...day twenty one...

"Morning Prayer"

I think this one deserved two days of work. Yes, I know...I paint pine needles and leaves. It is somewhat of an addiction, but it makes me glow! This is watercolor, prismacolor and ink on a quarter sheet of Arches 140.

I called my good friend Lulu Kelly tonight. 

It was good to hear her voice and to chat about our art. 

...my angels are singing...

...day twenty...

This one doesn't have a name yet, and it needs more work. This morning on my way to work, I drove through a misty cloud. I don't call it fog up here, it is too rare and beautiful. So far I am liking how the trees on the left are so softly defined. I love the way the sunlight pierces the live oak branches, and I think the ponderosa pine on the right is coming along nicely.

...I love Nature's many moods...

...day nineteen...

"Wild Vines" 

watercolor and prismacolor pencil on Arches 140

This small painting started out to be foggy and turned into something totally different. The reference is a smoky evening scene, with rosy gray hills in the background. I guess I just had too much colorful fun with this :)

...day seventeen...

"Mountain Lion Study"--graphite

You probably know that I have had a close encounter with a mountain lion. In an effort to overcome my fear, I have read everything that I could about them. So now, instead of being afraid to get out of my car at night, I am constantly watching for them, hoping to catch a glimpse! 

I am committed to using only my own photo reference materials in my art work. So being able to photograph a lion has been on my radar for years. Today, I went to the Folsom Zoo. They have FOUR!!! I was so excited! 

This graphite study is in preparation for a major piece...can't wait to start. This female was watching the keepers feed the bears, you talk about razor focus....

...mountain lions avoid FiddleSong Farm....

...day sixteen...

"Fiddletown Coos"

These two shaggy characters live in Fiddletown near the post office. When I saw them today I remembered my new friend in Scotland Fiona Haddow. She paints "coos". So I thought I would paint shaggy fur on Yupo...for fun. And it was :) I didn't know that Highland cattle came in black, but this little guy is adorable.

...day fifteen....

"Pt. Reyes-Redwood Sisters"

Tonight's painting is a study of a sequoia grove that is on the hill behind the Morgan Ranch at Pt. Reyes. I painted this on Yupo paper. It is fun to paint on Yupo, you get lots of movement and the color is bright and vibrant. But I don't have the control that I am used to having. 

When I paint foliage, it really helps me to listen to classical guitar, and mostly Gordon Rowland. There is something magical about the way he plays, and I think it has a lot to do with the quality of my brushwork. Stick with what works, right?

...day fourteen...

"16 Quarter Shares Dancing Into The Light"

Yes, I skipped a night...so, I am a slacker :0) A gal's gotta have her beauty rest. 

This prismacolor pencil study of a metal sculpture is a nod to my excellent friend Nancy Roberts. Nancy has a fun sense of humor that often spills over into her artwork. 

I love drawing from life. There is a sense of immediacy about it. It challenges the artist to use her eyes more than her brain, reinforcing years of study and refreshing that self-knowledge that "yes, I can draw!"  

...what will I paint tomorrow?