Tiger Swallow Tail Watercolor continues

Butterfly in watercolor continues

Butterfly watercolor workings

Sadie sleeping at night.

Resting Sadie. (Wish I looked that good with a cone on my head.)

Hi, I've been working on my butterfly watercolor today. It takes a long time with all that detail but I do so love butterflies. I love painting,it's so soothing to me.

 Sadie,our puppy, slept well last night as you can see her in her crate! Ha ha.. she does get in strange positions even with the collar on and here is her resting now by my art table. The collar doesn't seem to bother her, and she's taking her antibotic for the infection of her stitches.

Glad we don't have to go to the vet today.I'm going to make some more coffee and get back to the butterfly. I saw one go by earlier. We have so many especially the Spicebush Swallow Tail (black ones) on my pink phlox. Sadie does love to leap,snatch the butterfly,and mash the flower on the way down. All happens in a second.. I should have taken photos earlier! ah well.. ha ha..  my love to  you,Diana

Flowers in Watercolor

HI, I taught at ESO in Belle Haven,Va.on the Eastern Shore yesterday. We painted watercolors of the beach. I was tired when I got home and so was Sadie.. you can see the art bag behind her. She tried to bury a bone in it last night. I've added some verbina to the little painting. It's better. Very proper.. I do like looser but this is what came out of me yesterday. Are you like that?  Have a great weekend.. love,Diana

Zinnas To Paint and Roses to Chew

Sadie is worn out. We had some company this afternoon .Beth, which we both enjoyed.  Now Sadie is napping. The dear puppy dug most of my grandmother's rose bush up while we were on the porch drinking coffee. All we saw was dirt flying and yep.. that was it. I filled in the hole with extra dirt and hope it will be ok,it is a talisman rose that smells heavenly.. if not I've enjoyed it for a few years and now have an opportunity to learn how to grow a rose bush.. ( I've planted all the different branches she chewed off first... I told you we had a good time. :)  While she was napping I'm working on a little painting of zinnas and a hummingbird. I felt like doing detail although I'm so tired, so zinnas. What are you painting today?love to you,Diana

Art on the Farm,Art Show

Hi, The show,Art on the Farm, was lovely. We had some problems with wind.(an outdoor show) Gusts up to 30 mph,but everything held on. I used 2 hooks per painting and hung the large ones on the bottoms of the rack, did some bungie cording and John attached two 25lb dumb bells to the bottoms of the racks too. I sold 5 little ones,2 chickens,a cow,a hummingbird and a mini landscape. Here are two paintings I finished the night before the show. Yes, I did.--I don't know why I do these things but I do... then framed about 5 paintings. I was silly to try to do the checkerboard painting-- it takes so much time.. Sadie,our puppy, was impatient -- she wanted more attention and kept pulling on my socks as I painted. :) I got it done.  John helped me set up and then went home to take care of Sadie and do his things. Saw so many friends,had Hog Island Coffee and Beth treated me to Chincoteague Mud Ice cream... looked like mud but tasted like heaven, chocolate fudge! Here's our Sadie still trying to get in the little chair. Hope you are having a great weekend. Happy Memorial Day! and Happy Weekend ! love to you,Diana

New Ones and Just Chilling

Hi, This afternoon I went to Nandua High School and demonstrated for one of their art classes. I showed them the pouring  technique and had the hummingbird and flower pot drawn and ready to go to paint for them. Mrs. Michele Wagner was their teacher. It was very nice.  Here's two little paintings to frame for Saturday. Sadie,the puppy, is just chilling..She thinks the refrigerator is her personal AC.

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.

Tiger Swallowtail Watercolor and Sick Puppy (fine now!)

I'm tired. We had a problem. Sadie was sick. Yesterday afternoon after I wrote you, she was hyper.. not napping, whining and crying and running, she did not slow down.. I called Kendra, and she helped and I called the dr. He said give her a benadryl.. she had had a shot yesterday and a worm pill at the vets.Our Poor puppy was miserable. so was I. Needless to say I slept( well sorta) next to her and she slept fitfully, Today she is doing fine. now she's sleeping on the job. I've been painting this butterfly and she naps beside me. So thankful that is over and she is fine!!!..  I love to paint butterflies and to see them to me is almost magical.. their beauty so ethereal. Talk to  you soon. Love,Diana

Class at Norfolk Botanical Gardens and Sadie

HI, Saturday I taught my Daffodils and Tulips Watercolor Workshop at Norfolk Botanical Garden. Oh my it was gorgeous over there. Yellow tulips everywhere, pansies, warm, soft breeze and azaleas and dogwood trees blooming. This first photo is just the walk to the door to the classroom.. gorgeous! We painted Daffodils and Tulips although mostly yellow tulips. Everyone did well and I hope will  frame what they painted.. I'm so proud of you!!  Here's a photo of two of the ladies in the class.

  A Photo of Sadie...Well you know I had to include Sadie. She stayed with John, they played hard, she napped and he got his work done and played hard some more. Here she's getting ready to go to the vet. She got a wonderful report.

I painted yesterday with her sleeping on my feet..:). talk to you soon, love,Diana

Sadie's Day and Watercolor Class

Hi, Sadie's had company most of the day. Dana came over, Beth, Monelle and Debra, she got a basket of toys and yummies and more toys, kisses and loves and played with so now she is sleeping under my art table. I'm zonked too but I'm packing up for tomorrows class.We'll be painting tulips and daffodils.. and pouring watercolor. John will take care of her while I go. I'll miss her.  Have a great weekend. Love, Diana

Sadie Comes Home.. such Joy!

