December Garden 2011 – Wrap Up

Just wrapping up my 2011 garden post for December.  I took these shots, and never had the time to post them.  Here is my dormant vegetable garden waiting for spring planting: This one  is of our dog Hiro under the grape vines.  This year will be the first year they will be allowed to fruit […]

[Continue reading...]

A New Year, New Beginnings?

It has been over a month since I posted, or even looked at my blog.  The holidays have kept me busy, but as it wound down, it also gave me time for deep reflection.  So much has gone through my mind the last few weeks.  Middle age, and so many unanswered questions… As 2011 was my year […]

[Continue reading...]

Drawing Lab 2011: Christmas Tree

This is finally the last Drawing Lab assignment, to draw a Christmas Tree.  I wanted to draw our very own Christmas Tree, but as is usually the case, life gets in the way.  With both boys home, and the hectic holiday season, I decided to draw Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree. I like it for it’s […]

[Continue reading...]

Jeannie’s Art Beads

My art instructor, Jeannie Dukic of the Drawing Lab is not only a talented artist, but also a very talented jewelry designer.  She offered her beautiful art beads to us as a challenge in making our own jewelry.  Here are the beads she sent me – handmade polymer clay beads with real gold leaf: And here […]

[Continue reading...]

Bird A Week Challenge: Weeks 51 & 52

Well, this is it.  I started the challenge with the best intentions.  Somewhere along the line, coming up with a bird a week idea became a challenge in itself.  So, to finish off, I drew a  partridge in a pear tree, and two turtle doves:

[Continue reading...]

Drawing Lab 2011: Student’s Choice #15

Well, I thought this was our last drawing lab.  There is one more, and our official last lab was to be the traveling journal.  Well, I got it, and sent it on to the next student in Germany, and it got lost – on my watch…  Maybe one day, it will reach her.  So, for my second […]

[Continue reading...]

Bird A Week Challenge: Weeks 49 & 50

Just two more weeks of this challenge? For week 49, I am featuring a bird in a basket ornament I made. And for week 50, I am featuring a little cardinal my niece made out of a walnut sitting on a brazil nut:  

[Continue reading...]

Drawing Lab 2011: Textures

This week, we were assigned to draw using different textures.  I drew a bowl of flowers with fabric underneath.  I’m not sure I got any specific textures – with my lack of skill, everything seems to be the same texture 🙂 :

[Continue reading...]

Zentangle Challenge #51 “Fife”

This week, the diva has challenged us with a new tangle called “Fife”  Here is my effort:

[Continue reading...]

Drawing Lab 2011: Student’s Choice #14

I decided to work with pastels again this week. Not sure I like the medium – a bit too messy for me.  Anyway, I attempted a Pablo Picasso style self portrait. Not sure I achieved it, but here it is:

[Continue reading...]

November Garden 2011

I haven’t done much gardening lately – my vegetable garden is an overgrown mess! So, I will just have to share the beauty of fall foliage in the desert region of Southern California. It’s nothing compared to other parts of the country, but remarkably, we do have some :-). Not much in my front grove, […]

[Continue reading...]

Christmas Fun & QP Freebie

Here is AneczkaW’s  second Christmas kit that I played with “Christmas Fun“: Here is the layout I made: And here is the QP Freebie for you to download:  

[Continue reading...]