Paint Party Friday June 5

Hi Everyone!

I hope your week has been a good one and all of you are safe. This AM I worked in my garden then had to come in because of the @%^&#$% wind. (You can use your imagination of what my potty mouth just said. LOL) The wind is relentless here. 

Anyway, I went to my art room to float away in some kind of abstractness. This is what I painted. When I was done I thought that this is my abstract forest.

 I created this piece for Rains TAD. The prompt is "Your Dream" You can see the post here

 I also wanted to share some photos of my garden. I am so happy with it.

In Florence most yards go dormant in summer. The soil is sand and it would cost a fortune to keep it watered. That is the main reason for the garden in containers. Bad sand soil. 

These are in my yard. I have more more more on my deck.

These are all companion plants growing healthy.

I already have squash blossoms.

Potatoes growing in a canvas bag. 

This is a large bowl of lettuce and baby spinach from my garden.  The lettuce is full of flavor.

It is a wonder anything grows with the wind we have here. Every day I have to cover all my plants to protect them from this. 

I am linking up with Paint Party Friday and the lovely Eva and Kristen who host every week.

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Rain's Thursday Art Date Your Dreams

Hi Everyone!

Thank you to all of you who sent well wishes for the injection I got for my feet. They are feeling much better now. My feet have to do the lupus plus getting older not a good combination. LOL I do have a very fine doctor though.

 

Today is Thursday Art Date with Rain. Each week she has a prompt and this week is 

" Your Dream"

Immediately I thought of my actual dreams, vivid, in full color, speaking with people, fighting and feeling the hit. Since I was very little my dreams have been this way. When I was 5 yrs I had a dream of a baby bear coming up our stairs and into my room. The bear was peaceful but I was afraid of it. I ran into my parents room for safety but couldn't wake them. I had to face the bear. I had to face my fears as a little girl. In the dream the bear licked my face and we flew away together. That is only one of hundreds of dreams that I remember. So I thought paint something that takes me out of fear and the muck into the light. 

Then, I thought "Your Dreams" What are my dreams for life? What am I passionate about and how do I make those dreams come true, or not. Do all dreams have to come true? Or is it enough to just have a dream (s) to sustain you? I have a life time of dreams that have come true. I have more that I keep tucked away and maybe one day I will see them. Our dreams change with time and age. I find most people keep their dreams to themselves. One of my dreams is to be content where I live. Finding a path to this dream is not easy. 

What is a dream of yours?

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

PAINT PARTY FRIDAY LEATHER TUT

Hi Everyone!

Today I am joining in with Elizabeth for her Second on the 2.

I have had comments and emails on how I create some of my leather art.
This is pryo on leather.

This post comes from July 2016

I took a piece of tanned cow belly and drew a horse. I thought I need some color in my life and got out the wood burning tool and some ink pens.  I am not quite finished but it is coming along

Here is how I created this.

Ink on Leather

21x12"

 Begin with tooling leather and draw  a simple horse head with a #2 pencil. 

Press firmly so the leather indents.

   With a wood burning tool go over the lines of your drawing. 

  Have a bowl of warm water and a small sponge on hand along with your pens.

Where ever you start to pen in color be sure that the leather is moist. This will allow the color to penetrate the leather better. 

 You can add more drawing and burning as you go.

Let me know if you try this.

 

Nicole/Beadwright 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

It's Beer Thirty

Hi Everyone!

Well it's beer thirty. I deserve it. I just returned from the foot doc and YIKES! I had to have an injection in my foot. If  you think that doesn't hurt then you have never had a needle in your foot then a sloooowwwwww push of cortisone and lidacane. Mr. M. drove and helped me in the house. By tomorrow I will be full footed and dancing again. For now it is beer thirty.

Have a great night, I am. LOL

                        Oh am linking up with T Tuesday and the lovely Elizabeth's blog.
 

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Lazy Sunday

Hi Everyone!

