Gut Art Fish?

Yeah, I wanted to create the layered background and pull out a girl or angel or something but all I could see was a fish and bubbles so that's where it went :)

The writing says 'No bubble bursting allowed'
This fish (and myself while painting it) is in his happy place.

Ok, I need to shower and clean my house and then wait for the grandkids to come and scare me into giving them loads of sugar!

Darla

Happy Halloween!

Since I don't dress up myself, I thought I'd share a pic of my daughter in law (Jeni)!
She teaches elementary school and she was the Progressive girl yesterday :) Too Cute!



I'm off to Michaels.......again. For some reason those coupons make me feel I MUST use them. Michaels is 40 miles away so I always manage to get other necessities when I go. Groceries are SO much cheaper there than in my small town.

Hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!
Darla

What I learned today

Alcohol Ink bleeds through everything!



I really wanted to take Mystele's Gut Art class but I was too late and it was closed to sign ups when I checked. I've seen so many of her videos and I get the idea of what she is trying to teach so I decided to do it on my own, although I know the class teaches so much more and I will try get in on the next run!

I had purchased Alcohol inks awhile back and couldn't remember why I wanted them to begin with so I used them in making my background. They are not only permanent, but they demand to be seen........FOREVER! This girl has many attempts at covering up her flaw, but we had to learn to love it and leave it :)




Here is one wall in my office :)

Good night,
Darla

Blue Jay & a painting snowman

Ok, bird #2 is complete but not without a weeeeeeeee bit of frustration. I thought I owned every single color of acrylic paint ever made but I had none of the colors required for this, other than black and white. See? This is why instructions are hard for me! ha! I like wingin' it!

I have a color conversion book (somewhere) but I'm too lazy to dig it out and look up what colors would work best for replacement. I just used the closest that I could find. Hope you like him. Oh, and it's another Sharon Stansifer design.

I think my next challenge will be fur.......now to go dig through books and pick something out :)



And here's a little ACEO for your WINTER pleasure. It's supposed to snow here tonight or tomorrow. One of my favorite novels was 'A Rose in Winter' and this reminds me of that :)
(Trudy Beard design)


Have a great night!
Darla

Cardinal and some bunnies

Well, I tried a cardinal from a book I have authored by Sharon Stansifer called 'Painting on the Wild Side'. I've had it for years and it has some beautiful animals in it but I've never actually tackled one of her projects until tonight. Her design is on a beautiful muted greenish blue background but I just did mine on white watercolor paper for now. It was kind of fun and it challenged me to stay in the lines and follow directions. I'm not very good at directions :) so it's good practice all around for me! LOL



This is a little ACEO inspired by a Trudy Beard design.


Did anyone watch the Biggest Loser? I think they are really exploiting some of the contestants this year. I think they should do their little psycho analysis OFF camera. It's all so painful and personal and I just don't think it's fair to the participants. Plus.......it makes me cry! I still watch it season after season though because I just love the transformations! It motivates me and tonight after work, with a pulled muscle behind my right knee, I still made myself go 30 minutes on the treadmill! Woohoo!

Thanks for all your encouragement, tips and advice in my previous post. I value each and every one of you!! ♥
Darla

I'm still here.....hope you are!

I tried to paint a little last night and my hands just wouldn't do what my mind and heart wanted!
I'll try again tonight and hopefully have something to share again.

I had a sale over the weekend on Etsy. 25% off and got nuttin'. I hope it's not because what I love painting really sucks.

I hear more and more that many sellers (items) get lost in Etsy with the thousands of shops and after this weekend my head is really trying to crank out something that can be functional and still allow me the fun and joy I get from painting.

If people buy washable menstrual pads.......why can't I think of something to sell :)

Tonight I'm going to practice painting realistic (let's hope) birds. I have so many local requests to paint wildlife and maybe if I give it a try, I'll find I like it. I don't know. I love how painting funky, whimsical girls allows ME the option of how they are going to look. Painting animals might be too restrictive in order to get them to look nice. We'll see.

