Back to beading

 Before I was a knitter/crocheter, I was a beader. I spent hundreds of dollars on beads each month making my own jewelry, giving them as gifts, adorning other trinkets. My favorites are semi-precious stones because of the heavy feel of wearing beautiful tiny rocks as jewelry. Not commuting to an office over the past year had led to my old beaded necklaces sitting in a drawer for months. Pulling them out and appreciating the beautiful stones gave me inspiration to re-vamp them into new works.

The first one I re-created was a rhodonete, hematite, rose quartz necklace. The shiny metalic appearance of hematite goes well with the translucent rose quartz and matte rhodenite. I added larger round rhodentite to this new necklace to give it more length and variety in appearance. 

The second necklace I recently re-created was an iolite and blue lace agate strand. Very small labradorite and moonstine pieces were added to lengthen and refresh this one.

I have a couple more that will get makeovers soon, updates to follow!

Sleeping under a rainbow

 A full two months in the making, this king sized bedspread reflects my love of rainbows. As a kid, to see a rainbow was very special occurence for me. To this day when I see one, it feels like magic is in the air. When I had the opportunity to purchase a huge lot of various colors of acrylic yarn, I knew instantly that I would turn it into a some kind of blanket. 

This turned out so delightful, and I'm looking forward to sleeping under this rainbow tonight. 

😊💜💙💚💛💓

Amethyst Amulet

 I love to make these, but the major challenge in that is threading the needle! These are very tiny beads (size 11) going on to DMC thread perle cotton size 8. Once the beads are loaded on using a Darice bead spinner, it becomes much easier. 

The beads are an iridescent purple with a faux sugilite resin teardrop and round genuine amethyst beads. I've made several of these in the past with the needle threading being my major inhibitor of making a lot more. I'm hoping to sell these at a local artisan craft booth nearby as they make great necklaces to carry your favorite trinkets or crystals in.

The Glow of Ms. Etna

 Sometimes I'm amazed at some of the stories of my Sicilian family ancestry, how they came to America in the early part of the 20th century, the traditions they still carry on, and the pride of their heritage. The DNA test I took claimed I have 24% Italian in my genes. Whether that's accurate or not, I'm definitely of a Sicilian bloodline, and I think it's pretty cool 😊

What I love about Sicily is the blend of being a desert yet so fertile with citrus fruits, grapes and plumerias. Visiting Hawaii a few years ago, the scent of plumerias were everywhere and it is one of my favorite floral scents. I'm surprised plumerias grow in Sicily because I think of that flower growing in a more lush tropical environment. Blood oranges are also a thing in Sicily, and those are delicious. Sicilians grow the best tasting lemons too. And of course wine is another gift from this volcanic island.

This abundance is due to the rich fertile soil from the volcanos nearby, particularly the active Mt. Etna. In this painting, I refer to her as Ms. Etna, and the glowing flow of her lava and plumes of ash contribute to this soil. I also imagine standing at a market in Catania, indulging in the beautiful colors of this magical place.

Painted on 10x12 canvas board in gouache, fluorescent acrylic and other mixed media.

Calla Luna

 On a 6x8 canvas board, this is a mixed media of gouache, ink and watercolor. The full moon goddess shines her gentle light over the hills of Big Sur California, sprinkling her magic over the delicate Calla Lilies. In the distance, the turquoise ocean reflects her light.

Bookmarks in color

 A few years ago I got a hold of some sample Arches watercolor 140lb cold press paper that are small narrow pieces still attached to the glue. The original pads were cut and these slivers are the remnants. I have about 8 of these narrow pads and reminded me of bookmarks. Over the years, I have painted landscape scenes and other small glimpses of other worlds. 

Below are two places in Europe that a) I have seen in person or b) would like to see in person.

The portrait/vertical scene is the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival just about an hour from my home. I've never been here, but I might just make a day trip soon. The landscape horizontal scene are turf houses in Iceland, which I have seen. I was disappointed though I couldn't go into these. 

Painted with Daniel Smith watercolors, and these measure about 2" by 9". I will get them laminated someday as bookmarks, or just cute little windows to another place in time and space.

The Giraffe

 Since the 80's, giraffe populations have decreased by about 30%...think about that. Just 40 years and nearly a third of these gentle giants are gone. The more I paint animals, the more I really appreciate just how special they are. This one is done from a copy of a photo, and then I added my own idea of an African landscape. Painted on a 10"x12" treated canvas board with watercolor paint.