Easter Blessings

9x12 color pencil

Hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Easter!

Just completed yesterday. Been busy with wedding things, have an exhibit this coming Saturday, need more art! Still hope to get around to see what everyone's been up to (not enough hours in a day.)

Fitting in Art

Ready to begin work on the wood cross next, then on to background. I like to look at progression photos which I always take of my work. Thought I would share some today.

It was very hard for me to color over this pencil shading but I have already created two pencil Easter pieces and wanted to do a color one. Unlike in my Christmas colored pieces where the shading showed through very well with little accenting afterward, this didn't occur. Winced on that.....but have shaded with a darker color of purple and black.

I go ahead and finish off areas to avoid smearing.
No, this isn't an ancient drawing or spilled tea. I began this drawing sitting in a Starbucks while we were out of town and it looked totally yellow. Hoping to make progress on this today and finish next week.

VolleyGirl (think I'm going to have to :( rename her) and I had a great time the other weekend. Didn't get lost once.....now we did have a couple of extra circles here and there looking for the restaurant. We shopped, ate too much and bought very little but we enjoyed ourselves. Now I've been swimming laps and treading water at the gym pool for a couple of weeks, knees and back are holding up pretty well so far. Shopping a bit, with little luck, for a dress for the wedding and trying to get some art accomplished. The first wedding event is this Sunday, a bridal shower and of course I'm uncertain to what I will wear. Why should I, have over an entire day left! Also.....why did I ever start twitter.......

Scenes from the past two days....Merry Christmas!

I hate that it's been crazy busy so I've not posted. It's less than an hour until midnight - Christmas Day soon! Wanted to wish everyone a blessed, safe and memorable Christmas. Hoping all has been well, look forward to catching up very soon. The snowman was commissioned for a gift, picked up yesterday.

Celebrated my great nephew's 7th birthday last night before my side of the family's Christmas celebration. Yesterday was a poignant day - would have been my parent's 61st anniversary, would have been my mom's 81st birthday, Dudley came to our home 11 years ago on my parent's 50th anniversary. So blessed that Finn (Finnegan) was born on my mom's birthday....something to keep celebrating! He's into Mario Kart and I had never made a birthday cake for him cause it's so busy this time of year. I've always made his brother's cake in July and this year I was determined to make Finn's!

My niece had the little toy figures for the cake and Finn insisted they ALL were put on and luckily they fit! A joy to do!
We gave him the Mario cap and mustache!

A bit difficult to see but the cracklin' fire with Christmas music on Netflix is actually pretty awesome in our den! Occasionally when I am waiting for something in the oven I get to sit down for a minute and enjoy it!

One of my favorite traditions growing up - Russian tea, made with lemons, oranges, cloves, cinnamon, sugar and of course, tea! Wouldn't be Christmas without it.
Last thing I baked tonight....pecan pie, my favorite pie.

Found this chocolate macaroon recipe in a magazine last year!!!! If you love toasted coconut, you'll love this. Volleygirl has taken this task on....yes!
Been planning this cake to take to my in-laws since I first saw it on a friend's facebook post last summer. A Tuxedo Cake..........chocolate cake layers....very tall!
Icing is just heavy whipping cream with confectioner's sugar.
Just finished it!!!!!!!! Made the glaze after returning home tonight....was nervous it wouldn't turn out right.........love it! The glaze is yummy. Had to find Lyle's Golden Syrup....thankfully did...it's an English syrup. Hope the in-laws like it.

Now, for some more art - BigBoy drew this for his grandmother in color pencil. I had a great gold frame for it and he put it in before I got a photo. That's why you see the white reflections off the glass in the red suit.
Well, I am literally ho-hoed out...to bed, to bed said sleepy head. God bless you all!

Team Spirit!!!

9x12 color pencil on bristol

I am not exaggerating when talking about how big a rivalry it is between two schools that play next Saturday. University of Alabama and Auburn every year play each other last on their schedule. Bragging rights for the year. Auburn won last year, going on to be the national champions. Alabama is ranked # 2 this year and very well may have a rematch against #1 LSU for the national championship. Too bad the game isn't in Tuscaloosa, home for U of A. It is often referred to as "T-town" which would made for a better tag line. Haven't had much experience doing cartoon type drawings but I really enjoy it!

