Playing with Abstracts

Do you ever paint, just for the sake of painting, not really trying to make anything in particular?

 I do that once in a while. It makes me feel like a kid again.  It feels awesome.  Just let go of fears and go for it!

And then I scan the paintings and play around with cropping different sections.  Each little section could be an artwork in itself.  I love it!

I rotated this one and sliced it it half.  These could work as bookmarks... what do you think?

P.S. Happy Halloween!  I know this post is not with the theme of the day, but I had to post it anyway :)

Cereal Box Sketchbook Tutorial

My son has found a new interest in drawing lately.  He loves drawing out designs for crazy houses and cars he makes up.  I wanted to make him his own little sketchbook he could take around with him.  We have coloring books, but  having a blank sketchbook is so much better.  It encourages my son to use his own imagination :)

So here's what I came up with... simple sketchbooks with cereal box covers filled with good old computer/ copy paper.  These are super quick and easy to make.

Here's how I made them:

Materials: 
cereal box rectangles- cut to desired size
paper- cut to desired size
hole puncher
string

Step 1:  Punch holes in your paper and cereal box covers along the sides,  making sure the holes all line up when stacked together.

Step 2:  Place paper inside the cereal box covers and with the holes lined up, slip a piece of string through each of the holes along the side.  Loosely tie the strings together.

There you have it!  A simple sketchbook just waiting for you or your child to use some imagination on.

The Beauty of the Hollyhocks

My lovely hollyhock flowers....

I planted them from seed late in the season and didn't expect that any would flower this year, but I got lucky!

And then the wind blew over the one flowering plant...so I picked off all the flowers and photographed them.  

Aren't they lovely?!

Good thing I had my white board handy to take the photos.  It's seriously the best photo prop I have.  Just a plain old board I painted white with left over house paint.  It works wonderfully :)

Baby Elephants

I've decided to start selling some of the stenciled watercolors I've made.  I just added a little heart balloon or flower balloon to make it more unique.  These would be perfect for a nursery :)

https://www.etsy.com/listing/111225740/green-blue-elephant-with-heart-balloon

https://www.etsy.com/listing/111225383/pink-elephant-with-flower-original

https://www.etsy.com/listing/111224638/original-watercolor-pink-elephant-with

Photo of the Week

Happy pumpkin season! We went to pick some out at our favorite patch over the weekend- just in time to carve them for Halloween.  I'm excited to have my own doorstep to put pumpkins on this year.. oh ya... owning a home is nice! 

What's on my Walls

As an artist I've collected quite a few paintings.  I try to sell what I can, but inevitably I end up with a lot of stuff that needs to be framed and hung up somewhere.  Since frames are expensive, I opted to fix up thrift store frames with some paint.  Yep, I'm cheap that way, but it works!  So here's what I've got up on my walls in my living room....

1. Abstract Floral Paintings-- in Ikea frames which only cost me $1.99 each.. awesome!

2. Modge Podge Canvas--with painted edges... no frame needed :)

3. A Little Piece of Heaven--a beach scene from San Diego in a spray painted thrift store frame.

4.  Easy Watercolor Portraits-- also in painted thrift store frames.

I also painted some white frames for our family photos, just so they would match the rest of the frames.  So there you have it... my newly decorated living room!  It's amazing how much you can save by painting your own thrift store frames.

Back from the Smokies

Well hello everyone! I'm back.... and nope, I did not fall off the face of the blogging planet... I just took a nice vacation to the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee.  Here are a few photos from my trip :)

This place is absolutely beautiful and I had so many good photo ops.  I kinda went crazy with the camera :)

Blossoms in Fall

Well folks, I'm at it again.... more and more painting! I've really been on a roll lately. Although, my paintings have nothing to do with the current season, I still love them.   I love blossoms any time of the year!

Three of them are now up so sale in my Shop. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/110663938/original-watercolor-blossoms-painting

https://www.etsy.com/listing/110115967/original-watercolor-blossoms-painting

https://www.etsy.com/listing/110664483/original-watercolor-basil-leaf-painting

And now my friends,  it's time for me to say good-bye for the next week and a half.   Time for a little blogging break while I enjoy this beautiful fall weather.  I will see you all later!

Photo of the Week

This photo comes from our little family photo shoot and I have to say.... this is my favorite shot :)  And the funny thing is that it was totally unintentional.  My son hardly ever sits still for a photo so I was trying to sneak in some shots while he was climbing on these rocks.  He turned his head just as I was taking the shot and this is the result... yet another happy accident!