lori.diane

2012-01-28T21:35:00.000-08:00

i got my hands pleasantly messy with clay. i sculpted this little guy. i used an armiture of wadded up newspaper and formed from there.

i didn't know what i was doing or where i was going with this. it was so much fun. i used woodburning letters to make the word faith on his chest. and i decided to make him functional and be able to hold something.

it took a few days to really dry out. i kept checking him on the kitchen window sill. when he finally didn't feel cold and clammy, i knew he was ready for paint. i first used adirondak dyes and then used some acrylic to make some of the color more intense. some of the dyes that were more greenish, i thought looked kinda mossy, which i loved.

looking around i put some tree branches and a little bird in his arms. i was thinking shells, or leaves in the fall would look cute too.

still lovin' those apps on my phone! this was all on instagram.

2012-01-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

i am in the midst of misty mawn's 5 week online art course. i wanted to take this course because i just love misty's open and free work. she is spontaneous and uses many different mediums and i wanted to get a taste of that. i will post as i do new work. it's not easy finding the time though! i am already sooo behind! but luckily it seems that may others are as well. with working and teaching grumbacher painting classes - and doing one of the paintings that i'll be teaching during the week so i can get the process before teaching, leaves me little time for this class. but she is leaving the class up for us for a year...which is so freeing. anyways...here is a journal page that i created...it's me, although it doesn't look like me. she looks younger and has better eyelids...but i absolutely loved this exercise! it really freed me up to just put down color instead of trying to be exact.

fun with apps...

2012-01-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

well i just got an iphone...not a new 4g model, but a 3g.

and with it came my excitement to get some photography apps...

had to run around my house and shoot some things and then add

fun effects to them...here's my messy art area...at least this effect kinda softens

the mess :)

and i love this one. it's a lighted house that i keep up all year. at christmas i put some snow at the base as well as trees on the sides of it. this effect put white spots all over it which looks like snow coming down! love it!

and this was a mary statue i got at the goodwill. i got really close and then did a scratched photo effect. i absolutely love it!

and i enrolled in misty mawn's e-course. fun, fun, fun! our first assignments are sketching with charcoal and pencils. this is something i came up with tonight. it's been soooo many years since i have done a portrait with charcoal. i think i was in college! so this was like rediscovering it all over again. her class will last for 5 weeks. i'm going to be sooo busy! but it's definitely a good thing.

grow your blog in 2012 via one smart cookie!

2012-01-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

just want to let you who blog, know about something coming up which i'm sure will be filled with a wealth of information: one of my favorite blogs called miss mustard seed will be a part of a 5 blog hop that will give information for growing your blog...for FREE.

i just want to first tell you a little about miss mustard seed. i have been following her since i started blogging a little over a year ago. i have this alter ego...i'm basically a want-to-be picker. i just love going to garage sales, flea markets, etc. and finding things that what you call "another's trash". i have an eye (so i think) for decorating and that is filled with things that are old. why? i just love the feeling of history...of age (which a lot of times means better made)...of uniqueness...one of a kind...or nostalgic. well, miss mustard seed aka marian, finds things, and has become quite skilled with transforming what someone else would call dated or old, into a beautiful piece by painting, recovering, revamping. she has really made a name for herself quite quickly too. she has a huge following. she is a spokesperson for many products, and is writing her first book. she is also a mother of youngin's, and a youth pastors wife. she's a busy bee. and i always read her daily posts. always. well she's a part of a small blog hop for you...and me...and anyone else to get information on what she and these others have done to grow their blogs called

so...i just wanted to pass on this information to YOU. stop by her blog and read more...i hope you learn and grow in 2012. happy new year!!!

i am here

2011-12-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

i am here

there isn't time, but here i am

i am being pulled

my leg is pulled, my arm is pulled

but my heart is here

how do i make time?

i must

it's my heart...my soul

the blood that runs through my veins

so i am here

AHHHHHHH....I WON!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-11-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! can you hear me??? i can't believe that i just won a blog contest from one of my favorite blogs of all time....miss mustard seed!!!!!!

i just won $100 gift card to Williams Sonoma AND a $50 store credit to stylish patina!!!!

