Sesame Chalk Drawings

Tomorrow is the one year birthday of this painting blog...it's been an interesting painting journey. I painted just over 260 paintings. Many many thanks to all my supporters. As for this piece, I draw these fun shapes with chalk when I'm out with my daughter and wanted to see how they looked in paint.

Big Flowers in Orange with Green

This was fun to paint.

I've Been Tagged

Seems a game of blogger tag has begun, and I'm it. It's just like when I was a kid, except without the big rock to run to. I've been asked to expose some "things" about myself. Carol Marine tagged me. Thanks Carol, I hate sitting out.

Here are the rules: 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. 2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. 3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. 4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here goes.
1. I'm Italian, French, Irish, and English.
2. I still breastfeed my 2 1/2 year old daughter.Here's the why?
3. My first job was working for Burger King at age 14. Thank god my best friend Stacy and I had to work all the same shifts, so our mom's could share the driving, or else I would have cracked up.
4. I'm prone to rescue dogs.
5. I had really really big hair in the 80s.

I'm tagging you: Harold Ambler, Robin Cheers, Speedway J, Kristin DiVona, and Qiang-Huang.

Sleeping on my Right Arm

On the plane ride home today from California, my daughter fell asleep on my right arm. The light on her was beautiful, so I capture the moment with my left hand.

Football: Stanford vs Notre Dame

When my husband was a kid, he and his Dad went to every Stanford Football game. This visit to California, I got to go with them and was finally able to put a visual with the stories. Here's what a painter does at a football game. Lot's of nice reds and greens.

View From Cow Hill Palo Alto

My husband is from the bay area. We visited for Thanksgiving. I brought my little watercolors.

Loving Red

It's funny, my color preferences often change and lately I can't get enough of the color red.

Recycle Flower

I love magazines. Editorial design is actually my favorite kind of the graphic design. This painting incorporates some cut outs from Travel and Leisure.

One Sailor on San Fransico Bay

My father-in-law works in San Fransico and takes beautiful photographs when he is there. He's been kind enough to share them with his Texas based daughter-in-law. Here's to the gift of inspiration.

My Two Cents...

...for what it's worth.

Circles: What Comes Around Series

I had some interest in a circle painting from the beginning of the blog. I always loved the painting, so I thought maybe I would grow the series.

Sweet Henri

A good friend sent some Matisse stickers to our house. The man was a genius. This was inspired by his work.

Teahupo, Big Big Wave, Little Canvas

I'm fascinated by this huge wave. And scared just thinking of the pull I would feel sitting on my surf board near the peak. God, I miss the ocean and surfing.

Barton Springs Warm Earth, Cool Cool Water

This is another color study based on Barton Springs.

Ode to light

Last night my daughter and I stood outside in the dark and she said, "I'm dark", she was right.

Blue Sky to Water

I did a few environmental color studies earlier in the blog, maybe you remember the one that went from the earth's core to the ocean's surface. This study is from the sky to the trees to the water.

He Said Hello to his Juice that he dropped

Goodbye

Possible Opener

The Street and Sidewalk

The Kitchen

His Socks

Go Red Sox, his socks have to be red.

Another Version of Grandma

I thought the first one looked a little muddy.

Grandpa in Blue

His Room and Night Light

Hello to his Clock

Hello to Mom when she said Goodnight

Throughout this book, I deliberately tried not to show a lot of the character's faces, hoping that it would help the readers put themselves in the story.

Grandpa and His Fish

My grandpa is one of my favorite people on earth. He has a few shirts he does his yard work in, they inspired this grandpa's shirt, but my pop's shirts are blue. I may have to change this one.

The Horse and His Hay

My family is on a horse movie kick. So this one was easy, I'm clear that my favorite color horses are brown and white.

Barton Springs Austin Texas

I fear running out of water. This spring fed pool makes Austin great. It's a miracle that it exists. I've decided today that if the entire world relied on solar energy maybe we could reverse global warming.

Grandma and Her Garden

Maybe when I'm older I'll have time for a garden.

And Hello to Mommy after she Sneezed

Hello to his mac and Hello to his Cheesse

Back to the kids book, 15 pages to go.

Boggy Creek Farm House, Austin Texas

This was started at a Plein Air Austin paint out.

Finding Comfort with Imperfection II

I've been working on some abstracts and losening my need for straight lines. God help me.

His Socks

He Said Hello to his Blocks

Bears and Stairs

Couch

In real life I like a mustard couch better, but in children's book land I prefer a bright yellow.

Lamp

Bureau and its Drawers

I'm from the east coast and I'm always suprised to find the letter 'r' in the word "drawer."

Little Things

It's the little things that matter.

A Chair, a Door, and a Penny on the Floor

Now this is fun.

Mailman Illustration

Still working on the book. Wondering if this go will be the style I present or if I will switch to acrylics for the final product....

House Illustration

Here is another illustration for the children's book that I'm working on.

He said Hello to Dad and the Red Car He Drove

I'm working on illustrating a tiny children's book. Here is one of the pages.

Texas Wildflowers II -- Bid

Some good feedback inspired a sequel.

Wildflowers in Color--Sold

What be a wildflower without its color.

Central Texas Wild Flowers

Here is a sketch of Texas Wild Flowers. You wouldn't believe the beauty of the wild flowers here.

Pink for Romance -SOLD

This is a one color feng shui painting on a larger scale. Pink for romance and relationships.

Green VW Bus

I did some more work on the the Green Bus post plein air.