Loose Lily, Better or Worse?

I tried to loosen it up some. As you know usually it's more exact. Tell me -- better or worse.. love,Diana

Does One Petal Count?

HI! Does one petal count? I picked this day lily in my front yard. It's my favorite. The colors are so vibrant.I wet the petal then used Cadmium yellow dark, Cad.Red,Thindigio Violet, and a touch of Cad.Orange.I used my pencil to draw the veins while it was wet,this works wonderfully for little veins.  I've painted just one petal and it's closing up. I do have another bud on it... if someone doesn't eat it.

 Sadie,our puppy, picked/ok,broke- another day lily today and it had 5 buds on it. I cringed and brought it inside hoping something will bloom in here. Sadie is also pestering dear Rudy, our 19  year old cat.. Every once and awhile I'll see a paw come out of the box.. she did get a toy dropped on her.. There's a lot of hissing going on.
Love to you,Diana

Thunder and Little Watercolors

Hi, We are having a thunderstorm now. The sky has been filled with gorgeous clouds. I was out in my front yard with Sadie just a few minutes ago(before the storm),she digging a hole, me looking at the sky. I feel like I've wanted to paint so much lately and it's been so hard to get the time,here are 2 little paintings. The orchids I tried to do a looser watercolor,this is from the wash the other day. The garlic I did while talking to my son on the phone. I just had the garlic laying on my art table. Poor Sadie,my puppy, is laying on top of my feet. She's afraid of the thunder... oooh, no, she has John's good socks with her. Oh my.

 Tell me what you think.
.
Love to you,Diana
 yes we need the rain,I'm so glad we are getting it!

A Little Slow

hi! I'm sorry I haven't posted much lately.. my back is getting better. Here is a dear turtle visitor to our yard,Sadie got an ear from John today, she is afraid I'll take it. Here too are 2 washes one I did this morning --the top one just playing with the colors and the other I poured a few weeks ago. Both different but I like both. I received Jean Haines latest book for my birthday and have enjoyed that so much. Definitely get it if you can, so much in there, I want to do all the exercises!!! Talk to you soon and I'll get painting more. Life is a whirlwind sometimes,isn't it!? love to you,Diana

Back Trouble

Hi! Well, I knew I shouldn't lift Sadie into my lap with her being 34 lbs.. and I did anyway. How could I resist. Well, I 've got sciatica pain running down my good leg now,with back and side pain.. I had class the day after I did this at ESO in Belle Haven. Dawn, the director was so sweet. She arranged for us to have class on the bottom floor so I wouldn't have to climb the steps. I could not have done that. Anyway we had a nice class on beautiful summer flowers.We did exercises on washes and textures, painted shadow of the flower with water and the flowed in the paint, then did our vase of flowers. Everyone helped me and I parked right by the door. Braking as I was driving  was a doozy but I managed.

Today it's a bit better. I'm planning on it being better each day!!! ha.. ha.. I've tried to get my 2 little paintings framed, still have to work on it tomorrow. Sadie,our puppy, was very patient. She had her dear head on her bunny.  :) No I'm not picking her up. She doesn't sleep all the time believe me, she has been trying to eat wild mushrooms today in the backyard.. I'm trying to pick them and bending gingerly quickly to get them up before she does.. I'm sure this is silly to see.. as she rushes to pounce and eat them..

  I found a calla lily blooming in the garden tonight I've got to paint it. Love the shape and the simple elegance of the flower. Talk to you soon! have a wonderful weekend. Tell me how you are and what you are doing! love,Diana

Iris and Class in the Morning!

HI, Here's the finished iris. I'm going to check it over and hope to frame both of the little paintings tomorrow afternoon. I've got a class at ESO in Belle Haven in the morning.We are going to paint summer flowers. So far I have hydrangeas,purple and blue lace cap, orange day lilies, and hot pink bee balm. I'm picking them from my yard/garden. I'm see what Mama has in her garden that I can borrow.  :) Talk to you soon.. Love,Diana-- sure Sadie ate the inch worm.. she will eat anything!!  Here she is sitting in my lap at the art table,all 34 pounds of her..

Iris and Inch Worm

HI! This is a quick one. John works out in here and he is in a hurry to. Here is an Iris I'm working on and Sadie with an inchworm. Talk soon. Love,Diana

Two Watercolors Finished

HI! Hope you are having a Happy Father's Day!! Here is my little hummingbird watercolor finished and my hydrangea and luna moth watercolor,too! I added the iridescent to the luna moth, I don't usually because the green is very soft on the actual moth. To touch too. They are so very incredible and big-- 4 inches wide from wing tip to wing tip and at least 3 inches vertically. Here's a photo of the little male ruby throated hummingbird. He decided he would hang out for a couple of days guarding the feeder.. and of course Sadie resting.She looks like an angel-- the dear rascal. John took this photo.. :).. talk soon. love,Diana

One Wing Painted!!!

