Merry Christmas

I have been  working  on a new Angry  Chicken  watercolor. 

Sadie, my lab, stole the beater from my cookie baking. 

Hi, well I have done it now.  I lost the name and # of the gentleman who commissioned me to paint  this chicken. I hope he calls.  I have no way of calling him. I have  learned  something,  write it large and put it in my datebook.  Then I will  have it.  I am so sorry  I hate to disappoint this new customer.  But the painting is all ready should he call. I will let you know.

I got busy and made chocolate chip cookies. These are the best I have ever made.Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips and real butter made the difference, they are rich.  John helped me clean today. That was a blessing. I still have more presents to buy and wrap....

I had a treat today I went to High Point Glassworks, Edith and Ken Platt in Pungoteague  ,Va. Ken made some gorgeous icicles for me for gifts.  He made 3 while  I watched it was amazing, visiting with Edith and Ken was such a lovely time.

Wishing each of you a blessed Christmas and Happy Holidays.  Love to each of you.Diana

Rooster Watercolor in Yellow Checks,Sister, and Divine Candy Eggs

Hi! My Sister came from Richmond,Va. today and spent the day at my parents home. Here she is with my mom and with me and in each the wonderful homemade peanut butter chocolate eggs she made for us for Easter. yummy... so very yummy..

I've been working on the rooster too today. I did the checks in yellow. I love Cad. Yellow Dark. Sadie,our lab is fine. I played ball with her outside and now she is sitting beside me. Soon time to fix supper. I'll put the painting up so I can check it out as I work on dinner. No, I don't have a clue what it will be yet.. the supper. Take care and talk to you Soon, love,Diana

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

For Heritage Festival Tomorrow!

HI! Yesterday I got 5 paintings framed. This morning I did 2 and I've been working on this chicken ever since.  I'm trying to get ready for the The Heritage Festival at The Eastern Shore Community College in Melfa,Va. on the Eastern Shore.  I'm getting there slowly. Last night I realized I didn't have a chicken,a chicken watercolor. So I sketched this one in my sketchbook. It was a fun sketch not a every detail kind of thing.. so I've almost got him painted. I'm waiting for the first glaze of the background to dry then I'll go back and hopefully only put one more glaze on it.

 Then frame that one and 3 more, I grumble the whole time I do it. If I were a millionaire I'd have all mine framed by a personal framer. Wouldn't that be fun!!:)

  The show info is up in the right hand corner of my blog and the hours are from 10am-3pm Feb.23 which is tomorrow. John said it's going to rain.. he's so comforting.. the rascal.  It might not.. ok it's supposed to heavily rain but I hope we will have a nice crowd anyway.  Oh dear.. what are you going to do.. right..

 While the chicken (yes -- the painting) was drying I managed to load the racks in the car.  My back is not good and I have sciatica but I thought it would help to have that part done.  John won't put the paintings in until just before we leave.So wish me luck and yes  ESAL has an opening at Red Queen at 5pm. So I may be laying under a tree by Sunday!  :) I'm kidding.. probably.

 OOOH puppy news..  check out Debbie's new baby on the blog list..he's adorable Her blog is View From Harmony Hills.

and my puppy news. Sarah, the mama dog is nesting, she was tearing up newspapers yesterday and Kendra said she is huge! I think it will be soon. I'll let you know. love,Diana 

Angry Chicken

Just was on the porch working on my new chicken. He's very similar to the other one but his cone goes the other way and of course the colors in his neck are different. I had such fun doing it and the next show is Art on the Farm at the Barrier Island Center in Machipongo. I've got a couple of weeks to do some more and frame too.It's on May 26th, this Saturday I have my class on hummingbirds at Norfolk Botanical Gardens. I love to go there-- the gardens are so inspiring. Next I was thinking about the red pepper.. we'll see. talk to you soon.Diana
I love to read your comments- please do! thank you!

Happy Mothers'Day

HI! Wishing you all a wonderful Mother's Day! Filled with love,chocolate,coffee,sunshine and cheesecake!! Talk to you soon,Diana
 ps that's my new chicken watercolor beginnings. The blue flower goes to my Ma for Mother's Day!

Quick Rooster Watercolor

Hi! The show was wonderful, lots of people,lots of friends, Smith Island Cake, and Sales. Yesterday I went down to The Stage Door Gallery for their painting exchange. I took 3 new paintings there. I asked my mother to go with me and we had a nice time. On the way back up the road we stopped at Appleseed Nursery and bought some freshly picked gourds and pumpkins. Here are a few we bought. They are so cute. I know I've got to paint them! Today I had some errands so I did a quick rooster painting. I sometimes think when we paint something fast we capture the essence of it. I had to put a few more checkerboard squares in this one. No more for awhile,I promise. take care and talk to you soon, Enjoy the smell of the leaves and that sweetness in the evening. It's a gorgeous autumn. Diana

Checkerboard Chicken!

HI! Yesterday I drew a rooster on my poured paper. I decided to make him checkerboard so this morning after breakfast I started painting him! I mix my own black by mixing sepia and ultramarine blue, so that gives each black square a different hue.. which is nice. I'm going to find lots of chicken photos and decide what color he will be. I want it bright!Take care, talk to you soon,Diana

ps When I walked into the kitchen, there sat Rudy.. I think she was trying to tell me something. What a Cat!

Rooster Watercolor with Rice Paper

HI, last night late I finished my little rooster watercolor. I used rice paper with a lovely gold thread thru it in patches on the watercolor paper. By tearing the rice paper and applying it with glue to my Arches paper this creates different textures to the painting. Here are 2 kinds of rice paper. I like the technique for something different sometimes.Yesterday I did a sketch of a frog as a demo and so I'm going work on him this afternoon.I'll go get my coffee and get busy! Well, talk to you soon, Diana