Show us Your America...

Hi All:

Today's posting is a little different. I haven't painted all week, but I DID enter the Aaron Brothers "show us your America" contest, and I could use your support. I entered the "Day in Morro Bay Painting" (aka the Morro Bay Collage).



If you would be so kind as to go to my entry at http://showusyouramerica.com/uploads/2068 and rate my painting, it will increase my chance of getting selected to be in the final voting group. The ratings are being accepted through the end of today and the voting will begin tomorrow.


As always, thank you for your support!


From the Jewelry Box...

Although I didn't paint this week, I did make a pair of earrings and a bracelet. They were intended to be made for my husbands niece's wedding, but I didn't complete them in time. The day turned out to be one challenge after another and I ended up attending the wedding without any jewelry at all! Oh well, here's to the simple life!

The earrings and bracelet made this week are silver and red stone (although I don't know what kind of stone).
Quote for Today...
"Nobody says you must laugh, but a sense of humor can help you overlook the unatractive, tolerate the unpleasant, cope with the unexpected, and smile through the day." ~ Ann Landers

Give me an "E"...Give me a "T...S...Y"

Yes, I have set up shop and am now on ETSY. For those of you who are unfamiliar with ETSY, it is a website which provides small business entrepreneurs with a way to buy and sell handmade items, including art, photography, clothing, etc. If it is handmade…or vintage, it is eligible for sale on ETSY.

My shop is located at http://www.debjeffrey.etsy.com/ -- Please note that I still have much work to do to my shop – resize photos, add items, etc., but I imagine it will be an ever-evolving site. So, please stop by and let me know what you think – Thank you!

What’s on My Easel…

Well, the dog portrait has become a digital painting. I am almost done and hope to complete it tonight. If I do get permission to share the painting with you, I will include with my next post.

I worked a bit on the The Tribute to Francis. It is still slow going, but I’ll keep you informed of the process nonetheless.

This is where we left off…

And this is where we are now. The flower has been developed a bit more.

Once the basic shading and highlights are added, I will go back and add the veins and other detail.

From the Jewelry Box…

My last posting included a photo of a bracelet I made to help encourage my 11 year-old jewelry-designing niece. Well, we delivered the bracelet, some jewelry making supplies and the following business cards this weekend…
I have blurred her blog and email address -- As soon as she provides me with some photos and details about her jewely, I will provide you with the details about Jewelry Designs by Drina.

I have a necklace design occupying my brain, so by next Tuesday, I hope to have a new necklace to share with you.

Today’s Quote…
“I really have a lot of stuff in my head; if only there were insurance companies for that as there are for so many things.” -Edgar Degas

Create!

From the Jewelry Box…

I made a pair of shell bead earrings to wear with today’s work outfit, so I thought I would share. I took the photos with my cell phone, so they are not the highest quality, but I think you’ll get the idea…

Also, I completed the bracelet for my great-niece, Drina. Drina is 11 years old and a jewelry designer in her own right. I hope she is encouraged to reach for the stars and “create” jewelry to her heart’s content!

Today’s Quote: It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~Frederick Douglass

"A Tribute To Francis" update

What is on my easel...
The acrylic painting, “A Tribute to Francis” is coming right along. Last Thursday’s post showed the background colors being added and blended, the next step is to start building the leaf layers. The leaves are painted onto a separate layer in a flat wash.

Highlight and shadow colors are then added in and all are blended together.

The above technique is used to add the various layers of leaves…

Once the leaves are in, I add a flat wash where the flowers will go…


This is today’s stopping point. Next time I will begin defining the flowers by adding the highlight, shadow and midtone areas.


From the Jewelry box ...

My friend Karen celebrated her ##nd Birthday on Saturday. I put my newly acquired wire-wrap skills into use and made her a sterling silver, Peridot and Apatite necklace. It's funny -- I picked out the stones for her necklace based on the "natural" color clothing she wears. I learned later that Peridot is her birthstone -- I love it when things like that happen!


Okay, by now you should know that I didn't stop there. I made two bracelet and earring sets -- each made with shells and other stones and findings...



Today's Quote: “Painting from nature is not copying the object, it is realizing one’s sensations.” – Paul Cezanne

Introducing: What's on my easel...

Welcome to my new Tuesday post, "What's on my easel", where I will be sharing about the things that I am working on at the moment.

1. A commissioned watercolor pet portrait (unfortunately I can’t post an image because I don’t have the owner’s permission). The portrait is being built up layer- by-layer and quite tight.
2. A non-commissioned pet portrait of a welsh terrior. This is more of a practice piece and is being done in watercolor, following a more direct painting method. I started with a washy background and let it dry, then wet a large area on the dog and added a LOT of paint to it, in 2 to 4 colors (side-by-side or dropped on top of another color) and let it mix on the paper. The sections were divided into tail, hind right leg, front and shoulders, back and belly, and head. There is more to do, so check back for an update…

From the jewelry box…

I just completed a wire-wrapped bracelet for a friend. She has a family home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and she loves all things Southwest, including turquoise jewelry. Sharon, at Beads of Sharon, introduced me to “mosaic turquoise” – it is made from turquoise that has been mined and cut, then the remaining bits of stone are "repurposed" and pressed together (somehow), to form a beautiful mosaic bead. No part of the stone is wasted, and it is really quite beautiful. I thought it was unusual and fit the bill perfectly! Happy Birthday Michelle!

Quote for the day: “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” Scott Adams