6-30-16 ~ Geometrics

6-29-16 ~ Cheeky Challenge ~ Ballerina

Dezinaworlds15 Cheeky Challenge

6-29-16 ~ When Pigs Fly

After I looked at Sheila's "If a cow eats a flower with wings will it be able to fly?", all I could think of was that old TV show where Flo at Mel's Diner was always saying "When Pigs Fly." Rose told me it was “Alice’s Restaurant. So, I went to the internet images to look for a pig with wings and found one I liked at http://cliparts.co/picture-of-pigs-flying. This is my interpretation of Penelope believing she can fly...sprouting her wings and taking off into the pig’s sky of happiness and safety from the farmers.

I am linking with Try It on Tuesdays...

"I believe I can Fly"

6-28-16 ~ Digital Sketch 3 ~ All Mixed Up

Here I was working to learn what the different brushes do. I started out with a white layer and then TRIED to draw straight lines. Well, that did not work out too well. So, I colored them in cleaning it up as best I could. After that I decided to start trying out the brushes with flowers as my theme. Maple leaves are a bit of a stretch for leaves for little flowers, but I wanted to give them a try. This was lots of fun...almost like doodling which I love...just digitally and in color.

6-27-16 ~ Digital Flowers

I have decided if I try to create a digital sketch daily, maybe before long I will figure out how the brushes and colors work. For now, it is just hunt and click. Sometimes it works; sometimes not.

6-26-16 ~ My First Attempt to Use PSE6 to Sketch

Yesterday when I was going through the blogs I love to visit, I went over to Sheila's

 Orange Esmerelda home. Her "fish" contribution to Mix It Monthly inspired me to open up my 

Photoshop CS6 and give painting a picture from scratch for the first time. It took me three hours to come up with these three pictures, but it was well worth the time. I learned about brushes and other things on CS6. Thanks, Sheila, for inspiring me to try something new. These are pretty rough with LOTS of room for LOTS of improvement, but I have taken my first baby step. I tried to create the feel of some drips and drops.

My Prissy Girly Fish

My Orange Fish in the Rain

My Blue Fish with Yellow

Sally Ann in the Flowers

After I finished my fish, I decided to try one of my little girls.

6-26-16 ~ Sunday Sketches and Paint Party Friday

Once again, it is time for Sunday Sketches and Paint Party Friday.

Last week my granddaughter, Eloise, completed elementary school and now she is off to middle school.  Oh, how time flies when you have only one granddaughter. She is growing up so quickly. The little girls in this picture are all her best pals. Some of them attend her school and others went to different ones. The girls with the scarves around their necks were all at her school and were members of the National Elementary Honor Society. 

This is another of my sketches and as always without perspective. It is 8:00 and it's bedtime for Sally Ann and Trouble. She is giving her baby one last big bear hug before they crawl into bed together for a cozy and warm night's sleep. 

6--19-16 ~ Sunday Sketches and a Kite Challenge

Alexandra's Sunday Sketches

The Three Muses Kite Challenge

After the horrendous and tragic Orlando Massacre and remembering the watercolor I did at the time of the Oklahoma Bombing, I thought I would try to sketch something that had a bit of meaning for all of us as well as having kites in it for the Three Muses challenge of "Kites". My son has a framed poster in his den that shows a little girl caring a sign with "Make Art Not War" on it. Here is a copy I found on the internet. 

That quote kept coming to me so here is my in contribution. Let us all be friends and love one another just like my two little girls. Note...I did not forget Alexandra's little bluebirds...

they are on the shoulders of the girls :-)

We are tearing up the uneven kitchen floor of our 110 year old house, and I have a pile of old vinyl tiles which I just cannot throw away. The idea came to me from some linoleum prints a friend of mine made years ago (Fannie Mennen) to see if I could sort of emulate them. You can see my carving in the first shot and what I created on my first try with the brayer in the second. I had not a clue what I was doing...I just started cutting VERY carefully. I added some of Tim Holtz's yellow distress ink and spattered it in an attempt to create some flowers.

These are some of the assignments from classes I am taking online.

 This is an old vintage photo copy with doodles on and around it.

All of the following are some of the lessons from online courses I am taking.

Sunday Sketches ~ 6-12-16

Once again it is time for our most special "Sunday Sketches" over at Alexandra's Blue Chair Diary.

 Please come and join us.

My first attempt at painting on very old barn wood.
I used gesso and acrylics.

 Ain't I Cute

Flower Doodles
Working on petals and shapes of flowers, leaves, and flower pots.

I Love My Family

6-5-16 ~ Sunday Sketches

Once again it is time for our most special "Sunday Sketches" over at Alexandra's.

 Please come and join us to selects of precious pictures.
Her "Ladybug" watercolor is just too precious for words.

This week I had to have my pal of 16 years, Little Jack the Schnauzer, put down because of kidney failure, incontinence, and advanced dementia. I never knew dogs could get dementia, but Jack was having a terrible time getting lost and just not responding. He laid in his little bed crate almost all day. It has broken my heart as I have never killed or had to have a doctor put down any animal in my life. (a ground stinging bee hive attacking me and flies so not count) I had no idea how it was going to effect me, but there has been some real depression. As always, I draw to try to get over the doldrums so here is my first beginning sketch. Jack is NOT a girl, but I love bows so put them on him. The lighting was terrible this morning so please excuse the dark gritty places.



As the week went on, I decided to try to come up with something happy that included him so created... The Kerrs Creek 2016 Beauty Contest with him as the Judge from up in Doggie Heaven. In case you cannot read the names of the contestants here they are...
Edgar Egret
Kelly Kitty
Brenda Bluebird
Matilda Mouse
Claudette Cow
Roscoe Rabbit
As you notice, they all have their little red hearts on them.
Just hunt and you will see them.



I also did this little picture of Eloise and me (she calls me Baga or Bags) swinging from the big old tree in our front yard on the creek. It started out as a bunch of little pen and ink doodles and ended up like this. I am here in Richmond with her now because my 51 year old son flew into DC on business from Seattle and drove over to see his brother and me. That's one reason for the crummy photos taken in the bedroom with little light and my iPhone...trying NOT to awaken my boys and Patti.


Over Memorial Day Eloise, Gene, and Patti came over to our place and brought Sage, Eloise's pal who is like a member of the family. I had just gotten a new journal so decided to let her create the cover. I had her using gesso, Tim Holtz distress paints and some of his stencils, his texture paste, watercolors and acrylics. I was amazed at what she did. She and Eloise are so talented and adore doing these things with Baga.

I hope all of your have a wonderful paint filled week.

We start tomorrow ripping up the floor in the kitchen of our 100+ year old house. 

It is bowing up in the middle so we need to see what is happening.

Oh, how i dread the mess. 

We are also going to recover the washroom and dining room floors, and Buddy is treating me to all new stainless steel appliances:  electric stove, fridge with the huge freezer at bottom, and a dishwasher that will wash SMALL cycles using only the top shelf. Those 24 month to pay without any interest Lowe's offers at Memorial saved our lives this time. 

Now, all we have left are the labor costs.....UGH! A frightening thought.

 BUT STILL, OH, HAPPY DAY!