IF disguise

I did this painting a year ago but thought I'd share it for this theme at Illustration friday! I actually did a whole series of masks on my ladies, standing in front of mirrors and such but I'm not as proud of them anymore as my style's changed a bit, they were done when I just started painting again.  well anyway here they are, with their alter egos shining through...

Happy paint party friday!

Another week has flown by, I was determined to finish somethig instead of starting something new but it was not to be, I started another watercolor and almost finished it. I can't even show you though as it's still at work and I am not yet. so here's a few of the started painting's I have waiting to be worked on... All I've done is her hair and the balloons...

This is how I do my watercolors, I rarely do much wet into wet  and I use this same tiny brush for usually the whole painting. I HAVE other brushes so I don't know why I never pick the others up. My paints are actually much cleaner than usual, most of the time there's actually mixed colors all over the lid as well. Nothing fancy here.

And here's the other one I started a while ago...in ACRYLIC! Only have the clouds done so far...

The theme for the sketchbook challenge this month was everyday objects so I did a few quick sketches in my tiny book. I found I don't like sketching man made objects as much as nature....

and as we've had a busy week here... the earthquake where we evacuated our building; a dentist appt. which I panic about, I hate dentists;and  I won the alpacateam challenge again! Yeah, so much fun!; and then there was sending my daughter back to college and such: so....I didn't needlefelt again, surprise surprise, but before she left she made this cute pin!

I made it to all the paint party friday sites last week I think, but I apologize as I did not get to all the creative friday ones or all the fiber art friday ones. There's just so much cool stuff to see and only so much time!

Have a great week,

this week

It's a little late in the day but it's still friday so I made it in time for paint party friday and maybe early for Ilustration friday, for me at least...I didn't get too much finished but I started alot more. I can't even sleep at night I have so many ideas in my head and not enough time to make them, I have scraps of paper everywhere with ideas. I have notebooks half full of ideas , then I try to get organized and I but a new note book and I think that'll help keep me more organized but it only lasts a little while, I have 2 or 3 sketchbooks and 2 or 3 or more journals and, at least only one date book, and I'm reading about 4 books at once, and maybe I should just S   l   o   w   down! I did finish one watercolor so that's what I'll show you. It's bigger than my usual, I think it's like 12x17 or something.(I usually do 8x10.) This lady's not as happy as I usually do either, not sure why... I may have to change her lips as she's starting to look to me too annoyed or too "something". The theme for IF is influenced and she, (like me) is influenced by nature. Even when I don't paint nature, that's always a big influence. It's what inspires me, the wind, the peace and serenity in the breeze, the flowers and the water. I just wish I could do all the paintings I have in my head, I'd be a touch more sane.

and here's a quick sketch I did at the creek of some rocks....

and because I didn't finish any needlefelting or sewing but my daughter did again, here's her creations...

They are just sooo ugly cute, Of course, they're available in her shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/barefootbananas?ref=ss_profile

Have a great week everybody!

sisterhood of the traveling sketchbook this week...

I just received Lori's sketchbook in the mail a few days ago and couldn't wait to do my spread in it right away. It is so wonderful to get a new sketchbook and take my time going through the art already in it, There's such  a variety of styles but the one thing that gets me each and every time is how honest each woman is with their art and words. Truly it's inspiring, and with this book I had no real idea what I was going to do with August's pages but once I read the words Lori and others had written I knew what I would do.

This is a very spiritual sketchbook....I won't show the full art or other's words as I don't know how everyone feels about that, but I need to give you a peek at how really great they all are...

Lori's Venus of Willendorf.... I love her...

And Jaime's bride being reinvented to relearn her creative self...

and Brandy's  art about connecting with small pleasures, quiet moments to heal her...

And Lisa's wonderful page (I'm showing just one but she usually does 2) about her beliefs with a beautiful quote from ee cummings

The picture again doesn't do it justice as it's textural and needs to be touched...

On Lori's intro page she mentions that she put in a moon on her sign in page because August is the Moon of the Silver Web, a time to strengthen connections, and on my "witches datebook" in front of me where I have all my calenders and lists each day, it says those same words! So I knew I had to paint all 13 of the Sisters. They represent one for each of us but they also all represent me at one time or another in one way or another. There's a bride for my wedding in August, there'a girl in a party hat as I had one of my children in August, there's shy ones and bold ladies, there's a business woman and a goddess. So my hope is that, keeping with the Silver Web Moon, that the art we all do will speak in some way to each and everyone of us and that we 13 will all be connected through it!

Have a great week!!!

IF Imperfect

The theme this week is imperfect @ Illustration Friday.  I haven't posted in a while for IF but this week's theme seemed "perfect" for this painting of mine I was just putting on Etsy. These woman are happy with themselves, they may not all be ready for the swimsuit ads but they just don't care. They're having fun and enjoying the fall this week, big hips or tiny, no matter.

an orange week

This week I 've got an orange post inspired by Summer of Color.  Find them here...
http://twinkletwinklelikeastar.blogspot.com/
Their theme is orange this week. I wish I'd found them sooner as I love being inspired by color.I have so many ideas for orange paintings now. Here's some other orange stuff...

An orange lilly from some flowers I was given. I meant to sketch it but didn't get around to it.

Don't ya just love orange polish!

Before you judge these to harshly, keep in mind this is a tiny sketchbook, about 5" or so, and usually what I sketch in it I work on for less than 15 minutes. This little orange newt was one of 28 my husband and I saw on a walk on our vacation earlier. I sketched him after almost stepping on him and carried him to live in the fairy house I had made...

The sad ending to this story is that the last day before we left, my son was climbing on that great stump, mistook the roof of my fairy house for more root and stepped on it, squishing the house totally. But don't worry, no fairy or newt was harmed!

And lastly,. a finished watercolor from a week or more ago... I don't think I ever shared it yet though...

don't forget to stop at all the usual friday sites to see more great stuff! Thanks for stopping by.