8x10 graphite and color pencil on bristol

This was a commissioned piece from an old college friend to another old college friend for her birthday. She was originally from Michigan and this is for Michigan State. Both of them were once my college roommates. I mailed it to Florida last Wednesday and heard this morning that she loved it which makes me super happy!

Been busy, Dudley's care takes some time, he is still confined and has improved some. Can tell he feels better but his balance is still haywire, though improved. If we didn't have two staircases, both of which have a gate on them to prevent the Royal One from going up, I might would let him out. The vet mentioned that the antibiotics may upset his stomach but praise be it hasn't!!!!!!

Baking and cooking begins this week. The birthday cake was put off from last week until Thanksgiving, will post photos later.


MUST clean, clean out before the explosion of Christmas decorations go up and sadly I dread it so badly because both the cleaning and decorating is back breaking. My family will help, but it is so much. I love the season but it is greatly hindered (and usually dreaded which I hate to say) by this situation. I cannot tell you how many holidays have been spent in pain or horizontal due to this. Should have been doing it all along but I have a procrastinator....ugh. I will not give up though....me, the tree and glee will conquer!!!!

Opportunity Knocked!

5x7 color pencil on bristol board

Yeah, the irony is not lost on me that my last post was a rant on the irritating overlapping/forgotten holidays and what do I post next? Frosty's hat and scarf. Yes, I started drawing Christmas themes several weeks ago knowing I would be in the street festival. Had been looking and thinking of venues to display all these in time for the holidays but no opportunities were certain. Week before last a friend from years back invited me to an open house type event she was hosting at her house. This week she sent a message inviting me to share my Christmas items and take orders... just what I needed! She is in a position to have a nice crowd of people come through plus it is an all day and evening type of event. I am welcome to stay as long as I want or leave it there. I've decided to set up as early as possible, stay through what she would expect to be her busiest part of the day and come back later for the busiest part of the evening. Yay! I also have two snowmen orders. I am behind on reading everyone's site, had a birthday to attend, gift to buy, went with daughter to Ulta and DSW today, tomorrow the hubs and I are off for that weekend that was cancelled when I was sick. Hope to get around to everyone early in the morning while I am (sigh) trying to finish some wash before leaving. Hope all is well!

Built Another

8x10 graphite and color pencil

Finished this University of Tennessee snowman last night, we have many fans that live around here. Just in time for the University of Alabama/U. of Tennessee game this Saturday too!!! The photo doesn't show the detail and color that well but you get the idea. Painted on my black and white 8x8 yesterday, sealed the deal for a commissioned 12x16 painting of hot air balloons yesterday as well.

Snow People Get Personal

7x9 graphite and color pencil on bristol

My niece's family is the subject of this snow family that will serve as an example of how I can personalize snowmen for orders to be taken at the street festival this Saturday or anytime. (Wow, that sentence was a mouthful!) The color isn't completely true in this photo, there is no blue on it at all but you get the idea. Will tweak the "Lego" buttons on the left snowman a bit and check for other places that may need it, might add a very light blue background. Can you figure out each one's interests? Before reading further, see if you can.

Starting from the left, little 5 yr. old "Eli" loves swords, Legos, "Link" from the Legend of Zelda (hat) and pizza with black olives. His dad is a big Vanderbilt University fan, my niece is all about books, cooking and gardening. Finally, 6 yr. old "Finn" loves robots, Super Mario Kart (hat and wii remote), soccer and basketball.

Above is the black/white 8x8 painting in progress, this is the finished background. I am a little further along now. Started an 18x24 painting yesterday afternoon in one of my many moments of insanity. It is a pretty simple design and probably won't be that impressive to most but it is something that continued appearing in my mind (that right there is a red flag!). Thinking it would be fast to paint and I wanted a larger painting for Saturday. Actually, it's off to a good start.....will save it for tomorrow! Again, I can't express the encouragement your kind comments give this uncertain artist, especially after going to the art show on the mountain the other weekend. Nervous about setting up among the other artists. Later, the painting (and the washer) beckons!!!!

