12-31-2023 El Gorrito...La Muerte....

#letsmakeart #sketchaday #13_ElGorrito

#letsmakeart #sketchaday #loteria #14_lamuerte

12-30-2023 Sketch for Next Painting...

#letsmakeart #sketchaday

#cookbookartjournal 

#lifebook2022 #week42.1 

 #andreagomollinspired

#fillyourowncupfirst

Layer 1...

Layer 2...

Layers 3 and 4...final...

12-29-2023 El Valiente...

#letsmakeart #sketchaday 

#loteria #12_elvaliente 

#VolodymyrZelenskyy

I thought I would add a picture of his face

to make it obvious

who I am making the Valiante of my deck...

since I am not yet able to draw

realistic and recognizable faces!

12-28-2023 A Bird Song...Happy Birthday Bro!

#letsmakeart #sketchaday #illustrative 

#letsfaceit2024 #angelakennedyinspired 

#abirdsong

Today's painting...

I'm trying the 'illustrative style' of art...

And Happy Birthday to my brother!!! Love you!

12-27-2023 A Bird Song...PopSocket...

#letsmakeart #letsfaceit2024taster 

#abirdsong #angelakennedyinspired

Today's freehand sketch

for my next painting...

My PopSocket broke today...

I could not function without it...

so went and bought a replacement...

12-26-2023 Sacred Stones...

#letsmakeart #lifebook2022 #week41.2 

#melanieriversinspired

The stone

is our sister.

She is ancient.

Her energy is gathered through time.

Her wisdom earned

through the years.

She is solid, 

holding space

for the inward journey

drawing out hidden truths

so that balance, nourishment and

tranquility can be found.

She is waiting for you

to seek out stillness.

Accept her guidance

and find your own inner knowing.

Medicine from the ancient Stone People.

They have lived so long

with what they have experienced,

all the hardships and all the joys

and have been able to find stillness.

They have many wisdoms to share with us.

What qualities do the stones have

that I can learn from?

What teachings do they have?

What do I admire about these stones?

How do I feel with these stones?

What can the sacred stone people 

teach me

about being healthy and strong?

~Melanie Rivers

I have always loved stones.

Even as a child.

I now have quite a collection

of beautiful stones

that I hold in my hands

when I need to ground myself

as the storms of bad memories and PTSD 

blow into my mind.

They sit quietly with me.

They hold space for me.

They allow the hidden truths to draw out of me

so that I can once again find a semblance

of balance, tranquility, nourishment of soul.

I seek stillness with her.

I accept her guidance

and find my own inner knowing.

Thank you, Melanie, for this art meditation with sacred stones.

It touched my heart more than you will every know!

Here are some of my favorite grounding stones right now...

Layer 1...

Layer 2...

Layer 3...

Layer 4...final...

12-25-2023 12_El Valiente...

#letsmakeart #sketchaday 

#loteria #12_El Valiente 

This is my first rough draft for #12-El Valiente...

still have a few changes to make, 

but I'm happy with the basic outcomes far.

Can you guess who I have chosen

to be the Valiente for my deck of cards?

I still have work to do on his face!

I may just collage his face onto the sketch!

12-25-2023 Merry Christmas...

(A green clad Santa from a 1909 postcard) 

12-24-2023 Bokeh Manger...

#letsmakeart #letsgomakeart #letsgomakeartwatercolor 

#bokehmanger #sarahcrayinspired

Wishing all a Merry Christmas.

12-23-2023 The Nativity...

#letsmakeart #letsgomakeart #letsgomakeartwatercolor 

#thenativity #sarahcrayinspired

12-22-2023 Three Wise Men...If Kids Ruled...

#letsmakeart #letsgomakeart 

#threewisemen #sarahcrayinspired

We took our daughter and granddaughters

out to lunch today at a Mexican Restaurant.

We all ordered our meals

and GD#1 also ordered a fried ice cream for dessert.

Before any of the meals came out (including hers),

the waiter brought out her ice cream!

And she said,

"If kids ruled the world,

this is how it would aways be...

dessert first!"

And she proceeded to eat her dessert first,

then her meal,

then some of mommy's meal too.

12-21-2023 Vintage Santa...

#letsmakeart #letsgomakeart 

#vintagesanta #sarahcrayinspired

12-20-2023 Hanging Ornaments...

 

12-19-2023 11_El Melon...Christmas Star...

#letsmakeart #sketchaday #loteria #11_elmelon

#letsmakeart #letsgomakeart 

#metallicstar #christmasstars 

#sarahcrayinspired #aaronburdeninspired

12-18-2023 9_El Barril...10_El Arbol...

#letamakeart #sketchaday #loteria #9_El Barril

Life is like a barrel full of monkeys!

#letsmakeart #sketchaday #loteria #10_ElArbol

12-17-2023 White Christmas...

 

12-16-2023 Christmas Roses...

 

12-15-2023 Snow Rabbit...Snowy Lantern...La Botella...

Let It Snow...Let It Snow...Let It Snow...

12-14-2023 Abstract...Soaps...

#letsmakeart 

#lifebook2022 #week41.1 #doripatrickinspired 

#cookbookartjournal

The Gas came over after school last night

and made some custom bars of goat's milk soap

for some Christmas gifts for family.

They love doing this each year.

I forgot to take pictures...

of them making the bars

and of the finished bars. 

Oh well...

I still have the memories.

12-13-2023 Winter Snowstorm...Gifts From Auntie...

Thought I would have a go at the "Winter Snowstorm"

one plain

and one with salt.

While I'm not in love with either,

"I'm not mad about it" as Sarah would say...

just learning some new techniques

with some new (to me) art supplies...

powdered pigments!

It was certainly a mess to work with...

glitter everywhere!

Plain...

and with salt...

Plain...

with salt...

I think I prefer the one with salt.

Which do you prefer?

The grandsons have begun receiving

their monthly subscription gift boxes

from their Auntie!!!

12-12-2023 Friendly Snowmen (takes 1 and 2)...

12-11-2023 QC Brass...Comic Book Store...Wonky...

Last night DH and I attended the QCSO Holiday Brass concert.

It was fabulous as usual.

And my grandson

(who loves and creates his own comic books!)

got to spend some time (and money)

in an actual comic book store!

So exciting for him!

I bet he came home with a few goodies!

Thank you mom and dad!!!

And this morning's painting...

a wonky, loose portrait using non-traditional colors...

Christa Forrest inspired...

LB2022-Week 40.2