A good friend of mine asked me to upload additional scans of the journal I kept when I visited Sicily two years ago. I hadn't begun sketching yet, and so the journal was more a combination of collage and writing.
After looking through the journal and revisiting that trip in my mind, this arch, not from the trip but so reminescent of Italy, seemed to fit my nostalgic mood.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Reception Area Two
After she was in recovery, I changed seats and liked this view much better. The space was large, sunny, with coffee provided and a comfortable atmosphere. The palm trees warmed the room and people were continually moving in and out as they dropped off those for treatment and waited until they were ready to leave.
Reception Area
I sat facing this wall as my daughter was in surgery .... the TV was off to the side of it rerunning CNN ...
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Oxford, NC Tobacco Field in Flower
Though tobacco is a crop most North Carolina farmers have stopped growing, there are still a few fields here and there being grown. This sketchy sketch is of a field near my home in full flower ready for topping.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Thank YOU!
Thanks all for the good wishes for my daughter. She came through surgery fine -- and seems to be doing very well.
Many thanks for your kindest thoughts!!
Plans are to rest this weekend, eat lightly, and REST!
Many thanks for your kindest thoughts!!
Plans are to rest this weekend, eat lightly, and REST!
Hay Bales
This is the scene I see when I'm driving around my home town -- so many of the farms are now producing hay ... and they're rolled up ready for storage....
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Hydrangea
I leave this glimpse of my hydrangea as I help my daughter through some minor surgery. I should be back on line on Monday ... Have a great weekend!
Rebeccas zinnia and petunia
It seems like nine forevers since I sketched any of Rebecca's flowers. I found these on her kitchen table the other night and decided to sketch them: a large, pink/orange zinnia, bright purple petunia and a bit of artemesia.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Nick Watering Nonna's Flowers
You KNOW a Nonna can't post only ONE grandchild ....!!! LOL And so here's Nick watering Nonna's OTHER garden bed.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
EDM 129 Emily Watering Nonna's Flowers
The challenge this week is to draw "people doing something." Last week while my grandchildren visited and played in their small pool, they decided to water Nonna's flowers by emptying the pool bucket by bucket .... oh yes, and playing in the mud in the meantime!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Casalecchio
While visiting the mountain region of Sicily, I took a photo of a huge field of wildflowers as we stood in the middle of it looking back at our bed and breakfast hotel. I've tried to capture that feeling of expansiveness and bright pink field .... In real life, the color is a richer yellow/green-blue/green and brighter pink ...
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Red Hot Pokers - watercolor and ink
Another rendition of the same flower -- this time with a bit of ink added and a bit of purple haze.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
EDM 128 View Thru a Doorway - Arch and Garden
I've always been enamored with arches of all kinds -- that 'portal' peeking thru the opening it represents in my mind. And the epitome of the 'doorway view' is seeing a bit of a garden through the opening ...
Friday, July 20, 2007
Wagon and Willow
This idyllic scene sits at the entrance of my neighbor's home. Each time we walk around our neighborhood, we pass this old wagon and I wanted to capture it on paper.
It SO reminds me of what I LOVE about living in the country!
It SO reminds me of what I LOVE about living in the country!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Cattails in Woodlands
Although I sketched these during my friend's visit, I had a chance to paint the cattails yesterday. The scan is a bit lighter than the original sketch ...
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Kitchen Garden
A sketchy quick look at the kitchen garden filled with lettuces, zinnias, nasturtiums, chard, red mustard, ornamental grasses, marigolds ... a delightful place to be!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Cattail
A friend of mine (who also sings and plays guitars with my husband) stopped by yesterday to spend an hour sketching! We ate lunch and then searched for a shady spot to escape the 90F heat as well as find something to sketch. We walked the woodland trails, and even though we have hundreds of flowers in bloom, choose to sketch the single cattail beneath the tall pines!
It was fun!
It was fun!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Banana Peppers
I harvested these from the Arboretum kitchen garden and pickled them last night. (The scan is a bit off -- they're a richer yellow in real life.)
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Perennial Garden Flowers
Cosmos, rosemary, zinnia, butterfly bush, hydrangea, strawberry fields gomphrenia graced the vase we created for a meeting prior to leaving work Thursday night. All cut from the Arboretum perennial garden.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Birdbath with Seed and "Geraniums
For some reason, this birdbath that sits in the front of my herb bed will not hold water -- so I filled it with birdseed instead and surrounded it with red geraniums.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Purple Hulled Peas
This weekend C and I finally visited our local (and very small) farmers market. If there were 6 vendors, there were a lot! However, we came home with several sacks of great, organic veggies, including these purple hulled peas.
