Chili's New Toy

A puppy and her stick, no other explanation necessary....

We are fostering Chili, and she is available for adoption through Helping Hand 4 Animals. She's almost 9 months old, weighs 3.5 pounds, spayed, microchipped, housebroken, crate trained, and totally up-to-date on all of her shots. Plus she is so adorable!

A Little Braver

5" x 5"

On this watercolor I got a little braver with the black ink. I used it for the shadows and to outline the leaves, stems, and veins. Then I added some stippling on the leaves, and then I splattered some on the background. About that time, I stepped back and decided I was getting carried away, and it was time to stop. This has a different look than the first one, but I like it just the same.

I have one more watercolor of these leaves on my work table, and then I think I am ready to move on. I have 10 square pieces of hardboard that are calling my name for some mixed media work.

New Work

Glimpses.1

12" x 12"

Members of the Nebraska region of SAQA are hard at work in their studios, creating new work for an exhibition. The exhibition will feature 3 pieces from each artist, and the artwork will be about Nebraska. This is my first piece, and it shares glimpses from Nebraska as I know it --- the land of windmills, corn, grain bins, fields, trees, and a sea of red on football Saturdays. I also included snippets of a letter to Dad, who was born here, and some numbers, because I received my accounting degree here.

Surviving the Storms

This morning, in between rain showers, I had the dogs outside, and this little fledgling cardinal showed up on the back fence. I think it was probably sunning itself, trying to get dried off before the next shower hit.

We usually have several pairs of cardinals that nest in our yard, but it is hard to catch the fledglings on camera when they are this young.

New Technique

5" x 5"

Jane LaFazio does most of her journaling by drawing with a black marker, then adding watercolor to the drawing. While I like the look of what she does, I was not brave enough to tackle that technique yet. There is something inside me that is still afraid that the marker will bleed when I add the watercolors. So ... I did a watercolor of some dead leaves on the patio, then added the black marker after the watercolors were dry. It gives it a different look --- not better or worse, just different. I do like the definition that it gave to the leaf edges and veins though.

Mystery Lily?

I have had this plant in one of my gardens for two years, and all it has ever produced is leaves. I wasn't sure if it was a variety of iris or lily. This year it has finally bloomed, and the blossoms look like a lily. But I am still clueless as to the variety. The flowers are fairly small, maybe 2" across, and they seem to either close at night or only bloom for one day. If anyone knows what this is, please leave me a comment. Thanks!

UPDATE: The overwhelming majority of responders have identified this as a blackberry lily, which is actually a member of the iris family. I will know for sure once the seed pods form and break open to reveal the "blackberry" --- actually a cluster of shiny black seeds.

I am a certified softie............

This is our new foster puppy. Chili is a little 3# chihuahua, only 8 months old. I had not planned on fostering any dogs right now, but....... a rescue needed a foster home for Chili to recover from major surgery, and I had to say yes. It broke my heart to think of her recuperating in a shelter kennel. She's a little cuddler, and I hope she finds a fabulous home when she is healed.

Beneath The Surface Book

The book for the Beneath The Surface exhibition is now available on Blurb. It measures 6.75" square and includes an interview with each artist and a full page image of their work in the exhibition. Kudos to Loris Bogue for putting the book together and to Iris Karp for designing the wrap-around cover!

New Series of Artwork

Yesterday I finished a new series of small pieces of art. I am participating in an upcoming gallery exhibition that features only ACEOs (Artist Cards, Editions and Originals). These are small pieces of art that measure 3.5" x 2.5", and they allow collectors on small budgets to be able to afford original art. The piece above is the first in a series of six pieces from my new Visions series. Click here to see the entire series.

P.S. It is not as easy as you might think to work this small!

Empty Nest

It appears that our baby robins have fledged this morning. This one has made itself at home on my new adirondack chairs. While I am glad to see them all healthy and starting out on their own, it also means I have a watchful few days ahead of me. Mya (our new puppy) is a terrier, and she loves nothing more than chasing birds in the backyard. Unfortunately, she is extremely adept at catching fledgling birds. So she will be on a leash for a few days until the fledglings are strong enough to fly away from her.

The Babies Are Growing

I am thoroughly enjoying watching the little robins in this nest as they grow more and more each day. Now their eyes are open, and they are starting to move around in the nest, jockeying for the best position. I have spent hours photographing them and the parents with them. When they finally fledge, I am going to be sad to see them go.