..from the inside out..

Article in "OUR LOUISIANA" magazine....

2012-02-01T17:32:00.000-06:00

.....about some of Louisiana's colored pencil artists.

Update!

2012-01-29T11:57:00.000-06:00

"In the Shadow of the Diva" just won 1st Place in the Annual Winter Juried Show of the Creative Art Connection in Bossier City, La.

Done!

2012-01-01T22:46:00.000-06:00

"In the Shadow of the Diva"

approx 5 x 8

colored pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes

"Mystic"

colored pencil and ink on 11x14 Stonehenge

Almost done...

2011-12-29T11:29:00.001-06:00

"MYSTIC" - almost.....

Another WIP Update

2011-11-27T10:02:00.001-06:00

The colors are all wrong in this one, much too dark and with a greenish tint. All it is really good for is to show the progress, and at this point I am not sure I like it. But am I not going through this with everything I do?

"Mystic"

WIP Updates

2011-11-20T13:59:00.001-06:00

I ended up working on both drawings this week. I am having so much fun with that. My right brain is working overtime and loving it!

The dahlia is turning out to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. I keep loosing my place in the petals and had to make a few corrections along the way.

The dahlia looks bigger than what it is, about an 8 in x 5 in drawing, where the other one is 14 in x 17 in.

Four WIPs

2011-11-13T11:55:00.001-06:00

These are four projects currently in the works. The first one has been in progress for a while and I just can't go any further with it at this time. Sometimes my energy for a particular piece suddenly vanishes and I will have to come back to it later. It is an acrylic and that might have something to do with the creative block.

It's designed to be hung in a local bakery. It wouldn't take much to finish it, but I just can't get the push it would take to work on this. Acrylic on board.

This is the one I am actively working on at the moment. The title is "In the Shadow of the Diva", a picture I took of a dahlia in my sister's garden. Colored Pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes.

This is another piece in my "dream series". The working title, which might change, is "Mystic". It is Ink and Colored Pencil on Bristol Vellum.

Yes, I am still working on this also. Another one on the back burner for a while until the Muse hits me again.

When it rains...

2011-10-22T14:43:00.000-05:00

I have three things going at the same time and made a few entries in my art journal this morning for more ideas. Now all I need is time!

Exciting News

2011-10-02T17:49:00.001-05:00

Today I won 1st and 2nd Place in the Graphics Category of the Creative Art Connection's Fall Show which hangs at the Bossier Central Library through the month of October.

Finished two workshop pieces...

2011-09-17T13:58:00.004-05:00

These two pieces are from a Linda Hardy workshop and I finally finished them. The the pink geranium is drawn on Canson Mi-Teintes with colored pencils (of course! :) and the purple tulips are on Uarte 800 grid sanded paper, which was a new experience for me. So far it's a love/hate relationship with the sanded paper. It does eat up your pencils a lot faster (which is not the reason I don't like it). Actually I don't know why I don't like it and will have to do more pieces before I can make up my mind about it.

The Next Stage

2011-08-28T11:30:00.000-05:00

Work in Progress

2011-08-21T20:45:00.002-05:00

I finally worked my way back to the "dinner plate" and I am getting more comfortable working on more than one piece at a time. Ideas are plenty! Here is the latest, not much, but it's progress :)

My mind is slipping :)

2011-08-21T10:18:00.000-05:00

Here is a drawing I finished a while back. I posted it here about half way through, and then in the process of finishing it, I started to dislike it. It wasn't all at what I had wanted it to be. Part if the problem, if not all of it, was that I started on the pastel side of the Canson Mi-Teintes paper and I was too stubborn to quit, or start over. I never will work on that side with colored pencils again because I ran into unforeseen problems. The paper is actually made for pastel work, but the "wrong" side of that paper is wonderful for colored pencils. The paper comes in so many beautiful colors (I prefer the white) and it has plenty of tooth to take the layers beautifully! Just one tip: start with a VERY light hand and build your colors one layer and a time.

"Daisy"

7 x 13 colored pencil

on Canson Mi-Teintes

At the end of my rope...

