Caterpillars and Butterflies

Caterpillars

Butterflies

See what everyone is up to on Paint Party Friday.

Blessings, 

Janet

New subject: Shading

I need to work on my shading. I've been using objects and animals.

The frog has also been added to my practice.

View the other artists and their works at Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,

Janet

Still Looking for Yellow Cottage

I am not about to give up on my dream of a yellow cottage by the water.  The best part will be the puppy (I can't have where I am living now) and the garden (veggies and flowers) and my own place. What a beautiful world.

I used Prismacolor pencils to color this sketch.

Paint Party Friday has many different artists with great art. Enjoy seeing each and every one of them.

Blessings,
Janet

Watercolor

As a child, I was always drawing, mostly I drew animals. In Jr. High school I had a fantastic art teacher. A very multi-talented teacher. I was so lucky.

This is one of my first watercolor paintings.  A painting that was done before I moved here over 25 years ago. I had forgotten about it.  In clearing out my house, I have found a lot of things I had forgotten about.  I began my art with an illustration class at the local university (ISU) and from there I began to use watercolor. Living in a twin cities and a 2 university town gave us a lot of class options.

I don't remember what I used for the subject, if it was real or a picture.  I am having fun with the art and will do much more of it in the future.  Pastels are a good medium that I enjoy also.

This is a 9 x 12 painting.

Be sure and visit the other wonderful artists on Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,

Janet

Card with Blue Dress

As I am continuing to clear out my house, I am finding a lot of things that I had forgotten.

Awhile back I made my first card with a blue dress.  I used a stamp on a special stamp pad, sprinkled it with powder and used the heat gun.  I remember taking the class but it was the last class at the time. So,   I then turned to designing and making cloth dolls.

The class was fun and in just that one class, I learned to make the card with the design. I truly wanted to learn more, but didn't know where to find another class like that.  I have over the years made a huge scrap book for mom and dad's 50th and then 60th anniversary.  Their friends and family enjoyed looking at the pictures and the different events in their lives.  They are both gone now and it has been a long time since I have done any scrapbooking. It was fun finding pictures and putting everything together.

Take a look at the talented artists on Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,
Janet

Blue Gal Watercolor

After months of watching everyone paint, I decided to try watercolor for the first time. It's not difficult, but I do need practice, practice, practice.  It's fun.

Catch up on what everyone else is doing on Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,
Janet

A Young Girl's Dreams

When we are young, we dream of so many things.
The days, the nights,
The love, the sights. . .
It all seems so right, so wonderful, so enchanting,
Ah, but the life we live is the life we make.

Happy Paint Party Friday.
Blessings,
Janet

Reading in the Valley beside a Creek

Sometimes all we want is the mountains, palm trees, a creek and a good book in the valley. Peaceful. . . joyful and serene.  The smell of the outdoors, the sound of the birds and the water.

The sky is beginning to turn, I've stayed too long. . . and enjoyed so much.

Be sure and visit the other artists celebrating Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,
Janet

Clothes lines in France

This is a stone house with a gutter going directly into the rain barrel.  The parking (2 wooden trucks and a car) is beside the building and the clothes line can be reached from their window.  There are two separate clothes lines.  Interesting set up that I've never seen before. There are also shutters on either side of the window.

Enjoy Paint Party Friday.  Many artists and different art media.

Blessings,

Janet

Halloween Decor

Many things represent Halloween. . see ACEO card below:

Are you decorating.  Look at the many ways to decorate your place.

Check out the other Paint Party Friday artists and see what they are up to this week.

Blessings,
Janet

Yogi RIP 10-12-2012

Yogi passed over Rainbow Bridge. He had a lot of fun playing in the pool when he lived in FL.

I am sure Daddy Steve was there to greet him.

Please take a look at the other Paint Party Friday artists.

Blessings,

Janet

My Last House

The house I lived in looked exactly like this. I live there 6 years. I downsized to a condo in January 2000. We went through one hurricane (1999) Irene (The First Irene).  Flooded to the front door, but not beyond it. He parked the truck in front of the two windows because the windows were rattling. Good thing he had because the truck was below a 50 foot pine tree, some of which fell where the truck would have been parked. We were stuck inside for awhile because of the flooding. Yes there were storm shutters, but we weren't suppose to have the hurricane go right over us. We went to bed at 9 p.m. when the power went out. We had a small battery powered radio.  When we woke up at midnight, we heard the announcer say, the "eye" is going over us now.  WHAT!  The Eye of What?  Not good coverage of hurricanes back then.

There is a screened room on the other side, no garage.

There are so many talented artists at Paint Party Friday.  Be sure to check them out.

Blessings,
Janet

Dreaming

I chose to continue with faces.  Only this one just popped into my head. It is really of no one specific. The owl is a favorite beautiful bird.  It is an ACEO card with prismacolor pencils.

Join the Paint Party Friday artists.  They are unique and each one is a bit different. Enjoy.