We spent 2 hours preparing the veggies, an hour cooking them and 2 hours cleaning up the mess from cooking!
They were good though!! LOL
We spent 2 hours preparing the veggies, an hour cooking them and 2 hours cleaning up the mess from cooking!
They were good though!! LOL
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Blue Bird Box Version Two
Version Two of the bluebird box as seen from my porch, bluer tones added to emphasize the pink flowers.
Bluebird Box
Version One of the bluebird box as seen from my porch with a lighter tone on the bluebird house for emphasis.
Monday, July 09, 2007
TAGGED
I've been tagged by Mrana (http://www.mrana.typepad.com/bitbybit/) and so here's what I"m to do:
1-post these rules
2-each person tagged must post 8 random(... hopefully interesting) facts about themselves
3-tags should write a blogpost of these facts
4- at the end of the post 8 more bloggers are tagged and named
5-go to their blog and leave a comment telling them they're tagged.
Here's my 8:
1. I love candy of all sorts -- and cookies, and cakes, and anything sweet! But I keep a stash hidden and dole out each and every morsel by making me do something to be rewarded (such as walk a mile, clean the oven, etc.) .... and yes, I do stick to it! LOL
2. I LOVE the out of doors and am most comfortable in the woodlands.
3. One of the best part of my job is being able to wear bluejeans and T-shirts/sweatshirts to work (I work at a school teaching horticulture and running an Arboretum)
4. I've written a book and had it published by a University Press
5. I've had a ton of poems published and yet haven't written a poem in YEARS!
6. I started my visual arts journey by creating pretty soaps, then paper arts such as collage and altered books.
7. I keep 'scrapbooks/journals' for each of my grandchildren.
8. My sweet husband does most of the cooking.
At this point I am to tag 8 folks -- but I think I"ll simply ask 8 friends to volunteer for the honor and let me know when the post!
Thanks!!!
(and that's probably more than you'll ever want to know about me! LOL)
Lin
1-post these rules
2-each person tagged must post 8 random(... hopefully interesting) facts about themselves
3-tags should write a blogpost of these facts
4- at the end of the post 8 more bloggers are tagged and named
5-go to their blog and leave a comment telling them they're tagged.
Here's my 8:
1. I love candy of all sorts -- and cookies, and cakes, and anything sweet! But I keep a stash hidden and dole out each and every morsel by making me do something to be rewarded (such as walk a mile, clean the oven, etc.) .... and yes, I do stick to it! LOL
2. I LOVE the out of doors and am most comfortable in the woodlands.
3. One of the best part of my job is being able to wear bluejeans and T-shirts/sweatshirts to work (I work at a school teaching horticulture and running an Arboretum)
4. I've written a book and had it published by a University Press
5. I've had a ton of poems published and yet haven't written a poem in YEARS!
6. I started my visual arts journey by creating pretty soaps, then paper arts such as collage and altered books.
7. I keep 'scrapbooks/journals' for each of my grandchildren.
8. My sweet husband does most of the cooking.
At this point I am to tag 8 folks -- but I think I"ll simply ask 8 friends to volunteer for the honor and let me know when the post!
Thanks!!!
(and that's probably more than you'll ever want to know about me! LOL)
Lin
EDM 126, Draw A Sponge
I almost switched to using a dish rag after struggling to draw this sponge! I like the way the shape fits my hand and the scrubber top ...
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Emily and Nick Pick Blackberries
I introduced blackberry picking to Emily and Nick this weekend. Here, they're scouring the roadsides looking for those juicy treats!
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Butterfly bushes and Bench
A sketch of the small bench in a part of my garden among the sweet scented butterfly bushes. I used a much 'sketchier' approach to this rendering than the flowers yesterday.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Eno River Festival
Each year the county park, West Point on the Eno, holds an enormous three-day festival over the July 4 holidays. There's crafts, music, food, hiking, tours through the small garden, and wafting (floating) trips down the river -- all to raise funds for securing more property along its tributaries to assure the river's upkeep and purity.
We haven't been to the festival in a few years, so we decided to go this year. No matter what type of weather we've been having, the weather during the festive tends to be steamy -- yesterday was no exception! Temperatures in the low 90s are considered cool in these parts!
We sat under some of the huge walnut trees and listened to folk singing while watching the children and people around us. It was fun -- and very relaxing ....
