Norfolk Botanical Garden Poinsettia Watercolor Class!

Poinsettia Watercolor Class at Norfolk Botanical Garden

I'm home. Here is my beautiful students today for my poinsettia watercolor class at Norfolk Botanical Garden. They did these paintings as well as so much more. Their sketches were good and they handled the watercolor very well, and I 'm so proud of the beautiful jobs they did. We went over a lot of information. Here's a photo of the sky on the way home. True, I was driving when I took the photo.. but it's gorgeous.. next class there will be on Sunsets! Have a restful weekend, love,Diana

Class in the Morning.

HI, Well, I'm almost packed up for class tomorrow. We're painting Poinsettias. I found these two and they're gorgeous. I  have 7  students in the class so that's good. .The pink poinsettia will be perfect for demonstrating  how to wet the petal and place the color near the edge for it to bleed into the petal,and I'm gathering my palette knives for some knives technique. I only have 3 so we'll have to share and take some table knives as well. That will be fun.It's an hour and a half drive but the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel  is always so pretty and the sun should be coming up then.   I worked on the house drawing briefly today too... It's still not ready for the paint yet but I've got time. Looking forward to tomorrow. Have a great weekend,Diana

Sugar Cookies and Copper Art

www.coppercreations.biz

This is a work of copper art. It's a bird feeder made by Copper Creations in Melfa,Va..(their website is in the left hand corner.) I have 3 of them. I bought one, Mama bought one for me(not knowing I had bought one) and Daddy bought another one for me. No he didn't know either.  :) I love them and I"m sure you know what is in them.. Burnt sugar cookies! I made a double batch and 2 trays came out perfectly and one burnt on the bottom. So the birds get the burnt ones I haven't eaten and the good ones I'll take to class on Saturday. They are delightful.

 I have a recipe for Egg Yolk Paint for your sugar cookies. Take an egg and separate the white from the yolk. Put the yolk in 2 bowls and add a drop or two of food coloring. Use a children's old brush and paint polka dots, names, scarfs for the snowmen cookies with your yolk paint. It is so fun, especially if you have a child to help.You must put the Paint on before you bake them! Then Bake and eat and enjoy! I just wanted to clarify that! Thanks!

Talk to you soon. There might be another top of cookie waiting for me :), Love,Diana

House Portrait and Robbery

HI, I've got a house portrait commission to do for Christmas. I've spent 3 hours so far drawing. Not finished by a long shot and I need to tighten my lines. I enjoy it. I put the curtains on and the flowers,once I put the dog in the front yard. :) Can't show you all the photo although you can peek in the corner. I love smelling the Christmas tree as I draw. I've had the Christmas carols blaring, Josh Groban's Christmas Album. What Christmas carols do you listen to or music?

We had some Bad news. Yesterday our neighbors house was broken into. Someone went in during the day and stole their TV and more and went thru their things.. we're in the country... this is hard to believe. We're all so thankful they weren't home and they are ok..

Talk to you soon, take care and I'm sorry to say...but lock your doors..love,Diana

Vintage Watercolor

I 'm almost there. I may lighten the hair of the Mama by lifting. I tried to paint it as closely as possible to the 1st one. So on to making soup and hamburgers for supper,wish I had tv dinners. Ha ha.. talk to you soon, love,Diana

Chocolate Covered Cherries and Daisy

Thinking of Daisy-our dear yellow lab-- today, I have a small story about her love of chocolate and mine.One Christmas I bought chocolate covered cherries and wrapped them as part of our gift to David my brother in law( John's sister's husband). I put this under the tree. Well, Daisy tore into it and opened and ate some. I didn't want to waste any so--- I put them in the center of the plate of homemade cookies I was taking to my mothers for Christmas dinner with the family. :) I would eat them wouldn't you...  ha ha. Needless to say!!! My other brother in law Grover ate one of the candies as soon as we got there and of course I told that Daisy had eaten a few and had her dear nose into the box, snorting around. Ha ha. you should have seen Grover's face fall. Oh my gosh it was priceless!! ha ha. so cute. ( Dogs do not need chocolate but it seemed that Daisy loved everything I did, coffee too.-- I didn't give her chocolate but if she could find a way to sneak some she did.)  What a wonderful companion! I miss her so. Hope you guys enjoy chocolate as much as she did. eat some tonight.. love,Diana

Painting Wood In Watercolor

I finished the steps on the mother and daughter painting. I love to paint wood.Using a pencil for the grain,dragging the brush to create dry brush, the warm colors and cool blues.. I will go back and do a little more dry brush over it for that grainy texture..

 I took a walk in the nursery across from us today. The white camellias are overflowing with blooms. They are called White Snowman Camellia. Heavenly. It's so nice to live near the nursery.

 I sent out my email to remind everyone about my upcoming(this Saturday) Poinsettia class and after I got it sent I had sent it to me and reread it. HA.. I'd forgotten to include the cost and the phone #. So I sent it back again to over 100 people. :) ha ha.. oh boy.. just keep plugging on, Right! talk to you later. love,Diana