Blessings,
Janet

The Reverend

 The Reverend had requested I sketch his picture after he had seen one I had sketched of my girlfriend. He first looked at it and said, "That's me!"

I used FaberCastell DESIGN EBONY Jet Black Extra Smooth pencil to sketch, General's Pastel Chalk White and Prismacolor pencil Brown on Heavy #80 Sketching paper.

Be sure and stop by to see what our other artists are doing on Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,

Janet

Cloudy Day - Quick Art

My Art teacher said to sketch quickly.

On the way to the mall, daughter driving, I quickly (10 min) made a sketch of the clouds and added a house and tree.  It's suppose to be just a quick sketch for practice.

At least it is recognizable.

I used FaberCastell DESIGN EBONY Jet Black extra smooth pencil #6325 and Prismacolor pencils. The Drawing paper is Strathmore medium 6" x 8"

Fun to go fast, but don't know what's going to be coming out. . .the other suggestion is to sit in front of the tv and just keep drawing really fast.  YIKES, don't watch much TV, but that is FAST! I'll have to try it.

Be sure and visit other Paint Party Friday artists. There are so many different collages, journals, and great art.

Blessings,
Janet

Slice of Life

Kitty and animals

Just a fun painting this time

Be sure to see all the Paint Party Friday artists.  They are fun, interesting and great teachers of what you can do with so many different arts.

Blessings,

Janet

Intracoastal Skyline

Coming back from the vacation last month, this is what I saw when we went across to a great quilt shop.

Be sure and go see the rest of the Paint Party Friday artists.

Blessings,

Janet

Owl Night Flight

Owl Night Flight in the forest at Full Moon August 31, 2012

Join Paint Party Friday. Stop by and see the wonderful mix and creations of these terrific artists.

Blessings,

Janet

New Guy in Town

Working on finding the right guy.  Not sure this guy isn't from The Pirate House. 

Back to the drawing board.

Go see all the great art from the artists at Paint Party Friday.

Blessings, Janet

The Pirate House

My trip to Savannah, GA took a turn to the Pirate house for dinner.  All the ladies enjoyed their meal and their Tea.  It was on the style of Long Island Tea, so you know it was excellent.  Of course most of us had fish in some form or another.  After dinner the Pirate Gal came and told us the story of how the Pirate house came to be.  Johnny Depp always stops there when he is in town.

My rendition of the Pirate girl and The Pirate House.  She has a gold sparkle necklace, earrings and pirate gun. . . Gold sparkles on her hat and the buttons on her blouse.

The original Pirate House pictures I took my ACEO prismacolor pencils and glitter from.

Be sure and visit all the Paint Party Friday artists.

Blessings,

Janet

Tea 4 Ladies

What are they thinking?  Shopping perhaps?  It is fun having four best friends having Tea.

Paint Party Friday again, so go see all the wonderful artists.  This is the art work for Friday, August 10.

I was out of state for the past week. I am back from vacation.  Savannah, Gastonia and Asheville were so much fun.  The Best quilt shop was in Gastonia, huge huge huge. . . . Mary Jo's.

Blessings,
Janet

Edith Wharton, Author

She was born Edith Newbold Jones on January 24, 1862 and died August 11, 1937.

During her life she won the Pulitzer-Prize, for her writing.  She was an American novelist, wrote short stories and was an interior and garden designer.  In 1885 she married Edward (Teddy) Robbins Wharton.

Her books stand out and are read in many universities.  She traveled around the world and writing what she saw and felt.  Edith Wharton Abroad is a fantastic book about her travels and in particular the gardens she visited.

Her home in Lenox, MA named The Mount has extraordinary landscape/gardens.  You can visit her house and grounds.

My sketch for Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,
Janet

Country Call Box

The Sun is shining, take a good book, walk over the sparkling river and read under the old oak tree. Ummm, do you see the Call Box, you do know what just popped down in the valley?  Is there a Dr. in the house?
Happy Paint Party Friday!
Blessings,
Janet

Which Road?

We all have choices.  Which road do you choose?  Sometimes, I want a yellow cottage by the sea and sometimes I want a farm.  Which road do I choose?

I grew up in the midwest where farms were everywhere. I loved on the Intracoastal in SE FL and loved every minute of it.  Torn between the two roads.

The storm, the barn, the field of purple flowers, the garden, the three trees, the Road, and the puffy single dandelion.

I used Prismacolor pencils for this ACEO.

Come join the Paint Party Friday.  Thanks Eva and Kristin.

Blessings,
Janet

Mirror Image

Getting ready to go out to Paint Party Friday.

Blessings, 

Janet

Mary Barr Munroe

During 1886-87, a hundred years before I came to So. FL, Mary Barr Munroe decided to make Coconut Grove her winter home. Before long, she made her winter home a permanent home.  She stamped the Grove with distinctiveness that continues to this day.  The Grove was then called the Frontier in a virgin land.  She was the daughter of Amelia Barr, famous 19th Century novelist.

