An Old Acquaintance ~ SOLD

"I frequently tramped eight or ten miles
through the deepest snow to keep
an appointment with a beech tree,
a yellow birch or an old acquaintance
among the pines."

~Henry David Thoreau

An Old Acquaintance

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, double matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

Quotes will be hand lettered and laminated to the back of the painting's matting.

mats -(acid-free/white core) with foam core backing, in an acetate sleeve
ready to fit into a standard 8" x 10" frame

• SOLD

An Old Acquaintance is #8 of my 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

inspired by quotes about trees.

Thanks again to everyone for your interest in this project.

As always, your comments help me to

stay on track and are most appreciated!

X ♥  O

I like Trees ~ Sold

"I like trees because they seem more resigned

to the way they have to live

than other things do."

~ Willa Cather

I Like Trees

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, double matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

Quotes will be hand lettered and laminated to the back of the painting's matting.

mats -(acid-free/white core) with foam core backing, in an acetate sleeve
ready to fit into a standard 8" x 10" frame • Sold

I Like Trees is #7 of my 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

inspired by quotes about trees.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback. Your comments help me to

grow as an artist and are most appreciated!

X ♥  O

The Loner ~ SOLD

"Trees are much like human beings 

and enjoy each other's company.

Only a few love to be alone."  

~ Jens Jensen

YAY!!

The Loner

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, double matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

Quotes will be hand lettered and laminated to the back of the painting's matting.

mats -(acid-free/white core) with foam core backing, in an acetate sleeve
ready to fit into a standard 8" x 10" frame

• SOLD

The Loner is #6 of my 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. My personal theme is paintings inspired by quotes and so far I've done all trees because I love them and all the great things about them. This piece evolved into a "Tuscany Inspired" tree theme through the comments and feedback of friends on facebook. Although I've never been there, or painted it before, I've seen many photos and hear from everyone that it is simply one of the most magnificent places on the planet. It is most definitely on my bucket list! I did a lot of pre-painting planning on this little gem. It kind of came out with a Van Gogh influence, don't you think? How do you think I did with the colors?

Thanks to everyone on facebook that helped me with these "Tuscany Colors". Your comments and feedback help me to grow and is most appreciated!

X ♥  O 

#5 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"A tree which has lost its head will never recover it again,

and will survive only as a monument of the

ignorance and folly of its Tormentor." 

~ George William Curtis

Monument of Ignorance
5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

This is #5 of my 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Thought I'd try something new today and throw in some lettering, as I'm also still taking that fun online lettering course this month. Trying to come up with some "Tuscany Colors" here in this painting and the next one that's on the boards.  I wanted to do the "Tuscany" inspired one today, but got too involved in pre-painting planning. This is my first attempt at adding the lettering to a painting. What do you think about the colors and the lettering, on or off? Stay tuned for tomorrow's painting. I'm psyched!

Since my theme for this 30/30 challenge is works inspired by quotes, I thought it would be nice to hand letter the quote that goes with each piece on the foam core backing board that comes with each painting. All the original paintings in this series come double matted (acid-free / white core) with backing board, in an acetate sleeve ready to fit into a standard sized 8" x 10" frame unless otherwise stated.

We got a light dusting of snow last night.

These pictures were taken early this morning

when I went out to feed the horses.

Sometimes there's nothing prettier than a herd of deer in the snow.

Thanks for stopping by.  Leave me a comment,

add your 2 cents and let me know you were here.

I love hearing from you. That way I can visit your blog too.

X ♥  O 

Angel Oak, A Precious Antique ~ SOLD

"Trees are your best antiques."

~ Alexander Smith

Angel Oak, A Precious Antique

•SOLD

Angel Oak is located on John's Island and has been owned by the city of Charleston, South Carolina since 1991. It is considered to be among the oldest living things in the United States. Estimates of it's age range anywhere from 400-1400 years! She stands some 67 ft. tall, has over a 28 ft. circumference and is 187 ft. in length from tip to tip of the longest branches. I just found out tonight, as I was putting this post together, that Angel Oak is threatened by development by the city of Charleston. Now it makes more sense that the painting evolved with a yin-yang pair of doves flying from the tree. (Not my original intention.) Hey, do you believe in divine intervention?

This is painting # 4 of 30 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.

A special welcome to goes out to some new friends here!

Thanks for reading and commenting on my new painting series.

I jus - luv ya all, really I do!

X ♥  O 

Doorway to a New World ~ SOLD

Here is painting #3 of my series of thirty paintings in thirty days. I'm trying to keep them simple and loose. I plan on taking some different approaches and playing around with contrastive concepts. Using inspirational quotes provides lots of ideas! Like the interpretation of today's quote by John Muir, this challenge is a doorway to a different world. This is such a good exercise on so many levels.

"Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world."  ~ John Muir

Doorway to a New World
5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

• SOLD

On the home front, big brother Tigger is finally getting over most of his jealousy and is starting to regularly play with the kittens.

They all like to play in and around the little tunnel. Notice all the other toys in the background. I now call my studio Kittengarten. It is no longer my own. 

Tigger outweighs them at least two to one.

And he always seems to be the one on top.

They do play rough, but so far there have been no serious incidents, fingers crossed...

Thanks for reading and commenting on my new inspirational quote painting series. I look forward to your input and hope all is well in your world!

