Happy Thanksgiving Canada, and some art

Hey friends, it's the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, and it fell on a much earlier date than we are used to!  We had our big dinner today, and I overate of course. That's ok, tomorrow I get back on track with healthy eating. It's amazing how much better I've been feeling when I stick to a natural diet. I tried one of the most delicious juices I've ever had a few days ago, and have been making it every morning since. I copied the ingredients from Youtube, where you can find the video

 Recipe for Kristina's FullyRaw Fall Beet Juice Cleanser:
5-6 Honeycrisp Apples
1-2 Large Beets with Tops
Thumb of Ginger
Half of One Sweet Potato

I've been working on more Halloween painting, and the one above with the wee owl on the pumpkins is my latest. Inspired by Christy Tomlinson, as I would never think to make patterned pumpkins.! That woman is a genius and I just love watching her work.

It sure feels good to get working back on my art again.  I had taken several months break from blogging, and while I don't paint as much in the summer, the truth is I couldn't seem to make myself create at all. It felt like
my creativity vanished, and all I felt like doing was watching tv, or reading novels. Thank goodness the slump is over, and now I'm back to thinking about art all the time :-)

Just a quick note to my fellow bloggers, I was catching up yesterday, and was trying to leave comments, but there must have been problems with Blogger, because I kept typing in the correct word verification, and.it would say the word was incorrect, so just keep in mind that no one would have been able to leave you comments.

that's it for now, hope you are all feeling inspired, wherever you are,
thanks for reading!

So I played...

hi everyone. You know I have done probably hundreds of owl ACEOs, and  realized that I have never put them on anything larger than a baseball card...so here is my first painting. I wanted to really loosen up on this, and just play. I wanted to use pretty colors that drew me, and forget about realism. Folk art is one of my favorite types of art, yet it can be tricky to do (for me at least...I tend to try and control my paintings). What fun this was!  I can't wait to do another one. 
Now I would have had more art to show you, but I got sidetracked by  Pinterest, lol! Wow, that is a wonderful tool!  It's like an online bulletin board for all the good stuff you find online.  I had to join Twitter though, in order to get access.  I'm slowly being dragged into the social media world :-)

Last weekend was a complete disaster art wise, so rather than fighting it, I sat down and sketched a red riding hood character. One of my favorite things to do is faces, so this was very relaxing. Mind you it is a rough sketch, and I experimented with watercolor crayons on the face, as well as pencil marks. It was fun to just paint without needing it to be perfect.  It's a great way to try out new things, as some of you have commented. 
Well, back to work for me -if I can drag myself away from my computer
thanks for reading!

More rain, and art

hi friends. I hope you are having great weather where you are, because it's been crappy all weekend here. Friday was a gorgeous day, the first one where the weather was warm enough to go outside without a jacket. On my lunch break I sat under a magnolia tree. It was so filled with blossoms, that the branches looked like they couldn't hold them up. Of course I never have a camera with me when I need it! The scent of the blossoms was just heavenly. I enjoyed sitting in the sun, and letting the fragrance wash over me for a few moments. Little did I know it would start raining that evening, and hasn't stopped since.
I sure hope this is not going to be like 2 summers ago, where it rained the entire summer! 
Hey, at least it's a great day to stay inside and paint.

I managed to get a few little ACEOs done, mostly owls. There are several cards that turned out so bad, I don't think there is any way of salvaging them. Don't you hate it when you have a great idea, and it just doesn't work for you?

I am almost finished my altered book of girls and songs. Below is one of the illustrations,  and on the left side of the book are the lyrics to the song Wildfire.  My handwriting is so bad, I'm embarrassed to show it, lol!
Painting in a children's board book is wonderful! I will definitely be looking to pick up more used books to recycle, and to give new life to.  The pages are so sturdy, you can do anything to them and they won't warp.
Great way to experiment with mixed media techniques, without ruining a good art journal.

That's it for now, thanks for reading!

Just one of those days...

hi friends. Do you ever have one of those days when you plan to paint all day, but by the end of the day, you've accomplished so little? that was today for me.
I woke up looking forward to a day of painting. My goal was to create at least 5 or 6 ACEOs, and work on a portrait workshop I am behind on. Well, everything I painted came out just awful! I spent hours on a flower fairy, changing it, trying to make it better, and in the end scrapped the whole thing. My owls, which I paint regularly, were also giving me a hard time.  The above painting is the second version, the first was a disaster, so I started that again as well. I couldn't do anything right!

