I did this piece just to see if I could fold metal into a vase shape, with curves.  It is a vessel that I made for myself.  The circle is the day dial from a watch.  It is on a chain that I made from jump rings, to be worn as a necklace.  This piece wasn't made for the Three in a Series, even though it goes with the theme.

   I finished this altered book for the last project in my metals class.  The project had to be three items that were identical or related.  It was called Multiples or a Series.  This is one of three related items I made.
   I had started this book back while I was between my knee surgeries.  I used all kinds of paper for the pages and added lots of other "stuff".  It needed a cover so I used metals to make one.  The original book (before altering) was "The Stepford Wives".   The title was chosen as an ode to the changes for women in the 60's.
   I used copper, brass and silver wire for the metals.  I used etching to put the pattern on the metal. in a steampunkish style.  The clock is a working clock I got at a "Fill a bag with donated items and make an offer" sale (for Habitat for Humanity) back in the summer.  It was not working and I didn't know if it would, but I found the battery it needed.
   The title on the brass is "Time 4 a Fairy Tale".  The oval etching is of myself and 2 of my grandgirls in the hammock.   The circle at the bottom of the oval is a face from one of my mother's watches, totally not working :(  It stands for how time slips away when making up and telling a fairy tale to someone you love.

This is the finished ring.  I had a tail from a chipmunk that died in a trap (it was to release somewhere else). So, I named the ring "Piece of Tail"... It has been on display since the last post I made here.  Now, the class is over and I can get back to my blog and my 2D art. 

Raw from the casting process

This is what a ring looks like after it has been cast. The base is called a button and the sticks coming from the ring to the button are sprues. The ring is covered in small bumps caused by small bubbles in the investment.  Casting is an exciting event and well worth all the effort. The button and sprues are cut off the ring and then the ring is sanded.

Long time no POSTING...  I have been busy with a class in Metalsmithing.  This is the casting area we use to cast silver or bronze into our wax carved shapes.  It is not an easy task to get from an idea to an end piece.  It was harder to carve the wax than I anticipated.  I have carved wood and soap, but this was harder for me.  We finished our projects and now we are moving on to another type of metal work.  I will try an anticlastic piece. 

Once a week?

I decided to post another of my ATC Animals Exchange here on my blog.  All of my cards are on their way to their new owners.  I made an attempt at doing alot of different animals, originally I was gonna do all chickensl.  But, I cropped one too small and then decided to make a variety of animals.  I will be posting these on here.  It looks like once a week.  I have tried to post daily, but I couldn't get a really good streak of posts going.  I will be posting ATC and other art.  I hope I can get a piece of metal work done for here.

Back from the weekend..

  I made this while we were gone for the to my daughter's for the weekend and I thought it was posted back on August 23d for the WDE.  I chose the condor or vulture, because no one else did.  It is done in color pencils and a bit of ink.  I enjoyed our weekend and even had time to do some plein air painting, I didn't have time to finish that one.

Time just seems to get away from me!  This past week is just a blur of good and not so good.  I am doing the ATC Exchange for Animals, and I have all my cards done.  Now, to get them in the MAIL!  John was very close to needing to be in the hospital for dyalisis   (I can't even spell it right!)  His blood work came back better so he scooted by with out the hospital.
I appreciate everyday he is here.  I have a hard time looking to the future.  Tomorrow starts another week, and I hope I can get the cards mailed and my Metals class project done, it is due Weds.

Here's another week...

Here is a drawing I did of Zorro, my grandaughter's ginea pig.  He is cute and fun to watch.  She lets him out on the back deck to explore, while we visit.  He stays in his cage and likes to have the door open so he can stay in the doorway.  He sticks his head out and watches everyone who comes into the room. 

ReDooo

I posted this bird a few days ago and didn't really like it. So, I asked for comments and suggestions.  I got the suggestion that I use a darker background to make the bird brighter.  I decided to repaint the background..in dark colors.  I think it was the right choice.

Another wet weekend???

I sent another ATC to an exchanger and it is of rain, which I have had enough of this year!  My garden hasn't needed water all summer, first time for that in a loooong time. I did several of these rains in different blues.  It helped me see the difference in the blues, one was grainy, one was opaque and one was my favorite for skies.  I hope those that got them didn't think they were quickies, because they were as much time and trouble as any other ATC.

