On My Own

I have not had watercolor class since before the holidays. My teacher decided to clean her shop on the 4th, and last week it snowed on Wednesday. But I got an new book on Cyber Monday from Costco so I decided to work it.  I am still on the first project.

Here is how the project looked in the book.

This is how I changed it make it 'my own.'

It reminded my for poodles that had been dyed. So I painted dyed poodles.

Then I went back and tried painting the daisies, again.  I think they turned out better the second time.  What do you think?

Still, the daisies just don't look right. So, I have started (not finished, yet) painting the daisies sans fluorescent colors.

As you can see, books are a good way to learn a new skill, but they will never replace a good teacher.

Some Things Never Change

Every News Year's Day Dillards holds a sale. Evey thing that has previously been marked down is 50% of the lowest mark down,  It's a pretty good sale.  I try to attend every year.  This year I purchase quite a lot of stuff. You know, sheets, socks, cooking pots, knives, spatula, butter knife, blankets,  fancy pitcher, new purse, Columbia sports wear jacket.... I also got two new pairs of PJs (one for winter and one for summer).  Image my surprise when I got home and discovered I bought the exact same pattern I got last year, only in a different color!

Secret Indulgent

I love a nice warm bubble bath. It has been my secret indulgent for many years.

Over the years, I thought I had perfected it.  I have learned that I like a quite, dark room, over music.  Right now  I  am using Breck bubble bath that can be purchased at the dollar store with maybe a teaspoon of Kniepp bath product ( I originally had to ordered from Kniepp and but lately I have been able to purchase locally (Tuesday Morning).

 
Image My surprise when I discovered Crayola Color Bath dropz (thank you Joan) added so much more to the bathing extravaganza! I have already re-order another 45 tablets, because I like a well stocked bath cabinet.

I also have another 45 bottles of Breck Bubble Bath downstairs, because you never know when the dollar store will discontinue a product.  Nice to have a house.  I could never have done that in my condo.

Thanksliving

First of all, I want to thank the Stevens family for having me over on Christmas Eve.

We enjoyed a lovely meal, played a rowdy game of Farkle, read the Christmas story, sang a couple of carols...

watched the Christmas story on TV (rather than playing it out like we use to) and when I left at 9:30, the Stevens family had started watching a Muppet Movie. Did I mention they had spent the day snowboarding at Echo Lake?

The next day Paul and I got up late, enjoyed a hardy breakfast and then open present while we watched the Yule Log on TV, complete with Christmas carols.

Later we enjoy a meal of filet migon, mashed potatoes and a spinach salad. We also had a slice of pumpkin pie and ice cream for desert. Paul fixed dinner, while I went down to my 'studio' and worked on a couple of new, not yet completed projects. It was a prefect, stress free holiday.

Thank you, Joan for the lovely set of paints, now I can enjoy my two favorite activities (painting and bathing) together.

And thank you, Mom, for the lovely plant. It's nice to have something to remind us how much we loved and cared for Ed.

White Christmas

Looks like we are going to have a white Christmas. At least the dog is happy. I have bit of a sinus infection, but I plan on loading up in drugs and working on themed holiday projects, that I have not completed. And then, enjoying a Christmas dinner with my sister, Barbara and her family.

I have painted the chickadee at least ten times and I got to tell you I am happy with the bird, but the background is another story, don't understand why I can't do backgrounds.

I like the little mouse, but there is not much back ground there.  Maybe I will do the chickadee with minimum background.  Looks like I have a lot of reading to do, good thing I have 88 cataloged art books.

My new goal is to learn how to paint Brandy in the snow, not just in the snow but  to somehow show how much she enjoys winter, but for now I will have to be happy just adding a little style to holly.

Cyber Monday

I kept hearing on the News what great deals Wal-mart, Amazon, Kohls and Best Buy would be having for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and I am sure they did have great deals in electronics, but I was not in the mood. I suppose I am resisting change a bit, but then again change is not always a good thing. But I regress, I just wanted to say the best deal I found was at Costco. I got a Daniel Smith Artist Grade introduction set of water colors for under $60! Woo Hoo!

Spruced up to pine fir decidous trees

I had a painter seminar on Saturday that concentrated on painting trees. There were so many techniques demonstrated, and I only got to try out a couple. needless to say, my head was spinning  by the end of the day!   One thing I remember is that  fir branches grow down and spruce branches grow pointing up.

I am including a picture of the aspen leaves I am working on for my regular class, even though it is not finished. Taking pictures of paintings half done is a good way to remind me what has to done in between the finished product.  I seem to be good a remembering  the first couple of steps, and the last step, but the in between stuff kind of gets muddled. I still have to negative (and positive) paint in the stems and the paint the sky (gouache).

Saturday ,I just started this exercise, when we had to move on to a different technique (painting aspens with a butter knife), but I am including it because I could not  help, but think how much it looked like the Rorshach Inkblots.