Doors & Love

I love doors

 so when Nancy, our IA sister 

selected "Doors" as this week's challenge

i knew it was going to be fun sharing these with you.

this colorful door just has to belong to an artist!
it's inspires creativity just looking at it.

and this charming round red door seems to
belong to  some very happy folks don't you think?

The most romantic door is from Paris,of course!
la Amour ~  la Amour ~

This light blue asymmetrical door really beckons me!
It is so interesting and so very compelling
i just have to go in! i don't know what it's like inside
but i know i will love it!

 when i was a girl, i wanted to live in a tree,
not a tree house, but inside a tree with a rounded door!

When i was first married  my husband
i told him about my little fantasy.

A few years later we were able to move into our own home.
It's a very small abode and didn't have a front closet
for all the coats and jackets needed here in Vermont.

So my hubby went to work building a coat closet for us.

and then  he surprised me
with
this
door

Now that dear reader is how
a door can show love!

note.... the closet and door are plumb, but the camera skewed it.
and see the twisted corners of the closet?
they were re purposed legs from my old hope chest
that had fallen apart
and then painted white

*most door pictures courtesy of pinterest *

still feeling the love & lessons learned

I'm still feeling the love of the landscape.

Since I last wrote about the new direction for my art

I have painted four new landscapes.

"Green Mountains" 8x8

I did another, 5x5, that is on it's way to a friend 

who sadly moved away from Vermont.

That and the 8x8 were a joy to paint!

The one below was not! 

First i struggled with the size & shape. 

I have been so accustomed to working on a small scale,

that even though it was only 8x10, it threw me off.

I eventually  got my proportion & layout to suit me;

but I also struggled with the canvas itself. It was a different brand

and although it was tripple gessoed, 

it soaked up the paint like a sponge! 

Is there a difference between 100% cotton and "cotton duck"?

"Green Mountains" 8x10

and then there's this!

"Autumn" expressive abstract 8x10

I know it's a bit out there but I couldn't wait

for autumn to come to me, so i created my own autumn.

For this one I just let myself play in free loose strokes.

~

What I learned from these last two paintings is:

* there are differences in canvas

* and I need larger brushes for larger canvas! 

( I knew that, but i kept reaching for my favorite brushes 

which were too small- next time I will hide the smaller brushes!)

UPDATE 9/29/13:
 It's a year since  I wrote the post &  I have found i really do like the larger canvases... for me that is 8x8 - 12x12, they are perfect for mixed media paintings.  Oh i re worked that last painting... it's funny but i cringe when i look at that now!

Party Gifts for You!

You have heard about the party haven't you?

The wee folk, fairies and their friends

are having a party

and Inspiration Avenue with 

all of their friends

are invited.

And you know that where there is a party

there often are presents.

But when the fairies hold a party,

there always are presents!

Inspiration Avenue has fun "freebies" to help

with your party and for you.

And they also have "give-aways"

wonderful gifts for you!

It's so easy to win one of the gifts.

Just go to the I.A. party page to learn how.

I created this art to wear necklace for 

the Inspiration Avenue Give Away.

This fanciful fiddlehead fern is hand drawn

painted in watercolor and under a glass dome.

plus

I created another necklace that 

I will give to one lucky reader of my blog!

Details will be on the day of the party

right here!

See you at the party!

get ready for a party hop!

Wait just a second before we speak of the party...
The theme for this week's Inspiration Avenue's challenge 
is Fairies! and was brought to us by 
one of our newer but already invaluable
IA sisters, Lou Anne.

Here is my entry

  the background is one of my collages that i 
played around color wise
and the fairies are 
courtsey from IA sister Maggie
 ~

Now, the fairies told us they are having a tea party

& invited Inspiration Avenue

and all their friends

to share in the festivities!

here's your invitation

for the Fairies Tea Blog Party

go to Inspiration Avenue for all the details

including info on give-aways and Fairy Freebies!

at Inspiration Avenue

there is a button for your blog

add it to yours and invite your friends!

So please save the date and come to join  in the 

festivities & merry making

with a little party of your own to share in

The Fairies Tea Party Blog Hop!

See you there!!

~ the Lay of the Land ~

Since i began this art journey in July 2011

i've been

observing, experimenting, learning, stretching,  growing, discovering.

When i started, there were two things i  really wanted

* to become a GOOD, & i mean a really GOOD artist

and

* to discover my style and become the best i can in it.

But when i look over my shop,

well quite honestly  it's a mess!

i'm all over the place.

There is no cohesive style.

I have learned recently that i like mixed media more than watercolors

and that even though it was out of my comfort zone, 

being more loose and abstract seemed to free me.

~

this is an abstract mixed media landscape

i did that really excites me!

~

and this one....

changed everything!

When i first went back to art, i tried acrylics and hated the medium because i couldn't get it to do what i wanted. But now with thanks to God (yes i pray about my art) and being brave, all the little lessons have finally come together! What makes me SO excited is that this piece is totally paint (acrylic) and the composition, technique & feel is exactly what my vision hoped it would be.
 I still have more to learn but nevertheless i have passed a hurdle and have found myself!
~
The Inspiration Avenue Teams  Challenge, hosted by Jenn of Just Add Water Silly, was "zentangles"
and in keeping with my new favorite theme "landscapes"
here is my entry

i added a hint of color because quite frankly i love color :)

Blessings & Joy to you all!!