Pretty bird..

Pretty bird is what I call this painting.  It is for a challenge for Minatures, has to be under 24 inches total of sides.  I need to see if I can find out what kind of bird this is.  I couldn't get the shimmering effect on the feathers, especially the chest feathers.  The feathers are so intense and bright that it looks fake.  This is a 5X7 and is on my favorite block of paper.

Original version

this is the first version of the mailboxes. I colored the white weeds under the boxes and did a few tweeks to them.  I did the most redo on the trees, I'm not sure which version is better.

Time just keeps on ticking...ticking

I don't know what song my title is from, do you?  These mailboxes are like everything else... getting old and obsolete.  The US Postal Service is laying off thousands of workers, and closing thousands of post offices.  Folks just aren't sending letters, they text, facebook or email 8-( I chose a picture of a row of mailboxes as my challenge for WDE this week, over at WC. These mailboxes have seen better days and could soon be icons of the past.  I posted it at 2 hrs and then worked on the trees and details.  I will post the finished work in the same place.

Here is the change..

Here is the changed to the Can You See... post that I did and posted for WDE on WC.  I changed added a pillar on the left upper corner, and a carved watermelon just below it and a freighter behind the pink flower just below the sunset.  Sometimes I just get carried away by an idea!  

Lost Weekend...

I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted!  What is it about weekends that makes them go so fast? This picture is my entry for the WDE on WC.  I have found I like combining items from several example photos into a "Can You Find All...." picture.  I used 14 of 16 photos posted for us to use.  I added the items from the other 2 photos and will post it some other time. I am not sure if the additions helped or ruined the picture.
The 16 photos this week were taken by someone on a cruise to Puerta Maya.

One Little Piggy

Piggy is a very small part of a much bigger picture.  I chose to do it because I like to change my subjects.  That is one reason I like to do challenges, to challenge myself. Piggy is an ATC and I haven't decided where he will end up, I might exchange him for another card.

Lady Redo

Here is the before and after I added the ink lines to my lady in the Red Coat.  I don't think it helped it much.   I just have to make it more defined for the first try.  Somethings work and some don't 8-(

Farmers Market times 2

These are 2 halves of the same scene.  I have the same problem with them that I had on the lady in the hat that I posted a couple of days ago. I can't seem to get good contrasts between the items in the picture.  They are blurry.  I tried to fix the lady in the hat, by adding colored inks. I think I will do the same with these two and I will post all three again.

I'm on a roll....

It seems that I get on a "roll" and do alot of art in a short period of time, then I "flatline".  Here is today's post, or rather the re-post of what I thought I had correctly posted on Sunday.  This is a watercolor ATC (2.5 X 3.5) that I did for a WDE (Weekly Drawing Event) on WC (Wet Canvas).  It is a hibiscus flower.  I used ink for the lines. 

What happened...

What happened to my last 2 posts?  I know I did one yesterday and it had at least one picture. 
This is an ATC that I did for the weekly challenge at WC, but didn't get it posted there.  It is a crop of a larger picture.  I am having problems getting my small works to be "in focus" when I post them.  I have been trying not to draw first and then paint.  I have been just using one brush and watercolors.  I think I might try this one again, just to see if it can be done alot bettter.

Friday is ...

Friday is another hot humid day.  These daylilies are blooming, in spite of the crummy weather.  We have had thunder, lightening and rain for 4 or 5 nights in a row.  I have been awaken by the storms each night.  These are some of my favorite flowers and I love their colors.

Old Tulips

I finished this picture of tulips, that I started 3 years ago.  I am suprised I still had it on its backboard.  I use unused canvas boards to tape my pictures in progress to.  They have clear shrink wrapped plastic over them, which keeps them clean and allows the watercolor paper to get really wet.
I think I finished this one better because of the time I have spent painting since I started it.  It is similar to the one below that I did this week.

Tulips

The minature challenge on WC this month had a nice tulip reference.  Seeing it reminded me that I had started a painting 3 years ago of the same kind of tulip.  I did this painting of that reference and then got my WIP out to finish.  I will post the other one later.