I hope all of you had a relaxing, creative weekend. My Saturday was busy but today I said the heck with it all and watched a movie. Ya know sitting in a chair and actually watched it. I finished this painting, and talked to my kids and grand kids. My Son's birthday was yesterday, I can't believe he is 51. OMG! It's crazy when your kids are middle aged. I said something to him that was a "mom" thing. He laughed and said, "Mom, I'm a big boy I can handle it." Your kids are always our babies no matter how old they are. 

So here is the painting I am working. I wrote that it is finished but I don't think it is and there are a few things to fix up. Maybe a fiery wash over the greenery.

Enjoy your evening. 

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

TAD PPF and Eyes

Hi Everyone!

My eyes are a bit better today. Staying off the PC and resting them helps a lot. I called my ophthalmologist and with covid they are putting people on a list and calling us when there is an opening. I do have an apt in August that was made before the shut down. I will try to get to as many of your blogs as I can in the next few days.

Thursday Art Date with Rain is a good one this week. Cracks and Crevices. 

That covers a lot of territory. However, since I have not been able to create anything new I am showing faces that I have drawn with wrinkles. Ya know those kind that never go away. LOL

This is one of my favorite. 

He is framed and hangs in my living room.

An old Fisherman with wind weathered wrinkles.

Crevices?

Bridge of nose and forehead crevice.	Happy cracks and crevices.
If she keeps making faces like this those will not go away.	OH yeah cracks and crevices.
Lines of a gentle man.	My car art put to paint.
Cracks and crevices of molded leather.	I think she is beautiful.

Even though these are all older art I hope you enjoyed them. 

I am linking with TAD and PPF

Hope you are all well.

 

Nicole/DVArtist

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Can't See

Hi Everyone!

Quick note. I am having serious vision problems today. I promise as soon as this subsides I will catch up on all of your blogs. 

Be safe and take care 

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Paint Party Friday May 22

Hi Everyone!

Here it is Paint Party Friday. I am going to show a painting I posted a few days ago and one I finished last night. I am happy with both of them.

Here is the one from last night

I call this "Inside a Flower"

This is an 18x24" gallery canvas that has been used before.

 I painted it black and with the paint I already had on my pallet started laying down peddles. The more I painted the more I felt like I was inside a flower. Hope you like you.

To see a larger view click on the picture.

I am so happy how this turned out
and if you would like to see how I created it
click here

To see a close up of this click on the painting.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I do love hearing from you.

Nicole/DVArtist

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

TAD with Rain

Hi Everyone!

I am running late. I slept in, something I find I am doing more often these days.  

Today is Thursday Art Date with Rain. Her prompt this week is
Round n Round. I did find some art that would fit the bill.

Up until quite recently I created beading patterns in many different stitches.

This was a huge seller.

 Round n round pastel on my Nicole's BeadBacking fabric.

Water color

Glass Cabochon I made

and here is another glass cab.

Have a great day and no matter what your state or country is doing as far as "opening" up

be very careful and safe as you can.

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Acrylic experiment

Hi Everyone!

I wish for all of you to have the very best day that you can have. 

I am excited about this experiment that I did with acrylics. 

 I have been wanting to create something like this for a long time and until I saw a Bob Ross video I had an idea. Most everyone knows Bob Ross and that he is an oil painter. I paint both but for this I want to see if I could take his techniques and apply them to acrylics. A few years ago I made my own clear flow medium for acrylics and soooo this is what I created.

Scroll down to see how I painted this.

 I started with a 12x16" black gallery canvas

 Using white acrylic paint I dabbed in the background

and allowed to dry. Bob Ross used gesso but I am out of gesso.

 Using black acrylic paint I put in the trees and fore ground 

        and allowed to dry. Again Bob used black gesso. 

                                 Then I applied a coating of my acrylic flow medium.                            

Now for the fun part. What I basically did was put a glaze over the black and white.

I started at the corners and worked down the canvas with Phthalo blue. I went back over the

corners with Prussian blue. I painted the fore ground with Indian yellow and then blended in

a mix of Sap green and Crimson for a darker appearance.

