Carla van den Berg - WOW! and a little sketch

Here's a sad little girl I sketched last night in my journal.
"Why" does it hurt so bad.

I recently discovered this artist on you tube. She has a huge assortment of mixed media techniques and it's really fun to watch her create!

She also has a series of videos called the Traveling Painting. 7 artists each add their touch to a canvas and it's fun to see their creativity and imagination and how the painting turns out.
Sorry this video shows up twice!

IF-'Adapt'

Sometimes things happen that we just were NOT prepared for, but we learn to 'adapt'.

Just a quick little sketch because I'm going to really push myself to participate in this challenge weekly :)

Reflections

9 x 12 watercolor paper

Reflections - with Narration from Project Overseer Productions on Vimeo.

At 7:04 pm this evening CST.........

I will be FIFTY years old (young)! One of my favorite email quotes:

Motto
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intentions of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, CHOCOLATE in one hand, a MARTINI in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, WHAT A RIDE!'

Bubble Wisdom

Watch your words: they become your thoughts.
Watch your thoughts: they become your actions.
Watch your actions: they become your habits.
Watch your habits: they become your destiny.

I heard these words a few years ago and thought they were so meaningful and true! If we do our best to live honestly and be kind, we won't have to live in fear of bubbles bursting around us.

Can you guess?

What artist inspired me tonight? I added my own touches but I'm sure you'll be able to see who it is :)


Sooooooo, after a week of feeling under the weather I finally felt well enough to try get my ever growing behind on the treadmill tonight! I got my spankin' white New Balance walking shoes on, my sweatpants and Tshirt and was ready to go. Then my 80 lb. furkid looks at me, such hope in his eyes when he saw my get up and thought surely this meant it was HIS turn to go for a walk outside! After a week of sitting by the window watching other lucky dogs walk by with their LOVING owners, tonight just had to be his night!

Alright, I decide. You're right, Mieko. You are a good boy and it's not fair you've had to suffer this little set back right along with me, so out for a walk we shall go! Yeah!!! Tail waggin', tongue hangin' out......we're gone! We go about 6 blocks and then what? Yep, all the cough medicine and cough drops have given mom an upset tummy. We scurry back home just in the nick of time.

Maybe tomorrow will be better. A dog can hope ♥

Sunset Angel

I think some of the most beautiful colors I've ever seen are the pinks, purples and yellows in the sky at sunset! My dream is to someday paint those colors with clouds.........aww, it's so peaceful and beautiful! For now, my sunset angel will have to do :)

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! I'm enjoying the extra day to play!

IF-Cracked

This is my first attempt at doing the Illustration Friday word. This week's word is 'CRACKED'

I'm going to try and submit it now, but don't be surprised if it doesn't show up there. I'm new to this part! LOL


It's raining a little.....again and somebody REALLY, REALLY wants to go outside and play! Poor Mieko man!

Do you ever just want to quit?

Boy, being a little ill sure takes it's toll on me physically but mentally as well! This week I haven't felt like even walking into my work space and I'm finding it hard to imagine I'll even want to again. Sometimes I want to box everything up (hundreds of dollars worth of everything I just had to have to create my art) and donate it to charity! I took a sick day yesterday and did nothing but nap on and off during the day. I suppose I needed that.

Does anyone else ever get in ruts like this? I hope I snap out of it soon. I'm starting another online class in a couple of weeks so I sure hope I do. I'm sure it's just that I'm drained and the ambition to do anything just isn't there right now.

Thank you to ALL of you who have posted the past couple of days to my blog. I promise to snap out of this funk and will try have something of interest to post and share with you soon :)

Have a super weekend!
Darla

I hit the jackpot!

I went to an estate auction tonight and bought a box of old books. Look at all the art books I got! There are 3-4 (on the bottom of the pic) that are just a collection of prints, ready to frame. Oh what fun it will be to study some of these! Most of these books were given to the recipient as a gift in the 1940's according to the notes inside. There's also a whole book of cat sketches, ready to frame. The atlas will be so much fun to do some collage work with.

