lately, wanderings and paintings

Been working on a lots of new paintings.

White-washed layers have been consuming my painting time.

Sketchbook pages, ideas, plannings. For the new year and now. I keep playing around with variations of a sketch of this one woman….

Bits.

I found the loveliest roll of 1940’s wallpaper along a driveway, discarded.

Last Saturday I went for a snowy walk oh so early in the morning. So cold but I got to see the sun rise over the silvery trees!

Another brooch from tinyhappy. So lovely…not only because of the teeny-tiny artistry that goes into each one, but because they are made with real wool felt and hand dyes threads. These little touches really make them so uttely amazing!

I am so excited for this new year! I have some exciting art news for you that I can’t wait to spill!
Happy Holidays Everyone!

sketchbook

I just thought I would show a preliminary doodle in my beloved hardbound sketchbook, which follows me around everywhere.

I usually take up many pages in my book before it comes together.
Happy fall, all!

rainy day, again

Have been working on cotton watercolor paper, a sketchbook of sorts. Playing out my little portraits in color, experimenting with the idea of softer….softer lines and maybe colors, sometimes. Definitely softer edges. The rough watercolor paper mimics the texture of the canvas of which I am working on today, and of which is stacked up hight next to my little painting table.
Sketchbook page…

And planning on writing and taking more pictures for here, of everyday things that I oogle over, pass by and also my sketchbooks and clothes, maybe? so…

This is a lovely garden shed (and New Englandish Cape Cod style home in the background) that I purposely walk by almost daily, down the street from where I live. The estate dates back to 1730. Oh my 1730!

There is an underground tunnel from the shed to the house. George Washington was a frequent visitor to this home. He used to strategize against the British with General Lafayette in this house. There is a rock in the basement that he used to sit on. And that rock is still there (of course!).

And it’s for sale.

But I just love the little shed.

There will be more jewelry soonish. I am working on some more fox pendants.

a bit on how things come together

Sketching faces on cotton watercolor paper (my favorite!). Still undecided on the hair.

Sketch of scarlet tanager’s in my giant book from June (the pages do not fit into my scanner)

And a collage of it all (with my hand and favorite papers) in my watercolor album.

Just playing around, process journaling.

A giveaway will be posted Monday, so please visit soon to enter!

finished sketch

Pomegranate symbolism. Totally subconscious (I really just wanted to draw one!) But now looking into it’s symbolism I am intrigued by its subconscious meaning to me, today. Plus like them because it looks as though they are wearing tiny crowns! Drawn and shaded in dark grey colored pencil (because the smudging of graphite drives me nuts!)
Might make it to a final painting, I think. Her neck is, however, going to be shorter. The birds will be scarlet tanagers. I am planning on working with scarlet bird imagery this summer.

There is a new surprise painting I have been working on for the past few days. I might post a snippet painting-in-progress photo of it tomorrow… as I am growing impatient to put some new paintings out!

things to come

The last few months I have been busy developing faces, ideas, compositions for summer painting time! Taking little notes on each page so I remember what I want to do. Secret sketching time, I guess.

A spreading out of sketches on my painting room floor…

And these don’t include the sketchings in my giant book. All of this is quite dangerous, as I tend to get lost in the devopment of ideas. I must scan them in and share some close ups.
Now back to my paintings (so much more to come..)

Have a beautiful day and thanks for your visit here!

new lockets and fig buttercups

Two bits of good news. I am not mia or forgetting about this blog! I have some major time-consuming work obligations right now (which take up part of my weekend as well) but come the end of May it will end and I will be less busy! Also, I look forward to a relaxing, painting-filled and totally free summer in the coming months. I have been using this time to go back to the well, so to speak, and sketch, plan, journal. I hope to revamp this blog with more of my process, my inspirations, sketches. Would you like to see more of my sketchbooks? I’d like to know! The second bit of news is of a shop update, with a couple of lockets that feature my sketchings and bits from my oil paintings.
A preview of a vintage locket that will be in my shop within the next few days…

Close up, the blue bird is taken from Pulling on our Ribbons and Hair. I think I’m going to tie a piece of vintage fabric to the top of this one.

And the gal from the locket graces the inside of my giant sketching book/ journal.

I ventured to a swampy glen down the street to take some pics of my lockets. There are the most amazing flowers that carpet the entire woods floor, creating an almost day-glow effect. They are called Fig Buttercups, or Pilewort and they grow in moist areas (and often mix with the skunk cabbage, which is abundant here as well.)

A close-up of these sweet little perennial blooms.

I am so grateful for each and every one of your comments here! It keeps me going, inspires me to post more often… Thank you!!

spring!

pondside and sketches

As the snow gently fell all weekend long I visited one of my favorite spots…

Saturday morning I spent some time by a pond in my favorite meadow.

I often marvel at these two swans, they are too beautiful for words and always in the water! With the ice and the snow falling it was quite serene.

Staying in was nice! I worked all weekend on my art, especially on a painting inspired by the above swans (and ships at sea too!). Here’s a little peek at the initial sketch in my giant sketchbook:

Other musings, pondside:

Writing on ice.

Do you what bird builds a nest so low over water? (the white you see in the background is the frozen-over pond.) I’d love to know the name of the bird!

And I am so eager to work more on my paintings this afternoon! Have a beautiful day!

november

A golden November day, the sun poured through my windows like honey.

Found the prettiest vintage butterfly locket broach on ebay to house a mini print of one of my prints, but I don’t know if I can part with it…

With old Japanese faux pearls and a velvet ribbon around my finger to remind myself to sell it one of these days. Its golden, has a butterfly AND a locket for goodness sake!

A favorite crisp, clean part of my painting room (except the growing feather collection in the windowsill) I keep running out of places to keep my little finds!

And, new treasures! The little oval shaped framed portrait was given to me by my aunt, its so delicate I love it! Some acorns and pinecones from my forest walks, two new lockets to fill with mini prints for my etsy shop, a little ceramic wasp trinket box from anthro and other little things to admire..

A new painting I’ve been working on. I am loving this one and I am so anxious for the glazed layer in the background to dry so I can proceed. Hopefully by tomorrow afternoon. There’s another element to this piece but I’ll keep it a surprise for now…

On a more grim note (but appropriate for this time of year) I wanted to share some very old folksy headstones just a short walk from where I live. The cemetery is so old, with headstones dating from the early 1700’s! I went there today to admire the stones for the millionth time since I move here. These headstones fascinate me to pieces!

Mr. Aaron Burroughs. Born 1655, died 1755. I can’t believe he made it all the way to 100, back then. I love how they portrayed the wig!

Rebecca J. Bourroughs. She died in 1796. She has sort of a Martha Washington look, doesn’t she?

Poor Jonathan Darling. He only made it to 13.

A very bad attempt at cross bones from 1771. The lettering is pretty though.

This is my favorite. The folk art design, lettering and style is exquisite.

Yesterday was spent at my parents house Halloween Party. I was a kitchy little sailor girl (again). Today I worked on cutting watercolor papers for my new sketchbook (for my doodles and writings) went for three walks, painted, and sorted through my antique photos. Sundays are the best, as we usually don’t go anywhere and have the day to ourselves entirely!
Daylight savings. Hello dark late afternoons, endless grey and frosty windows. Hello November.

Tell me, what is your favorite part of November?