I did find that I had to add a bit of the flow medium 

to my brush to get the right effect.

With the white paint I added the light and rays.

I think it turned out pretty well and I will use this effect in the future.

Note I did use the colors of paint that Bob Ross did.

Recipe for the acrylic flow medium. I mixed these because I didn't find either one work very well on it's own.

Mix about 40% of a slow drying medium to 60% of a flow medium then add

some airbrush medium until you get a smooth texture. You can actually make this as thick or loose as you like. Keep it in a tightly covered jar. It will last forever.

Have a creative day today.

Nicole/DVArtist

 Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Monday Canvas

Hi Everyone!

It's Monday, it's raining, and I have a million things to do today. I am making a list and trying to get each item finished, but come hell or high water, ( which here it may be high water. LOL)

I am going to paint this canvas. 

I have this idea in my head and I soooo want to get into the art room.

a 24x18" Pro gallery canvas. Wish me luck.

What are you doing today?

Nicole/DVArtist

 Honor and integrity in art, in life.

The Movie Joker

 Hi Everyone!

I have had a very busy day and now am fixing fried chicken, potatoes, corn and homemade biscuits oh and country gravy. This is NOT the type of food Mr. M. and I normally eat. However,  last month this chicken was on sale so I got it. I told Mr. M. "Hey, it's food". Also I am not frying the chicken in oil. My new pan doesn't require it.

 I don't know why I told all of you that. Who cares what I am fixing for dinner. LOL

I mentioned in my previous post that I watched the movie "Joker. Debra from She Who Seeks asked what I thought about it.  

For those of you who DON'T know,  I AM the macabre queen. I love scary, weird, strange, sci fi, zombies, skulls, and aliens. I do NOT like slasher or gore.  So when I saw the previews of Joker, I thought it was something I would like. 

For me the movie felt disconnected from any story line. The Joker was mentally ill and had a laughing tick. There were flash backs and flash forwards that, for me made the movie disjointed. I never knew if he was hallucinating or it was the real thing. Mr. M. and I could not wait for the movie to end. The ending was hmmm stupid, and very disappointing. On a good note, Joaquin Phoenix played the part he was given very well. He makes for a good crazy guy.  Of course this is just my opinion, 

I wouldn't watch it again. 

Nicole/DVArtist 

Honor and integrity in art, in life.

Sunday May 17

Hi Everyone!

I hope your Sunday is a good one. So far it has been good for me. I HAD to go to the grocery store today. I made sure I was there right when they opened. Perfect time for shopping. I got what I needed. I have not been in this store for over a month and I was surprised at how much food and other supplies are missing. There are notes saying the warehouse is out. Almost everything was rationed. They did have 25lb bags of flour from a distributor that I did not recognize. No, I didn't buy that. The people that were there shopping were all masked but one man. I noticed a girl about 8 years old standing by the doors that go to the back room. She did not have a mask on.  I didn't think anything of it, only that I wondered where her mom was. Later, as I went to the bakery isle, I saw here again standing alone but realized she was with a guy that was stocking part of the shelves. He didn't work at the store he was an independent. As I got closer the girl began to cough. NO mask, and obviously never been taught to cover her mouth. I turned on my heals and went down the next isle. They followed me out of the isle to the doors for the back room the girl waited while her dad went through the doors. Now, I get it. Day care, a person to come in and watch your kids, or even a relative is hard to come by. So maybe he didn't have a choice but to bring her. But REALLY you don't have a mask for your child? The dad was wearing a mask. I find it pretty appalling. I phoned the store when I got home but the manager wasn't in yet. That is my gripe for the day. LOL

Last night, while I was waiting for the movie, "Joker" to come on, I sat down to paint. I didn't want to pull colors and I already had black and white out, so thought I would paint some clouds. From there I just painted. I like how the brightness in spots came out. 

Just a doodlely painting. 

Well it is starting to storm again. I need to go cover my plants.

Have a great day.

Nicole/DVArtist

Honor and integrity in art, in life.