We haven't been to the festival in a few years, so we decided to go this year. No matter what type of weather we've been having, the weather during the festive tends to be steamy -- yesterday was no exception! Temperatures in the low 90s are considered cool in these parts!
We sat under some of the huge walnut trees and listened to folk singing while watching the children and people around us. It was fun -- and very relaxing ....
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Red White and Blue - Blueberries
Happy July 4th Everyone!
I picked these blueberries from a few courageous bushes yesterday that have found a way to provide fruit despite the drought.
I applaud their independence from the weather (however they did it! LOL) and applaud the men and women who continue to keep the USA free!
I picked these blueberries from a few courageous bushes yesterday that have found a way to provide fruit despite the drought.
I applaud their independence from the weather (however they did it! LOL) and applaud the men and women who continue to keep the USA free!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Cows Again
I know that there are times when each maker of art hits a wall of seeming inability to produce the kind of work s/he feels that they 'should' be doing. Frustration, confidence, motivation all plummet ... and picking up the pencil takes as much effort as lifting Gibralta. I seem to be in that space.
I've been trying too hard, I think, and that OVER-TRYING shows. I look at some my work and find so much of it too stiff, too flawed, overworked, too 'whatever' ... compared to the images (and attempts) I hold in my head. And so, stubbornly, I keep trying ... and trying ... and doggedly determined, I wind up working my poor paper to holes and trash bag to overflowing.
I think I need to step back a bit from my own seriousness, and play a bit with my artwork .. spend a bit of time sloshing around the paint, inking in the lines, letting go of the results so I can return to the more serious work of learning with a freshness and without the self-imposed pressures and stresses I put on myself to reach my goals -- now.
So last night, I decided to play a bit with these weird looking cows I drew Saturday -- and I relaxed enough to add lines and paint as loosely as I could muster after a long day. It's not great art by any means -- I even forgot to paint a tree trunk! But if art reflects our state of mind -- then this is an example of mine ..! lol
I've been trying too hard, I think, and that OVER-TRYING shows. I look at some my work and find so much of it too stiff, too flawed, overworked, too 'whatever' ... compared to the images (and attempts) I hold in my head. And so, stubbornly, I keep trying ... and trying ... and doggedly determined, I wind up working my poor paper to holes and trash bag to overflowing.
I think I need to step back a bit from my own seriousness, and play a bit with my artwork .. spend a bit of time sloshing around the paint, inking in the lines, letting go of the results so I can return to the more serious work of learning with a freshness and without the self-imposed pressures and stresses I put on myself to reach my goals -- now.
So last night, I decided to play a bit with these weird looking cows I drew Saturday -- and I relaxed enough to add lines and paint as loosely as I could muster after a long day. It's not great art by any means -- I even forgot to paint a tree trunk! But if art reflects our state of mind -- then this is an example of mine ..! lol
Monday, July 02, 2007
Caltagirone and Friday's Cooking Class
This past Friday, my husband and I returned to our delectable Italian market for our ‘Italian’ cooking lesson. OH MY GOSH!!! Talk about indulging and delicious!!
Our cooking class was small – six counting C and me. Titina (see http://www.capriflavors.com/) did the cooking instruction and provided a wonderful recipe book for the dishes we prepared! The freshest ingredients were used – most imported directly from Italy – including a gorgeous Radicchio! Oh my gracious – the color and the taste! Our menu:
Pasticcio di Spaghetti con Salome e Gamberoni
(Layered Spaghetti with Salmon and Shrimp) -- to DIE for!
Pollo all’Arancia
(Chicken with Orange Sauce) – AND chestnuts – HEAVEN!
Radicchio Rosso
(Braised Radicchio with Prosciutto)
Sorbetto di’Pompelmo al Campari
(Grapefruit Sorbet with Campari)
Titina is from the Isle of Capri and speaks with the a charming Italian accent. Her husband joined us at the table, and the couples with us were delightful as well! Over the most incredible food (yes, rich and a bit too much – I’m returning to the gym ASAP!! LOL), and the talk of Italy and tours, and food, and travel – it was a blissful evening!
I painted this image this past week of the agro-tourism dwelling we stayed in while visiting Caltagirone, Sicily two years ago. I thought posting it today would be quite fitting –the dinner, the company and the food – all reminding me of the trip of a lifetime.
