We had a very special visitor today……….

A beautiful yellow and black Swallowtail butterfly came to drink from my Alstroemeria

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I love this blossom color combo, apparently my new friend did too!

 

 

 

I’m still having a fun time working on my nature journaling class………

 

 

Also, still trying to figure out the new computer and programs……I’m back to Windows Live but, of course, it is an updated version and I’m LOST!  So, let’s just call this a practice run.

Nature journal pages.......

Well, here I am posting in Blogger.

I haven't done that in years but I'm giving it a try today!  I've been using Windows Live Writer to write and post my blog but we just updated our computer and that program isn't on it, yet!  When I first started blogging I used Blogger and got very frustrated with how it posted photos, we'll see if that has changed.

I've been practicing my sketching and trying to improve my watercolor skills by taking a Nature Journaling class from Roxanne Stout.  Great class!

Four pages, very fun pages.....a few more paintings and I'm going to bind them into a small journal.

Hope Blogger isn't listening but I think I still like Windows Live better.

It's HEEEEEEEEEEre!

 

Last Spring, I submitted a proposal to the magazine ClothPaperScissors for the mom/baby book that I had made for my great-granddaughter, Ava Rose.  I did not hear back from them until January of this year! 

That is when they asked me to write a how-to article, make some samples and send them, along with the original book, to them by the first part of February!  Heck ya', I can do that. 

I've been dying to see the finished product ever since and, finally, it arrived yesterday.  I was not disappointed.

I'll show you the magazine pages first.  You really can't read them, but you get the idea........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know if I'm more excited about the by-line or my first paycheck as a writer!  In any case, I'm pretty excited.

Here is the book cover and a few of the pages that were not shown in the article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miss Ava Rose....the main character in this book!

These are fun, labor of love kind of books and the third one I've made for some very special little girls.

Before I forget.....the whole magazine is filled with great book and journal making ideas.  I believe you can find them for sale at places like Barnes and Noble but, mostly, they are sold on-line through Intererweave  Store HERE!  There is a digital and a print version of the magazine available and they cost $14.95.

If, you have submitted something to a magazine and not ever heard back from them....don't give up!  Keep submitting, one day it will be just what they were looking for.

Nature Journaling.......

 

I'm celebrating Spring by taking a nature journaling on-line class taught by Oregon artist Roxanne Stout.  You can learn more about the class at River Garden Studio and see more of Roxanne's lovely work.

Lesson #1.......Set up an outdoor studio!  Why not?  I already have every available surface inside the house covered with my art "stuff".............

 

 

This will do!

It is on the east side of the house so it works better in the afternoon or early evening, that's my usual playtime!

 

 

 

This is the view from my new "studio" space and I will be accompanied by my "flock"..........

 

 

 

....low maintenance and very quiet, no complaints from the neighbors!

 

 

 

 

Class started off with making color charts.  I am such a watercolor novice.  I took classes years ago, I mean YEARS ago and was totally intimidated by the medium and never tried again, until recently.  I hoping this class will help me overcome some of that fear and negativity.

 

 

 

 

 

Class project #1.  It's O.K. but there is too much pink in the center.  I'm playing around with watercolor pencils using them to add highlights and clean up edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Project #2....I had a hard time drawing the shape of the Campanula's petal, so I'm happier with some of the flowers than others.  I did not capture the cup shape as well as I would have liked, either.  It's all about those crazy and illusive lights and darks!

As I keep saying...practice, practice, practice!

Loving this class and being inspired...that counts for a lot in my book!

Creative few days......

 

The weather has been anything but.......spring like!  Record rain fall in the last two weeks of May.  So, I've put my indoor time to good use.

I drew........ and I experimented with my Stabilo water soluble pencils.......

and added, yet, another layer of paint to my Gelli prints.......

and started stamping them.......

 

 

I'm going to use my prints for book pages!

 

 

 

 

 

Then when the sun broke through......I admired my bike!

 

I think I share my bike every spring......but I change the flowers out every year, so it looks a little different!

 

 

 

 

I hope you have sunshine in your life and if not, I hope you're finding other ways to brighten you life!

Good practice!

 

I do like to draw, painting....not always so much.  But, I had played around creating a background on a canvas board so I decided to paint a girl's face.

Making things up has limits and that is what I did with this girl.  Next time, I'm going to use a photo, or a live model, to draw and paint from instead of my imagination.  But, it is what it is......good practice!

Side by side........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I drew from the bouquet, not from the photo and not from this exact position.....but you get the idea!

May have to try it again with color!