After tending my patch of June-bearing strawberry plants for weeks, carefully weeding, mulching, and watering, I could hardly wait for the berries to ripen. The plants were loaded with pink berries – they only needed a few more days till they’d be ripe, juicy, and ready to meet their destiny swimming in a bowl of […]
Category: Sketching
Summer Fun – Try Sketchbook Journaling!
Summer is a great time to indulge in doing something just for you, whether that means napping in a hammock in the backyard or spending an entire afternoon in a beach chair with your nose in a book. Perhaps you have a yearning to explore, to try something new and different. Maybe reading this blog […]
Mug Shots
Everyday things, collected over time, tell the story of our lives. They’re reminders of the people we love and places we’ve been. It makes me happy to use things that hold memories for me, like these coffee mugs, which I painted the other day in my 7″ x 10″ Canson Montval watercolor sketchbook. Watercolor with […]
A Very Happy Ending
For the past month, we’ve been having issues with our well. We think it all started with a lightning strike that fried the entire system – the well pump, storage tank pump, and all the wiring. After having everything replaced, we thought we were all set. Until I turned on the faucet one day and […]
Step-by-Step Watercolor Painting: “My Own Sweet Time”
“My Own Sweet Time”, 10″ x 15″, watercolor & ink This post is a behind-the-scenes glimpse into my sometimes focused, often haphazard, approach to painting the watercolor shown above. If you don’t care to read all the details, just scan through the pictures, but if you’re like me, you might find it interesting to see […]
Sketching While Out and About
I’ve been working on some very detailed painting projects lately, which I’ll share with you soon, but it’s gotten me in the mood to do something looser and quicker. So, this morning when I had to drop my van off at the Chrysler dealer for yet another recall repair, I brought my sketchbook along for […]
Weird Proportions, Funny Noses, Crossed Eyes… It Isn’t Easy Drawing People!
My sketchbooks are filled with pictures of flowers, landscapes, and everyday scenes from around my home. They even include quite a few sketches of our cats and dogs, but one thing that’s glaringly obvious is that I don’t draw people. There’s a whole big part of my life that I’m afraid to draw. I can […]
The 5-5-5 Sketch Challenge
I often take time on a Sunday afternoon to go for a nice, long walk with our golden retriever, Buckley. We both love it, and it’s a great way to get some exercise and spend time outdoors. A few weeks ago, I decided I’d throw my sketchbook and a few basic supplies into my backpack, […]
Dabbling in Gouache & Shifting My Focus
I’m always on the lookout for an excuse to buy art supplies. There’s something so exciting about testing a new set of markers, opening up a fresh sketchbook, or trying out a new paint color. A world of possibilities awaits! I think it all goes back to those childhood days when nothing made me happier […]
Tropical Muffins with Coconut-Macadamia Topping
These muffins define the word scrumptious! They’re so moist and delicious, with a flavor that’s a combination of banana-nut bread and a yummy piña colada! I clipped the recipe from a Cooking Light magazine a few months ago and have been wanting to try it ever since. This morning I had some bananas that were […]