both miss mustard seed and stylish patina are great girls that have made a BIG name for themselves by doing what they LOVE...finding old things, making them beautiful, and reselling. i have been subscribed to miss mustard seed for over a year now, and get her daily e-mails telling me what she's been doing...what she found...and her wonderous transformations of cast offs to fabulous. i love each blog post and read them word for word. she has become a spokesperson for many companies...posts for HGTV, Cottages and Bungalows magazine, and more. i have commented on many of her posts that have contests, and just figured that i am a little fish in the big ocean of her huge ocean of little fish, and that i wouldn't ever get "picked"...but I DID!!!! AHHHHHH! so excited!!!! and stylish patina is such a cool blog that i discovered through miss mustard seed. she has the same love for "picking" and styling that i love and so can't believe that i am going to be able to "shop" there too!!!! she's got an etsy shop, as well as an actual store called The Foundry.... so forgive me if it seems i'm bragging or boasting, but i'm beside myself.

veganize me...some of my art on the walls of a new restaurant!

2011-11-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

a new restauant is opening at bridgeport, our outdoor mall that is nearby. it's called native foods cafe, and is a growing chain that is mostly in california and chicago right now. this is their first restaurant in oregon. it's a vegan restaurant...a fun, bustling, colorful, happening place. definitely not stuffy or predjudice against those that aren't vegan. they say that 75% of their clientele actually aren't vegan, but come to experience a healthy day or night out. i was hired, along with another artist, to either paint chalkboards or the walls. she did mainly chalk-art...and a lot of it. beautiful stuff. i did their mission statement, which you can see on the wall near the celing...yes, it's high...i was on 18 ft. scafolding...

check out their desserts...mmmm

i also painted or chalked their juice bar flavors and their native stuff sign, which shows happenings around portland...

my family and i were invited to the vip grand opening last night, where we got to order appetizers, sides, main dishes, and desserts, all free of charge.

this is the to-die-for butternut squash soup that 3 of the 4 of us had...the kick that was unexpected...dried cranberries in it. it was soooo good.

this was the soul bowl my daughter ordered...that's their native chicken...that tastes like chicken, but isn't.

i had the ensalada azteca salad as my main dish...mmmmm good. avacado, cucumber, jicama salsa, quinoa, romaine, currants, toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro...mmmm

here's a half eaten portobello and "sausage" burger (hubby couldn't wait 'till i was ready to shoot my camera) with dilled potato salad on the side.

this is their twister wrap, that my kids had another night that i was painting for them. they were training their chefs and made me a to-go bag filled with yummies.

their official opening is tuesday, and i know they are going to be busy, busy, busy. we are long over-due for a place like this! it's nice to go out and feel like you are eating healthy...

the native foods blog is a great one too...check it out here.

here's a Green Bean Casserole from their newsletter for your Thanksgiving feast:

1⁄2 cup olive oil

10 sliced shallots

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp olive oil

2-1⁄2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 tbsp flour

1 cup vegetable broth

3/4 cup Vegenaise

3⁄4-1lb green beans, washed

1. Heat oil in pan. 2. Add shallots and sauté until lightly brown 3. Remove shallots, saving oil. 4. Add 2 garlic cloves to oil and sauté for 1+ min. Add breadcrumbs. 5. Stir until breadcrumbs absorb the garlic and are slightly toasted. 6. Remove from stove and put aside. 7. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in pan and add mushrooms

(don’t stack on top of one another). 8. Add a touch of salt, which will release some of the water and help them sear nicely. Cook for 4 minutes then add 2 cloves of garlic as the mushrooms start to brown. 9. Cook another minute then add flour and mix well as fl our browns a bit. 10. Add broth and Vegenaise, and stir well. It will start to thicken. 11. Then add the green beans and stir to incorporate. 12. Add half of breadcrumb mixture and half of the crispy shallots and mix well. 13. Garnish with more crispy shallots and the delicious breadcrumb mixture and serve!

and here are TONS of recipes from chef Tonya, the owner and founder:

http://nativefoods.com/events/recipes.aspx

and here are TONS of youtube videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/NativeFoodsCafe

although not vegan...i just might want to try after all this flavor!

santos, statues, inspiration, and art...

2011-11-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

my sister janine aka abigail, stopped by for a few days from montana to take a few misty mawn classes at art & soul when it was in portland...she has gone for the last few years and stays with me those days and we hit the vintage stores and places i think she'd enjoy...

we took a trip into portland where i took her to cargo, a store that is filled with sooo many things from different lands. what i am most attracted to though are the statues and the santos...

and from across the room, i spied this lovely...she had a sold ticket on her...

i could only imagine how i would love to gaze at her in my home, and how lucky the person is that snatched her up...

she was originally adorned with this feathered and jeweled crown, but i had to take it off to see what she was all about...

floating waterlilies...wouldn't they be lovely floating in a pool? hard to believe they aren't real....

and among the many boxes, toys, and colorful whatnot...mary...ahhh...

so beautiful...

the bead wall...

and i love this santos holding a garland of lettered cards that spells "cards"...

and sis acting silly...we had fun with the masks...

then decided to take her to edgefield, which is one of the mcmenamins around portland. the brothers mcmenamin buy buildings that are bound to be destroyed or have been abandoned...some just with some cool history, and restore them to all their glory and then some...edgefield was once a "poor farm" and now has a theatre, pub, restaurant, hotel, golf course, concert venue, and more.

the walls are filled with original art...art everywhere...art on every wall......

on a fuse box...

and just in case you peek inside...a treat.

art on the pipes...in the most unexpected places...

art on every door...

art in every nook and cranny...

you just think...and get inspired...

even the exit sign doesn't stand a chance...

oh how i would love to be one of the artists that gets to paint these lovely walls...

2011-09-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

i want to share with you some pictures from my niece, courtney's wedding. courtney just started working as an assistant wedding planner. boy, does she come up with great ideas! the company she works for is in northern california called a savvy event. i flew from oregon to southern california to help out a few days before. she had collected lots of old wood pieces and rusty this and that from either barns or swap meets or wherever. it was at the ranch/reservoir of my sister kim's and her husband, bud's friend. it all came together amazingly. she didn't know where she wanted anything and we all just helped make vignettes and areas that were so cool.

this area was where everyone would write down on a slip of paper how to keep the love alive. they would then slip the paper in the cubby...

this is my sister painting the labels for the refreshment area. how cool is this? she is known for her handwriting and calligraphy...as well as her art. visit her at her blog.

this is one of the centerpieces for the tables and the table numbers on blocks of wood...she used clippings from the plants for the men's boutenneirs.

everyone picked up a small potted plant with their name and table number to find their place.

their wedding table...

instead of a cake, they had a smores table. they had gourmet flavored marshmallows and graham crackers...

it was a huge hit...they had a bon-fire with long sticks...

one of the table scapes...

ok...is this a lounge or what...hay bales placed in old rusted bed frames...

on the coffee table...she had these old rusted pipes cut and her husband filled them with cement...they became candle sticks...

this is the cupboard that the place card/plants were in...someone else would discard this cupboard...but look what it can become to someone with a vision...

the window in the lounge...

they had a picture her cousin...my niece, miriam painted...a beautiful tree. everyone placed their thumb print and signature on it...she painted the same amount of limbs as there were people. if you know someone who would like that for their wedding, let me know and i'll have her get in contact with you.

that's my mama and aunt mary signing it...

the chandelier above where they said their vows...

and they had an amazing blue-grass band playing all night...

courtney and aaron.

lily

2011-09-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

i completed my latest painting...here are a few close ups...

she was a pleasure to paint. i got lost in it... and i love it when that happens.

what do you think?

lily

acrylic on 11 x 14 canvas

a long time coming...