Our cooking class was small – six counting C and me. Titina (see http://www.capriflavors.com/) did the cooking instruction and provided a wonderful recipe book for the dishes we prepared! The freshest ingredients were used – most imported directly from Italy – including a gorgeous Radicchio! Oh my gracious – the color and the taste! Our menu:
Pasticcio di Spaghetti con Salome e Gamberoni
(Layered Spaghetti with Salmon and Shrimp) -- to DIE for!
Pollo all’Arancia
(Chicken with Orange Sauce) – AND chestnuts – HEAVEN!
Radicchio Rosso
(Braised Radicchio with Prosciutto)
Sorbetto di’Pompelmo al Campari
(Grapefruit Sorbet with Campari)
Titina is from the Isle of Capri and speaks with the a charming Italian accent. Her husband joined us at the table, and the couples with us were delightful as well! Over the most incredible food (yes, rich and a bit too much – I’m returning to the gym ASAP!! LOL), and the talk of Italy and tours, and food, and travel – it was a blissful evening!
I painted this image this past week of the agro-tourism dwelling we stayed in while visiting Caltagirone, Sicily two years ago. I thought posting it today would be quite fitting –the dinner, the company and the food – all reminding me of the trip of a lifetime.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
The Plein Air Cow
The weather cooperated yesterday so that my dear art buddies, Laura (http://laurelines.typepad.com) and Sue (http://www.flickr.com/photos/loveitaly) and I finally got together to go to a local dairy farm and paint cows -- or ATTEMPT to paint cows -- in my case.
These charming, friendly bovines were just adorable -- each with a face that really had such charm and curisosity about us. (I just LOVED their little "Pebbles" style topknots on the top of their heads!!!) They were fenced in and apparently we had arrived at their feeding time. So while they were curious about us being there, they were far more interested in lunch!
We quickly unpacked chairs and sketchpads and set to work. HA! Unlike barns and fields, these fickle fellows and ladies apparently didn't like our intense eye-study. They'd face us for a while, turn their backs, walk around, eat, move, graze, move, turn, move, move, move ...and drive me, the slowest sketcher, a tad daffy! BUT, I did manage a bit of a leg from Jenny, a bit of a tail from Harry, a stance from Sally, and a pile of straw that, thankfully, DID keep still, and took photos to try to put it all together once I got home and the PHOTO, thank heavens, kept still.
Coming away from this experience I continue to marvel at all I have before me to learn. Better drawing skills, QUICKER sketching skills, improving my memory, contour drawing, etc., etc., etc.!!
Nonetheless, the joy of painting plein air remains strong for me. The air, sunshine, fellowship of art friends, the DIRECT EXPERIENCE with one's subject (whether one's sketch is successful or not) is worth the time taken to experience and always, always, ALWAYS, to practice.
When the sun reached a bit after the lunch hour, we packed up our gear and headed for some superb gelato -- then back to Laura's to ooh, ahh, drool over, and plan-to-order a number of travel sketchbooks.
A good day -- even if Ms. Bess turned out to be not quite "all together" herself!
These charming, friendly bovines were just adorable -- each with a face that really had such charm and curisosity about us. (I just LOVED their little "Pebbles" style topknots on the top of their heads!!!) They were fenced in and apparently we had arrived at their feeding time. So while they were curious about us being there, they were far more interested in lunch!
We quickly unpacked chairs and sketchpads and set to work. HA! Unlike barns and fields, these fickle fellows and ladies apparently didn't like our intense eye-study. They'd face us for a while, turn their backs, walk around, eat, move, graze, move, turn, move, move, move ...and drive me, the slowest sketcher, a tad daffy! BUT, I did manage a bit of a leg from Jenny, a bit of a tail from Harry, a stance from Sally, and a pile of straw that, thankfully, DID keep still, and took photos to try to put it all together once I got home and the PHOTO, thank heavens, kept still.
Coming away from this experience I continue to marvel at all I have before me to learn. Better drawing skills, QUICKER sketching skills, improving my memory, contour drawing, etc., etc., etc.!!
Nonetheless, the joy of painting plein air remains strong for me. The air, sunshine, fellowship of art friends, the DIRECT EXPERIENCE with one's subject (whether one's sketch is successful or not) is worth the time taken to experience and always, always, ALWAYS, to practice.
When the sun reached a bit after the lunch hour, we packed up our gear and headed for some superb gelato -- then back to Laura's to ooh, ahh, drool over, and plan-to-order a number of travel sketchbooks.
A good day -- even if Ms. Bess turned out to be not quite "all together" herself!
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