Happy Holidays!!

Here are two gourd birdhouses that were ordered for Christmas presents. I finished them just in time! I am not in a very good holiday mood this year,due to the threat of hydrofracking to our part of PA. I feel like I am living in a nightmare since the beautiful abundant lakes , rivers, creeks, and groundwater here could be polluted with gas and a concoction of mostly unknown chemicals, of which the known ones cause cancer and endocrine disruptions. Since the oil and gas companies and their big money run everything in this country, this insane method of gas extraction goes on, unchecked!! Even though the EPA finally decided that hydrofracking polluted wells in wyoming. I have never been an activist in any other fight , but I feel I need to TRY to stop this before my place of birth and my home for most of my life is trashed and polluted by these methods. But how do you fight such big money??  We went to lovely Christmas cookie decorating party last night at a friends house  and some of us there will be trying to organize a public showing of gasland soon among other things. Everyone that lives here and drinks water should be worried about this coming danger.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Here is my latest portrait of 4 dogs I have been working on, in colored pencil with a watercolor background. First picture was a work in progress pic and the second is a finished portrait. I must say it was a challenge to get all 4 dogs arranged nicely in an 8x10 portrait. I think it turned out very well.

Here is the finished product matted and framed. I delivered it today to the owner and was happy that he liked it. It was so important to me that it was recieved well because of the touching circumstances surrounding the family of the puppies, due to a recent loss in the family. I got to meet the pups in person and was impressed with their loving personalities! Too cute!! I am now a fan of the breed! I hope this portrait will help in some small way to brighten the holidays for this family!

USMC gourd

This is the most recent custom gourd I made for someone for a Christmas gift. I doubt if the person receiving

it will see this, so I think I am safe to put it on here now. I also made an oil lamp gourd that will be for sale on artfire.

I finished the painting of Chesley and here it is framed and matted.

Now I will be working on a 4 dog portrait in colored pencil that I am excited to get started on. I also have to finish cleaning windows which I started yesterday since it was a rare nice day and although not my favorite thing to do , it is nice to look out the sparkling clean windows!! Now I can see the birds at my feeders so much better!

Chesley and fall scenes

Here is my latest doggie portrait just about complete! It is done in watercolors and after setting it aside for a few days and then looking at it again, with fresh eyes, I will add the final touches. The weather  forcasters keep saying we will have a sunny weekend, but I am not seeing the evidence of that yet! I think we are overdue for some sun!! I wanted to get some more fall pictures before the colorful leaves are all gone! here are a couple pics I took before this last wave of rain hit us!

Swimming with Mom

Here is my new watercolor of some baby geese swimming with Mom. I took the reference photos in the spring at lake Wilhelm. This past week I took some photos there again. My daughter was here visiting and we had a glorious stretch of beautiful fall weather!! We took one of my dogs and hiked there. So here is a picture of my daughter and Shelby!

Ostrich Play

This is the newest mixed media piece I have done. It is watercolor, colored pencil, and ink. I thought the crazy  attitude of the ostrich I took the reference photo of, deserved a bit of a crazy painting! At one point he or she, not sure, tried to eat my camera! I wanted to thank those who visited me at the craft show in Meadville over the weekend. Hope the pieces going to new homes bring joy to those who bought them! It was a nasty few days, weather wise, so it was nice to be in a warm dry building! i must say I was impressed by the 89 year old lady next to me selling her prints of paintings she had done in past years. She can no longer paint due to macular degeneration but still was out there marketing the ones she had done before! You go girl! Amazing!

Late summer beauty

I took this photo in the field beside my house. I really liked the orange of the little butterfly next to the yellow of the chamomile flower. This photo is available for purchase on my shop in Fine art America. Also wanted  to thank Annette for showcasing my artwork on her site  www.squidoo.com/crazy-home-decor  . well, I am off to do the more mundane things necessary in life like grocery shopping etc.. I would much rather be drawing or painting or taking pictures!

