Rhododendron Watercolor Changes

Hi,here's the rhododendron painting. It took a change. I added another blossom in the middle- on the side and did not like it so I put a large wash of dark black there and love it. The 3rd blossom took away the focus on the blossom at the bottom. It was too confusing. So Zap I put in the darkness. I was going to add a hummingbird but decided against it. It has enough going on. I do have to add another glaze/wash over the dark wash and maybe hit the rhododendrons with a little pink on the edges.

The piggy I framed and delivered and she loved it. I'm glad.

Of course here's Sadie, John brought her a chicken leg yummy last night. She adored it even hiding it and later taking it to bed (crate) with her at night.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I've started a small cow painting. Next Saturday is Art on The Farm at the Barrier Island Center, a lovely art show,flower booths and local wine. Yes we have 3 great wineries here on the shore... so I need to paint ,Talk to you soon, love to you,Diana .

Painting on the Porch

HI, I painted on the back porch yesterday. It was so nice outside. Sadie played on the porch and around the yard. I'd paint a petal,see what she was doing, then another petal.. but it worked!! She finally gave up and napped and I got time to do a few petals! :)  I have finished the pig and will frame that today. I'll have to take a photo of that finished. The rhododendron, I'm using mine from the front yard to paint from now. It's so much smaller than that one over in Norfolk Botanical Garden,wish I had taken some photos instead of painting from life that Saturday,oh well.

I did find out how to root rhododendron a few years ago. Very simple,really, just take a branch pull it down to the ground,hold it on the dirt and put a brick or rock to hold it there. It will develop roots and next year you can cut it off from the main plant and transplant it where you would like. This works well for hydrangeas too.

 Hope you are getting to paint today.Tell me what you are painting.. Love to you,Diana

Rhododendron Watercolor Beginnings and Wishing you A HAPPY MOTHER's Day!

Hi, I'm still working on the pig painting. I got a little time this am and some this afternoon too. I'm cleaning too. Thought you'd like to see a rhododendron I started in Norfolk the other day. I'll work on that more after the pig. The pig is a commission. I've missed painting while chasing my little pup. But she's brought a lot of joy,and if I grab my sketchbook as we head out the door I can sketch. I'll get in the rhythm of puppy/painting... I have to paint. Truly I'm in a bad mood if I don't and feel I've lost something. There's an emptiness inside me.So I'm wishing each of you a Happy Mother's Day. Love to each of you,Diana

Sadie Smiles: Here's Sadie asleep at Monelle's feet at an art lesson. Isn't she sweet? Monelle is too. :)
(something that made me smile today because of the puppy Sadie)

Hectic Time

Here's the pig painting I'm working on. Today we sat on the porch and painted. The weather was warm and lovely. The other morning I heard a screech owl, a whippourwill, a pileated woodpecker and wild turkeys!!  I took Sadie to the vet yesterday, more shots.. she is doing fine. I had to go take some new paintings to Red Queen Gallery today which was good. I'll try to post more.. it's been hectic here as  you can imagine :) . love to you, Diana

Hummingbird Watercolor Class and Straightening Up

 Hi, How was your weekend? It was busy for me. I had my class on Hummingbirds and Rhododendrums at NBG. Here are some of my students. Our classroom was just outside the hummingbird garden. All of the vines and nearby plants and trees were planted just to entice the hummingbirds to stop by. We poured,did wash exercises as warm up and learned to draw our hummingbirds and flowers and then paint them with additions of iridescent paint and iridescent powder. It was a nice day. I'm blessed all my students are so nice.

 Here is a foxglove that was on the path to the door.. :)  It was so gorgeous. I love them. Hope to paint it sometime!!!

 Homecoming! Sadie and John waiting for me! It's always nice to be home.

 Sadie taking a snooze on the trunk in the den--this is where Rudy ,our 19 year old cat likes to sleep so Sadie decided to try it out.

 I just ordered some frames,can't believe it's Monday again. I need/want to straighten my art table out. I've just cleaned out my art bag. Sadie just got her first bath so she's wiped out. It almost wiped me out. Ha ha..  Hope you have a great week, love to you,Diana

Puppy news.. Kendra has new Chocolate Labrador puppies just 4 days old and new Brittany Spaniel puppies 2 weeks old!! I'll bet they are adorable!! Shore Fine Labs.

A Visit with Beth and Maverick

Beth, Sadie,and Maverick

Sadie and Me at Beth's

Sadie, as she snored the shoe moved up and down..

Pig and Corn

HI! Yesterday Sadie and I went to visit Beth,my dear friend, and Maverick,her black lab. He's 11 years old. We all had a wonderful time. Beth and I were enjoying drinking Chai tea and eating her wonderful brownies while we all sat on their lovely deck. The dogs had yummies! ha ha.. Their home is on the water and so very beautiful to see the sandbars and different colors of the water. We walked Sadie along the front yard to tire her out,she loved it.Here on the ES,when I'm painting water I use thalo blue with a touch of sepia, our sand too is yellow ochre watered down a bit. Wet sand has some ultramarine blue in it.. Amazing it's(meaning the colors of water/sand) different everywhere isn't it. So Sadie was worn out when we got home! Dare I say --YEAH! She slept and  I sat down and continued to work on the little pig in the corn field. I bought the corn just for this purpose. It was a lovely day. Thank you so much Beth !! We had a wonderful time.

 Tomorrow I teach"Hummingbirds",a watercolor workshop at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.I love being over there,it's so gorgeous. Our class room is right next to the Hummingbird Garden with a large window opening to it.

 John will be keeping Sadie again.. He keeps reminding me of that.. :)the rascal--him not her..

 Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I"m going to go get ready for class,and paint some more.

 love to you,Diana

Need Some Advise on Puppy and What I'm painting today!

HI, I've been painting this watercolor of corn for a commission. A pour first then the drawing.. It will be a pig too. I finished the little hummingbird and hope to have that framed for my class this weekend. The class is on painting hummingbirds. We now have 2 males and a female Ruby Throated Hummingbirds visiting. Sadie ,the puppy,saw them last night for the first time. I don't think she was impressed like I was.

 Now Sadie is napping.:) Seems like it's the only time I have to get any painting done. Ha ha..but she is so much fun.except.. Anybody have any tips on how to get her to stop biting?? She's a sweetheart but thinks I"m her ma or sister and when she plays she chomps down on my hand.. yowl. As you know I'm a softy about hard discipline,so what am I to do... please-- advise would be great!

 love to you,Diana 
We've been having rain.. and it's chilly too.. I'm hoping for sunshine soon!