I'm going to blame the paper.  I know most people when using watercolor, use 140lb paper. How do you all do it?? I find it warps so easily. Am I adding too much water? Also, I find the colors are dull.
I ended up starting over again on 200lb paper, which I normally use. So what am I missing, is there some secret? The 140lb paper isn't cheap, it's Arches brand. Any of you watercolorists out there, do you have any tips for the rest of us?
In the end, I worked most of the day and have 2 lousy ACEOs to show for it...I swear time sped up! Before I knew it, the day was over.

On a happier note, on Friday I went to my nearest art shop, and picked up some Copic markers. Folks, if you haven't used them before, they are a joy! I will be going back for more. They're perfect for little details, and the colors are gorgeous! Unfortunately they are a bit pricey, so I can only pick up a few at a time.

Well, that's it for today, hope you are all enjoying the spring weather (or the fall for my friends in the South hemisphere).


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And just like that the snow is back...

It's been sunny and mild (for this time of year) the last couple of days, so naturally you would think we were on our way to spring right? Forget it! As I was at my desk painting, suddenly it started snowing, and blowing around.  Well after a few hours, we now have a winter wonderland out there, the trees are covered with snow, and it is beautiful! Thank goodness I didn't remove my snow tires yet, you just never know what crazy weather you will get from one day to the next.
It didn't stop me from creating some new spring time art though, like the ACEO above.

This weekend was one where I mostly sat and watched movies. Yesterday I finally watched 2012, which I enjoyed. I'm probably in the minority but I've always loved disaster movies like War of the Worlds, the Day after Tomorrow, Independence Day.  Besides, I've had a crush on John Cusack for a couple of decades, lol, so that made the movie more enjoyable. He still looks great after all these years.

Next movie on the menu was The book of Eli. Fantastic movie, but it did have a bit of violence in it. Loved the premise, and would not have been able to predict the ending.

Today I watched Brothers, and boy it sure had some intense scenes in it! Another great movie which I would recommend.

The only dud of the bunch was an old one called Baker's Hawk. Sorry if anyone likes this, but I could only get through 15 minutes before I was bored, and moved on.

I'm still in that phase where I can't get too motivated to create, even though I did manage a couple of cards. Hopefully as the weather improves, I can feel like spending more time painting. For now I will just go with the flow.

New Easter Owl artwork and a Film recommendation

What? you haven't heard of Easter owls yet??  Well my friends, they exist in my silly little head, and I like nothing better than bringing them to life - unfortunately I've been slow in creating Easter themed art this year.
Do you ever go through phases where you just want to be lazy, and sit in front of the tv? I have some favorite shows I watch, like American Idol, and Project Runway (yes folks, the one  you in the USA saw last year, is finally airing in Canada!).  But mostly I've taken the time to borrow lots of DVD's  from my public library.

**This is an update, I have removed the documentary recommendation that I had here yesterday, after reading a news report of some barbarian behavior from the country in question. Violence is never the answer,
and because of this report, it has made the entire country look bad. I can not leave my review of this film  up on my blog
Any country that resorts to this kind of behavior will be judged accordingly, and cannot expect the world to treat them with respect, or understanding. 


If you are only now reading this post  obviously you won't know what film I talked about.  Sorry to be so cryptic!
For those who read my blog yesterday and know of what film I wrote about, I'm sure you will understand why it would be offensive to leave it up.

I will definitely be talking about interesting films in the future though.  Thanks for reading!

Fireworks ACEO

hi everyone, I just finished this ACEO for the ACEO Challenge blog. This month's challenge is 'fireworks'. It's fun and lighthearted, and anyone can join in. I've missed every single month, and was determined to finally get something in there, lol!
Last month's topic was the Northern Lights, which I really wanted to illustrate. I was so proud of myself after finishing my entry, then when I went to add it, I saw that it was too late and we were voting, lol!

hope you are all doing well, lots of crazy weather going on in the world. Please stay safe :-)

Work in Progress and another owl ACEO

hi friends, I thought I'd show you my latest work in progress, which has been sitting in my art room unfinished for a few weeks now. (sorry for the glare-it's evening).
Today I worked on her face, and must say, how relaxing the process is! I can blend, and layer skin colors for hours, and I don't notice the time passing.  I know exactly what the title of this one will be, and hopefully the finished painting will look as good as the one in my head, lol!

I'm winding down my Christmas themed ACEOs, since time is rapidly running out. This one was finished last night. I called it ''Can we keep him?"
They really are fun to do, and for those of you who haven't tried them, they are extremely addictive. If you don't know what an ACEO is, it is a small artwork you create, no larger than a baseball card. You can use any technique you desire. The sky is the limit, and the best thing is, they are much quicker than paintings, well, usually they are quicker. I've had many that took over 2 or 3 hours, since I love adding tiny details,and I'm quite finicky about making sure everything is perfect. Something I need to loosen up on, lol!