I'd also like to paint some things that I can have printed into greeting cards to sell. Does anyone have suggestions on how to print them myself or an online printer they can recommend?

Just had to stop in and let you know I'm still here and I hope you are too♥
Darla

Buffets are Evil~complete

She's surrounded by gas bubbles? What was I thinking? The background just happened and I went with it :)





Happy Friday everyone! I'm heading to Michaels tomorrow to buy some good colored pencils and maybe, just maybe a calligraphy set. I also need to find an outfit for my Godson's confirmation on Sunday. I'm plan to try on clothes before going anywhere near an 'all you can eat' set up of any kind! LOL

Darla

Sketching and a SALE on ETSY!

I'm soon ready for a new sketch journal.......this is honestly the best thing I've bought myself in the past year. And believe me, Michaels has seen me a lot and it's a 80 mile round trip :) I have gotten the most use out of this and have seen the most growth with this one simple item.

I love to sit and watch tv at night, in my comfy chair and just doodle away.
I did this one a couple of nights ago:


I did this one on my lunch break today:


Both of the girls look to be carrying a bit of an attitude, but that's just how they come out sometimes. Actually.....a LOT of the time. I guess I like the more sad and serious faces when I draw.

Anyway, if you have a sketch journal........great! If you don't, I highly recommend getting one. It's so fun for me to go back and see what I've drawn in the past 10 months and I hope to someday have several of these books piled up.

Starting tomorrow (Friday) I'm having a sale over there in Etsyland! 25% off....EVERYTHING!
I try not to push my Etsy store on anybody but I thought I'd let you know about this weekend sale...hope you don't mind. I consider you all my friends and not my prospective customers♥



Take care,
Darla

Work in Progress

Hoping I can finish this girl tomorrow night after a meeting I have to attend. It was fun to paint a larger painting and a girl again!

I'm leaning towards naming this one : Buffets are Evil :)

Thanks for stopping by!
Darla

Are ya hungry?

This is what I made last night while listening to The Biggest Loser on the television in the other room. How ironic! I was asked to make two pies for our church supper that is tonight and I really wanted to offer up something different. There is usually an abundance of apple and pumpkin pies and not much else to pick from.

I was just glad to be asked to bake this year. For the past 3 years my job has been to help wash dishes. It's not a fun job but it's actually nice to visit with the others that were blessed with the same chore! LOL Sometimes you just have to make things fun!

Here is my Chocolate Banana Pie. Note the yummy, dreamy image I played with in Picasa? I couldn't resist!

Since I can't cut into it, here is a picture I snagged on the web so you can see the layers inside!
Yes, that is cream cheese on the bottom :)

And here is the recipe! Chocolate Banana Pie

Here is my Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie!

Picasa dreamy pie love again! I wanted to make the filling from scratch and this recipe required that I stand and stir on low heat until the concoction came to a boil. This seemed to take forever! But I hope it's worth it in the end. Note the toasted coconut? Yeah, I was quite the homemaker last night :)

And here's the recipe Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie

Happy Wednesday!
Darla

Betrayal

A friend posted this on facebook and I thought I'd share. I actually feel sorry for the little guilty one but can soooooooooooo totally relate to the angry one!


Editors Note: MY PANTS ARE TOO TIGHT today! Good thing the 'Fitness Doc' was over at noon and serviced my treadmill. We've been apart much too long!

Hope you're having a great Tuesday!
Darla

Who's a brat?

I am! After pouting all weekend and whining to you all last night about a silly thing as trivial as a bad haircut, I felt really stupid!


I was definitely in a funk and my sketches last night are proof.


Fat girl with bad hair covered up with even worse scarf :)



Started as a girl with a cap but I turned it into my Illustration Friday piece. I don't think I'll post it over there because complete strangers might pop in here and see my recent rants. Embarrassing!

And since CHOP was the word for the day (in my mind anyway), I ordered the QVC Special value! Ninja Food Prep CHOPPER!

This, I am excited about!! Have you seen the infomercial? QVC had this for $53.12 and included 2 pitchers and 2 small containers so it was an awesome deal! Margaritas anyone?




