Sunday, June 23, 2013

Summer Updates

Barred Owl Sketch

HAPPY SUMMER!
Well.....it's been awhile since I last posted. So many things have been happening and this is a particularly busy time of year for me. Most of my time has been taken up with the upgrading and planting of a much larger garden this year. My husband put in more beds and we did some remodeling to the patio area so I could put in more pots of flowers for luscious color and to attract more birds and butterflies. Here's what it looked like about one month ago:

Here's what it's grown to......
 I have already been picking lettuce, spinach, broccoli, pea pods and cabbage. Green tomatoes are hanging on the vines and zucchini will be ready this week. It's quite a lot of work, but I really enjoy the benefits of growing my own food. Plus I love sitting on my patio and looking into my own private jungle and watching the butterflies and bees pollinating the flowers and the hummingbirds zipping around my head. It's my own little slice of heaven.

I have been busy in my studio, too. The little guy at the top of my post is a Barred owl. He is one of a series of small watercolor sketches that I am starting that will be for sale in my Etsy shop. I'm thinking of these as my "sketch of the day" and will be keeping them small and affordable. 
Sketches are typically kept loose and are usually done quickly especially if you are doing work in the field and your subject might move. I do these to keep in practice when I'm not working on a larger piece, to try out an idea or technique, to record a brief moment in time.


Short-eared owl 4" x 6" watercolor
The subjects of my first "sketch of the day" series are four different owls. I seem to be having an "owlie" kind of year and they seem to be a favorite subject among many people so it seemed a good starting point. These little sketches will measure 4" x 6" and are done in watercolor. They will all be available through my Etsy shop and the best part is that now the entire shop has been imported and linked to my Facebook fan page. You can go directly to Etsy or if you are a Facebook fan you can shop right there by clicking the "Shop Now" tab in the upper right of the page. I would especially love it if you would become a fan and share my page with your friends and family. It's simple, here's the link:
or you can click on the link to the right on this page. Either one will take you there.
I also plan to be at a few other local shows this summer with complete information coming as soon as my applications have been finalized.

I hope everyone has some great plans for their summer vacations. I will be in my garden or my studio enjoying myself and when I take a break I hope to see you on Facebook!