'Tis the Season To Prepare for the Season

Preparing Christmas pieces for the street festival in color pencil. The snowman is roughly 8x6. I plan to do a couple of more with our most popular college team attire on and also offer customized snow families.

I like doing the ornaments, will probably do a couple of more, simpler though and some of the old fashion Christmas string lights as well. This one is 8x10. Also hope to get a scarecrow or two and maybe a pumpkin or two, neither very large. No, it hasn't put me in the Christmas mood!

Pencil Me In....

Started this color pencil drawing last night. Colors aren't showing up true to life (and yes, object is larger than it appears on screen) but you get the idea. Hopefully I can get quite a few Christmas pieces complete and sell them since I've had a few inquiries about it. Thanks for all the sweet comments on the new baby though I must clarify that it is my niece. I've yet to achieve the grandma status yet hope not to for a few years since BigBoy is engaged, graduating from college this spring and VolleyGirl from high school.

Finally.....

Yep.....broke the long, dry spell. With what....food, of course. Did this while watching a sorry football game.....probably will be a couple more fall/Halloween little drawings soon. Always like working with pencils the best, what I'm most comfortable with. Probably the last week of volleyball, BigBoy was home over the weekend so of course I baked him a blueberry cobbler and his favorite cookies. VolleyGirl is out of school today, we may shop a little. Hope all is well, hope to catch up with everyone soon.

Barely There

Barely any artwork going on around here lately. I always plan to but then there is work, wash, cook, grocery store. Always not in the mood for art at the end of the day, always tired. Not feeling so great about what I'm getting accomplished at all. Thank you for the compliments on the header rose painting! That was one of the first ones I did back a couple of years ago when I started back into art. Hoping to catch up with everyone else soon. This quickly sketched tulip is in color pencils. Hope all is well, miss you all.

Barely Some Art

Have not been doing much art lately. This past weekend included watching that bad weather and going to my in-laws for a birthday. Yesterday was cleaning time for me, which I have dearly paid for. So, finally I am doing a little drawing with ink and color pencils. Hopefully, this week I will have time for more. Today I will be baking filled cupcakes for VG to take to school, mixed the buttercream frosting yesterday. No reason, just some of the girls bring food to a certain class and ever since Lent she has intended to. Hours of homework is what keeps her from doing it herself. Yeah, of course, I will post a photo of them later!

The P's

The past two days were particularly productive. Allow me to share the excitement beginning with some good ol' potty and tub scrubbing. Not necessarily recommended for spurring the creativity but there is some satisfaction upon completion of the tasks. Now, here I thought that my hand was getting cramped up from working on this tree last night, when all along it was probably that stimulation with the bathtub that came in to effect........okay, that mutes my 'artist' pain quite a bit. Today, my back is vocalizing but I shall press on! Later yesterday I spent some time painting on the strawberry that was started after finishing the banana. I finished (I think) this pencil drawing that was started earlier this week. It is approximately 7 1/2 x 9 1/2, looks smoother, more blended than the photos show.

Harmless Sweet

Still playing catch up with everything but here is one of the drawings from the thumbnails I posted the other day. It doesn't photograph that great since the paper is wavy from the brown pencil. This morning I have an appointment to beautify my hair, yesterday I perused Hobby Lobby and Michael's for some frames. I am slowly trying to work on different things to perhaps enter an arts festival or two. Have a great Tuesday!

Upcoming Events

Here are two little thumbnail windows into what I am working on right now. One in colored pencil and one in graphite pencil. I hope to have at least one finished by tomorrow. I have been having family time the last couple of days and right now VolleyGirl is waiting for me to watch High School Musical 3 with her while I fold clothes. Hope to catch up some tomorrow. Sadly BigBoy leaves tomorrow and VG has practice........