You wouldn't believe this auction. They were actually going to auction the home too but it was SO run down. Only one person showed a slight interest in it so they couldn't auction it off. It was a house, built in the 50's that had absolutely nothing done to it over the last almost 60 years. I don't even think they painted a room! Old linoleum flooring with holes worn through it. Filthy, dirty walls, old kitchen, a bathroom that had so much mold and grunge it could have been an out house from the 1800's. Seriously.

The foundation was caving in and the house just needed a total gutting out or possibly tear down. Want to hear the really strange part? The man recently passed away and his wife just went in the retirement home. They were millionaires. Rumor has it they were worth 30-40 million dollars and they lived like this. It really was unbelievable. No children, only distant relatives.

Odd, the people we think are so financially successful are probably just in debt up to their eyeballs and the ones who live like this are the ones that have the money but refuse to spend it.

My cold has to get better soon. It's at the stage right now where I'm wishing I had a neti pot! Hopefully I'm in the worst of it and it will lighten up soon.

Good night all!
Darla

Folk Art Green Apples

Here's a funky little folk art style canvas with a pair of green apples.
10 x 10 canvas






I'm coming down with a bad head cold so I'm not too 'wordy' tonight :( I'll be back to my chatterbox self soon!

Have a nice evening,
Darla

Are you ready for this?

Saturday my family and friends decided to throw me a surprise birthday party :)
This first photo is taken right at the beginning, I'm laughing and just so tickled that they'd go to all this trouble!

Later, after a glass or two of wine, I have pom poms tucked in my front jacket pockets and posing with my two friends that I've had for 38 years! Love them! We had the fire pit going so this picture seems a little hazy, probably from the smoke.

Then we have the bright idea to head uptown and celebrate some more. Karaoke! I always said there wasn't enough booze in a bar to get me singing. Wrong!

I don't know who stuck these on my face, but it's amazing how someone who hates having their picture taken will pose in circumstances such as these.

I actually turn 50 the end of this month so this was a total surprise. I LOVE my family and friends and I will get them back with all my heart. I promise! hehe

Completed!

I finished up the girls :)

I'm heading out this morning to a first communion for Dale's grandson. The sun is shining and I'm hoping for a beautiful day!

Oh, oh, oh!
I also signed up to take a 12 week painting course from Tim Gagnon!

I've watched his you tube videos for awhile now and when I saw that he's offering instruction on his technique, I just had to sign myself up! I just love learning new things.

Did anyone watch Farrah's story last night? I recorded it and am going to watch it again and again. It really makes a person think. I need to become more grateful for each and every day. Why is it I need someone to tell me this sometimes? Crazy.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!
Hugs,
Darla

Two Treasuries♥ Thank you!

Thank you to Happy Bug Designs for including my Margarita girl in her treasury!


I'd also like to thank Ellemar Designs for adding my Moon girl print to her treasury!


What a wonderful honor :)

Stage two completed-Need eyebrows!

Ok, I've added a few more details, some shading but we need to get us some eyebrows for sure! And wording......I need to study them more to come up with the perfect phrase. At this point, I'm stumped.

It's Friday! It's pay day! It's Hooray day!!!!

Darla

Work in progress & I've been tagged!

Just thought I'd post a little something I'm working on. These girls need much more detailing, shading, etc. but we're comin' along. This canvas is on it's third life. I first did a pair of green apples on a branch. Looked great in my head and on the background I applied? Not so much. It clashed, big time. Sanded down and started over.

Next in line was my attempt at doing a woman with darker skin tones. I've discovered I know absolutely nothing about dark skin tones, being the pale woman of Norwegian descent that I am. I felt sorry for her and sanded her away too with the sincerest of apologies.

Not sure where this one is going yet. Mother/daughter theme for sure, just not sure on the title and phrasing I'll decide on at this point. Maybe these two angels should represent the two previous paintings on this canvas that have been laid to rest :)

Have a wonderful day everybody! It's dreary here, a little rainy and to top that off I have two funerals to attend in the next two days. I've been a little down about turning 50 the end of the month but after 3 funerals in the past 30 days, I'm going to appreciate every year I'm given ♥

Thank you SO much Julie-Ann from Heavenleigh Art for tagging me!