2011-08-14T14:55:00.002-05:00

"At the End of My Rope"

Ink and Colored Pencil

8 x 10

When I doodle...

2011-07-28T21:46:00.001-05:00

Bookmark

Detail

I love book marks. I love buying them, I love using them (even though I now have a Kindle) and I love making them. Here is the latest....

CPSA-19th International Exhibition

2011-07-23T18:39:00.001-05:00

I had a chance this year to attend the 19th International Exhibition of the Colored Pencil Society of America. Here is a list of the winners:

CPSA-19th Awards

I can't believe I saw these incredible works of art in person, and even more.... the ones that didn't get an award... not for lack of quality, I can assure you! What a wonderful exhibition and to meet and mingle with all these really down to earth artists was a real treat!

Latest in Colored Pencil

2011-06-19T12:25:00.001-05:00

Work in progress - my sister should recognize this...

And this is the original - a meal "Made in Germany"

Mountain Range in the Distance

2011-06-19T12:07:00.002-05:00

Actually a front moving in on my way to work one morning....after all this is Louisiana!

But it was nice to dream ;)

"My Secret Place"

2011-05-08T13:20:00.000-05:00

"My Secret Place"

18" x 24"

Colored Pencil on Stonehenge

Latest Work-In-Progress

2011-03-26T17:14:00.000-05:00

I don't have a name for it yet, so it's just a WIP for now. I am thinking about naming it "Daisy". The size is about 7" x 13" and it's colored pencil on white Canson Mi-Tientes paper.

I like this paper more than the Stonehenge at the moment. It has a slight tooth to it, is very durable and takes several layers of pencil. My only recommendation, you have to start with a very light hand.

Things I like...

2011-03-23T13:44:00.000-05:00

I have always like mandalas for doodle purposes and now comes this: ZENTANGLES .
It's just wonderful to be doodling :)

Snow in Louisiana and more...

2011-02-13T11:39:00.000-06:00

Yes, we had snow in Louisiana. It's still a fairly rare event here so we do take pictures of it :)

I didn't realize how long it had been since I added anything to my blog. I have been working on "My Secret Place" mostly to get it done, pictures coming later! I also started another non-representational drawing and I am working on some photos trying to come up with the composition I want for another realistic drawing.

Also, this year I was elected president of our local art organization, the Creative Art Connection. Plus I am a charter member of the newest District Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America, District Chapter 222 in Texarkana, TX. That's what I have been doing with my life. Oh, and not to forget I have two new grand babies, a little boy born in December and a little girl born in January.

"My Secret Place"

2010-11-13T10:42:00.000-06:00

I was hoping to use this rainy weekend to make great progress on this and when I was working on it last night I realized that in order to bring my minds image of this work onto paper, it will be a very slow process. Coloring the small squares is only the beginning...

ARTWALK at Villagio in Bossier City, La.

2010-11-13T10:23:00.002-06:00

This was my first experience with an outdoor art market. It was a lot of fun, lots of people, lots of interest and even a few sales. I had made note cards from some of my work, as well as some 11 x14 copies of the firefighter fleur de lis and a few others things. Most of all, it was a learning experience for me.

One square at a time...

2010-10-24T12:20:00.000-05:00

Still working on it....

WIP Update

2010-10-09T11:25:00.000-05:00

So many things are going in at the moment but still I am "chipping"
away at this one. It's a lot of fun to see how my mind's eye is working on this one. I can tell that it will take some time to complete, this seems to be more of a "mental" picture than any of the others I have done in a while and I want to let it develop gradually. Nothing fast about an introvert's mind :)

I have also decided on another "realistic" piece. Maybe I will post a picture here soon. Still working on the composition.

Artwalk @ Villagio in Bossier City

2010-10-04T12:51:00.001-05:00

Come see me and my fellow artists from the Creative Art Connection at ARTWALK on the lake front of Villagio on Highway 80 East in Bossier City every Thursday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm during the month of October.

