Time Away

I will be away from my blogging and the computer for a time.  Probably about a month.  Please don't think I have deserted you, dear readers.  I will return just as soon as I can. I may be doing some sporadic posting as time allows.

Thank you all for your recent comments and for visiting my blog!

Painting # 13 in 100

I started out with a blind contour drawing of a favorite cup - scattering the drawings randomly over the page and turning the cup at different angles for each drawing.  So much fun!!!!!!!

My Review of The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program.  What a great way to get free books and what great books they are!

(Please click on the picture to enlarge if you'd like to better see the little drawing at the bottom.)  The journal page for this book is more immediate and less artful, because it was 11:10 p.m. when I finished the book and it made such an impact that I felt I needed to get it down immediately before the magic disappeared...

I've never read such a book as this. It was magical and moving, a magnificent story. 

- about choices,
- and life stories,
- about who we're created to be and who is chosen to accompany us in our life's journey,
- about consequences, and about characteristics and circumstances, sometimes beyond our control, that make us who we are.
- It's about brokenness and scars and how they become part of us...the past can't be erased, but instead the scars from our bad choices, or the choices of others that affect us, are woven into the very fiber of our being and into the very heart and soul of who we are. We make the choice to let our scars make us bitter or better people.


The Miracle of Mercy Land. I discovered that "Mercy Land" is a person, though from the title you're not sure? Her story, along with the stories of the lives that touch hers, will move you in ways you never imagined.

IMPORTANT:  I need your vote!
Please, would you be so kind as to rank my review below? The more rankings I get the better my standings!!!  I need your help!! Thank you so much! 

Journal Pages and Drawings from the Weekend

The little painting on the left is drawn in ink and colored with watercolor and colored pencil.
I can't decide on a background color for the one on the right, so we'll call it a WIP and I'll post the finished one later.

Journal Page & EDM Challenge - Draw Something with Spots

My funny journal page from yesterday. I just love the little character at the bottom. I was looking at a picture of my sister and I started scribbling "her" hair and then added to the drawing from there - maybe a 25 second drawing. It kept me happily giggling for most of the afternoon. Such a fun thing to do! This character has absolutely no resemblance to me whatsoever, but I had drawn it in my notepad at work, and I wanted to glue it in my journal so I could keep it. It sort of went with this devotion from David Jeremiah. My artwork is indeed unique and so is this crazy little woman I created. I made her a polka-dotted shirt to satisfy the latest EDM challenge - draw something with spots :-) LOL

This will be my post for the weekend as I'm going to try my hardest to stay off the computer this weekend and be present! I plan to finish a book for bloggingforbooks.org, so look for the review and journal page soon. I also need to clean house -- blah, blah...

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

View from the Train

I took a photo from a train that my husband and I rode in Cass, WV two summers ago. Today, working from the photo displayed on my digital frame, I did this 4" x 6" painting in colored pencil and watercolor. I've wanted to try working with colored pencils on acid free, lignin free backing board I purchased from Clearbags.com for quite some time. It worked great, even with the touches of watercolor. I used my new Schmincke Watercolor Set, which not only looks to be luxurious in every way, but it truly is.

Without Excuse

I realize today that I have no excuse not to make great art. I am blessed beyond measure with art supplies. With a 4-day holiday weekend I organized art supplies with the intent to get everything within easy reach and also out where I can see it. I also wanted to leave enough room on the table to comfortably work on small pieces or journal pages.



And then as you can see, I made myself a cup of coffee and created a "playing with color" page in my 11 x 14 Aquabee sketchbook. So much fun.

Yesterday, I used my 50% off one regular price item coupon from A. C. Moore and bought a natural daylight hobby lamp for the table, because at night the lamp pictured above just was not working. Now it's so bright I need sunglasses!!!

Today, my Christmas gift from my husband arrived via Cheap Joes Art Supply. I had originally ordered the American Journey Watercolor Sticks, but was disappointed (you read about that here).  Well, when this arrived today and I opened it up, the disappointment fled and delight set in to stay.  Oh my goodness!  I feel very, very wealthy suddenly.  This is an exquisite watercolor set, folks!

Just look at these colors.  It even comes with its own color key so that you can paint in the color swatches.  Yum, that's all I can say... Yum.
I think I may be in love.

A Fun Page

A fun page in my 11 x 14 Aquabee Sketchbook
Me, surrounded by what I love - books, flowers, coffee, and color!
Comfort and joy!

Book Review - Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner

The central theme of the book is our ability, our power, to choose.

Susan Meissner weaves together two women, who lived five centuries apart, with the common thread of their power to choose; not to have their choices forced upon them by others. Other common threads that wove these two women together are their shared name, Jane; and a betrothal ring with the name "Jane",  along with a Latin phrase from Song of Solomon  inscribed inside.

I found this book to be a history lesson that made me feel as if I was a part of the mid-sixteenth century, watching and cheering Lady Jane Grey on.  At the same time I could relate so well to present-day Jane as she searches for answers about herself, her marriage, and the origin of the ring she discovers hidden in the binding of a centuries old prayer book; a ring that seems to be hers by more than mere coincidence.

The historical Lady Jane's story is told by her seamstress/dress-maker, Lucy.  A commoner that is able to make her own choices in marriage and in life.  And in the end, both Lady Jane and modern-day Jane find that they too have the power to choose, and that they had it all along.

Please be so kind as to rank this review below!! Thank you so much!

Playing with colors and textures, a new studio arrangement

New cabinet in the studio corner of my kitchen. This is such a cheering place!



Playing with watercolor stamping and background colors.
I glued a piece (a circle) of corrugated cardboard to a cork (you can see it to the left of my palette. I used this and bubble wrap to stamp. First I laid down a watercolor wash, then stamped into it with the stamp and then stamped the clean sheet of paper at top left. The top right piece is a mixture of cobalt violet and periwinkle and I've just stamped into the wet watercolor wash with bubble wrap. The other peices are playing with color combinations - Quinacridone Rose and Cobalt Blue. Don't reallylike the bottom two pieces. Not bright enough for me! Now the top right piece - that's just gorgeous!


A close up of the stamping



A close up of the cobalt violet/periwinkle mixture. The colors are separated more at the bottom, but at the top of this sheet I actually mixed the colors on my palette. You can see my cork stamp more closely here.