A few months ago I snagged a huge lot of acrylic yarn, and some of it was the super soft baby yarn. Even though there aren't any babies in my life (sadly!), this soft white, blue and pink yarn appealed to me to want to crochet a blanket for a baby coming in the future. I used a vintage pattern, and this turned out very soft, elegant and beautiful. Currently it is stored in a sealed container for an infant-someday.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Monday, December 21, 2020
Desert Rainbow, somewhere in Arizona
The short dark days of winter are helping me recall my days of living in Arizona (21 years ago!). While living in Phoenix wasn't my favorite place, the sunsets were amazing. Outside of the metro area, into the mountains is where the stark beauty really lies. Continuing with my admiration of cactus plants, this is a watercolor of what I would think the Santa Catalina mountain near Tucson would look like. Saguara National Park is on my list of National Parks to visit some day, and I also imagine the scenery to be similar. Painted on paper in watercolor.
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Cactus series - Gouache on paper
November in the Pacific Northwest means gray skies, golden leaves and mud. After the September wildfires, I'm certainly not complaining! Just a few years ago, the fall was my favorite season. As I've gotten older however, I have a lot more appreciation for the sun-especially after vacationing in Hawai'i twice in one year.
In 1999, I moved to Phoenix,Arizona with my young daughter to find a new change in scenery. Back then, I had also longed for sunnier winters and that motivated the move. We lasted just over a year as I discovered how much I missed the trees and green in Oregon after visiting Flagstaff in northern Arizona. We came home with one more family member-my 2 month old son!
These cool damp days have me thinking about Arizona lately, so I browsed through some cactus photos to paint. Losing the moment in these paintings as I day dream about the desert was a brief respite from the rain. These are two small painting in gouache on paper.
Sunday, November 1, 2020
Deidre Beth Cowl
My newest knitting design is this simple cowl with the softest Merino Wool yarn, and I'm so in love with it! Pattern is free on Ravelry.
Memories Journal #23-Best Mountain View!
I had hoped to paint this live at Hidden Lake viewpoint, but with crowds and lack of time, I ended up painting it from my photos taken. Hidden Lake viewpoint was the highlight of my Montana vacation. I had seen this view so many times in other people's photos. Seeing it for myself with fantastic weather was an incredible experience I will forever be grateful for. Between seeing Seljalandsfoss and this view in person, I think I've accomplished some major goals in life!
Watercolor on paper.
Saturday, October 31, 2020
Happy Halloween owl!
Last week during a mild Friday evening under a new moon, live music was playing across my street by Jacob Westfall who made an appearance on American Idol. While I'm not watcher of American Idol (or much TV anyway), his voice was incredible. I couldn't see the actual concert as it was in my neighbor's backyard, so I sat on my patio and just listened. Above the house where the concert was playing is a large tree, and suddenly I see a giant owl float to a branch in that tree. This bird was so graceful and large, so I retrieved my binoculars to see if I can get a better view. It sat in that tree as if it were also listening to the beautiful music, and it didn't move for at least an hour. The evening felt so magicial.
Although I've painted a few owls already, this sighting and the season had inspired me to paint one. Here is one in watercolor in my bird journal.
Saturday, October 24, 2020
More newborn costumes
My 1985 middle school friend is a grandmother again, this time for two more-a boy and a girl. The baby girl will get a unicorn and caterpillar outfit:
Somewhere in the Cascades
In Oregon, we have many forested parks-some in the city and some in our multiple mountain ranges. At the western base of the Cascade mountai...
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It's been 18 months, and still working from home full time. When will we go back to the office is the question of the decade it seems. ...
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The Hawaiian Monk Seal resides in the northwestern Hawaiian islands, and is on the endangered species list. About 1600 remain today. This is...
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Guess I'm on a bug painting roll. Another small one on paper this time using Daniel Smith watercolors.