3 more cards, 2 packages wrapped and a ton on the house..

Hi, I've stopped for today. The top one is my latest.. My eyes are blurring so it's time to stop. I'll start in the morning. Tomorrow is all for finishing the house painting.

I'm going to keep working on the cards.. a few at a time. I don't have to see to do them ! ha ha..

 Where are those chocolate chip cookies??.. Let's all eat a cookie we deserve it. love to you, Diana

More on Owl

HI, I've worked on the little owl some today.It needs a dark background and more dabbing on the chest feathers.I'm thinking about putting a fall background with oranges and browns in the darker colors.It's a Screech Owl. We have them in the backyard regularly. Their call is so eery. If you didn't know what it was it would give you goose bumps. Have you heard one??

 Just got an email from John Shire sending me Sarah Groshong's Apple Cranberry dish for Thanksgiving. I had it years ago at an ESAL(Eastern Shore Art League- Christmas Dinner.We used to have the dinners at members homes but we got too big for that. It was fun to see our artist friends decorations and visit together at different friends each year.

I'll go check on supper. Talk to you later. Did you paint today? Diana

Painting a Garden Scene

Here it is... the painting I am working on now. 

 I've finally got the photos from the camera downloaded. Hope it goes more smoothly next time I try to download them..

 This painting is going to take awhile. As you can see from the photo, it has a ton of hydrangeas. I hope my student gets hers finished too.She was half way thru when we finished the class. It's such a beautiful place.Inspiration is everywhere.

 The sun is shining here and looks so pretty today. I'm going for a short walk ,then back to painting. talk to you soon,

 take care,Diana

Maple Leaf Watercolor

This is a very simple maple leaf I did. I still can't get the camera to cooperate. I'm still working on the scene from the garden. I love painting leaves. We have so many beautiful ones. In our yard we have oak,maple,sassafras,hickory, American Holy,loblolly(long needle) pines, short needle pines, and tons that I don't know the names of. I drew this leaf and it's shadow, then simply wet the leaf and dropped in color. Using my pencil I drew the veins on the leaf. So much color, and so fall. Hope I can get the blasted camera working for tomorrow. talk to you soon, Diana

Heron Watercolor,Day 5

Well, I don't think you've seen this. I was painting and took photos but can't seem to download the photos on the computer now. Machines don't always do what I want them to do. It could be I don't know enough about them. ha ha. Well, I was painting a scene I started at Class Saturday. It's of a gazebo with hydranea bushes surrounding it. So pretty. You'll see it eventually. I may have to go delete 712 photos first but I'll work it out.  But this is one of my herons, I adore herons. Usually see one as we go over a tiny bridge (Shields Bridge) heading into Exmore. Keep painting. and I'll talk to you tomorrow. Take care,Diana

Class and Kittens

Hi, Class today. Last night I got J. to take my photo as I was painting. This morning I was up early at 5, getting packed up. I had four eyes glued on my every move. Yes, the 2 kittens were in and watching me. Clay named them Taco and Ruxon. They will stay in tonight and he's going to take them home tomorrow. We have acorns,balls of yarn, and spools around the living room to entertain them. ;) Adorable. I got packed up and was on my way by 8am. We only had 2 students, we worked on washes and textures and all things watercolor. Trisha painted a lily pond from a garden and Carolyn painted the Garden with the hydranea bushes. I demonstrated negative painting and also  started the NBG with the hydranea. I'm zonked. The men got dinner from EL Maguey in Exmore, wonderful Mexican food. Delightful ! talk to you tomorrow. Diana

Posting every day in November

HI, Well I've tried to sign up for the NaBlopPoMo. Catherine is doing it.What is it-- Blogging every day for the month of November..Naturally I don't know what I'm doing to hook up the blog to the group or put the cute little sign in the corner but it matters not. I'll going to blog everyday for November. She said it's not quality it's quantity. So here goes.

I've added a few more leaves to the painting so far and am thinking of adding a chickadee or two or something. I do plan paintings sometimes others just seem to evolve.Do you feel your planned paintings are better than your unplanned? I don't, sometimes they are ... it just depends. 

We've had kitten visitors again and I'm happy to say my son is going to come get them this weekend. They are adorable and now come bounding into the house whenever we open the door and they are around. Unfortunately we've had 2 possums each night too which we scare off, they are huge and come for the food. So we try not to leave food out at night,the possums are cute too. Puppies-- I went over to see the Mama dog, and we hope there will be puppies in a week and a half. If so and I can believe me I'll be taking photos. The owner,Linda, said Molly,the mama dog,was thin before her last puppies. I'm praying for one. Silly I know.

J. wants homemade, wheat, sweet potato bisquits for supper. The dear man,I'd rather work on the painting but I'll go start them. I may grumble while I'm cutting them out. Take care and talk to you tomorrow. Diana

I WON Best in Watercolor!!

Guess what!! I won First in Watercolor at the Eastern Shore Art League Member Show!!! The judge was a curator of Chrysler Museum in Norfolk..  I'm so tickled!! I feel like leaping up and down, can you tell.. :)

I had to cancel my class today. The Hurricane Sandy is coming up the East coast and we are in for tons of wind and rain. The wind has already picked up.. leaves are twirling everywhere. We have a generator--I didn't want it. To me it seemed like a big expense for something we wouldn't use much but J. wanted it .. and now it will come in handy. Wishing you all safety in this storm. love to  you, Diana

Zooming to Gallery and Appleseed Porch and Garden Shop

HI! I ran my paintings and Monelle's paintings down to The Stage Door Gallery in Cape Charles(the first photo) I made it just in the nick of time. So tomorrow I need to make finger food for the reception.. and go.

 On the way home I stopped at one of my favorite places Appleseed Porch and Garden Shop on the highway in Eastville,Va. They are a garden shop and just delightful. Today of course they had tons of pumpkins and pansies. I bought 3 tiny ghost pumpkins(white ones) and a small container of Johnny Jump ups in orange and purple. I will have to paint them. I have painted so many of their beautiful flowers and things.It just makes me smile to visit.

take care and talk to you soon, Diana 

Number 2 Entry..Canna Lily and Monarch

HI, well I've started the #2 entry. Here's the beginning. I'll have another blossom of the Canna Lily,smaller than the first opposite the Monarch Butterfly.  I'm going to put some leaves in too and am leaning toward the purplish kind with some negative painting to pull them out. I like the pour and want to use that plus I love negative painting! The paintings are due Thursday am..all framed.Sooo I'm going to have to frame both too...I've painted all afternoon and really enjoyed it. Let me know what you think about the leaves in the left hand bottom corner. I don't have to put them in.. anyway. Hope you are having a restful Sunday, talk to you soon, Diana