Ready to Go

Upon finishing this design, I decided that I will only be doing two new Christmas cards this year.  I will be posting them on my Etsy shop and  my website  if any of you would like to place an order! 

Good Tidings

Here is next up for Christmas designs.  I like great big heavens! 

The Amazing Asher

My 8 year old son Asher drew this remarkably detailed drawing on his dry erase board yesterday.  The dry erase board is his favorite medium and he will invest huge amounts of time into his drawings and then happily erase them to move on to the next one. 

Here is an emerald city he made out of a collection of unmarked dice. 



Ben



This is a drawing I did per request for my nephew Ben's 16th birthday. 

Too Many To Count

We made a visit to Reynolda Gardens this past weekend.  It is one of those places where, at any given point in the year , you can be surrounded by wonderous things.  I took heaps of pictures.  Here are a few.

Take Time

Another Sketch

Home From School

Here is a quick little sketch I did yesterday. 

Flight Into Egypt

Last night I completed the first Christmas design for the season.  My scanner couldn't handle the width so the edges look a bit cut off here.  I wanted to create a sense of Joseph's protection over his wife and new baby as he followed God's orders to flee into Egypt. I wanted Joseph and his family to be surrounded by the protection of God in Heaven.  I have the color of the Heavens here reflected on the face of the baby Jesus. It's almost like looking down through a portal onto an event on Earth.  Now that this one is done, it is once again time for the "What Comes Next" challenge! 

Sisters

    

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

A Proud Day!

The switch on my old bedside lamp had been limping along and finally died last week.  I am proud to say that after only shocking myself once, I figured out how to wire a new one in! 

The Last Summer Harvest

The sun came out today after what feels like weeks of overcast skies and rain.  It is amazing how quickly it pulled me out of my house and back out into the garden. I gathered up some of what was blooming and brought it in. 

My Pineapple Sage has been the big garden surprise of the year for me.  I had no idea they give these amazing red spears along with their delicious leaves. It didn't start blooming till the end of summer.

I started collecting fall planting bulbs for next spring.  Asher and I will plant them together  next month at some point.  I love it when it is the middle of winter and the Christmas tree is down and everything outside is dead, and I remember that we put dozens of bulbs in the ground. 

My Treasures

My sister took this picture a couple years back and gave me a copy.  These are the feet of my son and daughter and two nephews.  I looooooooooooove the owners of these four sets of feet. 

I have this photograph in one of those places where I can see it everyday, so I kindof don't see it anymore... I stopped and picked it up today and decided to share it.  I hope everyone has a fine weekend!

Picture Treat

Every field and skill set has it's "Best of the Best" and in the world of illustration and fairy tales that person would be Arthur Rackham. 

Twilight Dreams  Pen and ink and watercolor, 1912

She went along and she went along and she went along  Pen and ink and watercolor 1918

At this the whole pack rose up in the air, and came flying down upon her...pen and ink and watercolor, 1907 Arthur Rackham



You can read up on Arthur Rackham HERE  and don't forget to check him out on Google images! 

Life is Good

I'm particularly enjoying this morning...

Pears are in season and they are ripe in my bowl...

I'm making good progress on a drawing I am doing for my nephews 16th birthday...

It is raining and the pineapple sage is blooming...

My front porch is ready for sitting, praying or visiting...

and Faye has everything she could possibly need...

The Little Things

This is a rough sketch that I put together for a commission years ago.  I had a conversation with my dad the other day that reminded me of this idea.  I would like to revisit this soon and do a reboot of this piece. 

Jumping

Thrifty Discovery

After Kim and I left the Booksmarks Festival this past Saturday, we discovered a new- to- us thrift shop in West End.  It's called Collage The Art of Recycling and is located on West End Blvd. in the old West End Video building.  We made some really fun purchases. 

We found this great little hand carved couch that appears as though it has always been in that spot.

A beautiful Korean box inlaid with Mother of Pearl.

The inside of the box is just as pretty.  The earrings came from AntiqueInspired

The perfect cups for Alice's afternoon sips.

Some new color for the couch.

The business hours for Collage are Wed-Sat 10am-5pm.

Weekend thrifting is over though and it is back to being a new Monday. 

While Remembering

I Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. 

Getting Started

Though it is hard to wrap my mind around completely, I have had to get started on Christmas designs for this year.  Here is the beginnings of the first one.  It is pretty rough yet, but a fair enough start that I know I'll see it through to the end.

The Flight Into Egypt

Kim and I will be signing copies of The Wonderful World of Sparkle Girl and Doobins tomorrow at the BookMarks Festival downtown.  Stop by and say "Hello" if you make it out!  Have a great weekend!

Morning Shift

I was able to catch the moon flowers this morning before they signed off and the morning glories had not opened yet. 

This morning

This is one of the illustrations from Kim and my book The Wonderful World of Sparkle Girl and Doobins. It fit the bill this morning. :)

Air

Air

I just finished the last design that I will be doing for this summer season.  I started this drawing in a waiting room.  What I was waiting for was a matter of great importance to me and I was hoping that things were going well on the other side of the door.  I had a walking by faith feeling.  I decided to add the butterflies to the sky rather than her stomach.  They always seem to be around when we are walking on air, don't they!

A Bountiful Gift

My mother gave me this stunning plant for my birthday this past July.  It has the most blooms on it today that it has ever had.  The flowers only last one day.  That is a lot to think about!

How much more then will our Father in Heaven dress us! 

Friday Picture Treat!

Copyright 1915

Spirograph Fun

Alice and I stayed up long past a respectable bedtime last night playing with our Spirograph. I highly recommend getting your hands on one! 

Wings

Season Change

I began the process of getting the garden ready for the next season today.  I still have quite a bit blooming, but even my bloomers are looking tired.  I weeded and cleared off everything that is over and done with.  I am looking forward to fall plantings and decided that now would be a good as time as any to start a garden journal. 

I Lost My Summer Garden