see the cars in front of this red car. I was thankful to get home we got a wood fire going

before the weather, I was able to do a little sketching in the car

trying out my new Koi watercolors

another sketch that needs a backgound

This is on my lap

I have a plan

Here is my plan, I plan to help my daughter Stacey get a photography web site going, or a blog, or something. For her 30th birthday she treated herself to a trip to Oregon. Her birthday is on the 17th. She thought the weather was going to be ok...well, it wasn't what she expected...snow, sleet, freezing rain...snow...rain...snow and then some sunshine. While in a little town of Stayton, she has been taking hundreds of photos of her extended family.
This sweet girl Sam tried on a hat that her mom had packed away from Halloween, after they all watched Top Model, they thought the hat was appropriate attire.lol

Sam is a stunning 12 year old.

She does have a younger sister, I'll be posting pictures of soon

While there, Stacey has the opportunity to take someones senior photos, back here in So. Cal, she has a photography appointment with another young girl.

The family has an old farm, which supplies great photo ops.
These are just a few she has sent me. They are such high resolution, I have to
make them fit in the blog...one by one. anyone know how to downsize a group of photos in photoshop elements 9??

aqua

Thought I would show my inspiration and Viking vase with my mixed media painting
I'm linking up with
My Romantic Home
Show and Tell Friday

Mixed Media Birdie

After finishing the lettering class with Joanna Sharpe, I signed up for Junelle and Christy Tomlinsons mixed media class. I had a lot of fun getting messy last night. The background paint was added on top of a 1874 Arithmetic book. The lace is vintage lace, the flowers are off a cotten shirt I picked up at the thrift store...just for the flowers around the bottom. The bird is maded from different papers, so is the teacup and books. Most of this was done with my fingers, boy were they a mess!!

A little Watercolor

My computer is giving me fits right now, so I'm posting from my office computer...
A little sketch...then painted it with watercolors

We had a major storm on Sat. the sun was out on Sunday so we took off for Ojai..

Heres what it looked like from our street, the snow came down so low

All the rest of these photos are from a cute little town of Ojai

I would be nice if I held the camera straight.lol

It was such an enjoyable trip
I'm working on a canvas, cant wait to show it to you

Journal cover

Happy Pink Saturday...I bought a childrens book...you know, one of those kinds that have hard pages...

I added textured medium then gesso

I'm also showing you my art journal page with pink radishes

I'm joining Pink Saturday

A Little Blue Bird Art Journal PAGE

I remember a few years ago I was "whining" that I wish I could draw and sketch..My daughter Stacey said "you can" just DO IT. So, from that day forward I sketch and sketch and sketch, in the process i wanted to learn how to watercolor, so I went in search of the best painter/teachers I could find, I wanted to take from them in person, so I could ask questions as they pertained to what we were being shown. I love watercolors, they are probably my favorite medium now. I've been taking a few online classes lately, I needed to work on my lettering...I still need to work on my lettering, with lots of practice. I can look at what I do, especially when I take a photo and put it on the computer, I can see things that I cant see while I'm working on it. I'm working on making my sketches my own work, I might be influenced by others, but the designs will be my own, thats important to me.

Anyway, with this new class with Junelle at Christy Tomlinson's blog. Its a whole new way for me to sketch and paint...I love it! I have more to show you in the days to come.

Trying a New Style Journal Page

I'm taking an online class over at ChristyTomlinsons... Here is a new style for me. I loved doing it, lots of loose penwork!

I can see a lot more of this style in my future!

Santa Monica!!

Love going to Santa Monica... I was on the lookout for textures, here is what I found...

And then...our favorite restaurant! The Boarder Grill, it is owned by two gals that are on the food network all the time

Above...Stacey had their portabello mushroom sandwich with yucca fries....so good

I had their version of corn chowder, spicy...sooooo good

My husband had grilled lamb tacos, green rice, red rice...soooo good.lo
Went to a couple of farmers markets
enjoyed the fresh air
aaaah, lovely day

A little blue bird painting

I spent some time yesterday blog hopping. There is so much inspiration. I dont want to "copy" others, so I look for colors or styles that I like. Then I clear my brain...pull out what I have and PLAY

I wanted to paint with layers...starting out with sprays, I then added a layer of clear gesso

I layered on heavy bodied acrylics with my fingers. A bit of watercolor crayons,When that was dry I sprayed over stencils

I then used different pencils..one was water soluble, which I went over with a waterbrush.

After painting the bird with watercolors and acrylics I sketched lightly with a pilot pen.
It was so much fun trying something different, and inspired by others
I always paint with an idea in mind, this time I wanted to try the...
"hey, I'll see where this takes me" attitude
I am linking up with
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
and
Pink Saturday

Collection Of my Face sketches

I have a long way to go...but I am practicing! I learn something new each time I sketch.

Art journal

My word for the year is TRY, so try I did...I loosely sketched this in, then went over it with a black Tombo, then used my water brush...very interesting to watch the bleeding of the ink. At the end I added some sketch lines with a white gel pen.

Going Loose

It was hard for me, I'm trying to loosen up...loose and sketchy...it was so much fun

four days of sketching

I haven't had much time for crafting, but I am keeping up with my sketch a day.