2011-09-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

it's been a while since i've painted a lady...angel...or some other pretty like that. i've been haunted by it. the kind of feeling like i had to. i couldn't manage to not. i just needed my muse...my inspiration. i always paint with my eyes first. when i look at a photo, i paint it in about 2 or 3 minutes. i look over it...i imagine painting it. and that's what i did with this one. i thought this is it. this is what i'm doing next...

this is just the beginning...the underpainting, so i have a long way to go, but wanted to post since i feel like i've been in hibernation or something.

i have a plan for the background too. i still have quite a ways to go on her face...but i think i'm going to enjoy this one a lot. sometimes it just flows...and this seems to be headed that way....like i'm on auto-pilot and it's just effortless.

had a painting class with two of the sweetest twin girls ever...that's paint on the one on the right's cheek...the other had it in her hair and on her shirt. their dad said they'll be back for more classes...i hope they do! i just love helping put the love of art in someone else's life. man, if it gets in there...it's wonderous.

future classes:

friday. september 16 at 4:30 and saturday, september 17, at 12:00.

friday september 23 at 4:30 and saturday, september 24 at 3:00.

friday, september 30 at 4:30, and saturday october 1 at 3:00

friday october 7 at 4:30 and saturday, october 8 at 3:00

friday october 14 at 4:30 and saturday october 15 at 3:00

friday october 28 at 4:30, and saturday, october 29 at 3:00.

class schedule for the next few weeks...

2011-08-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

my latest sample still life painting for my grumbacher painting class.

i'll be having my first demo on saturday, august 20th...3:00-5:00

at michaels store in tualatin, oregon,

and have scheduled classes and demos through october.

i will be eventually be posting on the side bar the image or painting for the week or month.

saturday, august 27 ...3:00-5:00...will be a landscape class where we will paint...

friday, september 2nd...kids painting class... 4:30-6:30 for ages 8-13

saturday, september 3rd from 3-5:00 where we will paint this pretty floral...

i'll will be doing a demo on

sunday, september 4th ... 3:00-5:00.

i'm going to be going to my niece, courtney's wedding over the weekend of september 10th, so will be taking that week off.

friday, september 16th...kids class...4:30-6:30

saturday, september 17th...class...3:00-5:00

where we will be painting this seascape...

i'm excited about this new venture.

it's definitely keeping me busy right now getting things together for the start of it all. i'll keep you posted with upcoming images. i'm having lots of fun with researching and finding images that would be fun to paint. some are vintage, some are local to oregon, some are just pretty and things that i think people would enjoy hanging on their walls or giving as gifts. what's great is that you can finish a painting in one session...so you can just take the one class, or keep taking classes on a regular basis to get more experience and try different techniques or attempt different images. Or take more than one class to just be with like minded people...that in itself is sooo fun. Each class is $25. There is a grumbacher paint kit in the store that has the basic paints, paintbrushes, and canvas panels to get started. Each catagory (floral, still life, landscape, seascape) has a couple of extra paints that you can get separately to make mixing a little quicker and to broaden your palette. You can use your michaels coupon for the kit. you can even clip other coupons, like joannes, and use those in your michaels stores!

vaca...and painting samples for my classes!

2011-08-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

we just got back from a little vaca at the beach. there is really nothing like the oregon coast.

i have lived in california most of my life. but walking through the tundra on a trail for what seems so long...to get that glimpse of the ocean. you just want to stop time. it's so beautiful.

and people on the oregon coast (for the most part) don't don bathing suits. it's too cold. they are there to enjoy the beauty of nature. it's a totally different feeling.

and then we frequented our favorite coffee/pastry cafe...the pacific way.

i just love all of the paintings and old photos on the walls there...all clustered together...but each with such meaning that you want to study them.

and i found the most wonderful antique/salvage store in astoria. it's in the lobby of what was once the john jacob astor hotel.

we definitely didn't spend enough time there.

i saw sooo many things i wanted to take home. everything was so cool.

see that old cooler? i wanted that. i pictured it on our back patio...when we had parties it would be filled with ice and i would gaze at it lovingly.

there was a hallway to a basement that was blocked and off limits by old doors and building remnants. it had a light which made you wonder...

and on the way home stopping at a restaurant called camp 18...it's like a huge log cabin you want to live in...and in back is a trail with a creek ...

and of course, a topiary elephant...

and i'm coming along with my getting ready to teach beginning acrylic classes representing grumbacher at michaels. i have been painting a few samples for my demo table. here are a few...

i am gathering some great images that i want to teach. these are some that grumbacher gave us, but am having fun finding ones for future classes. since it's a local class, some will be images around oregon, and some that i just went oooh and ahhh over.

i am also creating signage for the store. i found a big 54 x 30 ornate frame with an old painting from the 1970's in it. i painted out the painting with black paint (first i googled the signature to make sure it wasn't a million dollar find) and then painted the title. i will make copies of the samples i've done and attach them with magnets. this will hang above the fine arts supply aisle.

i'm still working out the schedule with the manager, but think my first demo will be in about a week and then will start classes beginning in september.

i'm teaching art classes...