I don't like Tuesdays!

I would love to have gone fishin' or plein air paintin' but I couldn't.  We have had crummy weather the last week, either too much heat or too much rain!  I need a bit of personal absolute down time, and I can't do that either.  So, I guess I will just get back to finishing a picture I started a couple of years ago..3 to be exact!    I painted this lake the last time I was able to spend a day doing nothing, but painting.

It's HOT here! Floater in the pond.

Our AC is on the fritz! The humidity is awful and I was hot, so I hopped into my floatie and into the pond by the Mill.
I did this for a challenge on WC the WDE ( Weekly Drawing Event). I couldn't get my printer to let me print in color..so.. had to go with grays. I did a little more painting on the building.  I will post it without the floater 8-)  The AC is fixed and I am out of the water!

Little Bitty Chick

                                                               Little Bitty Chick Paints
The youngest of the Little Bitty Chicks is plein air painting by the lake.  We were both painting that day.  You can see my "go paint" clear zippered bag, my round set of paints, palette with paints and the Chicks set of paints.  I have a drink bottle and fruit cups to hold our water.  I posted her work from that day in an earlier post.

Poppy Field

Last night I was cutting it very close...only ONE minute to spare!  11:59
Poppy Field is another painting done for the July Minature Challenge on WC.  I have been trying to paint with no pre drawn lines.  It makes the picture more painterly to me. I used only one small angle brush on both of these challenge pictures. I also tried some splattering and lifting. I'm not sure why this is so small, maybe my camera wasn't adjusted right?
I put a mat over it before I took the picture, to make it more finished.

new painting

This is my latest picture.  It is for a minatures challenge

One of my crops

Here is the crop that I used for all the ATC cards that were of lillies.  I did several crops from the same photo from the WC WDE.  I have seen lots and lots of art pieces of the same subject.  I didn't think I would ever find a picture of lillies that I liked enought to paint.  But, this one had lots of ways to do it and have a good composition.  I did the flowers in white, pink and yellow.

Water, water

Now that it is summer and hot, a nice cool rain followed by a cool day would be great!  Not a chance of that this week.  We spent the day today in the mid to high 90's in a new swimming pool that someone in our family bought.  It helped a little but the sun was still scorching us. Maybe I should have looked for one of my snowflake ATCs , I made last winter!

ATC Fishie

This is another ATC.  One that didn't turn out exactly as I had planned.  But, it went on it's way to another artist.  I wanted more perspective in the small space.

Today is Tuesday

Yep, today is Tuesday!  Here is another of my ATC cards for the Water Exchange that is just finished.   Having my grands around so much is putting me off on my amount of time allowed for art.  But, I do get to help them play with art supplies and make projects.  I have 2 of my Scots Castles ( castles that I visited when in Scotland) done and one ready to paint.

Plein Air again

Here is the other plein air painting from the 4th of July.  We went to watch a bag toss contest.  There was a carnival next to the place where the bag toss was.  I had about half an hour to do this watercolor sketch.  I wish I had done several more sketches from the carnival, but we left before I got this one finished.  I think I might either redo it or finish it.

Bitty Chicks do a project..

The Bitty Chicks were over for the day on Friday.  I like to spend most of the time we are together outside gardening, playing or doing projects.  The three girls are 3,5 & 6 years old. The 3 yr old seems to do better because she just does it!  No thinking of who is better or faster for her. We used empty powdered creamer bottles for the houses.  They had to sand them down, hope that helps the acrylic paints stick better.  They each had red, yellow and blue...the primary colors..on an old dinner plate.  I told them how to mix colors and they tried to get the colors they wanted.  I didn't do any painting at all!  The 6 yr old did flowered one, the smaller textured lookin one is by the 3 yr old and the far one by her sister the 5 yr old.  The older girls liked the idea of mixing their colors, but the little one just painted.  She got hers better covered with thicker paint, only the sun and rain will tell if her method was better. They played in the hose water, ate outside and made collages of the sea.  I forgot to take pix of the collages. :-(  I read 8 books, to them, when we went in for nap time (to get cool).  I NEEDED the nap!