The tagging rules are:

1. name your tagger

2. write six (un)important things that make you happy.

3 then tag six bloggers.

It's hard to pick unimportant things that make me happy so I'm going to include some very important choices too ♥

1. My children

2. My Mieko man (fur kid)

3. finding money in the dryer (it was more fun when others lived with me, now it's just my own, so big whoop)

4. Painting a canvas once without having to sand it all off

5. Bulldogs (the drink!)

6. Melted cheese.....on just about anything

6 tagged bloggers..........

Susan
Sascalia
Zinnia
Kat Hannah
Keke
Lisa

Look what I found.......

Title:

Cupidon, c.1875

Artist: William Adolphe Bouguereau

Title:

Les Anges, Le Mystere Seraphique

Artist: Joadoor

Wouldn't this be a copyright issue or because the original was 1875, has enough time passed? Just curious what your opinion is on this.

I found these on page 2 when I did a search on 'angels' at allposters.com

The boss is gone

Shhhhhhhhhh, I'm doodling! This is done on copier paper with a little retractable pencil :)
The twinkles in her eyes are courtesy of BIC Wite-out correcting tape. LOL


Another (done on my lunch break :) Tried new eyes.....is she looking to the heavens or just extremely bored?


From my journal. I like the one on the right. I wanna be her ♥

I miss you Mom

This is one of those days that I really miss my Mom. All the commercials, cards, dinner specials, etc. I just wish she was here so I could treat her special. But instead, I'll place another wreath on her grave. My mother died at the age of 44 from side effects of an arthritis medication she was given. I was just 22 and a young mom myself and felt lost. She loved to doodle and taught me to sketch a doggie face and horse face and I continued to draw them over and over as a child. haha I just know she'd have loved to learn to paint with me and we could have explored this wonderful cyber world of arts together had we been given the chance.

I just read a speech that she had written for a convention she was to speak at. One line in there has stuck with me for years. She wrote:
"I once heard that the best exercise for the heart is reaching down to pick someone else up"
I love that.

Anyway, to all you mothers out there, enjoy the day! I hope you are surrounded by those that love and adore you!!


And on a lighter note, I attended the Fargo Marathon yesterday (as a spectator!)
I had 2 sons, a daughter in law and a granddaughter participate! I'm so proud of them!

Ryan (my middle child) and Jeni (married to Derek), Cailee (9 yr. granddaughter) & Derek (oldest child)
They were awesome!!!

I'm so proud!

Just a little something I can relate to :)

Thank you Giovanna!

Giovanna bestowed upon me a beautiful award for being "alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive and inspiring". I feel very honored for this award. Thank you so much Giovanna!! I'd like to pass this award to other inspiring blogs. This is the hard part, choosing! I love all the blogs I follow and you all deserve this award♥

Arthur Simo

Michelle

The old oaken bucket

The cart before the horse

Susan Buckner

Paulette Insall

Original Artists on Etsy

Mystele

So is it obvious?

I haven't had the best luck in love? Tonight's journal entry and I don't know why!? I've been dating Dale now for over 3 years and things are just fine♥ I'm sure a shrink would tell me I'm holding onto some bitterness :)

Sleep well my friends, it's almost the weekend!!
Darla

Folk art pears?

Is that what I should call this latest piece? Or is it pop art? I really don't know!

Thanks for the comments! I'm adding a picture after I intensified some of the shading and sealed it.

Softball and paper clay (work in progress)

Ok, so back in the day when I was painting primitive items, I stumbled across an ebay seller with 10 softballs for sale. I just knew I had to have them and my plan was to paint on them and make primitive bowl fillers. Well, that never happened.

After taking a cloth and clay doll class I decided that maybe I should play around a bit with making heads. I discovered there is just no way to make a 'cute' face on a softball, not for me anyway. So I've exaggerated the features and will paint him up when and if he ever dries!