An Old Friend

2010-09-25T12:06:00.000-05:00

I was digging through some older paintings/drawings of mine and I found this. It's a watercolor and it has always been one of my favorites. There is a whimsical side to me and this Blue Dragon is it's representative.
I think I will put him on a note card. I am in the process of producing a few note cards from some of my art work, and he will fit right in...

Three of a Kind

2010-09-19T22:13:00.000-05:00

Tupelo

Third Leaf

2010-09-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

The third leaf is finished. At this point I don't want to do another leaf, maybe later. I feel the need to work on another WIP for now.

Just in time for fall... more leaves

2010-09-06T17:51:00.000-05:00

Finished the second leaf and starting on the third. I love long holiday weekends :)

Total Surprise!

2010-09-05T21:59:00.002-05:00

I couldn't believe it! I won 3rd place in our 2010 Fall Show with "Demons", my multi media/acrylic painting. I am speechless and so excited!

Latest WIP - "My Secret Place"

2010-08-08T10:11:00.000-05:00

18x24

You can click on it for a larger image. This is just one of those things that has been spooking around in my mind for quite some time, not sure what you would call it, it's not really an abstract. Right now it is in the very beginning stages. The color on the right is curiosity on my part, I am not sure where I am going with this yet.

So far it is all colored pencil.

One great Workshop!

2010-06-20T16:52:00.001-05:00

Click on picture to enlarge.

If this workshop is any indication of how much fun we will have this summer, we are in for a great time! I had a tremendous turnout for my colored pencil workshop, and it was such pleasure to work with a talented group of artists who are so serious about learning something new. Thank you all!

Studio Buddies

2010-06-11T22:56:00.001-05:00

These are my studio buddies. Baron isn't much of an art critic but he is a great companion. His mother was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and we think his father was a Rottweiler, he has the markings and the big head. And yes, he is big, 103 pounds!

The latest addition to the studio.... meet Chester! He is finally getting used to the house after living under my bed and in the bedroom window for the first week. Baron and Chester are no BFF's yet but there is something to be said for tolerance.

And finally Tigger, who at the age of 20 is still very active and now that he has found a new buddy, even more so. He is a little on the shy side and it's hard to get a good picture of him.

Linda Hardy Workshop II

2010-06-06T11:18:00.001-05:00

Linda Hardy's "Painting with a Dry Medium" is my second work shop with this Texas artist and I can highly recommend it! Linda is a master of her chosen medium, the colored pencil. She is also a wonderfully warm human being, loves to laugh and absolutely laid back. Her work is unique in the way she handles light and shadows. I am fascinated with her attention to the slightest detail found in her work.

These are my peppers, the result of the two day work shop. They are not finished, lacking shadows and background. I will keep working ....

"Copper Plates"

2010-06-01T20:03:00.006-05:00

"Copper Plates"

16x20

Acrylic and mixed media, with
colored pencil on canvas

WIP leaf no. 2

2010-05-30T11:25:00.001-05:00

It's barely there...

The first finished leaf

2010-05-30T11:23:00.001-05:00

My inner critic says: "I think I am happy with it."

WIP Update

2010-05-29T21:39:00.002-05:00

Adding the final touches on the first leaf...

Acrylic WIP

2010-05-29T21:27:00.002-05:00

A touch of copper will be next....

New WIP in Acrylic

2010-05-23T11:05:00.000-05:00

This is a real experiment! So far it's fluid acrylics and used dryer sheets on canvas. I don't know where I am going with this one yet. I want to bring in more of the brown as in the lower right hand corner... and I will take it from there.

New WIP in Colored Pencil

2010-05-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

This is a Tupelo tree, or Black Gum, in my back yard. It has always been my favorite tree through all the seasons. The leaves are bright green in the spring and turn to rich yellows, oranges and reds in the fall. And all throughout the season the leaves are very shiny. Last fall I took several pictures of the leaves with the intent on drawing some of them - this is the beginning.

I finally finished it!