If you read my blog you may have heard my wishing for snow. Well, last night we did get a little, maybe a few inches, after it had rained all day,  and we were expecting the temperature to drop rapidly over night. No big deal right? So this morning I bundled up, and left a couple of minutes early to warm up my car....problem was I couldn't get into my car. The doors had frozen shut, and there was no possible way to get in...I'm one of the 2 people responsible for opening my building in the morning so it's important that I get there. I was one minute from going inside and calling my boss to say I couldn't come in, when the door finally opened. This is what happens when you have a flash freexe. I won't even tell you how long it took to scrape the ice off my windows, but will say it was quite the workout first thing in the morning, lol! So if you hear my complaining that we're not getting any snow, remind me of my not-so-fun start to the day...or send me a virtual kick in the pants, lol!

thanks for reading

Illustration Friday - Beneath

It's Halloween night, and two baby owls fearlessly move through the forest beneath the candle light.

 Hello Friends. I really wanted to illustrate this week's topic, and had a mermaid in mind, but alas, I was afraid I would run out of time. So here is an ACEO I just finished today which fits the topic perfectly I think.

It's now official, I am a terrible blogger. I keep meaning to update, but when I get here I feel there's nothing interesting to say. I'm still reading my favorite blogs, just not updating my own, lol!

The above sketch is what I was hoping to add to Illustration Friday, she is  a mermaid, but she is not done yet. I pictured in my mind a murky background, with her face obscured with color, but not sure when I can get to it. So many other things to do.

Today I started decorating for Halloween. I brought out my skeleton and ghost tealights, and a pumpking which lights up when you plug it in.. There is fall garland, and lots of seasonal candles for display. Can't forget the purple and orange lights!
In one month, the Halloween stuff gets put away, and I start preparing for my favorite holiday of all, Christmas! Would you think I was strange if I admited that I played Christmas music yesterday, haha! I stopped after 2 songs, I didn't want to get sick of them already :-)

Coming soon will be some witch paintings for Halloween.
Thanks for putting up with this absent blogger (yup, that's me).
xoxo

Newest ACEOs and Free Vintage Photo for you

hello everyone. Today is Civic Holiday in Canada, so we had a nice 3 -day weekend. I can't believe it's August already, the summer seems to be flying by so quickly. The only art I seem to be doing these days are my little ACEOs. I'm just not in the mood to do anything larger. The weather has been fabulous all summer, and I'd rather be out enjoying it. Winter comes too soon here, and there will be plenty of time to stay in and create larger art once the cold temperatures arrive.

See, the little guy above is trying to stay cool during this hot summer of ours, and so is the wee mouse, lol!

Yesterday me and my friends went antiquing.  I didn't buy much, but I did pick up 2 cheap packages of various vintage ephemera to use in my art. I remembered to take my camera along, and snapped a pic of these cute monks.

Later on in the day I went with my  friend  (who googled me and discovered this blog, haha!) went to her partners farm for a wonderful barbecue.  After dinner I even got to bottle feed an orphan colt. He was so hungry he went through 5 bottles in no time. He's a cute little fellow, lol!

You know it's funny to have a friend discover your blog. I've never mentioned it to anyone since I see this as an art blog mostly, and now 2 people who know me in person have found me out.  Guess I got to be careful what I say, lol!

I'm curious about other bloggers. Do you let your friends and family know about your blog, or do you have a sort of 'secret' identity?

Last but not least, here is another free vintage photo for you to use in your art. I bought this at a store which sells vintage and antique clothes and other items. The owner figures it is from the early 1900's, before 1920.
Aren't they the cutest kids? I'd love to see what you do with this, feel free to send me a comment or link.
Don't forget when saving to your computer, click the image once to bring up the larger version. Enjoy!

Busy Sunday

hi friends!  this weekend is flying by so quickly. It's a good thing tomorrow is a national holiday. I spent the
morning at an antique market, it is open every Sunday during the summer, and is huge! it takes hours to get through the whole place. I normally go there looking for old books and vintage ephemera to use in my art,  or paintings I may like.  I ended up with 4 vintage children's books, and a nice horse painting.

Afterward I went with my dear friend to her boyfriend's farm and took some photos of the horses. Of course,  the weather clouded over, just like the 2 or 3 previous times I went there trying to get good pics. Once we finished, and sat down on the porch with a coffee, that's when the sun came out again. I'm starting to think I am  jinxed, lol! I know the best photos are the ones with lots of contrast, with a nice blue sky in the background but it wasn't to be this time, but I like this pic of mama and baby horse.

 Last night  I started some more whimsical owl ACEOs, including this one featuring  2 owls at a drive in, complete with popcorn and soda.  After all those angels I have been doing I felt like a change.
Thanks for reading! enjoy the rest of your day