Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone.

The subject for my cards this year was my two red Adirondack chairs that sit beneath a large cedar tree at the front of our house. This year we had snow fall just about the time I was trying to think of what I would paint for my cards. Looking out my front room windows, seeing the bushes showing a little green behind the chairs and covered with snow, I knew this would be the subject. I titled the painting "Winter Seating". As fast as the snow had fallen it went away just as fast, with only my painting to remind me of the beautiful snow that had helped me decide what my cards would be.

I wish all my friends who read my blog a wonderful Holiday. May you find joy in all your creative adventures in the new year. Thanks for all the encouraging words that keep me trying, and all your postings that are so inspiring. Bless you.

Down memory lane ...

Instead of doing more decorating and preparing for the holidays, I seem to start in one direction and find myself in a completely different direction than I'd started.

Today while looking for some room to hide a wrapped gift in the studio ... moving some "collectibles" (this means things that have been laying around and collected in a corner of the studio), I came upon a number of older paintings I had done and kept. I remember enjoying the process of painting ceramics and the reflection of the ceramics in a toaster. I cropped off the handle of the small pitcher, but both the creamer and the green ceramic with the flowers were so enjoyable to paint. I'm not crazy about the rest of the painting, but gee, the ceramics were so fun to paint.

Okay, now where was I ? Oh yea, back to a hiding spot for the Christmas gift.

'Tis the Season !

I realize that most of you have been in the holiday spirit for a few day's now... or anyway some of you have... but for me this comes very slowly each year. Baby steps if you will. I start out thinking, "I guess I should start unpacking some holiday decorations and putting them out" ... (I've learned that if I ignore that little voice in my head, after a few hours it goes away). Anyway for awhile. My thought today was to start decorating the house with just a few items. Then of coarse I thought first I'd better clean a room or two before any holiday decorations are placed anywhere. So, a little cleaning took place. Then off to the studio I went. In my last post I had showed you some of the snow scenes I'd taught at a watercolor class and I guess I'm still in the snow painting mood, because today I painted some snow scenes on some wood, measuring 3.5" x 3.5" x 1/2" thick.

This photo shows the gesso'd block before any drawing or watercolor was placed on the block of wood. This is the front of the block and below is the back, with a small hole drilled in so a small nail will slip right in to help hold it on the wall.

Here is the back of my small wooden block and you can see the small whole drilled in the back to help keep it on the wall.

Now you can see the drawing on the front and how I've carried the paint around to cover the sides also .... just a little border of sorts.

Here are the finish two blocks that occupied my day. Not my usual style, but fun to get my mind off house cleaning and decorating ... any way for the day. I still will need to spray a protective clear finish on them to keep moisture off them, sign them and that project is over for the time being. It is hard to photograph the true colors of these little guys. The border is a bright red and the yellow/gold is raw sienna.

"Tis the Season ................