Pictures of My Backyard

Thank you all for your comments about my photography.  I love to walk around my yard or anywhere and capture that perfect view.  It's been a very warm summer here in Minnesota and I am fortunate to have a swimming pool in my backyard.  Summer has been so busy.  July always feels like the busiest month of the year.  August is a close second with our local Carver County Fair and then the biggie, the Minnesota State Fair.  That's where I first fell in love with my L'Paige Lipsticks.  (visit my online store for more information on that.)  So, here are some pictures I took the other day.

Each summer a mama bird picks this bird house to birth her babies.

I can hear them chattering away.  I see them wiggle around in the nest but I'm sure

to keep my distance.  I don't want the mother to abandon them.  I can see her

watching me from a tall pine tree close by.

Keep cool everyone.

Motivational Art #12 Try Thankfulness

My Process

I love watching artists create their paintings.  Each step of the way I find myself admiring their work and saying okay,  Stop.  It's perfect.  But, no.  They keep adding and adding.  I didn't understand.

They would add a new color that I'd think is way too dark, then they would add another color, or this shape or that texture.  Soon, I would be loving this too.

Finally they would have that feeling.  The feeling of this is done.  It is what I want.  But, it was that whole process, the creating, the changes that was the feeling that makes them feel the creation process.

Not unlike a recipe.  With each new ingredient or step it takes on this new look, new feel or taste.

Now, I get it.

Here's my process:

Is it done?

I add darkness.

Maybe some color?

More color...

Now,  I feel like it might need light again.

What do you think?

Nature Inspiration

 Crawling Vine?

Bleeding Heart

 Chinese Lantern

 Bleeding Heart Leaf

 

My Rose Bush

Some photos from around my yard.  It's nice that I don't have to go far to find beauty.

It's everywhere.

Motivational Art #11 Honor

Painting With One Color Pan Pastels

At the art store the other day.  I treated myself with one (yes, only one) Pan Pastel.

I've heard so much about these paints but had yet to try them.

I was a little surprised at how chalky they were.

So, with only one color.  I wondered if I could create something

fun with shading and playing around.

Here's what I came up with.

Pan Pastels - love the possibilities.

Guess I'm going to have to buy a set.

Here's a link.

Artist's Play Room Challenge #14

Okay, here is my drawing for this week's theme for the Artist's Play Room Challenge.

Monochromatic. 

I had a pink flower painting in mind for it but then I went and darkened it with a
Sharpie.  Oops. 

So, here's one I did using a black ink pen.

Hope you like it.