Rainey and me

I started this by doing a pretty detailed graphite sketch then tried out my new Graphitint pencils to add some color but I just have a small set and not the colors I really needed so I got out my mondo set of Derwent watercolor pencils and had a blast painting Rainey and me sitting on the couch. I love how one half of her face looks like it's sound asleep and the other side her eye is wide open:) My husband took the reference photo and I've been wanting to paint it for a few weeks so it was fun to finally have a few hours to do it. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. I think I might have to try another watercolor pencil painting... Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

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November's Nibblefest contest

"Noel"

This will be my entry for November's Nibblefest contest. The theme is Christmas trees. The listing will start at 5:30 tomorrow night and run for a week. The rules are that each listing starts at only 99 cents and the winner is the item with the most individual bids from different bidders "nibbles". I really enjoy the creative challenge each month.

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I've been tagged!

I've been tagged by My Different Strokes buddies Dominique http://artbydominiqueeichi.blogspot.com/
and Irit http://www.iritbourla.blogspot.com/ whose tagged factoids I enjoyed reading very much - thanks you two!! Yikes - and my A4C buddy Akiko tagged me too http://artbyakiko.blogspot.com/ - thanks Akiko - I can't wait to go and read your 7 facts:)

Ok - here are my (hopefully) interesting or unusual facts:
1. I've always loved playing the piano - at the age of 17 I passed all the tests to earn my Washington Piano Teachers Certification and taught lessons until I went away to college.

2. I worked for 10 years as a licensing director for a poster company - for one of our poster projects I got to meet with Jean Claude Van Damme at his house. After our meeting he kissed my hand good-bye - swoon...he's much shorter in person but still extremely good looking:)

3. I LOVE animals and share my life with 2 Australian Cattledogs, a Maine coon cat, 2 goldfish and the many wild critters I feed. I'm honored to be a juried member of two groups of artists that donate part of our ebay sales to animal charity organizations - A4C (Art For Critters) and AUAR (Artists United for Animal Rescue).

4. My husband and I were married on my birthday 15 years ago. He claims it's easier to only have to remember one date :)

5. I've lived in some unusual places - we lived on a boat for a year and we lived in and drove a semi-truck for 3 years.

6. One of my other favorite things is singing - I've sung in many choirs including our jazz choir in high school, then the BYU Women's Choir and more recently our local women's barbershop choir.

7. If I had been born a boy my mom was planning to name me Wilfred - just one of many reasons I thank goodness I'm a girl!!

I'm going to have to give some thought to who my 7 people to tag will be:)

Thanks for the fun Irit & Dominique and Akiko too!!

Skagit valley pastel

I took a reference photo awhile ago that I really loved - I have a feeling that I'm going to have to paint it several times before I really do it justice - here's my first study.

Off to take the dogs for a walk... then I'm working on some watercolor bookmarks to give as gifts for the annual Christmas tea.

Finished lighthouse painting

Here is the San Juan island lighthouse all finished and in the light of day:)

Ok, now what...

On the table - a work in progress

5"X7" watercolor


Here's what I'm working on this morning while sipping my coffee. I try to spend about 10 or 15 minutes each morning here in my studio before I get ready for work. I'm going out for dinner tonight but I hope to finish this lighthouse painting up tomorrow morning - yay Saturday's almost here:)

Driving

This is a self portrait of me driving through the Skagit Valley. It was a beautiful Fall afternoon and I was enjoying every minute of it - driving and taking pictures along the way! I was originally drawing this as a sketch to paint over with watercolors but really enjoyed just drawing away with my graphite pencils and decided to leave it as it is.