2011-07-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

i'm thrilled to have a new job teaching art classes! i will be representing grumbacher and teaching beginners how to paint in acrylics. they will be 2 hour classes where we will finish a new painting in each class. i'll teach classes in landscapes, seascapes, florals, and still lifes at michaels in tualatin, oregon! i haven't set up my class calendar yet, or even painted my first samples...but, i'm so excited to (hopefully) instill the passion of art...of painting...of creating in those that maybe had a fear of it or just hadn't taken the leap to try.

it would be great to also get some people in that had painted years ago, but for whatever reason stopped...just to get jump-started again...or maybe just hadn't ever tried acrylics.

and to be representing grumbacher...such a respected institution in art supplies is such a thrill. and to have my classes at michaels...one of my favorite places for arts and craft supplies...how fun is that?

i'm also going to be doing at least one demo each month in the store where people can sign up for classes, find out more info, and watch me create!

i'll keep you updated on my calendar and pictures of the paintings we paint. i'm really looking forward to it!

decorations from our 4th party and a little painting too...

2011-07-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

i wanted to share with you a taste of our annual 4th of july party we hosted yesterday...the weather was just perfect. we are always awaiting the weather forecast for our party...living in oregon is so unpredictable. but it really was perfect.

i just love a theme. and we break out our boxes of the red-white-and blue and go at it. this is a little alcove in our foyer...

here is the statue i got at a second hand store...he is even patriotic on this day.

added a few of the fireworks to our chalk board...

and of course our buddy...ready for the action. he was our furry vacuum following everyone around and cleaning up the crumbs.

great chef...

great friends...

great food...

and great fireworks...

and here is a landscape i did recently...we have it in our bedroom which we have decorated in beachy colors of sands and blues...

it was a from a photo i took on a beach trip here in oregon...

and i have some news to share with you very soon...

ranch life...

2011-05-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

i wanted to share with you a little trip we had visiting my sister kim and brother-in-law bud where they gifted us with a wonderful day of ranch life...we ventured in a jeep...went off-road and toured their ranch...

my beautiful 86 year old mother enjoyed the adventure as well...

we saw wild turkeys...the male flirting with the female...

wide open spaces...to breathe

and spied a nest awaiting the hope of new life...

kim with her posse...

there's nothing like a barn that has tales to tell...

thanks kim and bud for a glimpse into your beautiful life...we loved every minute of it.

WISHING...

2011-03-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

i wanted to share with you something that i signed up for, and want to let others know about...it's very cool ~ comes in your e-mail every day for 40 days ~ and FREE! it's called the WISH SUMMIT (women's international summit for health) and this is what's said about it and it's founder, tera warner, on the website:

Tera is a fiery online entrepreneur with a passion for projects that empower and inspire women.She reminds you to move beyond the size of your hips, or the shape of your hair and asks you to recall the sense of limitlessness you felt when you made your first wish on a birthday candle, a dandelion seedling, a wishing well...With a community of over 60,000 women (and a few great men) in all corners of the globe, she's dedicated her life to busting the barriers that keep people from achieving the level of health, abundance and vitality they’re looking for.
Her trademark, besides the fiery hair and personality, is an unparalleled ability to support others in achieving transformation through dietary change and a positive outlook on life.
Tera is a writer, a leader, a sister, a lover and a mother.
Her dream is to create a project that touches the lives of millions of women in an empowering way, so that her daughter's daughter can live without limits, too.

the topics that they cover are:

Attitude

Wisdom

Sensuality

Health

Beauty

Fitness

Abundance

Balance

Relationships
Food

so each day an e-mail comes to you with a recorded interview with one of the guest speakers. There are some famous names and some you may not have heard of...but they are all powerful speakers taking time out of their day for the cause of empowering you to be the best you can be.
Here is one of the first ones by kristin morelli...
http://www.wishsummit.com/downloads/2011?kristin-morelli.mp3

if you enjoyed that, just go to their website and sign up to start receiving them in your e-mail. you can just download them and listen later at a time that is convenient to you. and they'll give you a link to access the ones that you've missed. there really is some good stuff there.

also want to let you know that i received one of my special gifts from OWOH that i won! it was a wall hanging from sheree at raven moon magic all the way from new zealand! thank you so much sheree! all of your intricate work to make this so special shines through! it's just beautiful!

AND THE WINNER IS.....

2011-02-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

today is february 17th...the official day to pick and reveal the winner of the OWOH event.

i had originally said i would draw a name from a hat, but i had so many more comments than i thought i would, that i decided to use a random generator to make it easier. i was actually writing numbers on a piece of paper this morning while reading emails~muti-tasking as usual~and my sister suggested in an email that i might want to use a random generator online. i thought that seemed so much easier (and the timing couldn't have been better) and less time consuming.

soooo....the random generated winner is.....

kristin dudish!!!

i asked everyone to choose between two pieces, and kristin chose my wood block print.

so, kristin, please email me your address and i will place that in the mail for you. i hope you will enjoy having it in your home and thank you all for your lovely comments and the time you took to visit me.

i tried to visit everyone on OWOH, but time made it hard to really spend time going through each blog. i am really looking forward to visiting everyone at a much less rushed time constraint.

it's been a great experience, and i'm glad i got to experience OWOH, this being it's last year.

I HEARD A VOICE FROM HEAVEN

2011-02-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

i didn't think i was going to post until the OWOH (one world one heart) was over, but since i finished a new piece, i thought i would. although i post on fb, i also like to post more detailed pics here. if you want to see what i'm offering for the OWOH and enter, just scoll down to the next post.

i title this painting "a voice from heaven"

and the completed piece...i used a little pen, oil pastels, and music sheets over acrylics.

here it is in earlier stages on my easel...yes, that's a landscape in back of it. actually two of them...both unfinished.

almost done...still working on the music sheets. they were actual vintage sheets from a choir book.

here is the finished painting on my wall...

oh, and here is the picture i found online that inspired me. i think it was a photo. if anyone knows anything about the photo, i'd love to know!

it's time for ONE WORLD ONE HEART 2011!

2011-01-30T21:33:00.000-08:00

well, it's january 30th/31st...and you know what that means?

it's time for.....

i'm so excited to be a part of this 2011 blog-fest!

if you don't know what i'm talking about, you can find all about it here.

i talked a bit about it in my previous post, so you could also scroll down and read about it there.

i'm lori diane from lake oswego, oregon and come from a family of artists...my mom, my sister, many of her daughters, my daughter, and i'm sure there must have been ancesters further back that i'm not aware of, because it's so strong with us. i have only recently in this last year hooked back up with my passion of art and decided to acknowledge that maybe i am an artist...maybe that is what my "gift" is...maybe it's okay to create in my free time, after many years of feeling i couldn't make a living at it, and so didn't even let myself do what i loved. i have had a few artistic jobs...i was a photo retoucher pre-computers then became a stay at home mom for many years, during which time in the last few years illustrated for a children's toy catalog. but for whatever reason, i still wouldn't call myself an artist...i had artistic jobs, but never created in my free time. well now i do create in my free time and love every minute of it...typically i paint. i have been painting with acrylics and have fun experimenting with mixed media added in there for texture or interest. i painted with oils years ago, and think i might go that direction at times as well....i'd also like to experiment with pastels. i have a good sized set of oil pastels i bought about 30 years ago and never touched...maybe because i didn't create in my free time. so this blog reflects my art, the creation and inspiration of it as well as a glimpse of my life. i also love decorating, thrift sales, flea markets, vintage stores and so you'll see a bit of that as well.

i'm really excited to be a part of One World One Heart, and look forward to discovering new bloggers and future friends who share this same love of creating.

i guess that's it!