Hollyhocks on the 4th

Finally, I have gotten to my 4th of July Plein Air sketches!  These are the hollyhocks along the fence we looked at as we enjoyed the BBQed ribs, and other goodies made by Mary, Bob and their family.  I have been trying to do brush and paint only sketches. NO pre-drawing.  I am going to try and "erase" the lines above the fence.  I was going to put in the house in the background and decided it would be too busy.  It was a chance to do plein air in hot windy conditions, a lot different than the group plein air I did. That day it was cold and windy, so cold that some folks left early.  This was a chance to learn how fast watercolors dry in the heat.

Nope, not the same...

This is not the exact same ATC that I have previously posted of a pink water lilly.  I did several of the lillies for the water exchange.  There are two pink ones and one yellow.  I will try and post pictures of today's day with crafts and kids.  I like to do "projects" with them and we had fun today.

Similar boat house ATC

This is another boat house in the exchange, I have painted it a couple of times.  I like the idea of water landscapes with houses or other structures.

After the storm..

After the storm is the title for this ATC.  I made two that were similar, this one has the gray sky and choppy water the other one has a sunny day.  Today was one of the nicest days this year, not too hot, no rain and only a little breeze. I want to finish planting my flowers tomorrow.

Oh, Oh ...oops

OOPs!  I forgot the last little strokes of paint on this one!  I took the picture of this one before it was really finished.  I added the fishing pole and line, before it went to it's new owner.  I didn't notice the missing items until I was posting it on the site for the exchange. So, you will have to imagine the person is in the motion of casting their line out into the surf and the line is in a lazy arc above the person.  It looks alot better with the added details :-)

Only a few drops today

Rain has missed us for a few days, today we had a few drops in mid morning,  then the sun came out.  It got hot, but the wind was blowing quite a bit, it kept us cool.  The few drops weren't enough to wet the sidewalks.  Now, we will probably start frying in the heat, rats to that!  This is another ATCs for the Water Exchange I am doing.  I did a couple of the rain with different colors of blue. Rain was on my mind since it was pouring rain for several days, almost needed an ark.

New owner for this one...

This pink water lily is at it's new home.  I sent it out on June 22 and it got to it's destination over the weekend.  I did several versions of the same composition using different colors.  I kept one for myself and sent the others out in the exchange.

'WHO ME?"

I like doing creatures in a cartoonish style.  I was doing ATC cards for an exchange with water as the theme, so I used an ATC idea I had over a year ago.  I redid it and gave it the title "Who Me?" T is now on it's way to a new home.  Hope the person who gets it likes my idea. 

the Older sister paints

Katie's older sister takes her painting seriously. For her Plein Air painting, Anna made hearts and fruits.  Of course, being 5 years old, she is more advanced in her work than her sister Katie :-)  I wonder if either of them or any of my girlies will be painting as adults?  I hope they get plenty of encouragement, if they do.  Anna is very deliberate in her art and Katie is a "just have fun" artist.  It is fun to watch all 6 of the girlies develop their "styles" in art and life. 

Katie paints....

Plein Air painting by a 3 yr old!  While I painted the picture in my last post, Katie painted this.  She was making worms and flowers.  She really enjoyed painting and didn't even make a mess of it. We did try blowing some water and paint around in the botttom part of her picture. She liked seeing the water turn colors when she rinsed her brush as much as actually putting the paint on the paper :-).  I have encouraged all of my GrandGirlies to try different kinds of art.  We both had fun.

Plein Air Sunday

Sunday our family went to a park with 2 nice lakes.  The smaller of the two was for kids to fish in..no adults.  So, I sat and tried to capture the small lake (while the kids fished) in the hot sun.  It is hard to paint greens in the full sun... they change when you take them inside. I don't think I got sunburned. 

Now that takes work...

    I used the same title for two of my ATCs in the current exchange...Now that takes lotsa hard work for me to do!  They both have arrived at their destinations. The only things that were alike in both of the pictures were trees and water.  I finally figured out my mistake.  I hadn't put the titles on the file pictures, just a number, next time I will include the names.  I liked this ATC myself.  I have done similar picture lots of times, back as far as the 1960s, some of them had a kid in a summer hat fishing off the dock.  I did them in watercolor, tempra paint & pen n ink. Guess this scene reminds me of myself and fishing.