Barn OWL Finished

Here's the Barn Owl Watercolor,8x10, just finished. Sadie's enjoying a stick in the backyard. I'd better run. Lots of sunshine today. I'm so glad. love,Diana

Peony Painting Beginnings

Drawn and started painting, I still will change it perhaps adding a hummingbird.

Sadie,playing in the snow.

HI, Well we got snow night before last. About 4 inches,not too bad really but I'm ready for daffodils and yes I have 3 crocus blooming. For me I'm always so tickled there is a flower growing in the yard!!

This was before the snow. The crocus are now covered.

  I've started a new painting. Finally decided on peonies, you can see it above. I'm going to add something,either a bird or a butterfly to the top right. I love these colors. Cadmium Yellow Deep,Red Rose Deep,Opera.. We're having another Spring Show at Red Queen Gallery for the ESAL(Eastern Shore Art League), 2 pieces per member and they must be never before seen.. translation never before seen which means 2 brand new watercolors for me.With the snow it is a perfect day to paint.

 Sadie,our dear not a puppy anymore, is napping now at my feet. She's been out chasing birds away from my snow day bird cake. Yesterday I made a cake for the birds(just a stale box mix) --I seem to never have birdseed.. so they get all kinds of goodies like peanut butter sandwiches or leftover cereal..  Sadie had a taste of the cake and decided she would have the rest but it's high up the tree in the bird feeder.(I hope)  The colors of the female cardinal inspired this painting and I may add one to the painting I'll see. She has been hanging around today,so have Juncos,Titmice,Chickadees and other Cardinals.

I hope you are warm and cozy today -- what have you been doing??. love to you,Diana 

Harvest Festival on Eastern Shore of Va.

Bayford,Va. ES Mini Landscape,8x10,$99

Some new little watercolors for the show.

The Newest Purple Moo/Bessie, 8x10,$99

Sadie eating Maple Leaves.

HI! I forgot my camera yesterday. Yesterday was the Harvest Festival on the Eastern Shore. It's always a big event. This year they did away with the BIG art tent and asked each of us to bring our own. Sooo.. I did. Thanks go to Willie Randall for unloading my car and Ed Kuhn and his wife Pat for helping me get the tent up. What blessings they were. When it was time to load up I had to do it all by myself.. with my back. I was so miserable last night and this morning.. it's getting better but that Sciatica is horrible.I"ve been sitting on a heating pack all day.

 However the day was sunny,warm, and a tiny breeze, food pretty good.. Being with my artist friends was a treat,
         1.- Ed Kuhn( carves beautiful fish and swans...) and his wife Pat,
         2.- Donna and Don Drew of Copper Creations--lovely copper art,
         3-Mama Girl( folk art, bright and bold!!),
         4-Billy Crockett( amazing miniature carver of birds) and his wife Laura,(murano jewelry),
         5- Glen Linton(carver and book author)
         6- Buck Doughty( metal sculpturer of wildlife--from old tractor parts)
         7,Lynn (jewelry),
         8- Dr. Vicki Koenig(carver and etcher of lucite blocks)..
 and so many more all wonderful artists.

I sold 2 little paintings, not much but there weren't many sales in any of us this year.. ah well. All we can do is keep creating.,right??Well I'm going to go sit on my heating pad! ha ha..

 love to each of you,Diana

 ps Sadie, the puppy, was so happy when I got home. She missed me but she did get to spend some time with John off and on during the day! :)

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

Happy Valentines Day!

Hi, I've been painting and have finished my Orchids watercolor just now. I may add one little brush stroke or two to the top of the left side larger white petal,just at the top to define it more. I can see it fine but once I put it here.. it is  hard to see it from the white of the background.

Heard from the Puppy! Sarah the mother dog is getting even larger. Kendra, her owner said her dear belly is only 4 inches from the floor. The earliest we can hear the puppies are born will be Feb. 22.. Can you believe it..!! We'll actually have a dear puppy soon! 

Wishing you a wonderful Valentines!! I've thought of course of my Daisy,my yellow lab, today. One day when she was a puppy, John was standing by the door holding her in his arms as I was leaving to go to the grocery store.  I kissed Daisy and walked out the door and realized.. "Oops" I forgot to kiss John, so back I go to kiss him. He declared it was always like that.. :)  ha ha..The dear man gave me roses!!! I was so tickled so I'm going to fix some nice coffee and go paint roses. I got him a steak to fix for supper.

love to you and Happy Valentines Day! Diana   

Rearranging the Amaryllis Watercolor

HI, I've been working on this amaryllis painting,today. I drew it to include pansies and a narcissus. But after looking at it for a few days I knew I'd never be happy with it.. too many things that didn't work together. So I'm going to draw an amaryllis in the front left corner somewhere, erase those pansies,adjust the composition .. and just do it.. This is one of my frozen washes!! Feels like I could make some more tonight.... It's a cold day here.

 We'll all enjoy spring.. I know I will.. sitting outside painting. It'll be here before we know it.

 Today was my Daisy's (my yellow Lab)birthday. She would have been 12.Last birthday she had a great day,I remember her groaning in glee  as she lay on a blanket in front of the red gas heater.. Stay warm. love,Diana

Owl Painting ---Little Foot

Little Foot,8x10,$99

Watercolor in progress

HI, Well I put another glaze on my little owl background when I got home from church. I'm sure you can see it's still drying. I hope that will be dark enough. He's a young owl, a burrowing owl,I believe. I put a rusty metal beam in this as well. Love how the colors bled into each other.. I love to paint owls. I need to get busy and do some new bigger pieces but am not sure what I want to do. :)

 Here are the iris that I started at the paint out. These were in a large bouquet of mixed flowers Susan had fixed for us. My eyes only saw the iris.. It's not finished-- I'm just going to look at it for a few days.. and see what it needs. Any suggestions.. What are you doing this weekend?  Any painting? love,Diana

Chris Moose in Watercolor,My Favorite Ornament

I had to sketch this, then had to paint it. I love this little guy.(I used Da Vinci Iridescent Watercolor Paints to highlight his shine!) I hang him in my kitchen at Christmas.(Did you notice-- he's missing an ear..a new injury.. but I still love him.) So, I'm going to frame it for the Copper Creations Open House. I've got to check my sketch on the house portrait and this afternoon plan on putting in the sky in the background. First it's so lovely outside, a short walk. It's cold but sunny. Here are the poinsettias I took to class and painted the little poinsettia painting from. Talk to  you soon, Tell me what you are working on. love,Diana

A Heron Watercolor and Leftovers.

Heron Spirit Two,16x20 $350.

Hi, I'm wiped out. How about you? My son's gone home. Leftovers and eggs for supper. It's cold so curling up in a recliner is the only way to go!.. Here's one of my herons. I 'll have more to tell you tomorrow. Rest up. love,Diana

Sick and Turtle Visits

HI, I haven't even lifted a paintbrush today. I've had some kind of virus. I was up most of the night,backache,stomachache and headache. So all day I've been taking it easy,watching silly movies and resting. I'm having rice for dinner. Here's a photo of a turtle that walked thru our backyard a few days ago. You know how I love to see nature. talk to you soon, love,Diana

ps. yes I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I'll take my turkey out of the freezer tomorrow. How about you?

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

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