Some peeks into my sketchbook

I am trying to paint a bit every day - my journal is filled with pictures but few words. I speak with my paints about the things I see, read, and remember.  Even though I live in south Florida just 3 miles from the ocean, I can still see mountains, rivers, and rocks in the lands in my mind; and I can imagine a young girl who becomes a swan in a fairy story.

Chris

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A new painting

 I am trying to use every free moment right now to do the things I have to do so I can carve out blocks of time to paint and create.  This painting is my interpretation of one  in An Introduction to Flower Painting by Elizabeth Harden. During the workshop that I took last week, I was introduced to a wonderful painter from the UK, Shirley Trevena, and would love to get her books. However, funds are slim so I put them on my wishlist and hopefully will get them for my birthday later this year.  I thought that I had seen some of her work before and when I got home, I dug through my watercolor books about painting flowers - I discovered that she has several paintings and a tutorial in An Introduction to Flower Painting by Elizabeth Harden so I was thrilled and  also inspired by the many great painters who are highlighted in the book, so I have spent the last several days painting flowers.

Lots to do today - I want to bake some cookies to put in the freezer to have with our after-dinner tea in the evenings, and I need to finish some projects for submission and DT work.  My DH is almost recovered from his cold BUT guess who has caught it?!  Yesterday I vegged a bit - finished a book, watched The Social Network (very good!), and then worked a little on a fabric mixed-media project.

It's been a very productive week for me!

Thanks for looking,

Chris

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Orchids again

I know, I know, that I said I was going to move away from painting flowers - well, I started going to a painting group on Wednesday mornings, and one of my friends had some photos of orchids so........

One thing that I always find fascinating is how many different ways and versions painters can paint the same subject. My friend and I often paint the same subject but our styles and color senses are so very different that our paintings look very different. We want to have one group session in which everyone paints the same subject - won't that be fun to see all the variations?!

Gotta run - I'm working at the used book store today.
Chris

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Playing with paint and happy Ostara

Watercolor paint is such fun (but frustrating) to play with - I never cease to be amazed and awed by the way the colors mix, mingle, and blend on the paper

Sometimes the paint colors kiss, sometimes they mate, and sometimes they fight but the winner is always a bit changed by the loser.
AND then, there's always the challenge that Mother Nature provides

how can I ever begin to create such vivid colors as these - SHE is a master painter!

Joy to you on this Vernal Equinox!

Tulips on my table - another sign of Spring!

If you are here for the bloghop, go to http://chrisaiton.blogspot.com/2011/03/paperissues-blog-hop.html
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Chris

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A little madness in the spring is good for the king (and the queen too)!

Right now..........
I am painting flowers

I am enjoying our fabulous weather

I am relishing the soft pastels of spring (really on a color kick - my library got exploring colour by Julia Caprara through interlibrary loan for me - it was recommended on Julie Balzer's blog and is a fantastic book about - what else - exploring color! Filled with exercises on thinking about and experimenting with color - it is really a book about using color in embroidery but the concepts are perfect for painting or any other art - I am working on - no, I am playing with a personal color collection and am getting some great ideas for using color in my art)

I am drinking a cup of tea

I am listening to Immortal memory by Lisa Gerrard

 I am loving this little thrifted vase (I love to get these little things out from my linen closet - it's the best of both new (like shopping) and old (like cherished friends)

 I am loving all my new Jenni Bowlin toys (and the old ones too)

I am playing with my spool collection - putting on display some of the most spring-like colors

So, there you have it!

Yesterday I was pretty down - the whole Japanese disaster is beyond my comprehension and I feel such sorrow for their plight. Plus on a personal level, the bills are coming in for my little surgeries, and our home insurance bill came - up 15% - just killer for the budget!

BUT you just have to laugh in a black humor way when the Federal Reserve tells us that we have no inflation - I loved the story in the NY Times about the NY Fed chief talking to a crowd in Queens who were complaining about inflation in food and energy. He told them that we don't have inflation - after all, the new Ipad2 is the same price as the original Ipad - so the commenter said "Let them eat Ipads!!!!!!" and someone else said, "Well, you know, Queens is a tough audience!"  My DH and I were cracking up at lunch today, he made a joke about eating a "big mac" but I said if you got indigestion from eating your Mac, would that be a "mac attack"?  and of course it degenerated from there.......I am wondering though about how to season my old laptop - definitely some garlic and possibly some rosemary (for memory/remembrance, you know!!!)

Anyway, today I am enjoying the abundance of my life. I am truly thankful for my family, my home, my health, my cat, and my friends - and that includes you - thanks so much for reading!
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Chris

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Some older paintings and another cat

While I was visiting my son last week, I took photographs of some of the my paintings that I have given to him. These paintings were painted several years ago.

How funny it is that I did such abstracts early on, then got heavily into realism, and now I am beginning to move back to softer, less defined pieces.

This painting was done because my son asked me to paint a Colorado scene (we lived in Colorado until he was 11). I had absolutely no idea what I was doing but somehow it came out pretty well. Most people who see this from across the room in his living room think that it is a photograph.

AND NOW - to introduce you to my second favorite cat RAVEN.

 Raven selected my son for his caregiver/servant/worshipper/whatever. Raven is super gregarious and a real lap cat. He allows my son to pick him up and snuggle. You should hear him "talk". I thought Hana was vocal but Raven literally carries on conversations with you - he doesn't meow; he makes funny little "unh, unh" sounds, like little squeaks.

So I am off to paint
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Chris

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What's your favorite pastime?

The new challenge is up at These are a few of my favorite things blog and it is What is your favorite pastime. I love to sew and to do crafts, I love to read, I love to cook, and I love to paint with watercolors.  For this layout, I used a photograph of my palette and an actual small watercolor study that I did of a Bahamian seascape. The background paper is Prima, and the Steampunk elements are cut from a piece of Graphic 45 paper that was given to me. I added whatever seemed to fit: a vintage label, stamps, feather, vintage flowers, and a brooch from my collection.

Be sure to come over and check out the fabulous layouts by the Design Team and then show us your stuff!!!!
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Chris

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Animal, vegetable, or abstract

Just playing in the studio today

I will let you guess what this painting is supposed to be or not to be

Warm today but cloudy and we just had a little shower

which we needed badly - they had to close I-95 in the county just north of us because of forest fires and we can actually smell the smoke

I have Beef Bourguignon (recipe from the Barefoot Contessa) simmering on the stove

it is a complicated recipe but I love to make it at least once every winter

I had a very happy surprise this morning:

I won a $25 gift certificate to Joggles.com from the Sketchbook Challenge blog - Yay!

Joggles sells mixed media, drawing, doll making, and other types of craft supplies

I am super excited - not sure yet what to order because they have such fantastic stuff!

Hope you are having a great day!

Chris

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