2010-05-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

"DEMONS"

16" x 20" Mixed Media

(Tissue paper, Fluid Acrylics and colored pencil on canvas)

Social interaction and communication with other artists is so important. I don't think I would have ever finished this painting without the inspiration and encouragement of my friend Kathleen.

The latest in ATC's

2010-04-30T21:48:00.002-05:00

I have been experimenting with the Old English Alphabet. Here are the results and a couple other new ATCs.

Something to be proud of!!!

2010-04-17T21:07:00.005-05:00

3rd Place - "Fatherhood"

Graphics/Misc. category

Creative Art Connection Spring Art Festival 2010

I also won 3rd Place in the Miniature/ATC category for a drawing called "Red Flower". I am so excited!

Images from the Linda Hardy workshop

2010-03-14T17:58:00.002-05:00

In how many different ways can you draw a couple of pears?
The answer: however many students you have in the workshop

Linda Hardy Workshop

2010-03-14T17:21:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend I participated in a workshop taught by colored pencil artist Linda Hardy. The workshop was a lot of fun and Linda is a great teacher. She brought in a few of her paintings which I had seen before on her website, but seeing them in person was an amazing experience. Her art is even more amazing close up, and meeting the artist was so special to me. Linda is such a down to earth person and it was really a pleasure to meet her.

I have admired Linda's work for a long time, so this was a great opportunity for me. What you see on the left is the result of a couple of very focused days of work, but it is not finished. The background needs more work and then the drawing overall needs some finishing touches.

I have learned a lot in the last two days, I have also made some new friends and got to share time with old ones. What can be better than that!

My ATCs

2010-02-14T11:28:00.003-06:00

Here are a few of my ATCs. All of them are originals - watercolor, pen and ink, colored pencil, a little bit of everything I work with on a regular basis. I want to add more colored pencil work, I have a few new ideas. This is so much fun and it is good practice too!

The BEST thing about ATC's

2010-02-13T18:28:00.002-06:00

It keeps your Muse busy! She can play to her hearts content without feeling the pressure of having to produce
a masterpiece...

Do you ATC?

2010-02-12T13:52:00.004-06:00

ATC (Artist Trading Card) - a miniature work of original art! An ATC has to be 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches. ATCs can never be sold, only traded.

I have been interested in ATCs for about a year, and at our last monthly meeting of the Creative Art Connection we had an artist's demo of what they are, how they are made, what you do with them etc. I made some over the course of last year but after last Monday's meeting, I have EXPLODED!! not literally ;) but with ideas for ATCs . I have always been interested in miniature art anyway. This is so much fun!! What I found especially interesting about ATCs:

you can take drawings or paintings you have rejected in the past and turn them into ATCs.
you can doodle while talking on the phone and later turn it into an ATC.
don't have time for a long painting session? make it a short one, create an ATC
tired after a long day at work but still want to keep that art habit going, spend a few minutes making an ATC
have scraps of special paper or pictures you cut out off magazines because they spoke to you - use them in an ATC
this is a fun way to spend time doing what you love anyway - creating - whatever your medium

Are you into making ATC's? Are you trading ATC's? What do you like about it? What are some of the best places you have found to trade?

My "Winter Chalet" ;)

2010-02-12T13:24:00.001-06:00

SNOW IN LOUISIANA!

2010-02-12T13:21:00.002-06:00

This is a before and after picture of my back yard. When I came home last night, the snow had just started to stick after it snowed all day already. When I woke up this morning, it was a different world!

Accepted!

2010-02-06T12:42:00.001-06:00

"Louisiana Tribute" was accepted into the Creative Art Connection Winter Juried Show.

Fatherhood - completed or not???

2010-01-03T16:21:00.000-06:00

I had to call it complete, the paper will no longer take any color. I almost messed it up completely when I tried to darken some of the shadow especially around my granddaughters face. I tried to leave a softness to the whole image rather then detailing any one area. Right now I can't look at it without seeing all the mistakes. Maybe I am too critical of myself as usual. I showed to my son and he loves it. That's all that matters!