i hope you'll become a "friend" and stop by and visit often, as I am blown away by the support and true feeling of friendships that i have experienced thus far...really i am. it's through this support that makes me feel that even if something doesn't sell, i could and should keep going.

i am offering a CHOICE of two pieces! i really couldn't decide...option one is an archival matted print of one of my mixed media paintings i titled Purity. the print itself is approximately 5 x 7, and the outside of the mat is 8 x 10...ready for framing. i signed the original painting which you can see in the corner, but also signed the border of the print hidden by the mat.

the original was painted with acrylics on canvas...i used embossed papers for the background, and used small beads and glitter in her crown. i blogged about the process showing more pics in a past post here.

here is the picture from a magazine that was my inspiration for the painting, and the print before matting...

and option two is an 8 x 10 wood block mounted print of a mixed media painting i did using collaged papers in the background. it's mounted on birch wood and has a sawtooth hanger on the back so it's ready for hanging.

all you have to do to win EITHER my matted print OR my wood block print is leave a comment telling me which you'd prefer, and i will put everyone's name/visitor number in a bowl, and pull a name/number for the winner! make sure you leave leave a way to contact you via your blog link or some other method. the winner will be announced february 17th and i'll post an annoucement at that tme.

thanks for stopping by...have fun on your OWOH journey.

i know i will! and until next time...

much love and peace!

ONE WORLD ONE HEART!!!!

2011-01-24T12:50:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! I am planning on participating in this year's On World One Heart! I haven't ever done this but know those who have...including my sister at Rusted Wings and my niece at The Waking Artist, and they said it was such a great experience...so I'm really excited about it!

As explained on the Lisa's blog:
One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers only. It gives all those who blog a chance to meet and mingle and form connections with those they may not have otherwise met from all over the world. In the past 4 years this event has grown to over 1,000 participants with lasting friendships (and even one love connection) formed along the way. Think of it as a GIGANTIC open house allowing you to travel without ever leaving your home........going from blog to blog(in various countries) seeing the wonder each one has created and meeting all the fabulous people behind those blogs. As a bonus each blogger participant will offer up a "door prize or prizes"....just for dropping by, saying hello and seeing their world. It's really that easy.

The link to the blog, A Whimsical Bohemian, which tells all of the rules and what to do to be a part of this great event is HERE. I hope you all join the fun and spread the word! Let me know if you've done it before and your experiences...I'd love to hear!!!

Girl with the red shawl

2011-01-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

I finished another piece. I used a photograph of an actress from the 1920's as inspiration.

Being a black and white photograph let me imagine what color her sheer shawl was. I chose a deep red.

I had a hard time photographing it. Using a flash surprisingly looked good ~ I just had to photograph it at a slight angle to not get the glare of the flash on the canvas. Believe me there were a lot of frames with the glare. And then when I used natural light there was a slight glare of the natural light. You have to do it at just the right time to make all the stars align.

So, this full shot was at a slight angle too ~ with the flash. I'll have to try again a little later without the flash to get a true straight shot.

MOTHER AND CHILD...

2011-01-08T11:44:00.000-08:00

Just finished my latest piece. It's a close up of old master artist Bernardino Luini titled The Sleeping Christ. The full painting was quite large and included angels surrounding them. These paintings, although depicting Mary and Jesus, touch us as as a portrait of any mother and child, I think. The love and tenderness that touches your heart. I really love the way it looks...the depth, the soulful expressions...the blackest of black highlighting the soft, sweet faces. That's what makes it an Italian old master. I am so drawn to the old master paintings...

ALL MY LOVE...

2010-12-31T12:14:00.000-08:00

Wanted to show you my latest piece I just finished.

I call it "ALL MY LOVE"

I added little beads to her headband...it really sets it off and adds texture.

I really love how the background came out...the colors, the texture...kind of like an old wall that's been painted over and over.

sending you all my love this New Year!

HONEYMOON...

2010-12-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

What do you give your sister that just wed a cattle rancher...and as their first purchase as a married couple, bought a new heiffer calf at a bull sale that they named "Honeymoon"?

You paint them a picture of their new baby

...meet Honeymoon.

I was a little late in sending it to them, as they got married a couple of months ago, but made it before the start of the new year!