Sweet Blogging Friends Happy New Year!

This year I've decided to try art journaling in my Bible. I have been following Rebekah Jones on Google through 2015 as she journaled through her Bible weekly. I loved it and thought what a wonderful way to spend time with God. So I undertook my first journal art today from the Scriptures I've read starting January 1, 2016. The devotion I'm reading from is "Jesus Calling" Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young.
The devotions over the past three days have been about spending time with God in His Word, to have an open and renewed mind. So what better way to depict that is a child reading the Word, seeking God. As I move along week to week I will try to post my art journaling and share Scripture.

I'm just an artist. I have a small in-home studio, nothing special, nothing unique. Not a very lucrative way of life, a starving artist so to speak, one that has to work a second job driving a school bus four days a week. Sometimes I wish I was good at something else, something more important like a teacher or a nurse, someone who helps people. But I have a built-in passion to paint . . . I love it, so I do my best to bless people with it. I know I don't make much of a difference or change another's life, I'm just an artist . . .

I want to make a difference, a significant difference, to bring a smile to someone's face, to brighten another's day, to bring joy to a sadden and broken heart, to be a pleasing aroma to God. I'm just an artist . . .

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

We have the privilege of dining with friends this Thanksgiving and are really looking forward to it. I'll be making dessert; my favorite thing to do. This year I'm making a Cranberry-Walnut Pie. I have a dutch apple pie also. I'm going to surprise our friends with a little hospitality gift for having us in for the holiday.

I recently found this jpg of a painting I did as a going away gift for a friend who was moving out of state. I had totally forgotten about it and decided to get some giclées made and keep one for my set. The title of the painting is "Some Kind of Wildflower in my Heart" after a book of the same title to remind my friend of the main character in the book "Birdie."

Hi Friends! The weather here in our area has been just beautiful since last Friday, warm temperatures, very spring-like. I'm loving it. I wish it would stay like this all winter here. This is one of the reasons we would like to eventually move south. Not exactly sure where, but we're looking around the Asheville North Carolina area. There are a few other areas we're looking at also. I'll let you know when we make our choice.

Took some fall photos over the last two weeks, just looking for landscape painting ideas. I was taking a few shots of local train tracks, when I turned around to get back in my car, I was amazed by this view that had been behind me. It was just beautiful with the sun sparkling through the trees and onto the road. The photo below is a shot I took from my back porch at the onset of a severe thunderstorm, hoping to capture lightening bolts, which if you look close enough you can see two streaks near the top center of the photo. I would like to get some nice bird shots here in the near future, just haven't had too much time this week to get my camera back out.

Good morning blogger friends!

It is a very rainy cold day here in Karns City Pennsylvania, a typical early fall day. I can say I'm not prepared for the winter months ahead. I love the beauty of the snow but not a big fan of the deep cold that comes along with it. But like anything else to do with the weather, its out of my control. :)
I have been reading an awesome book titled "Flash" The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me About Life, Faith, and Second Chances, by Rachel Anne Ridge. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time; it is powerful. I would encourage you to read it, it will bless you immensely.

Just a couple of tidbits from the past few weeks; my husband opened our garage door to get the lawn mower out to mow before we left on vacation and there curled up was a very young rattle snake. It didn't have its rattler yet and was about 2 1/2 feet long. He didn't look that big until he uncoiled and snapped at us when we tried to sweep him out of the garage with the broom. Unfortunately he slithered off to the back of the garage and hid. We can't find him and he wasn't around when we got back from vacation. We do proceed with caution when opening up the garage. Trust me I don't want to get bit!

On our drive to South Carolina we stopped at some friends Mark & Anita in Myrtle Beach had lunch with them and played Hand & Foot (a card game). Of course us girls won! From there we went to Seabrook Island SC for our week vacation as well as for a wedding (renewing of vows) of our dear friends Rick and Val. It was a beautiful island not too far from Charleston. The house we stayed in was right on a golf course and about 5 minutes from the beach. We went swimming in the ocean (which I really miss here in PA), visited Charleston, went for a carriage ride drawn by mules Porgy & Bess, shopped, and bought a few little items to take home, a sweet grass basket, and a hand woven wire basket. We had an all-around great time.

Oh its back to driving school bus, not sure if I'm ready or not for that. I like the kids, teacher and monitor but the long bus run is the pits. I am, however, looking forward to get back to my art studio and paint some of the photos I took on vacation. A few were of marshes and egrets, Spanish moss, and palm trees. I will have lots of work to keep me busy over the long winter months.

Well better get back to reality and housework, oh yes and lots of laundry. Have a blessed week all!

Good Afternoon Everyone! It is a beautiful sunny day here. I've been working on the invitations to my Honey of a Party to take place in August. Here is a few shots of the front of the invitations.
When they are completed I will cut them apart and work on the back side of each card individually. I will also put a wash on the front four corners to add a little more color.
To the right is a shot of the full sheet of watercolor paper (I use Fabriano 140 lb extra white block). The photos below are just closeups.
I ruled off my sheet for six invitations then found the center of each card and worked my sketch from the center marks. After all of the cards were drawn, I then used a light wash of Davy's Gray, Cobalt Blue and Purple Lake to go over my pencil marks. Then erased the pencil. This way the invitations come out clean and free of lead. I don't want pencil showing through the watercolor it looks unprofessional.
I have two important things to say about that. First if you look at paintings done by the watercolor masters you don't see any pencil marks from the underlying sketch. So that leads me to the conclusion that even the masters didn't want their sketch to show through their paintings. This also leads me to the conclusion that artists either couldn't cover up their sketch lines, or just chose not to bother and liked it, and the world of art has actually approved it.
I just thought it odd that somewhere along the line the rules changed and pencil was allowed to show, in fact, it is now considered an actual part of the art itself. My personal opinion about the matter is that if the masters could do a watercolor without their sketch lines showing through than so could I and I succeeded. Both processes work for the individual artist, that is the freedom of art!

Good morning friends!

It is a chilly morning here in western Pennsylvania. Needless to say I was quite disappointed—its supposed to be spring!

I am planning a "Honey of a Party" for a few of my good friends. I came across these cool plates at a gift shop in Wexford, but they only had one package of four, not enough for what I needed. So I got on line and found the same plates on Amazon for about the same price and bought them. What is so cool about these plates is that they are are Melamine Picnic Paper looking with honeybees on them. I did purchase some napkins at the gift shop that I thought would go nicely for the party. I decided that I would paint the tags for the gifts and place cards for the table with honeycombs and honey bees. As soon as I finish I'll post the photos. My neighbor has honey bees which I will buy some of his honey to use as favors and will fill a small froggy tote from Thirty One with some sweet gifts for each of them. I haven't quite decided on those yet but thinking something natural and hand made like soaps and lotions from a local artisan.

The menu is also planned: there will be chicken salad with pecans, red grapes and apples on croisants, along with munchies. For dessert I will make a blackberry peach cake. Oh and Carmela iced tea. I'm excited and love to entertain, especially my friends. I want my friends to know how much I appreciate each of them. Friends are priceless and do much for us.

I'm starting a couple of new paintings, they're in the sketching stage. One will be a lighthouse to add to the series I've started and the other will be a surprise. I do have ideas for a third painting as well and it will be a bluebird if I can get a good photo. I have five bluebird boxes, each with a family in them. Just have to be able to get up close and personal for the shot.