I'm in a much better place today. I used goop and got my hair to spike a little so it looks a little funky......like it's meant to be cool or something. There are so many problems in the world and people suffering and I know MILLIONS would love to only complain about a bad haircut but have far worse troubles. I totally get it and I was a brat. I apologize. But.............

**Curse alert**
I KICKED MY OWN ASS and I'm a better person today :)

Have a super week!
Darla

My weekend

I found the cutest hairstyle when I went to get my haircut. I showed it to the girl and yeah, I KNOW I'm not as young as the model and it would be hard to get the look exactly, but what I got was so NOT even close it makes me cry. Seriously. She got busy telling this story and she just kept cutting. and cutting. and cutting.

When I stood up and looked at the floor she said, it probably looks like I cut a lot off but I just thinned out the bulk around the middle. Yeah. Alrighty then.

She hacked my hair off. I want to hide in my house for 2 months so I can get at least an inch back. waaaaaaaaa Today I'm actually wearing a bandana scarf......that's how bad it is. I look just like my brother. No kidding!

Anyway..........trying not to dwell on it I painted a little today.
Here is my attempt at grapes in watercolor. It's hard to layer and get the look I want in this medium but that's what this was......a practice :)


Then I went on to some less stressful ACEOs.


This is a little doxie......after my Dad's boy, Oscar.


A shade tree



October moon

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I've got a friend stopping by shortly so I'm hoping to really catch up good in the morning on your blogs!

G'night,
Darla

An award and my new $1 calendar!

Sanda from Sanda's Hobby Blog bestowed upon me this wonderful award and I'm so grateful!
Sanda, you are so encouraging and sweet and it totally makes my day when you pop in to visit!

If you haven't been blessed to know Sanda yet, please pop over to her blog and see her wonderful creations. A treat for sure!

This wonderful Deborah Award is about friendship and it states:
"Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest, but who came and never left your side"

I'd like to pass this on to a few of my wonderful friends as well!

Lori at Sugarberry Sensations

Susan at Cackleblossums

and Diana Evans

Truly amazing women and artists! Please visit them♥

Ok, here's my new calendar! Michaels has a pile-o-calendars for the new year and I just loved this rooster one!



I'm so inspired, not only by the roosters (and chickens) themselves, but the gorgeous colors and backgrounds! I think each one, framed after 2010 would be awesome :) Ok, so I suppose for only a dollar I 'could' go buy another and frame them now. haha I love good deals, don't you?

Have a great weekend!
Darla

Welcome to the country!

These are inspired by Debbie Toews. I have several (if not all!) of her books. She was a wonderful artist who was taken too soon by cancer.


Red Grainery- ACEO



Red Barn - ACEO



Another Red Barn - ACEO

It's more than obvious

That I'm having fun with watercolor and ink, isn't it? I love the whimsical, carefree, 'who cares how this turns out' FREEDOM it brings me :)


'Pumpkin Love' ACEO


'Winter Wonder' - ACEO


'Seaside' - ACEO


'The Pasture' - ACEO

And finally............ GO VIKINGS!

My little grandson, Cutler, all decked out in Yellow & Purple! :)

Thanks for stopping by♥
Darla

Snowfall

Pretty but YUCK! Last year we were worried if we'd get a white Christmas and this year it's coming before Halloween! See my crab apple tree? Still FULL of apples and they've usually fallen to the ground by the time snow arrives.

Oh well.......hopefully it will melt and we'll have a few more days of autumn. It's supposed to be 57 degrees here on Saturday! :)

Have a great evening!
Darla

My new leather desk chair

I don't know, but ever since I got my comfortable desk chair, I'm so content sitting and painting tiny landscapes! It's so calming to me and I wish I had learned to sit and paint a long time ago!

I know with larger pieces it's sometimes easier to stand and really get into the whole creative process (a.k.a. mess) but I'm liking this new perch I have and the whole sense of peace it's bringing me.