Family Tree

2009-12-26T23:21:00.005-06:00

I had this boring photo mat laying around which at one time was intended for photo collages the way they were popular several years ago. I decided to turn it into a family tree. So, here is my family tree. Click on the picture for a larger image of the "tree".

Back in November...

2009-12-26T23:09:00.003-06:00

I mentioned a drawing my sister did for me. I finally framed it and it is now hanging in my living room. I took the photo from an angle to avoid the glare from the glass and I tried very hard to get a close-up of those fascinating eyes but nothing can do justice to the original... Little Sister, I am so proud of you!

A white Christmas but not for me :(

2009-12-26T22:53:00.003-06:00

My sister is the lucky one! And she had to rub it in by sending these pictures! Oh well..... I love her anyway ;)
This is her house in the snow. Just a little over a year ago, on a sunny September morning, we sat on the bench by her front door enjoying our morning coffee.

And here is the view from her patio. I am so jealous!

Christmas is almost here.....

2009-12-19T14:32:00.000-06:00

...and my sister has 8 inches of new snow. I am jealous!

Fatherhood - next step

2009-12-06T17:46:00.004-06:00

Darkening the skin tones and the cap, filling in a light blue layer for the grey t-shirt and pale peach for the baby blanket. I am not happy with the picture, but after several attempts this is the best one of all. I just didn't have enough natural light.

Christmas Lights.... underdone

2009-12-06T11:10:00.003-06:00

The way I like it...

Now I am ready for Christmas!

2009-12-05T19:04:00.003-06:00

Thanks to 'World Market' the world has gotten a little smaller for Christmas :)

Fatherhood

2009-11-29T16:40:00.001-06:00

I can finally breathe again! I believe I was holding my breath the whole time I worked on this today. I am so nervous when I work on portraits of any kind, that's why I usually don't do portraits.

While I was putting down the first few layers of skin tone I realized that the paper is not suitable for layer after layer of colored pencil. I also will not be able to burnish the colors in the usual manner. I am okay with that, it means I will have to work in a much looser style.

Remember this?

2009-11-29T11:15:00.000-06:00

I have decided to finish it. But not as the black and white pencil drawing my son wanted but as a colored pencil drawing. Wish me luck, I need it!

First Advent Sunday and...

2009-11-29T11:10:00.002-06:00

... the advent calendar my sister made for me a couple of years ago is hanging on the wall. Starting on the 1st of December I will count down the days to Christmas Eve as I used to do as a child (that I still am :). Christmas brings so many good memories for me and this year I am especially looking forward to the season. This is also the time of year I get homesick, still, after 36 years of life in the US. I am sure that my childhood memories of all the Christmases in Germany have everything to do with this.
The one thing I miss the most, besides the people, is the snow. Not that we always had snow for Christmas growing up in Berlin, but there where a few years we did have snow, coming down in big fluffy flakes, and those years I will always remember as very special. There is the one year when I was in college and lived away from home. I had traveled home by plane and arrived at my mother's house about noon on Christmas Eve. Within an hour of my arrival it started snowing and by the time it was dark outside, about 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon, everything was covered in a blanket of white. It turned out to be a most memorable Christmas Eve.

A big surprise!

2009-11-21T15:33:00.001-06:00

My sister Cornelia sent me a drawing she made just for me. I wanted to take a picture and post it here... yeah, I want to brag a little because I am so proud of her! She does amazing pencil drawings of faces with the most intriguing eyes! (She is also the best little sister in the whole world!) The problem is that the drawing was rolled up for a couple of weeks while in transit and I have to flatten it first before I can get it framed or take a good picture.

Well, as they say... Good Things are worth waiting for! :)

Happy Birthday Cliff!

2009-11-15T11:27:00.001-06:00

Art is Life - Life is Art - and there is more to Life...

2009-11-10T19:48:00.002-06:00

I put so many things on this blog beside just my art work and I was wondering last night if that is a good thing or not. But I am more than just my art work and even though this blog is about my art, my art is also about my life. Art and creativity are a big part of that, even my working life. Everything around me also has an effect on my creative state and therefore effects my art work.
And with that I stop wondering and present the latest in backgrounds. It doesn't look like I have made a lot of progress but I have been working on it. I never realized how difficult it could be to draw smoke.