Blending In

Here is my newest gourd. I ended up staying with the leopard theme just because I thought the leopard would fit the best with the natural markings of the gourd. When I find one that has pretty markings, I try not to detract but add to the beauty of the gourd. This gourd is not cut in any way , just left whole, woodburned and sealed with varnish.
 Also, I have a new shop on artfire.com, stop in and check it out! Here is the exact link-  www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/dreamqueststudio

Not the usual treehugger

Here is my latest watercolor of a leopard. The first picture is of the beginning stages , and then the finished project. I hope to have it framed and matted and ready for the villagefest in Slippery Rock this Saturday. Hopefully this wet weather will go away by then.

Latest portrait

This is the latest custom portrait I did of a beautiful and unusual looking cat. The portrait went to NY and I hear it was loved by the recipient, as it was a gift. It was done in colored pencil.

Checking the area

This is my latest watercolor of a black bear. It is a small size of 5x7 on watercolor paper. I actually had a black bear walk up my driveway last summer and disappear into the woods!

watercolor chipmunk

After seeing some amazing wildlife watercolors by other artists, I decided I wanted to try working with them myself. They have some of the same properties of working with colored pencils in that they are transparent. I liked the fact that my drawing was easier to cover ,with the paint and that the pencil lines didn't show as much as with colored pencil. There is definetly a learning curve trying to work with the water and keeping it under control! Tell me what you think of my first attempt!

Blue Heron

This is my latest drawing of a great blue Heron. I got some reference photos on a trip to our local state
 park. I used a mixed media approach for this piece. I used watercolor pencils, regular colored pencils and some acrylics.

pit bull named Leroy

This is a portrait of a special dog named Leroy. He was very much loved but was hit by a car at a young age, and didn't make it. The first picture shows the beginning stages of drawing, with a watercolor pencil background wash and a small wash on his face. Hope this will help keep his memory alive!

Audubon and Eagles

I wanted to thank everyone that stopped by my booth this past weekend, at the audubon center art show near Jamestown NY. It was a beautiful weekend with so many talented artists. While there, I took the top picture of the resident Eagle . She has a weak wing and will never be able to return to the wild.it is soo nice to know that the story of our national bird is a success, though. They have made a strong comeback, evidenced by the bottom picture that I took yesterday at a local State Park. My big concern now is that with all the budget concerns facing states and Washington, other animals and creatures that desperately need our help will suffer! Please do what you can to help conservation and animal welfare groups!!They need us now more than ever!

Campbell Pottery Lily Festival Opening Reception

Here is a picture of me beside my drawing ( the top one) at the opening reception for the Campbell Pottery Lily festival art show. It was a really lovely afternoon and I was excited to see that my drawing had already been sold. I hope the new owner enjoys it for years to come. I was also excited that my husband and my 88 year old father ( other picture) were able to attend with me! Thanks for coming guys!! The artwork will be on display through July.

Lily of the valley in golden glass

I got some exciting news today!! My drawing shown here has juried into the Campbell Pottery Lily Festival Art Show!! This event will be open to the public from July 2nd to July 31st. All artwork in this show has to have a lily theme. The Campbell Pottery store is a beautiful store situated in a remodeled old barn. The fields around the barn will be blooming with amazing lilies during the show. For more info check out the website  http://www.campbellpotterystore.com/

Bluejay gourd

Here is my newest gourd, a bud vase with the blue jay done in colored pencil and acrylics. The body of the vase is done in transparent acrylics. I have been busy getting ready for the Blair County art show this weekend in Altoona. Hope this wet weather gives us a break!

Chesapeake Sweet

This drawing is of a sweet Chesapeake Bay Retriever pup named Goose! He is so darling and lovable! I loved his collar with the footballs on it!

Morning Hay

Just completed colored pencil drawing , 12x 12 . It is of my mare Patty, munching on her hay one cold winter day! Not sure how I want to mat and frame this one yet.

The single rose

My husband gave me a couple of roses as part of my birthday gift this year. I decided to draw one as they were so beautiful.This colored pencil drawing is on gray pastel paper, framed in a 10 x 10 frame.

Can I Come IN, Please!!

This is a colored pencil drawing of my neighbor's dog Beau. He comes to visit me on a regular basis and always wants to come in. By the time he gets to my house he is usually covered in mud , so needless to say he does not come in! He is a very sweet, very LARGE, black Lab and I look forward to his visits!

Cowboy toilet seat

This is the cowboy toilet seat I carved for my sister Sandy to go in her western themed bathroom. She had asked for one resembling a small pin she had depicting a cowboy and rope. The bottom side of the lid also has the words" Happy Trails to You" carved into it. I hope it brings her many years of non porcelain sitting pleasure! :)

Parrot Talk

Here is a new custom ordered gourd I just finished. It has a military McCaw, a Scarlet Mccaw and a hyacinth Mccaw along with a blue fronted Amazon. I really enjoyed working on all the bright colors in the birds! The top is removable so any number of treasures could be kept inside!

Hunter portrait

This was an old colored pencil drawing I started back in 02 and I just came across it and decided to finish it. I didn't like it before but with a new look after all this time I was able to fix it , and I think the result turned out quite nice. It always amazes me how things look different after a break!

Yellow Beauty

Here is a colored pencil drawing I did to donate to my reining horse club last night for the Chinese auction, at the banquet. Congrats to the winner! Hope you enjoy it! We all had a wonderful night with good food , good fellowship, and lots of winners! Thank you to all that work so hard to bring to it all together!

Apple Bluesome Time

This is my newest colored pencil drawing just finished today. I am soo looking forward spring as you can tell. I took a picture of the apple blossoms on our tree last Spring and decided to add a bluebird to the blossoms. My birdfeeder has been very busy this winter! I bet this long hard winter has been hard on them too. I love watching them while I am doing dishes as the feeder is right outside the kitchen window. I hope more people will feed our feathered  friends, it is really fun to watch them and helps out some of natures most beautiful creatures!

Trip to the Aviary

I took a trip to the National Aviary yesterday with my husband and Dad; to try and get some photos for reference for drawing. It was a very enjoyable day!! If you would like to get up close and personal with 200 species of birds you should make the trip! I think the highlight was feeding time in the wetlands area. Hand fed birds worms and fish as they flew freely around you .The Aviary is in Pittsburgh and real easy to get to.

Very educational and awesome for showing more beautiful creatures we need to be protecting!!!

hibiscus from my garden

Here I go continuing to try and bring a little Spring or Summer to all of us stuck in this never ending winter!This is a colored pencil portrait of a hibuscus I grew in my yard last summer! It is stacked beside the last flower I did on the back of my couch, waiting for the art show this month. Together, they add a garden bright spot to my living room!! I can wish can't I?!

Caribbean sand

All this winter weather has me thinking about our trips we have taken to the caribbean,( and wishing I was there now!) I took a beautiful picture of a purple flower on a beach one year, and have been wanting to make a drawing or painting of it. Soo here it is, done in colored pencil. At least I felt like the warm breezes were blowing and my toes were in the warm sand while I was working on it!  Also wanted to let everyone know I will be at the Penn Wood's West art festival in the Mercer High School Feb. 19th and 20th, come and visit!

Bulldog Puppy

A friend of my daughter has a bulldog puppy which I met and fell in love with, so I decided to draw one. I needed a 5x7 size to take to art shows as an example for my pet portraits. This will also be for sale.

Portrait of Ringo

Here is the last portrait of my own animals, at least the ones that live in the house! Ringo is a ten year old Jack Russell terrier that my good friend gave to me a few years ago. He is my constant shadow and will follow me up and down the stairs a hundred times a day. For the most part he is very much the boss of the other two , even though he is the smallest! I hope you have enjoyed meeting my furry family.

Sam the Cat Portrait

 The cold weather and snow are still here, so I kept going with the drawings I can work on totally in the house!I love the gourds and carving but they require time spent outside sanding and sawing. I do have a heated shop in the barn but the really dusty work I try to do outside. So here is the portrait of my cat Sam,first barely started and then basically finished except for a few touchups here and there. So I just have my Jack Russell to do and all my pets will be immortalized in colored pencil. I also have my horses and the goat but I better get back to work on some orders I have for gourds and a carved toilet seat.