Happy Easter!

"Orchids" size 16x20 framed $300.

Wishing each of you a Happy Easter! Love,Diana

Puppy Photo and Daffodil Watercolor Beginning

HI, Today I went up to the Red Queen Gallery in Onancock,Va. and took in some of my new paintings. I enjoyed seeing Mary Ann and Susan.  Here is a painting I have just started. I love the blue ball jars-- well any Ball Jar really, but I do especially love the blue with the yellow. I have a sunflower so far in the bouquet with the daffodils, I'll put another on the other side probably. You know I had to include another baby photo of the new puppy. Only 2 more weeks!!! before she comes home! :)  love,Diana

Bobby's Studio Painting and Paint Out in Wachapreague

Hi, I finished this little landscape of Bobby Swain's studio,it was a photo I took at a paint out last year. Such a lovely place and such beautiful people, Bobby,his wife Terry, and his daughter.  Bobby passed away a few years ago but everyone here on the shore remembers him. He was a carver and a dear person. Terry is a dear person too. 

Today I went to a paint out near Wachapreague Va., a small fishing village on the Atlantic Ocean.  The home we visited was amazing,right on the gorgeous marsh with a view of Hog Island, a small barrier island off the coast.Here is the view from Laura's back yard.. beautiful isn't it. Definitely a painting and here are a few of the ESAL members gathered in her sunroom.  We had a wonderful time, I showed them photos of the new puppy coming and the food --we all bring something!..was as usual- very different and wonderful. Ps. A paint out is a gathering of the Eastern Shore Art League with each member bringing a dish of food and lots of talk,coffee and hopefully some painting. Lots of painting today,no I didn't turn out anything but I did enjoy it and  I have lots of photos for reference!!!.. talk to you soon, love,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!

Painting the Eastern Shore

Here's what I've been working on for the past few days. It's a mini landscape of Willis Wharf,Va.,here on the Eastern Shore. I took the photo in 1996,can you believe that? Wow.. I've loved the composition and have painted it before. I darkened the mud and added a little Daniel Smith Lunar Black to the edges. That color has the granulation in it which makes it look like dirt. ha ha.. I started to leave it with the lighter mud but then pushed the color..

I'm so excited.. Tomorrow is see the puppies day!!! I'm taking my camera.. I'll show you! I get to pick out our puppy..

I've got supper on the stove and more time(John has an appointment) so I'll put out some more paper.. what to paint now! Talk to you tomorrow.!! love,Diana

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??

Eastern Shore Mini Landscape in Watercolor

This is the Onancock mini landscape. I want to add a little more blue to the water in the distance and sign it. I wet the sky and added the blue then added a few of the wispy trees including the ones in the background.. the greens and yellows diffused together. Leaving the trunks to do dry with some leaves dabbed in over those trees. My favorite leaves are from the vine growing up the pine in the foreground.

 I just heard from Kendra, the puppies started on mush today and are going to the vet now.  I get to meet them next Friday! I'm so excited!I hope you have a wonderful weekend. love,Diana ( I may paint some checkerboard radishes..then we can eat them in the salad!)

Daffodils and Mini Landscape of Onancock

Well. I got the camera to work.  I just took a bike ride in the sunshine. I thought it was supposed to be warm and it's 39 degrees out there.. cool. ha.. Perhaps it helped me pedal faster.  :)

 Here is the little daffodil I painted from flowers from Mama and Daddy's yard. I started the painting all wrong but needed to paint so I just drew a daffodil and painted  it then added more.. I like the way it did come out.  The next photo is the beginnings of a mini Eastern Shore Landscape watercolor.. It's Onancock. I took this reference photo last year. I'll go back to that after I finish saying Hi!

 The puppies will go for their first vet check this week. They'll be 3 weeks old. Time is flying by!! My son is coming home this weekend. Daddy is doing ok. My sister is coming tomorrow to see him and us. Thank you all for your concern for Daddy and your love and support . It means so very much.

 talk to you soon,love,Diana 

Mashed Potato Imprint on Watercolor and Bad News

HI!. I had a little camera trouble so I can't show you my new daffodil painting. I'll get it straight I hope! :) I did want to show you my potato masher imprint.. I put 3 of them on this wet wash and left them until it had dried for a different texture. Here it is. The reason I have 3 potato mashers is 2 of them were my grandmothers. 

Yesterday I went to the Stage Door Gallery in Cape Charles. March Madness is the new show. Only paintings $100 and under for this show. I took down quite a few and while I was signing the paintings into the show, a lady from Portsmouth bought 3 of my little landscapes..I'm now all out of mini landscapes. I'm tickled.. I left my Silly Moo and 7 more little paintings. The opening for the show is this Saturday night from 6pm-8pm.