Hibiscus mutabilis

2009-10-23T23:07:00.001-05:00

Also called "Confederate Rose", this one is blooming in my son's front yard. I took a few pictures, thinking about some quick sketching or maybe even future drawing projects. We will see, I have other things on my mind right now.

Gourd Greenhouse

2009-10-23T22:59:00.002-05:00

It is getting cold tonight, down into the low 40s. I know it is not freezing yet, but I don't know what temperatures gourd plants can deal with. Anyway, it won't be long before we will have our first frost, and I will be ready...... now I just have to remember not to remove the plastic top cover on a nice sunny day or I will have cooked gourds ;)

Working on the background...

2009-10-18T12:56:00.000-05:00

I am working towards a "smokey" background, using an odorless paint thinner to "melt" the wax of the pen strokes and create the illusion of smoke.

Blooming Gourds

2009-10-17T18:11:00.001-05:00

Actually, this is the second bloom. I missed the first one due to work, weather and other interruption. I never thought, when I planted these seeds, that I would actually see them bloom this soon. Now the questions is, can I keep them blooming or otherwise alive. Tonight we are expenting a temperature of 38 F or hereabouts.

I wonder what temperatures gourds can withstand???

Burn Baby, Burn ;)

2009-10-10T10:19:00.001-05:00

Slow progress on the flames.

Morning has broken....

2009-10-04T15:04:00.000-05:00

Friday morning on my way to work...

Gourd babies growing up

2009-09-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

The gourd babies are getting bigger. I took these pictures this morning, in the bright morning sun, with a hint of fall in the air. Barron also had to get into the picture checking on the progress. I was told by several people that I will have to somehow protect these babies through the winter.... winter? ... in Louisiana? Well, yes , it can get cold here, but that usually doesn't happen until after Christmas. I am hoping to get the plants well established during the autumn months and if/when it does get cold to protect them to the best of my ability so I will have a head start come spring. We will see...

Progress on the fleur de lis

2009-09-26T17:53:00.002-05:00

I'm back, meaning my allergies are mostly under control now, and being the control freak I am, I like that very much! ;)

Here is what progress I have made on my son's fleur de lis. The light was not very good and the colors are darker than what they really are, but I like the way the flames are coming along. I am hoping to finish the flames this weekend and maybe start on the back ground. I am still concerned about the back ground, I need something to pull it all together.

Gourds in progress

2009-08-29T15:20:00.006-05:00

This is one of the gourds I cleaned for the workshop. It's a work in progress at this point. I am not sure how it will end up.

I have some amber beads I would love to incorporate into this design among other things. I am waiting on the gourd to tell me how it wants to look :)

speak gourd... speak! ;)

and then there were 8!

2009-08-29T15:18:00.001-05:00

The baby gourds are 3 days old!

2009-08-26T17:23:00.001-05:00

Proud Parent of.....

2009-08-23T11:05:00.003-05:00

Just for fun I put a few gourd seeds into a little dirt last weekend, just to see what if anything would happen... and guess what??!!!!

Baby Gourds

Difference in light...

2009-08-23T10:33:00.010-05:00

I took these two picture just the other day, early evening to be exact, because I re-arranged my little studio again. It's like building a nest, if everything doesn't feel just right it's difficult to concentrate and be creative (just like laying an egg sometime LOL). I was having trouble with the natural lighting. The window faces north btw. I think my drafting table has been turn every possible way by now. This time it feels right :)

Pictures

2009-08-23T10:09:00.009-05:00

If you click on the title of this post you will go to the Creative Art Connection blog and see some excellent pictures of the gourd work we did this weekend, taken by our historian Marilyn Brinker. It was very informative and so much fun!!! ... but my hands are still sore! I never realized how much work goes into some of these gourds and I have a whole new appreciation for the artists working with them. This is truly art!