Not sure if I'll attach huge petals and make him the face of a sunflower or what. I need to think on this. He also will need a body but he might just have to be a sitting or hanging head if I can't come with that part of this grand plan either. hehe



I know he's ugly, but I still wanted to share :) He needs love too♥ He needs the most love actually. LOL

Please don't hate me for this

But I'm about to show off just a little :)







I won Tollipop's awesome giveaway and they arrived and they are SPECTACULAR! They are framed so professionally, I can hardly believe it! The artwork is so remarkable! Thank you so much Kirsten! Here they are in my bedroom! I bought a new mattress and box spring and it is heaven!! My new comforter is from Walmart (Better Homes & Garden Collection)




Ok, now I'm going to show you my original Monica Zuniga piece I purchased last December as a gift to myself for Christmas. I just love it!! I've had it leaning against the wall on top of a dresser since then, but tonight I attached hangers and put it up on the wall! It's SO beautiful!!


You'll have to try visit these talented ladies on their blogs! You WILL be inspired!

I think I'm heading to bed early. Not ONLY because it's a big, new marshmallow but I took Mieko on a 3.5 mile walk tonight and I'm a little out of shape after this long, long, LONG winter!

G'night friends!
Darla

A lovely award! Thank you Andrea!

Thank you so much, Andrea from Andrea T Designs for this fantastic award! I'm totally honored!
Andrea creates some of the sweetest mixed media creations I've seen! Please check her blog out when you get a chance. No, don't walk....run over there! :)


Here are the rules..........pass on to eight blogs, who can then choose eight more and will need to include this cleverly written text with it....These blogs are exceedingly charming,these are the kind of bloggers who aim to find and become friends.They are not interested in self-aggrandizement.Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are proper gated. Please give more attention to these writers.
below are a chosen few that I would like to pass these awards on to. It is always so hard to pick because I love so many blogs, but here goes. No particular order :)

1) Myrarte

2) Gifts of Creation Artist

3) Enchanted Inspirations

4) AmyRehnae

5) Bella Cosa Art

6) Susan Wymola

7) LoopyBoopy Art

8) My Little Place on Earth

Thank you too all of you for inspiring me and making me smile!
Please accept this award and pass it on to make someone's day so very special!

Are you in an Etsy treasury?

This is a great site to check to see if you are!
Craftopolis

I never really checked, thought people let each other know if they'd honored them with a treasury spot but I've found several lately that are featured and I never had a clue. Kind of fun!

Just type in your etsy shop name and then you can bookmark the site :)

Maybe you are all aware of this site and it's OLD news but I just learned of it. LOL

Darla

Store Window

Since I promised to show you a picture of the completed store window, here it is!
It's a fairly simple design but I need to keep it that way so it doesn't get too expensive. I charge $40/hour to do this and usually get them done in 1 to 1.25 hours. I never charge more than $50 for a window even if my design choice takes me a little longer. After all, they just scrub it off at the end of the season :)

I kind of drag my rear up there to do it but once I get there and get started it's actually fun. So many people stop to comment and visit while I'm doing it and many tell me they look forward to each season's new display. Once a little boy hung around the whole time and chatted non-stop. It was cute. He even told me HE has drawn a lot and went on to tell me he drew a picture of boobies once! (He's about 7 years old) I said, 'oh my, did your mother like your drawing?' hehe
He said, 'oh I never showed her!' LOL

It's nice and sunny here today and we're due for some rain the rest of the week so I'm hoping to get my first lawn mowing in right after work. Parts are still brown, other parts are green and lush and will be horrible if left much longer. Strange how the same lawn comes back to life after winter in such different time frames!

Have a super week!
Darla

More Birds

6 x 8 canvas


6 x 8 canvas


12 x 12 canvas

Please help me decide

I was asked to donate something to another fund raiser. This time it's for the Rainbow Garden located here in town. It's a beautiful place and so many people work (volunteer) so hard to keep it up. It was recently damaged from flooding and they need financial help to get it restored to the way it was.

I can't decide if I should paint something new or donate something I've got on hand! There are two pieces that I'm considering and I'd like your opinions :) to help me choose.

First, this is a little meadow landscape I painted on a 12 x 12 canvas board. My only problem will be finding a frame to fit it. I'm not quite sure how easily that can be done.



