Winter Sunset and A New Year!

winter sunset over the reservoir, 12/30/10

I took this photo yesterday at the walk trail. It was my first time there since the blizzard. I was happy that the sun had melted enough snow so that I could walk across the bridge to be near the water. It was so quiet and peaceful. And I couldn't help but think about how important creativity has become for me.

When I look back on 2010 I will always remember it as the year I began my art journey. In February when I picked up a paint brush for the first time I had no idea how far I would go, how much I would learn, and how many great people I would meet!

I am thankful for each and everyone of you who have warmly welcomed me into this creative blogging world! My art has begun to take on a life of its own. I am excited to see where goes next! And I am so happy to have you all to share in this journey with me!

As the sun sets on this day I wish you all good health, happiness and much love for the New Year!!

She's A Bit Different . . .

Sketching is always exciting. I had now idea how this would come out but I really like her! My hubby bought me a 6x8" sketch book and a set of graphite pencils for christmas. I sketched her last night with my new supplies!

I am trying to stick with the realism especially in the eyes. I don't usually sketch hair this way but I love it. Not sure yet if I will paint her. For now I am enjoying looking at her in black and white.

Shooting Stars . . .

Shooting Stars

mixed media on 9x12 canvas board

While we were snowbound in a blizzard the past couple of days I did some painting. You may remember seeing the sketch of this girl that I shared in this blog post. I wasn't sure at the time if I wanted her gazing at the sun or moon. But the darker colors called to me and there you have it! In shading her face with my water soluble crayons I added a rose pink to the mix instead of only salmon and I like the tone it gives. I added some stamping along her top because I just love that stamp but didn't feel it would fit in the starry background.

I tried the molding paste again and originally was only going to add it to the moon but decided to use it everywhere except her face and hair. I wish I had the patience to wait for it to fully dry! For the stars I used a q-tip with some iridescent pearl and smeared it around.

For those of you in the northeast hope you are safe and the blizzard is over where you are!

Back to Some Face Painting . . .

Untitled

mixed media on 9x12 canvas board

I hope everyone had a great holiday! Ours was quiet with my husband and I spending the day home together. I made lasagna which is one of my favorites and ate way too many italian pastries from our local bakery! Right now we are watching the snow fall here in NY. There is a fire in the wood stove and the pug is sleeping in front of it. A nice place to be.

After so many abstracts I took some time the past couple of days to work on painting one of my recent sketches. You can see the original sketch HERE. Of course the painted face looks nothing like the sketch but here she is!

I had more fun with the background than the face. I used light molding paste for texture and used payne's gray with burnt sienna for the background. It was hard getting back to faces after loosening up with the abstract work!

I hope that wherever you are you are staying warm and enjoying the day!

In The Cove . . . New Abstract

"In The Cove"

acrylic glazes on 5x5" birch wood

These colors inspired me to think of the ocean. I don't normally go for colors this bold but thought I would give it a try to see what they looked like glazed on the wood. I used magenta and phalto blue (green shade) and I love them together! I also added some water soluble crayons in areas for shading. I mixed in some titanium white to lighten things up and to make waves on the left side.

In this one I found an image on the right that to me looks like a couple hugging while leaning against a rock wall. The title popped into my head as I was painting. It looks like a nice place to be. I really do enjoy creating these abstracts and feel a freedom I don't allow myself doing other types of painting.

For those of you celebrating Christmas I wish you a wonderful evening and a memorable day tomorrow spent with those you love!

Back to Some Sketching . . .

I sketched her the other night. I really like sketching the eyes more realistic style. I changed her hair around a few times and landed with this.

Yesterday my husband told me that this sketch looks like his mom in her younger days. I never met her. She died just before we met. I have seen pictures of her though and she was beautiful.

I don't see her when I look at this but I am glad that he does. Maybe it brings him a bit of comfort.

Maybe she helped me bring this face to life . . .

Wordless Wednesday and A Winner!!

Rockland Lake at Dusk, Spring 2000

taken with film camera

The only words I will say today are. . .

AND THE WINNER IS

Cindy from CinLynnBoutique!!!

Send me your address and I will get the butterfly print in the mail!

Congrats!! :)

Thanks again to all who entered this giveaway!

Angel in the Forest . . . A New Abstract

Angel in the Forest

acrylic glazes on 8x12 birch wood

Hope everyone is having a good weekend! Thanks for the nice comments on my last post! I am so happy you are all enjoying my wood abstracts! I had some time today to work on another one.

This time as you can see I used different colors! Although I stayed with the burnt sienna I added sap green and naples yellow. I saw these colors in my head last night. And as I was glazing and blending in the bottom right I saw images appear. In this one I see what looks like a man holding up an angel with tiny wings!

What do you see?

Spirits in the Storm . . . A New Abstract

Spirits in the Storm

acrylic glazes on 16x12" birch wood

I wish this piece was on a smaller piece of wood so that I could have scanned it. The colors look a bit richer in person. It was hard to get a good shot with the camera. Lately I am liking the scanner for taking images of my art.

I feel like it is easier working on smaller pieces of wood. But maybe that is because I am intimidated with a lot of blank space! I am still not tiring of my favorite colors so here they are again.

I titled it spirits because I see some ethereal beings over on the right. They look like they are floating in the air back to back. The colors look stormy to me in this one. Like things are being stirred up around them. And I feel as if they are being pulled toward the light near the center.

Thanks for all the great comments on my giveaway post! I am excited to see so many of you have entered!

Blog Giveaway and an Etsy Treasury!!

I just realized that this week I wrote my 100th blog post!! So I thought what better way to celebrate than to have a giveaway!

I am giving away the above photo. What you see above is a scan of the actual photo so in person the resolution of the image is much better but I wanted to show the digital matting. This image is one of my butterfly photos you may recall from my Bronx Zoo post. It is printed on 81/2 x 11 glossy photo paper with a digital double mat.

All you have to do to enter is comment! To enter your name twice become a follower. And if you want to enter a third time share this giveaway on your blog. Be sure to let me know in the comments what you do!

I will be picking the winner next Wednesday 12/22! Good luck!

If you get a chance check out this lovely etsy treasury "Blue Frost" by Dawn from The Scroll Shoppe! I was excited to find out she included my "Heart in the Sand" photo card!

"Embrace" . . . Acrylic Glazes on Birch Wood

"Embrace"

acrylic glazes on 5x5" birch wood

prints available in my etsy shop

I am hoping that you can tell where I got the title from for this one! Feeling inspired by my last piece with its image that came out and spoke to me I longed to try another! So on another piece of birch I used the same colors but added titanium white this time and began layering. I was trying to not "look" for something and just be random about it. I stepped away for awhile and then went back to it. I felt that it just wasn't done. Then when I added the last layers of payne's gray over on the right I noticed that an image appeared. I saw a couple standing in an embrace.

Once I saw that I immediately connected to this piece. I am hoping you see what I see!

Angel In The Shadows . . . Do You See What I See?

"angel in the shadows"

acrylic glaze on 5x5" birch wood

prints available in my etsy shop

Saturday I asked my hubby for a piece of birch wood. He always has some laying around in the garage. I wanted to try painting on a wood surface for the first time. So he brought me a 5x5 inch piece of scrap he had.

I added a coat of gesso first and when it was dry just tried adding some paint. I made glazes of my two favorite colors of the moment payne's and burnt sienna. I was just practicing adding paint to this new surface to see what it would do. I immediately felt the difference in how the paint moved on the wood and when I tried blending the paint I ended up just smooshing it around. I noticed that it gathered in some areas and wiped away on others. I liked how it looked with the wood grain showing through the glaze. It was all random. I was in no way hoping for a piece of art to come out of this. At one point I became very frustrated that I couldn't move the paint the same way as on a canvas wondering if I even liked painting on a wood surface.

I walked away and left it be till later on that night. When I went to go check on it my hubby got to it first and told me he loved it. I thought he was crazy until I looked at what came through. We both saw the image of a woman to the right who looks as if she is leaning up against a wall. Below her looks like rocks and water. I was shocked at the image and the depth that this piece has all without me trying to do anything but smear some paint around. It almost looks ghostly to me. It looked completely different to me when it was dry. This has become one of my favorite pieces!

So tell me . . . what do you see?

Love is How . . . More Abstract Mixed Media!

Love is how . . .
abstract mixed media on 6x8" canvas board

This painting did not come out of me easily. Although I woke up yesterday with the vision for it in my head, knowing what photos I wanted to collage as well as the color palette I would use, to get it on canvas was quite another story! I used one of my photos with a heart in the sand. I used light molding paste along the edge and carved hearts into it. I laid down a first glaze of burnt sienna and then used payne's gray to make some shapes on top. I thought it looked awful but continued on to add my molding paste.

Then patience got the best of me and I couldn't wait for anything to dry! The more I tried to work additional layers onto the board the worse it got! And the more frustrated I became. It got to the point where I couldn't get anything to blend! After 2 hours of trying I finally walked away. I just couldn't get in the zone. I felt like I would never be able to paint the way I wanted to again. My mind was completely jumbled up.

Then after a few hours late at night I went back to it and tried again. And I was pleased to see that I could do it after all! And I continued with it until I felt it was finished.

The quote I used "Love it how you stay alive even after you are gone" is by Morrie Schwartz. It is one of my favorites.

And thanks to all of you for your great comments on my last post! I am excited to be trying out new things and your encouragement means so much!

New Abstract Painting . . . Playing With Texture!

untitled

abstract mixed media on 9x12 canvas board

Here is a new abstract I couldn't wait to share! I really love how it came out! I pushed forward through the uglies and it payed off! It is so exciting to see what it becomes after that first layer is put down.

I used glazes of alizarin crimson and payne's gray. Light molding paste (love this stuff!) and tissue paper were used for texture. The paper collaged on is a piece of scrap paper with stamping on it. I hated the first layer of crimson glaze! But I tried to ignore it and push onward! I also added titanium and zinc white to lighten up the gray in some areas. I am learning how important glazing is to be able to allow your previous layers to come through.

And best of all . . . I didn't over analyze with this one! I tried to let go and have fun! I know it won't always be that way but it would be really nice if it did!

Can I tell you how much I love payne's gray?!

Wordless Wednesday

Stone Gate

Purchase, NY

Bright Eyes . . . A New Sketch

More sketching last night. Not sure yet if she is gazing toward the sun or moon. I think that will come through when I paint her. I know I went a bit crazy with her lashes but oh how I love to sketch eyes! Ignore the shadow in the bottom right of the sketch . . . that was a photography glitch.

I also have a new abstract painting in progress that I am hoping to share with you soon!

Something About The Eyes . . .

After I finished the sketch from my last post I decided I wanted to try and sketch just one eye. I liked how my girls eyes came out more realistic. So here is my attempt at a realistic eye. I used graphite pencil on 5x8" paper. I think it came out really cool!

I don't know what it is with me but I really like sketching eyes! I want to try and paint this on a canvas, just this one lonely eye, so stayed tuned! I wanted to keep going and style it up with some makeup but I stopped myself because I thought it looked good as is for now! lol

PS . . . Today is the last day to enter book giveaway over at my blog In My Life! So if you haven't entered yet there is still time! All you have to do is leave a comment. Check out the details in this POST.

Sketching . . . Trying More Realism

I have been having fun sketching the stylized faces but for this one I wanted to go for more realism in the features . . . especially the eyes. Although I am unsure about the nose and mouth I like how the eyes came out. As you can see from the smudges I changed the hair. Originally I had it just down on both sides. Then late last nite practically in my sleep I saw hair swept over her shoulder on one side. I like that better.

Funny how with the realistic eyes I feel as though I created a face and now wonder who she is and where she has been . . .

We shall see if I have the courage to put her on a canvas!

Oh, and I made my first blog header! I made it from the photo of my "Love Me" abstract. What do you guys think?

NYC . . . New Abstract Mixed Media

NYC

abstract mixed media on 8x10 canvas board

Sold

First a big thanks to everyone who commented on yesterday's post! I am constantly amazed at the encouraging and positive community I have found via this art blog. I am beyond excited to hear that you loved my first abstract mixed media!

So on to another one! I started this one last nite on a board that I messed up a couple of months ago attempting something abstract. I already had payne's gray and some tissue paper for texture. I thought it would make a good starting point for this piece. I had in my head that I wanted to use some of my NYC photos. Although I used the same color palette I felt like these pics needed a darker grungy feel. The water drips were a last thought. And I scratched in the letters through a glaze of paynes gray. As I finish my second one I wonder where I would be without acrylic glazing liquid!! Love this stuff! So important for blending!

When I first got started this morning with this piece I had a panic moment where I thought it was coming out all wrong. I thought it was awful. But instead of quitting I pushed forward and I am so glad I did!

PS . . . If you get a chance check out Kolleen's great blog Heart Wing Sisters. She has started a weekly series called "I am better for it" where you can share your personal story to inspire others and I decided to share mine. You can check it out HERE!

My First Abstract Mixed Media Painting!

Love Me

abstract mixed media on 6"x8" canvas board

available on etsy

I started this piece last nite. As you know I have been dabbling in abstract paintings. I have been thinking about incorporating my photography into some abstract pieces. So that is what I did here. I used one of my favorite images and printed it out on regular printer paper to collage on to the canvas board. I used payne's gray, burnt sienna, titan buff and zinc white in various shades. There is some gel medium for texure and to help incorporate the photo into the background. I added the stamping at the end as I felt that there was just something missing. I think it helped the composition.

I am pleased with how it came out! And I felt a bit looser during the process! There is hope I may start using my left brain more after all!

If you are interested in abstract mixed media I learned some of these techniques from a great book I just started reading. Its called Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed Media Artists by Ann Baldwin. I am loving it! You can check out Ann's website to find out more about the book and her artwork HERE

Wordless Wednesday

Beach Cottage, Newport, RI

Complimentary Colors . . . Abstract

Acrylic on 9x12 canvas paper

You made me so happy with all of your lovely comments on yesterday's post!! I am glad you like her! Big thanks to all of you!

Today I thought I would share an abstract I did last week. As I said when I posted my last abstract I tend to shy away from any bold colors. The color wheel scares me! lol And what is most difficult for me is choosing colors. So abstract painting which I want to learn how to improve with is really tough.

I chose complimentary colors to practice with for this painting. I used shades of orange and a light turquoise that I mixed with titanium white and phalto blue (gs). I had an easier time with blending on this one adding some titan buff to lighten areas in the orange and added some water to the bottom left corner blotting it off. (I am loving this effect!) At the end I added the blue to bubble wrap putting it on for texture. I have to say that my eyes do not like these colors together although they do make each other stand out! And again, the colors look bolder in person.

PS . . . I am hosting a giveaway on my life after cancer blog In My Life. I am giving away a signed copy of my memoir Breastless in the City to one lucky winner! You can check out the details HERE!

Your Light . . . New Painting

Your Light . . .

9x12 mixed media on canvas board

available on etsy

I finally had the chance yesterday to paint her! You can see the original sketch HERE. I used my new caran d'ache crayons and love them! Much creamier than the starter set I had been using. I used some molding paste for the angel wings and added a shimmery titan buff color to them.

I had fun creating her and hope to start on my other angel this week! She is the one with the heart tears. I am seeing lots of pinks and white for her. . .

Christmas Image . . .

I took this picture last Christmas. It is our little tree perched on the bay window sill. One night I looked at it and thought about how the glow of the lights was so lovely. I wanted to capture that moment. I altered it in a sepia tone....oh how I love sepia!

Yesterday I listed it in my etsy shop. I think it would make a nice Christmas card!

Hope you all had a great holiday and are enjoying a creative weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Horse Farm in Newport, Rhode Island

Practicing More Abstract . . .

acrylic on 9x12 canvas paper

I haven't used canvas paper in a while but I ran out of boards. I have a harder time painting on the paper. Its just something about the way the brush moves on paper than I don't like. But this time I used acrylic glazing liquid and fluid acrylics which gave me more time to work with the paint.

I started with a layer of titan buff and then added shades of magenta. I wanted to darken some areas with black and added too much but in the end I liked the result anyway. I tried spraying water in spots and blotting it off as well as using bubble wrap for some texture. I could have done a few more layers but we all know how impatient I am!

I think the colors look better in person. Still tough to get a good picture of some of my work.

Hoping to move on to some complimentary colors but for now am liking the monochrome. That color wheel scares me!

Your Light . . . More Sketching!

Although I have yet to get painting my other girl I did have time to do some sketching. I really like her. She has a different look to her eyes and face than the past few I have done. And I like that! I don't know how it happened but that is the fun part! Not sure which of my angels I will paint first!

Hope all of you had a great weekend! And many thanks as always for your lovely comments on the blue heart I shared in my last post!

Playing With Paint This Morning . . .

I had a 5x5 wrapped canvas calling to me. I thought of this heart last night. I wanted to try to do one in monochrome so that I could practice layering and blending the paint. I chose phalto blue (gs) again with only white and black.

I also sketched last night. New girl coming soon!

Tears of Love . . . New Sketch

I drew her up the other nite. I knew I wanted to make her an angel and saw hearts involved somehow. I struggled with the hair. At first I wanted her to have an updo but it wasn't working out! I originally had a halo above her head and took that out as it seemed too much to me.

The heart shaped tears were an afterthought. The tears came first and then the words that I scribbled in the top left corner which read "tears of love fell from her eyes." I will most likely collage those onto the background.

I hope to paint her this weekend!

PS . . . I finally ordered the caran d'ache watersoluble crayons last night! So excited to get them! lol

Abstract Turns Into A Flower . . .

Acrylic on 6x8 canvas board

This started out as another attempt at an abstract and somehow a flower came out! I was trying another monochrome piece this time using quinacridone magenta with only white and black to vary the shades. As I started blending the shades together I saw a flower in my head and decided to add it.

I am very uncomfortable painting this way with no reference except whatever is in my head. My mind is so crowded all the time there is no room for imagination sometimes! But I will keep working nicely with my left brain and hopefully find a more comfortable place in abstract mixed media.

This piece and my first attempt at abstract piece are inspired by a new class I am taking with Julie Prichard and Chris Cozen over at Land of the Lost Luggage. I love their abstract art and am learning alot so far about color in the Color Beyond the Basics class.

Wordless Wednesday . . .

Fall sunset seen from my front door

The only words I will say today are THANK YOU!! Your comments on yesterdays post were so lovely and encouraging! And so appreciated! :)

First Attempt At Abstract . . .

Acrylic on 6x8 canvas board

I have always loved abstract art. I love the shapes and blending of all the colors into seamless composition. I have wanted to try it myself since I began painting earlier this year. It is such a different process for me than painting faces or my landscapes. And amazingly it is the most difficult for me to do.

My analytical brain does not like to work this way! Without a reference point of color and shape I am frustrated with how hard it is for me to just let go and see what the painting does and says to me. But I don't want to give up. I want to learn how to paint this way and not shy away from it.

I think what it can teach me about myself is priceless. So I will continue to push through my fears and my perfectionism moving forward . . .

Brooklyn Bridge . . . Making It A Good Day

The Brooklyn Bridge

At the end of the month I will go see my oncologist for an annual checkup. I used to go every 3 months and then every 6 and at the 5 year mark graduated to annual visits. Although it has been 9 years since my diagnosis I still get super anxious when I have to go see him. I go to Sloan Kettering in NYC so the city that I love is always a bit tainted for me. Each time I go to the doctor my hubby comes with me and we always do something good afterwards while we are in the city.

These photos were taken last November after my annual visit. I had always wanted to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. It has been on my to do list for many years. So finally I decided that we would go that day. The above shot is my favorite and is listed in my etsy shop as a photo card. I digitally altered all the photos in black and white. It was an overcast day and I just love the feel it gives these shots.

This was a random light post but I thought it looked cool against the bridge cables.

This is another favorite of mine. I had to get a shot of this lamp post on the bridge because of the words "Love Me" written on it! So cool! I also sell it as a photo card in my etsy store.

This one my hubby took while we were on the bridge. I was feeling a huge relief having been done with my doctor visit! I enjoyed every moment on that bridge. At first I was scared walking across it due to the height. But then I thought how silly that was with all I have survived in my life!

Not sure yet what we will do after my upcoming visit but I think it will definitely involve dinner at one of our favorite italian places in the city!

PS . . . Thanks to all of you for the amazing comments on my last post! I am happy to announce that she has a new home! Very excited to have sold her too!

Seek Peace. . . . A New Painting

"Seek Peace . . ."

mixed media on 9x12 canvas board

Sold

Here she is in her painted version! Although I like the original sketch better I do like the color palette which was a mystery to me even as I was painting her. She ended up more goth than I expected! This time I used some distress ink around the edges and I like the effect it gives. This one is also inspired by Tam's class Art, Heart, and Healing. Check out the link along my sidebar and join us if you haven't already!

In other news I sold my first painting! And I wasn't even trying. I have not listed any of my paintings in my etsy shop as I don't feel confident enough in them yet to sell them. I just posted a photo of it on FB to share it with some friends as I always do with my artwork and I received a comment from someone that loved it. He asked me if I would consider selling it because he wanted to give it to his 8 year old daughter who is an aspiring artist. She recently won a first place award in an art contest and told me how proud he is of her. He thought my painting would help inspire her to follow her dream.

I have to say I got all choked up hearing this story. I instantly thought back to when I was her age and won the first place ribbon for my pastel butterfly. Then I thought about how neither of my parents ever encouraged me with my creative interests. I waited until the age of 40 to begin painting. I instantly felt a connection to this little girl who is blessed with a dad that wants to support and inspire her dreams. That pretty much sealed the deal for me. I felt it was no accident that I was presented with this opportunity to help inspire her. It was syncronicity for me! You can see the photo of that painting here.

Oh, and one more thing . . . thanks so much for your lovely comments on my sunset photo!

Wordless Wednesday . . . A Beach Sunset

Sunset in Newport, Rhode Island

Sunday Nite Sketching . . . Seek Peace

It was her hairstyle that popped in my head first as I was getting ready for bed last nite. I didn't want to forget the image I saw so there I was sitting up in bed with my sketchbook hoping I wouldn't wake up my hubby.

I have been wanting to try a different hairstyle. So here is my attempt at a braid! And its funny that I really like to shade in the cheekbones but when I go to paint it I don't do that shading. I think I am afraid to mess it up since I am not comfortable with shading in paint for that part of the face. Hmmmm...maybe I should give it a try sometime!

Not sure if you can read my notes above her head but it says "Seek peace around every turn". Those are the words I will most likely collage on the painting unless something else comes to me. I try to go with what comes to me first and not think too much about it afterwards.

I am hoping to begin painting her later today. Wonder what my color palette will be this time. . .

My Creative Sunday . . .

"Listen To Your Dreams"

mixed media on 9x12 canvas board

Sold

Yesterday I had a great time speaking in Philly at a women's cancer symposium. Although it was 6 hours of driving round trip it was worth it. The event had a good turnout, I met some lovely people and even got to sign some of my books! I truly feel grateful for those moments when I get the opportunity to inspire others through sharing my cancer survivor story.

Today I enjoyed a quiet morning painting the sketch from my last post. I used the water soluble crayons again (love them . . . I still need to order the caran d'ache!), watercolor pencils, graphite pencil, my brayer, white acrylic paint, and some new stamps I bought.

I have to say that I had a bit of trouble with layering my background. Only because I didn't quite like how it was coming out. I didn't wait for my stamp ink to dry (it was taking very long!) and when I added the next layer it was smearing all over and mixing in as color. Anyone else have this problem? Any tips? So I used the brayer and added more white paint to cover what I didn't like. I just tried to go with what was happening realizing that no matter what I could always fix it.

I am happy with how she came out. Those words popped into my head as I was painting. I outlined them with graphite to make them blend into the background.

All in all a nice way to spend part of my Sunday!

Tonite is dinner with my hubby at our favorite local italian restaurant!

Hope you are all having a lovely day!

New Sketch Waiting to Be Painted!

I wanted to share a new sketch I did yesterday. No words have come to mind yet but hopefully they will when I paint her. I am planning to use her in a mixed media piece as I did for Tam's class using the new techniques I learned. In case you missed it you can read that post HERE.

Sketching always quiets my mind. It is fun to see how the face will turn out. It seems a secret to me while I am creating. I always look forward to the big reveal!

Tomorrow I am off to Philly to speak at a women's cancer symposium. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Nature Speaks . . .

Hope you find some time in your day

to just sit and listen . . .

Open Your Heart . . . Mixed Media

"Open Your Heart"

mixed media on 12x16 canvas board

This painting was done for Tam's free class Art Heart and Healing. I sketched her out first. You can see the initial sketch in this post. In that post I shared my frustration with painting on a journal page. So I decided to paint her on a canvas board. I really had fun with this. It is my first painting incorporating mixed media techniques like layering, stamping, and collage.

I only used water soluble crayons for the entire piece as Tam does. The only paint used was some white acrylic for the background and a bit to mix in with the crayons on her face. And I only had student grade cheapie crayons in standard colors. I loved using them! It made shading the face so much easier for me than when I have used just paint. I may have to invest in some of the caran d'ache crayons I have heard so many good things about! I used my graphite pencil for shading which blended nicely into the color. Using a brayer is also new to me and how fun is that?!

If you haven't joined us already please do! Tam is great and I love her style of teaching! You can sign up for this free class over at Willowing !

Butterflies at the Bronx Zoo!!

Thanks for all your great comments on my last post! As promised here is part 2! I took these photos in the Butterfly House at the zoo. It was like a greenhouse for butterflies. When we walked in it was light and bright and they were all flying everywhere! One even landed on my hubby's arm! I wish I knew the names of each butterfly.

This one above is my favorite for sure. I love the black and sage colors! I may paint this one!

This one was drinking something. Maybe some fruit juice?

These guys are just enjoying some melon!

I also loved the color of this little one. Much smaller than the others.

Their colors are so vibrant and pretty. I didn't want to leave! I will for sure make another visit to the butterfly house next time we go to the zoo!

Bronx Zoo . . . Bringing Back Memories

One of my early posts when I started this blog was about my grandma. I shared a sketch I did of her and shared how close we were. (You can read that post here) She was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. I was also born there. She lived only a few miles from the Bronx Zoo. Most weekends growing up she would take my brother and I on the bus to the zoo. We loved it. I have only fond memories of my time spent with her there.

Today my husband and I went there and it was a beautiful day. It is the first time I have been back there in about 20 years. It was a strange feeling being there without her. When I saw the gates at the entrance (pictured above)and the familiar buildings my eyes welled up with tears. It was something I didn't expect and fought them back. Once we started walking around I felt better. I didn't want to feel sad although part of me did. Its strange how everything looks so much bigger when you are a child. I was happy though to be back there with my husband. I took so many photos!

This photo is of the Bronx River. I love the fall leaves.

I love these old concrete buildings that are found throughout the zoo.

This fountain caught my eye when we were in the butterfly house.

And here is a cutie pie sea lion! It was always my favorite stop as a kid. I loved to watch them swimming around!

I am hoping you will indulge me as I plan on sharing more zoo photos in an upcoming post! Stay tuned for some butterflies!