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Monday, December 27, 2010

Winter in My Garden

Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. My garden gate is always open for you to come in and sit down and relax with a cup of hot tea while I share with you the inspirations behind my paintings. The upcoming New Year is a wonderful time for reflection bringing with it an opportunity to say thank you to all of my new blog friends for your visits, comments and to those who follow my blog. I sincerely appreciate all of you and would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year filled with Good Health, Joy, and Peace and Harmony.
I am thankful for my good friends and family and love having the opportunity to share my art with them. Recently one of my friends stopped by for a visit and noted that my garden still has Winter color - our red and white Geraniums are still in bloom, in spite of the cold weather in Southern California, and our Paperwhites are glorious this time of year. Let's take a look around my garden to see what we found to paint a little garden painting for her. Bentley, my Studio Assistant, is not available to show you around today - he is visiting the "Pooch Express" for a bath.


Finding Inspiration . . . ..








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"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart." Psalm 37:4



After looking around my garden, my friend asked to have the yellow watering can, red bird house, Potting Shed sign, red Geraniums, and Paperwhites in her little garden painting.


The completed painting.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, comments and those of you who are following my blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special. I have had several requests to paint Winter pansies.


Have a lovely week and a very Happy New Year. Blessings, Erin

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Cottage Christmas

Welcome. I am so glad that you stopped by. My door is always open for you to come in and sit and relax with a cup of tea while I share with you the inspirations for my art. I have been busy for the past two months painting "Snowman/lady" door greeters to help raise money for several charities. I also painted some to give my family and friends for Christmas. Come in and I will show you what I have been up to in my kitchen and studio. for the Holidays.


I found some adorable place mats at K-Mart earlier this year and thought they would be perfect for Christmas. They are by Country Living and are beautifully made - reversible to a red and white ticking with vintage style buttons.



I love snowmen and always go overboard decorating with them for Christmas.













One day I will try making snowmen cookies - this year I made gingerbread men and traditional Christmas cookies.



You can see my collection of snowmen on my mantel.



Bentley, my Studio Assistant, thinks that I have gone overboard with snowmen. I hope you are not tired of seeing me post about them - I promise this will be the last post until this time next year.


I am having my fireplace chimney cleaned by "Oliver Twist" chimney sweeping company and hung our stockings on my old blue cupard until they finish cleaning - then I will hang them on the fireplace mantel.

Bentley has his own stocking (no it does not have any snowmen on it).


Bentley decided to explore his stocking to see if there were any "early" treats in it from Santa.

He thought he was in trouble and gave me that "sad" look when I discovered his stocking on the floor.


He even ran upstairs to hide in his favorite spot.

Let's go outside into the garden and I will show you what I did with the snowmen I painted for Christmas presents for my friends and family.



Our weather in Southern California has been so warm that our Iceberg roses are still blooming. Normally they stop blooming in November.




I place the snowmen paintings in my garden so that friends and family can pick the one they like to take home.










Surprise - a gingerbread painting - I painted this one last year.


More gingerbread men.


I love decorating my old vintage Rocket bicycle.




























"But the angels said to them, "Do not be afraid; I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10



"This will be a sign for you; you will find a child wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger." Luke 2:12



Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, comments and those who are following my blog. Please let me know if you would like to see me paint something special. I will be on a blog break until December 27th to work in my studio finishing several paintings for Christmas presents that I can't share with you until after Santa comes (never know who may be peeking at my blog). I am also working on a new painting for my blog banner and will share the inspirations with you.


Wishing you and your family a peaceful, joyous and happy Christmas Season.
Blessings and Merry Christmas , Erin

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Let's Paint a Pink Snowlady

Welcome. I am so glad that you stopped by My studio is always open for you to come in to sit and relax with a cup of hot tea while I share the inspirations for my paintings with you. Today I would love to show you how to paint a pink "Snowlady Door Greeter".

Bentley, my helpful Studio Assistant, is waiting to bring you inside to show you the inspirations for my Snow lady "greeter".






Last week I shared photos of snowmen door greeters I painted for a charity fundraiser and am very happy to report that the fundraiser was a huge success and everyone loved the snowmen "door greeters" and "wine greeters". We raised lots of money as well as collected lots of food, clothing and toys for Share Ourselves and Olive Crest Home for Abused Children. It was such a fun and rewarding charity show and a wonderful way to start off the Christmas Holidays.

I painted one snowlady for the fundraiser and attached her to a bottle of pink champagne. The "snowlady" was so popular I decided to paint more and thought it would be fun to share how to paint her with you.



Finding Inspiration



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Let's get started. I paint on canvas and used a 4x4 canvas for my Snowlady Greeter. First base coat your canvas, board, or slate in a light pink - next sketch your snowlady. You are welcome to use my sketch. Next paint the snow - I mix a little bit of lavender or violet with my white to give the look of snow to the body and face. If the carrot nose is hard for you to paint you can always make a coal nose and paint a little black circle. I painted her hat and scarf a crimson.




After you finish painting the nose - draw a smiling mouth and paint pink cheeks and add eyelashes to the eyes. Next sketch in roses on her hat and scarf and highlight with white.


Last - mix white paint and water on your brush and flick white paint on the canvas to add the snow. This is very messy - I put the painting in the kitchen sink to keep the paint from splattering. Add eye hooks on back of the canvas and thread a ribbon through to hang your
" snowlady greeter"





I added a black and white gingham ribbon and added some Holiday greenery and pink roses. The snowlady can be hung on a bottle of sparkling pink wine or champagne or hung on a door , gate or picket fence. Enjoy!



The above roses are from my garden - somehow our pink Iceberg roses are still blooming even though we have had cold weather and frost at night.

During this busy time of year with hectic schedules when patience may be short and time and money limited for so many :

" Love is patient; love is kind." Corinthians 13:4

Thank you for stooping by. I sincerely appreciate you visits, comments and those who are following my blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special for the Holidays.
Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin