PIKE'S PEAK PUPS

 

This 8"x10" portrait is of my grand puppies who live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Top left to bottom are Otis, Mojo and Nestle.  We were fortunate to be able to spend two months in Colorado Springs this past summer visiting with our children, grand girls and grand puppies.  My last post was of our grand girls, Sara and Brynn playing on the beach while they visited us even earlier in the summer.  We have such  wonderful times sharing adventures with our family and their pets both in their home and ours. 

When I create a portrait, I like for it to be a time capsule of what was happening at the time.  So when I was deciding what to do with the background of this portrait, I thought that putting Pike's Peak in the background would give it a time and place. For those of you who do not know, Pike's Peak is the tallest peak around Colorado Springs coming in at a little over 14,000 feet.  While we were in Colorado Springs this summer we rode the Cog Railway to the top of the peak and back.  It was a wonderful trip that took about four hours round trip. It was 30 degrees colder at the top than at the railway station at the base of the peak. Brrrr! The views were incredibly beautiful.  If you are ever lucky enough to ride up to the top be sure to have a high altitude doughnut at the guest station.   They are very dense because of the altitude and very yummy.

Don't forget to keep making precious memories with your families.

Phillis Holland





 

Sketchbook Pages from Diana Gessler Journaling Class

I promised a view of our sketchbooks from Diana Gessler's fun Journaling Class and here it is. I put all of the pages together. I'm hoping that if you click on it, you can see more detail.

Diana gives directions in how she interprets the things around her when she's journaling. They're very specific in class but only as a guide to help you see what's around you and condense the information in a way that's fun and relaxing but keeps it all fresh for you. Below is a closer view of how each of us interpreted her view of Spanish Moss -- first from afar, then close up, then summing up the history of its name in a few words. For fun and interest she suggests adding borders and teaches how she draws a bee for her sketchbooks.

For more about Diana and her workshops, click on this link: Diana Gessler Workshops.

Three Pieces Have Fun at Diana Gessler's Workshop

Yesterday, myself, Carmen and Cindy had the joy of attending a wonderful journaling workshop in Cocoa Village conducted by the very talented teacher and artist, Diana Gessler.  Diana starts out by reminding everyone that this is a no stress class - and that's the truth. She has a lovely even pace but keeps the ideas and inspiration flowing. Her motto is summed up by the statement on her gift bags: "You are here for the joy and delight of your soul." 

We spent the morning at Murdock's on their outdoor porch learning how to create borders, and fun text and how to observe and capture our surroundings with Diana's well practiced techniques.  Below, Cindy, who also attended Diana's Melbourne Beach journaling workshop, paints some borders.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and all did quick sketches of our top notch server, Nicole.She was a good sport and signed all our sketchbooks. (Nicole is also an artist - a 2005 graduate of the Miami New World School for the Arts.)

After lunch we wandered past Cara Mia, into the Porcher House, and spent some time sketching in and around the riverfront park. The day was finalized in Carolyn Seiler's beautiful gallery passing around everyone's journals for the day and signing them. (For more about Carolyn's gallery in Cocoa Village, click here: Carolyn Seiler and Friends.)

I'm pasting pictures of the day here and challenging Carmen and Cindy to send me pictures of their spreads so I can post all of them for everyone. Below, Diana (in pink hat) heads us out of the Porcher House.

For information about Diana or to talk with her about setting up a journaling class for your group, she can be contacted by clicking here: Diana's web site.

Spacecoast Living features our Carmen!

This month's issue of Spacecoast Living features a wonderful article on our own Carmen Beecher. If you don't get this beautifully printed magazine all about our area of the world, you can read the article online by clicking here: Spacecoast Living.

Congratulations, Carmen on your beautiful work and some wonderful, well deserved publicity! And we think you are way beyond "extradordinary"!

Vineyard Bridge

I am having so much fun painting from my North Carolina photos.  This was a demo on Tuesday.  That lovely day we visited the Grandfather Vineyard.  This bridge was covered with grapevines, and loaded with grapes.
When we tired of painting and and picture taking, we retired to the patio and enjoyed a couple of bottles of wine.  Such a delight!
Mary

A Passion for Passion Vines

There's no doubt I have a passion for Passion Vines. I especially love Incarnata, the beautiful purple one with curly tendrils that grows wild here in Florida shown below.

But over the past few years I've been planting other varieties and I currently have six of the seven in bloom. Below is Lady Margaret, a beautiful red one that I bought as a skinny little four inch sprout several years ago that now takes up half the fence in the yard and must have over 100 blooms at a time.

Here's a little view of the others. Below is the latest to show itself: Vitifolia. After that is Sweet Sunrise, followed by Cerulea and then Jara.

These flowers are an artist's dream. I haven't taken on the challenge of painting one yet. But below is an example of "Jara" all done up with filters, brushes and a little text in Photoshop CS6.

I have loads of photos if any artists out there want some to paint or to play with in Photoshop just let me know which variety and I'll send you high res.  And watch for affordable prints at our upcoming Pieces of 8 pre-Christmas sale on December 8th in West Melbourne.

Elk Falls Path

The Pieces of 8 had a wonderful time at Cindy's condo in NC in Sept.
This little painting was created from one of the many photos I took while we were there as a demo when I was teaching a class this morning.

Mary