Of course, this is now and we all know that I could have a totally new perspective on this by Friday :)

The Old Dirt Road-ACEO


Serenity-ACEO

Thanks again for all the nice comments you left me yesterday! It's so sweet and I'm going to blog hop now and see what you've been up to :)
Darla

Monday night and ACEOs

This was one of those 'who cares how it turns out' cards and I was actually happy with the funkiness of it at the end :) It's a pear in case it's not coming through! LOL


Just a lonely, naked tree


A girl with dreams


Candy Corn Dumplin

More little girls

I've left these 'word free'. I think I'll list them on Etsy showing examples of the ones I made for my grandkids and give people the option to stamp a name on themselves or I can do it or they can leave it blank :)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! I babysat yesterday morning and took my grandchildren to the local college homecoming parade. It was so COLD!

Then the afternoon was spent doing a little shopping. I bought some printable inkjet fabric and a nice leather desk chair!!!!!! I'm excited to sit in comfort and paint. I taught myself standing at the kitchen counter and I'm finally to the point where I need to teach myself to sit and chill and create in comfort. LOL

Bless you all for checkin' in :)
Darla

I Will Wait for You

12 x 6 Birch Board

I Will Wait For You (Artist: Andy Williams)

If it takes forever I will wait for you
For a thousand summers I will wait for you
Till you're back beside me, till I'm holding you
Till I hear you sigh here in my arms

Anywhere you wander, anywhere you go
Every day remember how I love you so
In your heart believe what in my heart I know
That forevermore I'll wait for you

The clock will tick away the hours one by one
Then the time will come when all the waiting's done
The time when you return and find me here and run
Straight to my waiting arms

If it takes forever I will wait for you
For a thousand summers I will wait for you
Till you're here beside me, till I'm touching you
And forevermore sharing your love


I took a break from the whimsical little watercolor kids :)

A treasury and a question for you?

Thank you to Tins and Treasures for including my witch in her treasury!
It's always an honor♥


Now my question.......in your opinion, are you more inclined to purchase functional art verses display art? You know......an art pendant, painted glassware, a painted tote or painted hand towels etc. verses a canvas that just sits there? I love painting.......but I like seeing things go to a new home too so I guess I'm wondering how I can combine both here.

What's your experience, what do you think? :)
Thanks!
Darla

Just for fun

The Studio Crawl

I thought I'd share a little of my Saturday when I drove to Fargo and attended the Visual Arts Studio Crawl!
It was fun and VERY interesting. I was amazed at a lot (well, all!) of the art I saw. So many of these people are doing what many of us dream of..........creating art full-time.
There were SO many studios to visit and they were scattered a bit and not being familiar with the Fargo area so much, I had to pick the ones I wanted to see most.

My first stop I just stumbled onto purely by accident. It was the Upfront Gallery downtown where I saw a lot of unusual art~macabre but so very interesting to look at. One artist, Mackenzie Kouba was in the back and she came out once but I never dared to wander back and watch her because she wasn't actually listed on the brochure indivually. The 'gallery' was listed but not her name and she should have been. I would have loved to watch her work. Funky college art student :)


Upfront Gallery - Artist: Mackenzie Kouba


Another stop was Elizabeth Schwankl. She is a BEAUTIFUL artist, inside and out! Lovely, lovely person. She creates 'aluminart' which is hard to see in this photo, but in person it's gorgeous. I actually purchased a little piece of her work. It's all I could afford! LOL

Elizabeth Schwankl



Next was Ellen Jean Diederich. She's an amazing watercolorist and her home was opened to all. She's published books and has taught many people too!


Ellen Jean Diederich


Then there is Karen Bakke.....WOW! She does it all! Murals, watercolor, acrylics, and oils.
The city of Fargo has works of hers scattered all over! Murals in the hospitals and churches and a few special children's bedrooms. She's amazing and it was great to see her work in person!

Karen Bakke

What did I learn on this fabulous day? I learned that:
I. am. not. an. artist.
I. am. a. crafter.

But maybe, just maybe if I had the time to devote to it, I could get better and better too. This reminds me........I'm off to check my lottery tickets! Maybe I can punch out early today :)
For now, I will work to pay the bills and dabble as I do now for fun♥

Have a great week!
Darla