Relaxing with a couple of drawings

As usual these are just a couple of things drawn on the corners of envelopes on the outgoing mail. It's a great way to unwind and brighten things up at the same time.

I've got a couple more painting ideas for that series I'd been working on but am not sure whether or not I want to work on them today. There are a lot of things rolling around in my mind but I just haven't decided
which dream to chase right now.

I started cleaning off the work table and stuck misc. photos and scrap paper together to make note cards and then grabbed the pencils and drew on them too.

Winter sets in, settling into the studio corner of the dining room

Here's the usual view from my computer desk in the living room. As you can see, I never even got my watering can put away before the snow came. I kept meaning to pick it up everytime I went by but as any regular readers know by now I'm VERY easily distracted and have lots of things going on at the same time.

Back in the dining room/studio here's the usual view from my worktable. I'm missing the birds already.

This is the most organized corner because it's right next to the window and my table so I spend more time on it. My husband built this bookcase nearly 50 years ago and I've been wanting to paint it for the last 30 years or so...negotiations continue...

Here we are at the kitchen sink, well above the view of the dirty dishes. On days when the sky is blue it's my favorite view because depending on where you're standing it hardly looks like you're in the middle of the city at all.

Here's the view of the back yard from the other kitchen window. What do all of these photos have to do with painting or gardening? They set the stage as inspiration shifts from the things we're growing and picking to planning for next year and painting or drawing from the photos I took this summer.

Because of limited space in here I'll leave any large easel painting for next summer and plan to focus on drawings, small watercolors and acrylic paintings.

I can't wait to see what happens next!

Today's sketchbook projects

I started with this which reworks an idea I painted back in 1996. I wanted to see how it would look in watercolor pencil and ink. (my original was in acrylics). I kind of like this lighter and brighter version. It's a nice change of pace.

I just finished this sunflower in watercolor pencil inspired by a photo I'd taken of the sunflowers I grew last summer.

Red Dala Horse photo shoot taking the designs to the next level

I really enjoyed finding different ways to paint each shape and love the way that they look together.

As I was photographing these and arranging the horses I was thinking what a nice still life they would make in a number of different media.

I'm starting with the photography but plan to move on to drawings in pencil and ink and then to paintings in watercolors and acrylics.

I wish I could share the way I'm feeling about these right now, it goes beyond words.

Yellow and Blue

Paint, Pencil and Photography to go

I'm having a lot of fun today with a handful of photos of my paintings, some colored paper, card and envelope sets and tying them all together by doing some pencil drawings and watercolors around them.

The Last Cards of the Year

Time was getting away from me so instead of painting each and every one of my cards, I printed photos of my card designs and made cards out of those then added pencil drawings to the corners of the envelopes to make them a bit more special.

A few tulips in pencil

One of the gals that used to stop into our painting group hasn't been well so I drew her some tulips on a card and envelope, I'd been working on a tulip painting last time she stopped in.. I will take the card and envelope along tomorrow so a few of her friends can sign it and send it on it's way to put a smile in her mailbox.

Outgoing Mail

The drawings you see here were each done on the lower left hand corner of letters I mailed today. I think the red one turned out the best. I did that one from a photo I took in my garden over the summer. The yellow one probably looks pathetic because I did it from one of the last surviving flowers in the front yard and it was in pretty rough shape.
I just LOVE that big set of pencils!!! I've got them in a bunch of beautiful glasses and vases on the dining room table so they're as much of a pleasure to look at as they are to use. I hope that passion, joy and energy shows in my work from time to time so people can enjoy it as much as I do.