And here is a fuzzy picture of my finished gourd, this is the "class" gourd, not the one I cleaned last weekend, sitting on my fire place mantle. Like I said my hands are still hurting, maybe that accounts for the fuzzies?!? Marilyn has a better picture of it on the CAC blog. Look for the one with the leaf.

This is the gourd I cleaned. I love the colors and shimmer of gold. I will try to work on this some today, if my fingers let me. I just painted it during the work shop and I thought if I learn how to do some of the more intricate work during the workshop, I can continue on my own. We will see.

Just a number

2009-08-17T19:59:00.002-05:00

Gourd sculpture!

2009-08-15T18:05:00.004-05:00

One of my friends form the Creative Art Connection brought some gourds (already cleaned) for anybody who wanted to give them a good home. Now I have this "sculpture" decorating my fire place hearth. The gourd on the very right is another one I cleaned today and I think she fits perfectly with the rest of the bunch. She reminds of a genie bottle... I still might do something different with her... one of these days.

Gourds 101

2009-08-15T17:43:00.005-05:00

I mentioned the gourd workshop in a previous post, well today was the day of cleaning and prep work. I had no idea that just cleaning the gourds could be so much fun, of course the company I was in helped a lot too. The cleaning took place outside since gourds can be very "moldy" and really nasty looking at first sight, and you don't want that stuff in your house. I don't have a picture of the before and after, but believe me, these gourds were not a pretty sight. It didn't help that they had been soaking in water for a while too to make them easier to clean.

After donning masks and gloves we went to work scrubbing them, the outside that is, with metal pot scrubbers. You then scape of anything else bumpy or lumpy with metal scrapers until your gourd has a very nice smooth outer finish. Next we let them dry in the by now very warm Louisiana sunshine, while we took a break with coffee and artsy conversations in the shade of a beautiful magnolia tree.

Then we cut into the gourds. Here is were the creative part starts, because you have to decide how you want to cut your gourd. Do you want to "decapitate" it, or just remove a slice of it to get to the inside. What do you want your gourd to look like when it is finished? Here is my gourd, which I ended up laying on it's side since it didn't want to lose it's crooked neck and head.

Again we used the scrapers to clean the inside and finally drilled a series of holes around the opening. Now my gourd is resting on a towel to dry out completely and to wait for next weekends "dressing up" party.

more fleur de lis ideas

2009-08-15T17:36:00.004-05:00

I was just playing the other day and this is a new idea of mine. The very simple beginning of "Four Seasons Louisiana Style".... this is summer in the making:

Busy, busy day!

2009-08-15T17:19:00.007-05:00

Here is the latest update on the firefighter's fleur de lis. Sis, if the boots look to perfect... it's the photographers fault! ;) It is difficult for me to take a good picture unless I take the drawing outside and I don't go through that much trouble until after it is completed.

I also have a very out-of-focus close-up of the fire hydrant.

Summer 2009

2009-08-05T13:06:00.004-05:00

It's been a busy summer so far. I have taken a watercolor workshop in July and this month a workshop on gourds. One weekend for the cleaning and prep work and the next weekend for whatever it is you do to decorate a gourd. I have seen on several websites that people use colored pencils to draw on gourds, right up my alley! :)

The workshops are held by the "Creative Art Connection" and taught by members. It's been interesting so far and I do have something to show for the watercolor work shop, just need to take a picture. Deep down the class has tought me one thing.... I will never be a watercolorist! .... (never say never)... I am much to detail oriented (in other words: this control freak can't give it up to a few paints in tubes and brushes!) I do like the painting I created but I want to finish it using colored pencils. I can see myself using WC for background work or to cover large areas, but I always feel drawn to the detail.

Too hot to draw

2009-07-12T16:13:00.006-05:00

After a brief episode of rain and cooler weather, the heat is back. When I am holding the pencils in my hand I get the impression the wax should just be melting and dripping onto the paper.

Progress is slow. Energy is non-existent. Maybe I should attempt a picture of ocean waves or better even... icebergs!