Here we are at Kendra's with all the puppies. That is me in the first photo.. Kendra in the second and Sadie home chewing on her new toy. She is so adorable. We giggled as we ate dinner.. She was walking around with her rope toy.. so proud so cute. Talk to you later. love, Diana . ... what a blessing to have her.

 ps Rudy may take awhile to adjust.. :)

Puppy Clouds and Shy Moo

"Shy Moo" original watercolor 8x10 framed $99

Here's the "Shy Moo",checkered cow watercolor. I finished it this morning. It's busy but I really like it. I've always liked cows, their shapes and the warmth of their characters. I have no idea what to paint now. The weather was so warm, 72 degrees and sunny today I had thought to paint outside but didn't get to it. Tomorrow. I'll be outside painting tomorrow.. and Kendra just called. We can pick up Sadie earlier on Thursday. She said today they had all been outside.. everywhere she went she had a little white puppy cloud following her in the yard.. How adorable.. These crocus I planted by Daisy's grave, they are lovely. talk to you soon,Love,Diana

Her name is... and a checkered cow watercolor..

HI! I started drawing this little watercolor this week and just now started painting..,I think I'll call it "Shy Moo." Here is another puppy photo if you are like me I can't seem to look at her enough. We've decided on the name.. here it comes... SADIE.. what do you think??  love to you,Diana

Can't decide.. which Puppy???

I can't decide! What do you think.. my #1 pick is black nose girl and #2 is pink nose girl.. both so adorable.. 1 fell asleep in my arms while 2 licked my face.  Aren't they precious!!! Each one is gorgeous.. oooh. I told Kendra we would decide by Sunday..  no bad choices all sweet as can be.. tell me  what you think.. love,Diana.

. ps. she does have a couple left... if you know anyone!

Radishes and Puppies-Look!

HI, my son has gone home. I miss him already. I've got a fresh apple cake in the oven for church tonight. It smells good--warm and cinnamony. Yum. I've been painting this little radish painting this weekend. You know , when I first started the blog someone told me to only talk about my watercolors but it seems to me like my watercolors are a part of everything in my life, and I feel so thankful that is true. While the men were busy exercising... yes they do it everyday(not me), I painted. In between making chicken salad and dinner,I painted..(This was on Friday before he got here.) I've even painted waiting for the apple cake to cook.  Here is the latest photo Kendra sent me of the yellow lab puppies!! I hope you don't mind me sharing it, Kendra. It's so adorable, I couldn't help myself. I am so looking forward to having a painting partner. She will be such a joy. ( I will always have my Daisy in my heart and as you all know miss her everyday.) Hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend. I'm going to curl up with a book and read for awhile. talk to you soon,Diana
Tell me what you've been doing this weekend and who is your painting partner?

Happy St Patrick's Day! The radishes count for my green,don't they??

Here Comes a Little Checkerboard Chicken.

HI, Ok,so technically I didn't put a puppy photo up.. :) . But you can see at the top left hand side what I have on my art table,a photo of the dear little ones. Kendra sent it this am. I print them off and put them there next to me so I can glance over and see them as I paint. I know.. silly, huh!(aren't they adorable--and one will be here soon!)

This week has been filled with exchanges. I went to Norfolk on Monday to the D'Art and picked up my work from there. I hadn't sold but I know a few of my friends did so that was good.  People liked my work so we'll see.  Wednesday, I had to go exchange my work at The Hermitage in Onancock,Va. I took 2 new watercolors up there,"Gran's Pail of Sunflowers" and "Tiger Swallowtail". This display goes down the hall into a lovely sitting area in the front of the main building. The ESAL members can display 2 pieces each. They're all for sale and anyone can go in and buy them.

  The Heritage Show this weekend was nice but it rained buckets so we didn't get as big a crowd, I did sell a couple of things.(The chicken in the previous post .) I was hoping for more.  The Almost Spring Show continues at the Red Queen Gallery until the end of March..My Roses Class at ESO unfortunately was cancelled, not enough students,disappointing but on to the next class..

 So, today it's cloudy and damp with lots of Juncos,snow birds, in the yard ground feeding. I'm painting on this little chicken by the window.  The checkerboard paintings are so very relaxing to me. Keep warm and have a cup of coffee or tea,  wishing you a wonderful day, love,Diana

Doggie Names Needed and What I'm painting now!

HI, This is the demo I did for class. I had it all drawn and then painted one of the orchids there. Today I've painted the second one. We had 4 orchids to paint from. This is one I bought. (There's always some excuse to buy flowers /orchids!! and I love flowers so.. )

 It's a rainy day here. I had Tai Chi at ESO in Belle Haven this morning,my friend Beth and I are taking it. Jim Mahoney is the teacher and we have learned so very much. He's a very dear man and excellent teacher.

Puppy news.. Sarah,the mother yellow lab is doing well and getting larger as we speak.. Her belly is almost to the floor. She is due to have puppies the end of this month.( We get first pick-- I'm so excited!!!)

 Now we need names.. anyone got any doggie names.. I'd love it if you'd share some. I'll get finally pick of course.. with a little say from John.. :) Girl probably, but some boy names too in case!!! Let me know!! thank you, talk to you soon,Diana