One of my clay hearts is being featured in a collection in a post on 'the creative JAR: d is for...d here---> the creative JAR: d is for ...d
I will be working on more clay tiles soon. The next batch of clay houses will go into the kiln soon. Stay tuned!

Week of Travel

Its been another busy two weeks. But part of last week, I was out of town. I went to the state conference for Art teachers, which I enjoyed alot. After spending 3 days with other art teachers and going to workshops, I went to Fayetteville to a Razorback game. That was a great way to end the week! And the Razorbacks won! It was a good game and beautiful weather, but I was ready to come home. I've spent most of today resting. It is exhausting to live out of a suitcase for 5 days. So hopefully this week will get back to normal, and I can work on some art.

The Live mascot is in the red trailers just to the left of the center of the photo. (You can double click on the photo to see it larger.)

His name is 'Tusk II'

The mascot that dances around on the sideline is at the end of the 10 yard line, across the field, standing next to the cheerleader. I'm not sure if he/she has a name or not.

Go Hogs!!!

~Beth

New Clay Houses

Now that the colored pencil show preparations are finished, I was able to spend my afternoon yesterday creating more mini hearthomes. I had so much fun with the clay! I also made some little angels. (on the right) You can click on the photos and see it larger. I plan to be working alot with clay in the future. I'm preparing to go to an artfest in May. It will be my first, so I'm looking forward to it. (More info to come about this.)

These mini houses have been fired and are ready for glazing. I believe they are tired of sitting around on my shelf! They are beginning to talk to me, they've been sitting there for too long!

Oh my!

Landscape Workshop & Busy Week!

Oh my, its been a busy week! I haven't even posted an update on the workshop and artshow from last weekend! After coming back from the workshop on Sunday, I tried to recover enough to get through this week. At school, we had 2 late days at work for parent/teacher conferences and a teacher in-service day on Friday. But apparently I didn't recover well enough, because I got sick this week. All week, I have been...well not sick, but not feeling up to my usual self. At first I thought I may be coming down with a cold or the flu, but it never really got that bad. Just enough to make me feel yucky. I'm feeling better, but I still have the sinus issues that are complicating my breathing through the nose. (I'm trying to say this without too much unwanted details! haha)

So, all that to say, its been another busy week! I'm ready for things to slow down! Work just isn't going to cooperate though. I'm really thinking that the time is getting close for me to hang up the teaching business. My goal is to get through next year and see what life brings to me.

I won a ribbon! It was a People's Choice ribbon. No cash, but its nice to get recognition. One of these days, I hope to win a ribbon that gets money with it!

I stayed with my cousin, who lives near the area. She went to the reception with me and my husband. It was really wonderful to get to spend time with Kay. She is a very special part of my childhood (and adult) memories.

Linda Wesner is shown here during her presentation of her colored pencil workshop.

She does beautiful landscape drawings.

Here is my landscape drawing that I started at the workshop.

It is unfinished, but I will go back and finish it.

I don't do alot of landscapes, but I did enjoy this and we learned alot about taking our own photos for drawing ideas. I took some photos on the way to the workshop on the 2nd morning, that I'm looking forward to doing something with in the future! Even though I am not a morning person, I loved the light that time of the day. And to always keep the camera handy!

Hope you have a beautiful day!

~Beth

The Door...

...is from a photo that I took on my trip to France last year.

It was interesting to me because of the colors first and the intricate details of the door. It is attached to the hotel where we were staying, but I'm not sure if it was an apartment, or an entrance for employees of the hotel. I went for a walk to take some pictures. While I was taking photos, I noticed that there was movement inside the door, so I cut my photo shoot short and moved on. I didn't want to seem invasive to whomever was on the other side of the door. So the shadow figure is a mystery as to who it is.

This piece is, like the French Cafe, done with Prismacolor Color Pencils on UArt paper. This will be in a group show with the CPSA Chapter in Memphis starting next Friday.

I haven't been able to think of a title for this besides "The Door"...but anyone has a suggestion, I'm open to them!
~Beth

Group Art Show Preparations

I have been working hard on my second piece for the upcoming show of the Memphis Chapter of the CPSA that will open next weekend! So I haven't had any time to write or do much of anything else. I am almost through with the 2nd piece now and will post a photo soon.

So I just thought I would post a little dose of cuteness! My daughter sent me these pictures of the 'granddogs'. She lives right in the middle of Razorback country. I think I need a photo of the dogs sitting in front of the tv with the razorback on. Don't you think? Too cute!

ATC Exchange and Future Project

We just finished another ATC exchange over at ScribbleTalk** and this is the little piece that I created for the exchange. This one will be going to Nancy. I hope that she will enjoy it. I am also working on a larger version of this door in colored pencil also. I don't have much time to get it finished, so I will be working on it alot this week. That is, if these sinus headaches don't put me out of commission!

**You do have to be a member to see the other images on ScribbleTalk. But it is a great forum to be a member of and the exchange is set up for members who actively participate on ScribbleTalk.

Newest Mini Hearthomes...

I glazed and fired some mini hearthomes this week and I will be listing them in my etsy shop too. I chose fall colors for the season. I'm looking forward to having some fall weather soon and seenig some color in the trees. Its one of my favorite seasons of the year...except the allergies that come with it!

Oh and if you want to see them close up, just click on the images!

Little mini row hearthouses.

Birdhouse Tile

The birds need some hearthomes too! I wish the little bird that sleeps on our porch could find a home like this! He sleeps perched in the corner of the ceiling of our porch every night! Not in a nest, just perched on the top of the column.

Fall colors Hearthome tile

I'm finished with the French Cafe in colored pencil and will be starting another colored pencil piece this week. I will post some updates as soon as I can. I'm on a tight deadline for that one. I hope I can get it done for the show next month! But for now, I'm sitting with a heating pad on my neck. I've pulled a muscle or something and its trying to tighten up on me. Its difficult to draw with tight muscles!

What is your favorite season?

~Beth

Drawing, doodling, and glazing...

...has been keeping me busy, besides my day job. I'm sure everyone knows that school started. I've been a little lax in my blogging since school started. In a way, that is a good thing, because I have been keeping busy at my drawing table. I've finished up the French Cafe and need to start another colored pencil piece for the show. I don't know if I will get the 2nd one done, but I'm going to try. I've also been glazing some clay tiles and little houses that I'm going to fire this week. I'll post photos when I do. I've also been doing some drawing at school, with my students. I always start out my beginners with a line design, which I love to do. So I got started and cannot stop with the little doodles. Here are a couple of my efforts. Just little playful doodles. I've also listed them in my Etsy shop here. They are colored pencil and ink on stonehenge paper.

So, hope you will hang in with me. I'll be posting more soon!
~Beth

Squares, squares, and more squares...

I've just finished painting a large canvas with squares! Sounds silly, but it is for the wall of the children's sunday school hall at my church. They are remodeling the hall and I was asked, by a friend of mine, to paint squares on this canvas. The open house is tomorrow, so it had to be done today! So that is what I spent my day doing. Its simple and abstract, but it will look cute with all of the other decor and colors that have been used. We also made some painting with the children's handprints on two large canvases. Those canvases will also be displayed on the same children's hallway. I have photos of those being created. I will post them later.

I'm pretty much finished with my cafe drawing. I will get a photo of the finished painting as soon as my time and the weather permit!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

~Beth