Hugs and Purrs,

X ♥  O 

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

I was feeling a little uninspired this morning when I went online. That's when I found out about Leslie Saeta's thirty paintings in thirty days challenge. It's par for the course that I'm late to the party, but it only started yesterday, so I'm giving it a shot along with over two hundred other participants. I did two paintings today to catch up. My theme for the series is paintings that are inspired by inspirational quotes. I'm starting off the first week painting trees. Wish me luck!

Bonsai Tree

"There are rich counsels in the trees."  ~ Herbert P. Horne

Windy Tree

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

"I hear the wind among the trees

Playing the celestial symphonies;

I see the branches downward bent,

Like keys of some great instrument."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hope you are all off to a good start in this New Year!
See you back here again real soon friends!

X ♥  O 

Cheers to 2013

"We will open the book.  Its pages are blank. 

We are going to put words on them ourselves. 

The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Best Wishes for a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year!

X ♥  O 

How Beer Saved The World and Other Holiday Tidbits

Christmas is not entirely about gift giving, I know.

Like many, our family has cut back considerably this year.

Although the message should be about opening our hearts more

than presents, gift giving still continues to be a part of our tradition.

Because it's their first Christmas and they have been

exceptionally good this year, the kittens received

an extra special gift from Santa Claws!

It's a Whisker City Cat Lounge and Scratch!

Opie loves his high vantage point by the window.

Both kittens are thrilled with it and I am hoping

they'll start putting the scratching part to good use!

I have been taking a ten week online

lettering workshop with accomplished illustrator

and instructor, Val Webb. Interacting and sharing

with members of the class has been fun and inspiring.

One of Jerry's presents from me is this Celtic style painting

with his initials. (Cutie Pye makes sure it meets with her approval.)

Jerry is happy with it. I'm relieved. Sometimes he is hard to please.

You can see a couple of my other lettering class projects here.

From Jerry, I got this sleek, shiny, new respirator for when

I'm chopping Rudy's hay with the paper cutter.

The cutting creates a lot of dust, so this

is a much appreciated, practical (and stylish) gift!

Don't you just love the black with purple filter accents?

Half Mask Respirator

I also got several cases of really good beer!

I am all set for quite a while now!

See How Beer Saved the World !

This humorous documentary will enlighten, entertain

and engage your respect for my favorite beverage.

Learn about beer's very long, interesting history and

see how it really did shape life as we know it today!

Now, whenever Jerry sees me with a beer, he says, 

"So, I see you are trying to save the world again!"

Wouldn't it be nice if it was that easy?

I hope your Christmas day was as pleasant as ours was

and that the rest of your holidays are happy and bright.

X ♥  O

Wishing You a Joyous Heart

True holiday spirit is about inner peace, love and kindness. It's ours for the asking. Take time now to reach out to friends and family. A simple compliment, caring dead or a kind touch can do wonders for setting the stage.

By embracing the meaning of the season, we can awaken our inner child and add considerable enjoyment to the holidays. Slow down and savor the sights of lights twinkling in the dark, the taste of various treats, the smell of spice and evergreens, the sound of music and laughter.

Christmas spirit is alive in the joyous heart and can be spread anywhere you want it to be.

~~~~~~~~
"May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!"~ Unknown

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." ~ ~ ~~ Charles Dickens

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air." ~ W.T. Ellis
Thank You for your friendship and your comments! As Always, Wishing You Many Blessings and a Joyous Heart!
X ♥ O WITH LOVE 

Joy To Your World!

With all the tragedy and negativity in the news lately,

I have been retreating into my own world more and more.

And it's a very GOOD world too!

I refuse to let circumstances that don't effect my world

and that are way beyond my control, get me down.

Continuing to look for the positive in life, I strive

to enjoy each day to the fullest.

The best way I know of doing this, is to count my blessings

and be truly THANKFUL as often as possible.

Please don't let senseless acts of insanity and negativity

in this world pollute your mind and hinder your resurrection

to a higher plane of love, happiness and spiritual evolution. 

Thanks to all of you for looking at my images,

reading my thoughts and offering your friendship here.

Wishing You Happiness and Appreciation for Your Blessings,

Now, During the Holiday Season

And Always,

X ♥  O

"Saying thank you is more than good manners.

It is good spirituality." 

~ Alfred Painter

Holiday E-Card

2012 FB Holiday Header

As I said in my last post, there are so many things happening in Sandy Land right now. The only reason I have a moment to post here is that I'm sitting at my laptop while supervising the cloning of the hard drive on my iMac. I recently got an email from Apple regarding the possible failure of certain iMacs, including the one I own. Needless to say, I have to get a new hard drive installed in my computer, el pronto. It's already starting to act a bit suspicious and I don't want to wait until it fails to do something... Yikes! With the help of Carbon Copy Cloner software, I think I'll be able to make a bootable external hard drive with everything intact which I can then transfer to my new iMac hard drive. Cross your fingers for me!

Since some of you do not use Facebook, I thought I'd share my FB holiday cover photo here with you today. Hope everything's going well with you!

Until next time, I hope your days are Merry and Bright!

Thanks for reading and especially for commenting if you do.

X♥O

Holiday Gift Offer

I am pleased to announce a print giveaway at My Etsy Shop.

No Special Codes or Coupons Required.

Get A Free Print With Every Purchase!

++++++++++++++++++++

There are so many things happening here in Sandy Land right now. I hope to find the time to post some of my news here in more details soon. It's all good, from animal adventures, an online lettering course, watercolor commissions, photography excursions, holiday preparations, birthday celebrations and a new horseback trail riding friend!

Until next time, I hope your days are busy, bright and filled with joy!

Thanks for reading and especially for commenting if you do.

X♥O