I will work on the camera.. We had some bad news--we found out last week, my Dad has the beginnings of Alzheimer's We're all pretty shook up as you can imagine. Life is sometimes so hard, isn't it. Enjoy every moment you've got and Drink green tea.. love,Diana

Daffodils and Unusual Texturing on Watercolors

HI, after church this morning I went over to Mama and Daddy's for coffee,came home made lunch and cleaned up my art table and now took a short walk. Yesterday I realized I hadn't painted all day .I had helped John with yard work. So I did a wash of lots of colors on a sheet of paper and put 3 potato mashers directly down on the paper as it dried. It formed some interesting patterns. I 'll try and take a photo of it and show you tomorrow. It'll be fun to figure out what to paint on that! What is the silliest thing you have used on your watercolor painting?? Tell me!! ha ha.. I suppose vodka was my silliest..drizzle it on and it acts like alcohol.. leaving a round spot.. try it..

 Here is some daffodils from last year. I will teaching a class at ESOwww.esoartscenter.org 

on Thursday of this week on painting daffodils in watercolor. I'll take a large bouquet of Mama's flowers from her yard. Living in the shade of the pine trees I only get a few and they aren't blooming yet.:)

 Well take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend. love,Diana 

A Grumpy Rooster Watercolor

No more chickens for a while. I know. I was on the phone sitting at my art table with a blank piece of paper and out it comes another chicken. I feel much like this rooster this week.. lots of red.. flames in the back,grumpy,yes, it definitely could be me. I will move on to other subjects.. but what..I don't know. Any ideas? Tell me what you are working on.  Next week I'll try not to be a grumpy thing!..

It's ok. I'm not upset about it,but we can't see the puppies for a few weeks to protect them from germs  and so we'll just enjoy photos when she sends them.  Happy Weekend. Love,Diana

Pansy Watercolor and Puppies

Hi! It's a very rainy,gusty day. The wind is blowing strong now that night has fallen.  I took this photo from the window by my art table looking out on the front yard. You can see the reflection of the little gas heater that's on. I know Richmond got snow today.
I've been working on the little pansy painting. I'll check it over again in the morning to see if I missed anything. I'm glad to be finished.

Haven't heard any news from the puppies. They are now 13 days old. I have not seen them in person. Kendra wanted to wait until they were 2 weeks old for anyone to come visiting.. Is it tomorrow??? Maybe this weekend.. I'm wondering if their eyes are open. I'll bet they are. I've looked up on youtube --yellow lab puppies 6days old and saw what they are doing--puppies their age were doing.... so adorable. If I do get to go see them soon you know I'll take lots of photos.. I may have to start painting puppies. :) talk to you soon,Love Diana

Pansies and a Raccoon, Fox,and Possum,Oh My!

HI, I've painted pansies and sprinkled salt on them for fun,today.

 Last night about dusk we had critter visitors. The kind I don't want to come back when Rudy or the new pup are outside. First a raccoon came by, a large one, after he had some cat food , a red fox took a turn, and then a rather large possum wattled by and ate. No cat food out there tonight.. they were not afraid of me. I went out the backdoor and they turned as if to say.. oh it's you. so what.. Wish I could have taken photos.. but it was dark and then darker.  The pansies still need finishing but I must cook some dinner. talk to you soon, Diana

 Rudy,our kitty, is doing better and yes I'm shoving the pill down her throat pretty well..

Pansy Watercolor , Dear Rudy,and Puppies

HI, I've spent most of the day at the veterinarian's ,Rudy,our 19 year old cat hasn't been feeling well so she had blood work and they found she is Hyperthyroid. So we came home with kitty pills.. oooh I hate giving a cat a pill and I've sat down with a cup of coffee,of course and started a little pansy painting. I hope to fill the paper with different color pansies. These Johnny Jump Ups were from my flower garden and the white one too. I love seeing a palette in use. Here is mine.. It makes me happy to hold my paint brush and put color all over the palette. Hope you have a slathering paint kind of weekend.. love to  you,Diana

The Puppies are 7 days old today!!!OH.. here's another puppy photo.. :) ps the UPS fellow stopped by last night..around 8pm to deliver a package. It was dark outside and I ran out waving the photo of the puppies.. He knew Daisy and knew we were waiting for a dear little one.. We were out there looking at the photo by the lamp in the yard.. :) Ha ha..