The other is this one due to the gardening theme:


This is a 9 x 12 and would be donated already framed. I'm just not sure which one would draw the most interest? The gardening girl could go in a little girl's bedroom or a sun room, etc. The landscape would possibly fit into more buyer's plans. I don't know.

Which do you think?


Today I'm headed to the local grocery store to paint the front window. I've been doing this for about 4-5 years now. I do a spring, fall and winter scene for them. It's fun but sometimes I start to run out of ideas because, well first of all it's GLASS and it's hard to paint anything too detailed without the paint pulling off if you overwork an area. Secondly, it's usually something I need to paint in a little over an hour. I don't want to repaint a former design so I need to keep coming up with new concepts. I think I'm going to do whoppin daisies this time and throw in some of my new birds that are whimsical and have super long legs. We shall see :)

I'll try to remember to take pics and share tomorrow.

I'm also going to wash my car! It's long overdue.
Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!!
Darla

A Trip to Rainbow Gardens

We have the most beautiful garden located here in Mayville! I met my son (Derek) and his wife (Jeni) there last summer to use my new camera. It's so beautiful! Here is a little slide show I made using the pictures from that night. My adorable grandbabies are Cailee (9), Nora (6) and Cutler (2)

I bet you thought North Dakota was just a bunch of snow and cold, huh? We have beautiful summers here too :)

Thank you Sophie!

I'd like to say a special THANK YOU to Sophie from Etsy Bits & Tips for featuring me and my Etsy shop on her blog today♥♥♥


She does a wonderful job of featuring different sellers and promoting Etsy! I just think that's so nice of her! Please take a moment to visit her shop too! (FunnyPeopleCo)

An Award~ THANK YOU!

Thank you so much 'So Blessed' (New Day, New Season) for naming me as one of your top 10 favorite blogs! Wow, with all the wonderful blogs out there, I feel truly honored! Please take a moment to visit her sweet blog!♥♥♥


Now....onto naming 10 of my favorites. Wow, I don't know where to begin! I enjoy SO many!

1) Michelle at The Studio at Crow Haven Farm Such cute dolls she makes!!

2) Adriana at Adri's Art oooooooooooh, love her work!

3) Renee at Circling My Head awwwww, Renee ... she is AWESOME!

4) Karen at Cotton Pickin' Ranch what a kind and generous soul!

5) Diane at Duda Daze so totally inspiring!

6) Halloween Artists...I love angels but am so intrigued with Halloween art too! GREAT stuff!

7) Julie-Ann at Heavenleigh Art Blessed with talent and kindness beyond words!

8) Liz at PrimOriginals - Such colorful and creative ideas! Love it!

9) Lisa at Transcript of a Significant Life What a talented writer!!

10) Val at Vania's Art Queen Sweetheart of Blog City!

Please, if you get a chance, visit their blogs and just see the magic!



Darla

We interrupt this blog for a very important message.

I just got my 200th ♥ on Etsy! Wooooooooooooohoooooooooooooo


Ok, as you were :)

Happy May Day!!

It's a beautiful, sunny morning and May 1st takes me back to my childhood memories of waking up and finding a little decorated dixie cup full of candy on my front step! It was so mysterious and fun!

Now I realize my Mother was probably doing this but she never did admit it. I was left to just wonder who my secret admirer was, but it was fun! And, well candy first thing in the morning.....you just can't go wrong on any level with candy! :)

A week ago I attended our church rummage sale and found a few surfaces to recycle. Here are 3 small frames, very thick frames (will stand out about 2" from the wall) but tiny prints. I tried painting angels on a black surface, something I've never done. I can get rather anal when trying to shade skin and the faces in general and this was a good experiment for me. I tried to just let it be a little more rustic and/or primitive.






I painted the frames black and then distressed them a bit. I think they look pretty cute in a grouping :)

Our small town newspaper comes out once a week and today I found this!



There it is, my auction donation piece! ha! Ok, so it's a small picture and it's on the back page but it still kind of made my day♥

Have a super weekend everyone!!
Darla