Life is like...

Life is like a bowl of cherries (or a box of chocolates!)
Needle felted HUGE cherries

A visit to Longwood Gardens

We went to summery New Jersey for Easter, and on Monday decided to visit a favorite in the Telaar house, Longwood Gardens.  The weather was beautiful - mid eighties, and sunny.  The gardens were stunning.  I have been there before but never this time of year.  The following photos are instead of a note book and sketching...but I will get out my paints for sure now that I am home.



Tom and 91 year old June



More Life Drawing

Sitting Pretty 30 Minutes

I am loving this drawing session on Tuesday evenings, and am now drawing with two other artist girlfriends.  Last night's model was beautiful in so many ways, and I am really having fun with the watercolors and sneaking pattern in SOMEWHERE, like the shadows - in this series.  Enjoy!

Close-up of  Sitting Pretty

Power! 45 minutes

Reclined 15 minutes

Playing in Fine Art Studies

each sketch above is 5 minutes 

When I was in high school, I attended the Arts Students League in New York City for 3 years every Saturday during the school year.  I took Life Study and Water Color taught by amazing artists.  I took Life Study again in college as part of my BFA curriculum, and I have to say this is an interesting type of study for any artist.  Two weeks ago a girlfriend and I went to Bellows Falls to join a group of artists who get together each week and sketch draw and paint.  The gal who organizes it is brilliant, she does a great job getting models and timing and moderating the session.  (there is no instruction or critiques, just neighborly support) The first session I attended, I was pretty excited that my sketches turned out OK (except for hands and feet!)  I was inspired further when I saw a fellow sketcher who was painting his sketches in acryllics.  oooh, color!  Carole Anne (my gf) knows that one of my favorite mediums is water colors and she made an offer to try a pigment I had never used before.  "Come up to my studio, fill your palette and try it!"  Very generous, so I took my new palette of watercolors with me to sketch with and paint Tuesday night.  First let me say these paints are beautiful to paint with.  I have always been a Windsor and Newton and a Derwent watercolor pencil girl, but boy Daniel Smith paints are great!  The colors blend beautifully and are so full of pigments, it is a joy for a COLOR HOUND such as myself to play with.

15 minute sketch, charcoal graphite and water color

30 minute sketch, charcoal, graphite and watercolor




Spring is finally near!

I know, the first day of Spring was already here and gone, but my snowbells and squill are finally up.  I pushed it along a bit but making some very cute wooly bunnies which I have put up for sale on my Etsy Shop.  I have been making these bunnies for a couple of years now and giving them to friends for Easter.  I not only have a big stash of fiber for felting, but I also am also surprised to find that I seem to have a huge stash of woven woolens for rug hooking!  So I use these woolens and then make the buns little felt flowers to hold -  they really are very cute.