Hi, I got a wing painted. A little hummingbird wing in this watercolor, I'm so happy. I did this during puppy nap time. I used iridescent watercolor paint with my watercolors.Love that these birds are so iridescent and vivid themselves. The hummingbirds are coming constantly through my back porch, up, down, to one feeder, then the next. It's a circus in and around the porch. I enjoy it so much.

 I've got to put flowers in the watercolor with the hummingbird. It's a commission and I need to get it done. But as you know so much has been going on with Mama in the hospital, she is doing much better today.

 I had to do my grocery shopping this afternoon. Sadie,the lab puppy, got a new lion from the store. It's a squeaky toy and she squeaked it constantly until I opened the refrigerator to put the eggs away... and I looked she had put it on the bottom shelf and laid down in front of it.. I had to take a photo.. so cute, here she is at the window by my art table,waiting for John this morning. I am so hoping she'll doze off so I can work on the painting! ha.. ha.. Hope you are enjoying this gorgeous summer day! love to you,Diana

ER,Pigs and Pears

HI, What a weekend! Mama ended up in the hospital,in the er( emergency room). She had an infection and had to have iv antibiotics for 3 days. She got home yesterday. I've spent the night over there to help Daddy with his medicine(he did well-- but has the beginnings of alheimers),my sister came home from Richmond,Va. and spent a night too, I fixed supper for them last night. She is feeling better but still tired and weak..So glad she is on the mend. I didn't get any painting done as you can imagine. I did take my palette,brushes and paper with me and John suggested my sketchbook.. so that is what I did sketch. It was easier to take out the sketchbook and just draw anything. I had a couple of magazine pages torn out in the back so I drew pigs and pears.. with a #6 pencil. Love the softness of that one!! as I sat near her in the er. Anyway here are the pigs and pears.. Tell me what you are doing or did this weekend. love,Diana  Sadie just ate a brown mushroom.. ran by a 5 foot black snake with a crumpled basketball from the trees.. ..Hope the mushroom is ok.. I couldn't get it away from her.. what a puppy!

Heard the Whippourwill and More Hydrangea Watercolor

HI, I'm still working on the hydrangea watercolor. I decided that lacy green one wasn't doing much --I'm not sure I remember it well and it looked too rigid so I've changed it to a lace cap hydrangea which we have in the backyard. This was one of my grandmother's-- from one of her's. She had a lot of hydrangeas near her back door. I don't think I want to detail them too much more but I do want to add the luna moth.

 We are having bad weather today, a storm is coming up the coast and so it's been raining all day. Last night I heard the Whippourwill-- this bird is not a beauty but has a lovely voice-- in the back yard.. I only hear them in summer and at night. They sound so dreamy. Sadie heard too and headed for the door. She's building up her bravery slowly. A frog scared her too.  I love living in the woods.

 Wishing each of  you a safe weekend with ton's of fun. love,Diana 

Hydrangea Watercolor and Celebrating with Sadie

Here's the hydrangea painting I've been working on and still working on. I added the lacy green flower  today. That flower is from memory,some Saturday were like that-- I'd never seen any like them. Here's the blue one's I'm using to paint from now. I want  to add a luna moth to the right side. They are so very beautiful and I love the soft greens.

 Lastly---looks like someone is celebrating.. yes this week was my birthday and Sadie decided to eat the wrapping paper,well she tried. I got it away from her.I had a lovely birthday, I'm 28 again.. ha ha..

love to each of you,Diana

 Sadie is napping now, she had a vet visit and lots of shots. I may paint while she sleeps.. quick :)

Teaching,Son, and Puppy

HI, We had a nice weekend. Saturday I taught at Norfolk Botanical Garden in Norfolk,Va. We had 9 students and we painted their hydrangeas. They were gorgeous, Oak Leaf, Pink, Blues, Purples, Lacy Green ones, oh my... we did pouring and everyone did a lovely painting. I started one as a demo... will show you later. Here are some photos of some other exciting things from the weekend. My son ,Clay, was home and Sadie enjoyed his shoes! Ha ha.... Hope to paint more this afternoon. I do understand how puppies can slow down our painting. I just heard a crash.. SADIE.. I'll go look..Tell me what you are doing! love,Diana