Feeling Off Balance

Dear Friends,

I’ve been dealing with health issues from a car accident over a year ago…

It affects many aspects of my life.

I have not mentioned it because I want to keep my blog positive.  Yet, I am having a hard time keeping up with my blog and reading your blogs.

Please know I appreciate all your comments and likes on my blog.  I will try to comment on your blogs when I can. 🙂

I may not be posting as often as I need more time to rest.  Thank you for your understanding.

Cheers! 🙂

Inspired By Autumn Colors

We had a sunny, blue-sky Autumn day in the Pacific Northwest yesterday.  It inspired me to take these photos of trees in my yard and then splash some watercolor paint around!

Nature is full of colorful inspiration! The name of each tree is under the photo.

River Birch Tree – has interesting bark texture and greenish-gold leaves.

Sunset Maple – Fall colors of a sunset!

Crabapple Tree – the birds love to feed on the tiny crabapples in the winter. This tree is color-filled all 4 seasons.

Larch Tree – needles turn gold in Autumn and fall off.

And my watercolor experiments:

How does nature’s colors inspire you?

Cheers! 🙂

A Walk In The Park

It was an amazing fall day yesterday in the Pacific Northwest!  Hubby and I took advantage of this blue-sky day by taking a walk at Manito Park.

It seems that everywhere we looked, nature was showing her glorious autumn colors:

It was wonderful to see so many people out enjoying the day… we saw people taking family photos, several dog walkers and many people just breathing in the beauty like us.

It was easy to put the busy work week behind us when we were dazzled by these colors as they reflected on this pond:

And with such a spectacular photo like this one:

Life’s troubles seemed to disappear.

Wishing you a moment to reflect on the beauty around you today…

Cheers! 🙂

Apples – Tart And Sweet

Sometimes creating art is like an apple… It can be tart and sweet!  

I started this mixed media piece I showed you in yesterday’s post – with watercolor and walnut ink on hot press watercolor paper.

I color copied a cut apple directly on my copier!  I learned this technique recently from Lendon Noe in an online class hosted by Carla Sonheim:  “Meaning Making: Inspired by Poetry.”

After I color copied my apple, I transferred the image to my paper with matte medium.  I like how the background colors show through my apple!

Next, I drew three crabapples directly on the right side of my page with Stabilo CarbOthello which are Chalk-pastel coloring pencils.

I added the words, “Apple and Autumn” with a Pilot Parallel Pen with a 2.4 mm nib – which is a calligraphy pen that uses water soluble ink.  I discovered that the ink bled over the apple transfer when I tried to write the word, “Autumn” using the “A” from the word, Apple.

Instead of scraping the whole project, I tried first to cover up the letters with tracing paper where I had lightly drawn apples as you see below in the photo on the right:

However, I still wasn’t satisfied with it so removed the tracing paper and covered the letters with computer typed letters.  How do I blend the typed letters with my piece?

I solved the problem by gluing a piece of Gelli-printed deli paper in a light orange color over the typed letters.

I added three autumn leaves that I color copied and transferred the same way as the half of apple.

The words describe an apple to me:  Tart and sweet, juicy, fresh, round, red and green, yellow.

I learned a lot from this art piece!  It may not be frame worthy but I learned how to persevere and FINISH it!  Sweet, I say!

Cheers! 🙂

 

Maple Trees

I have always loved maple trees – their sturdy branches, autumn display, not to mention their lovely leaf shape!

I planted a Maple tree a few years ago and was recently inspired by its leaves in my yard:

To create this collage last week in my art journal:

I used a copy of an old photo of someone I didn’t know, a song from a children’s songbook, my Gelli-printed deli paper, a Maple leaf rubber stamp and an actual Maple leaf to create a cut-out of a leaf with handmade marbled paper I purchased.

It looks to me like this little boy would love to be climbing a Maple tree or swinging from its branches on a swing!

Wishing you a happy day with sweet memories from your childhood!  🙂

Around The Bend

I have made progress to my doodle I started last week.  Here is where I left off:

I was having fun doodling all the twists and turns so I had to add a few more to my design:

It’s almost done!  Next I will add color…

Sometimes life is like this doodle, I can’t wait to see what is just around the bend!  I’m looking forward to taking a couple of new online art classes that I will share with you next week.

What are you looking forward to?  I’d love to hear from you!

Wishing you a Sunny Sunday, friends!!  🙂

Perhaps you will find a little time to enjoy nature’s beauty around the bend or backyard like these photos I recently took:

Cheers!!!

Blushing Blueberries

Blushing blueberries…

Autumn leaves splendor beauty…

Painting warm colors.

Wishing you a HAPPY day, friends!  🙂

Dresses Of Red And Gold

“Come, little leaves,” Said the Wind one day; “Come to the meadows with me and play.  Put on your dresses of red and gold; for summer is past and the days grow cold.”                   – George Cooper

I was inspired by these leaves in their autumn dress:

To create this mixed media piece in my art journal:

Wishing you a beautiful day, Friends!  🙂

PS.  I’m posting later than normal because I was having computer issues yesterday…