Boot Detail

2009-07-12T16:09:00.004-05:00

This is for my sister. The flash left a spot, but I hope she approves anyway :)

Life as it is

2009-07-05T12:23:00.004-05:00

I have not come very far with this drawing. It's been busy around here. My full time job and then plumbing problems at the house, then 100 plus degree weather and no rain when all life seems to move in slow motion. Today it finally rains and the temperatures are in the 90's. Ahhhh... you can almost hear the earth sigh with relief!

The picture was taken without a flash, so it has a "warm" glow. But the background is very white. I am still bothered by the lack of a background idea.

After transferring the image...

2009-06-28T19:29:00.006-05:00

taken without flash

I transferred the image to Vellum and started laying down the first layer of colored pencil on the boots. In these pictures the boots are just about down. I am working on the colors of the fire hydrant, the helmet, the tools etc. I am working this drawing in a different sequence than I normally approach a drawing. Normally I work on the background first and then the details. Here, as you can see I am working on the details first. The reason.... I have no clue what I want the background to look like. I want to do something with flames and smoke, maybe?? I hope the colors in the details will eventually give me the idea for the background and how to finish the drawing.

taken with flash

Yet another WIP

2009-06-14T11:33:00.004-05:00

My son sort of "commisioned" this one. He is a volunteer firefighter and paramedic. He and his wife love to decorate their home with the fleur de lis, an important symbol of Louisiana's past and present, especially since Katrina.

I have made several pencil studies first and this is the final result. I want to do it in colored pencil with maybe a little fluid acrylic. I have to see how it develops.

Very upset :(

2009-06-07T12:15:00.003-05:00

The painting below under the heading "Losing it".... I lost it. I am very upset... it's my fault .... i ruined it.... i tore it up... i am depressed

Really going wild! ;)

2009-06-06T16:37:00.005-05:00

This painting was also started during the Dyanne Locati workshop. It is mixed media - tissue paper, fluid acrylics and colored pencil on canvas.
I have a lot of fun at the moment working with fluid acrylics, especially on canvas. I had forgotten the "feel" of working on canvas and this painting has brought back a lot of memories. Both works are using only the 3 primary colors, blue, red and yellow which are "mixed" directly on the surface.

Losing control ;)

2009-06-06T16:01:00.007-05:00

I love my colored pencils and the control I have with them, but sometimes you have to lose it and go wild :) As a young woman my style always leaned toward the abstract. But I learned that I need both in my life and for now I am going through an abstract phase. Here is one of paintings I have been working on. I started it during the Dyanne Locati workshop. The colors are brighter in the real thing. It is mixed media - fluid acrylics, light modeling paste, black gesso and colored pencil on Strathmore 140 pd cold press watercolor paper.

My house - my home

2009-05-09T11:37:00.007-05:00

It is me - it is my spirit

It is color and it is light

It is creative and inspiring

It is peaceful and tranquil

It is home.

New drawing

2009-05-08T15:47:00.005-05:00

This is the pencil drawing I have just started. The original image has some glare but you get the idea. My son wants a pencil drawing, but I also want to do one in color pencil.

I am also sitting with a few new ideas.... I am thinking about a series of drawings based on a common theme. The picture of my son, and the fact that it is Mother's Day in a couple of days have given me the idea of doing a series on parenthood. I am still only playing with the idea, trying out images, rolling around the meaning of words in my head. If you are a parent you know that being one is possibly the most difficult, challenging and most rewarding thing you ever do in your life. I am not talking about "madonna and child" images here, I am looking for new ... different images.

In an email from a friend...

2009-02-07T09:35:00.001-06:00

How do I paint the land and the sea?

To satisfy you or to satisfy me?

The answer is easy, it’s simple indeed:

I had you in mind, but I painted it for me.

And if you should like it, then that would be fine,

As the pleasure is all yours, but the feeling was mine.

Hazel Carter

"A Place in the Sun"

2009-01-03T13:31:00.003-06:00

approx. 10x12

colored pencil on Stonehenge