Mary Barr was ahead of her time.  Her kindness to everyone, including Indians, fishermen, and black families, made her one of the most popular women in the community. An arden ecologist, she was known to snatch egret feathers off the hats of popular ladies, making her most unpopular. She never had a child of her own, but she helped raise all the local children, regardless of color.  Her straw hat was her trademark.

Part of our So. FL history.
Blessings,
Janet
Visit Paint Party Friday to see other artists.

Jeanine

Last week I sketched her house.  Now I have sketched her.  She has been my girlfriend since 3rd grade. We have been through a lot of living throughout the years.  We both have 2 children. She has always lived away from me. I did go up to see her and her hubby in the northeast last June. Our friendship is long and solid.  She is my Best Friend and like a sister.  Sister/Friend.  I have two more Sister/Friends but Jeanine is by far the longest Sister/Friend I've had almost all my life.  God Bless her.

Happy Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,

Janet

Girlfriend's House in MA

The huge rocks built around the sloping yard, the forest behind the house, all have the same New England characteristics.  The impressiveness of the historic houses we found that had the year the house was built as the house numbers.  The history of New England and the scenery blows me away.

Happy Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,
Janet

Zelda Fitzgerald

Zelda Fitzgerald is one of my favorite authors.  Even her husband used her diaries for his writings in his claim to fame as a famous author.  She was brilliant.  Her star shone so brightly and then was put out so quickly.  I have several sketches of her, this is one of them.

Paint Party Friday has so many different artists. Thank you Kristin and Eva.
Blessings,
Janet

IL Country House Sketch

Since I have recently begun to sketch again, I pulled out a few sketches from the past.

This is the house my late hubby and I built in 1975. We lived there until 1987 and moved to FL.

The woods you see are behind and around the house and the garden, unseen, is to the right. 

The children had 2 dogs - dogs and doghouses are to the left in the picture.

It was a beautiful house, made to look old, on a 1 acre of ground.

The old Hickory tree, struck by lightening, smelled wonderful in the fireplace in winter.

I pencil sketched the house from a picture and my memories.

Please join in looking at other artists creativity on Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,

Janet

Fashion

Shopping for fashion isn't always fun.  So I design something I think I would like.  Then I go find it. I am not always lucky to find it though.  The dress, the hat and the shoes.  I'm off to find them.

Paint Party Friday has wonderful artists for you to visit.

Blessings,
Janet

The Little Chef

 Sometimes we know exactly what we want to be when we grow up.

Happy Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,

Janet

PS. I also have a "picture" that is accomplished with fabric, lace, feathers, crochet, beads, and chenille wire.. .. that could be a part of the Paint Party Friday - only paint was not used to make the picture.  http://jkwgalleries.blogspot.com/

Friends out for a walk

Sometimes it's fun to walk with each other and the pets.  Everyone is out enjoying nature and having a good time.

I've been away and now have a huge project deadline, but will try to hang in there with my art work in the meantime. Thanks for your patience.

Enjoy all the Paint Party Friday artists.

Blessings,
Janet

I always wanted to be a Fashion Designer

FUN!
Paint Party Friday has a lot of great artists.
Blessings,
Janet

The Yellow Dollhouse

For Paint Party Friday, here is a Yellow Dollhouse.  Please go see the other artists and their creativity.

Blessings,

Janet

Backyard

Girlfriend in IL backyard

I used pencil on canvas.

Happy Paint Party Friday. Enjoy the other artists too.  It's a fun and happy place with lots of good artists and some teaching.

Blessings,

Janet

Paint Party Friday

Painting on Fabric with foil.

Something a bit different.

This was a class through the Palm Beach County Quilt Guild. 

Blessings, 

Janet

Paint Party Friday - Enjoy other artists for this weeks Party.

Yellow Cottage on River with Sailboat

Paint Party Friday begins the second year.  Thank you Kristin and Eva.

Blessings, 

Janet

My pups, Yogi, as a young'un

Part Akita (yes, he talked), part Chow (yes, he had black spots on his tongue) part Shephard.

Line drawing.

Join Paint Party Friday for some really fabulous art.

Blessings,

Janet

My first car was Yellow

Did we all have cars when we were children? Perhaps not Buggatti's!

As an Adult, my first car was a Red 1961 Mercury Comet.

Enjoy Paint Party Friday artists.

Blessings,

JKW

1956 Austin-Healy

This will be parked outside my yellow cottage.

Happy Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,
Janet

Yellow Cottage

Another scene from the Yellow Cottage. Join Paint Party Friday to see other pictures.  Probably should have mentioned, this one is in the UK. . . . hoping and waiting. . . 'somewhere over the rainbow. . . .which rainbow!!

Blessings,
Janet

Going Shopping

Different ladies, but they all get together to go shopping for 

MORE FABRIC!!

Paint Party Friday.

Blessings,

JKW