A Work in Progress...

Oh, this is so much fun!! Yesterday I played with a clay board I had found and did some gel medium image transfers. I had gotten the idea from watching Milliande's great video for producing weathered backgrounds. Actually, the transfers were much too good, so I had to distress them a bit and might have to do some more of that. And the colors in the uploaded picture are a bit more muted than the actual colors. It's a bit garish and I like it! Now to figure out what to use this background for...

Daniel and I have been getting ready to plant some seeds for herbs, fruits, and veggies to sprout them indoors. We've got several kinds of heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, zucchini, basil, parsley, muskmelon, and lima beans.

A few weeks ago, I sprouted some castor beans before putting them outside (they are doing very well) and took some time-lapse photos which I made into this fun little video.



I love spring time with all it's beauty, freshness, and promises! Don't you?!

Filled with Hope

I decided to name this new collage painting "Filled with Hope," not just because of the eggs in the nest, but also because that's how I feel as I am creating. Here, I wanted to play with paper, torn and cut, and although this came out a little more cutesy than I had intended, there are aspects of it I really like.

I started out with a paper that Daniel had gessoed some time back and the texture showed a round pattern, which made me think of a nest (ok, nests are on my mind anyway with Easter coming...). I used art paper, some leftover scraps and two kinds of handmade papers we had gotten in Mexico.

At some point, I was ready to throw it out and start something else - nothing was coming together, but in the end it turned out alright. Not my favorite, but considering this is only painting number three for me, I need to cut myself some slack...

That said, I have a feeling that I am going to play with this some more. It somehow doesn't feel quite finished yet. If I change it, I'll show you the updated version.

On to the next experiment!!

On another note...


Thank you so very much to the talented Val of Vania's Art for awarding me my very first Blogger Award for "A Passion for Painting." I feel so honored!! Another award! Make sure to check out Val's beautiful art on her blog!!

My First Award!!

The very talented Val of Vania's Art awarded me the Lemonade Stand Award for great Gratitude and/or Attitude. Being so new to the world of blogs and even newer to the artist community, this means a lot! Thank you, Val!









1. Put the logo on your blog or post
2. Nominate 10 blogs that show great Gratitude and/or Attitude.
3. Be sure to list and link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Nominate your favorites and link to your post.


Here are my terrific nominees:

Beth of Beth's Take on Life
Karen of Tessandore Creative
Kelly Rae of Kelly Rae
Flor of Flor Larios Art
Mary of The Fresh Notes
Hilary of Goldbutton Studios
Vina of Draw with the Flow
Denise of Mountain Laurel Folk Art Studios
Tam and Charlotte of "We Blog Artists"
Nicola of concrete and honey

Reading the blogs of these talented artists and writers contributes daily to my happiness. And the kind and encouraging comments by fellow bloggers and artists mean the world to me on my creative journey! Thank you all for your support!!!

Changed New Art...

Ok, so I thought the last posting was the finished piece of art, but after looking at it with Daniel, I changed my mind and moved the shell with the sea weed over to the right. It had bothered me that I had it in the corner so close to the edge and then it occurred to me that I could actually change it. And I did! I like it even better now and won't change it again. Well, at least not today...

I am working on my next piece and like the way it's coming along. I should have something new to post in a day or two!

In the meantime, we are enjoying a cold snap here in the south with wind and plenty of sunshine. As I was walking Winslow this morning wearing a winter jacket, I was filled with appreciation for a little cold weather before the heat starts in earnest.

While I was walking, I watched the birds having the best time gliding on the strong wind and thought that that's what I want to learn to do next time my life gets a little stormy, simply spread my wings and glide...

New Art...

I just finished my second piece of art and I am very excited about it. It truly is mixed media with paper, gesso, acrylics, gold watercolor, some sort of sea plant and a shell found here at the beach. It was hard photographing it so everything would show up. In the first photo, you can see more of the gold and in the second one a little more of the texture details. The "real" painting looks very luminous. Now...what to call it? Any ideas?!?

I think I am hooked - going to start my next piece as soon as I finish this post...housework be damned...

One note about yesterday's post. I had to laugh this morning when I looked at how nonchalantly I wrote about the alligator we saw on our walk. Daniel and I were joking that had I seen it the first time we walked there, I would have turned around, sprinted back to the car never to return again. But after three years in the southeast, I've gotten used to seeing the occasional gator sunning itself by the water...