Watercolor and Ink and Inspiration

If you keep up this blog, you know that I like to use a variety of art materials.  I like that it never gets tiring or boring to me.  Maybe it means that I'm ADD?  Anyway, it can be a blessing or a curse.  Most of the time it is a blessing.  This year I started playing around with some pan watercolors to go along with my pen drawings.  I can also add dry colored pencils on top of that if I want!  So its all good.  Before I go into the studio to glaze more of my little clay houses, I thought I would share this little watercolor/pen sketch of my daughter and her dogs, that I created when I went to visit and dogsit for my daughter earlier this year.   Below is a photo of the 2 'granddogs' that were the inspiration for the card. It's hard to get them to pose together, so I took advantage of this shot.  While I was dogsitting for my daughter, I wanted to paint something and this is what I came up with.  Its was just a fun little quick whimsical painting.  I want to do more watercolor when I have time.

Beth ♥

Shopping and Exploring in Memphis...

Saturday was back to school tax free shopping day in Arkansas and Tennessee.  Not that I need to do back to school shopping, but I was in Memphis for a CPSA meeting.  I mention the tax free shopping, not because I took advantage of it, but because there was a lot of traffic and people out shopping.  After the meeting, my husband/chauffeur, and I went out to eat and set out to find 2 directors chairs for my Art Festival Booth.  While I was in the meeting he did some searching to narrow down the places that I would have to go (he is a good assistant...especially since I hate to shop...especially in this heat!).  He found one store that had one director's chair (on sale).  Unfortunately when we returned to purchase it, there was no chair.  Either it sold, or it wasn't there (in the storage room) to begin with.  But the nice clerk at the store looked on the trusty computer to find that another one of their stores indeed had 4 of the director's chairs.  So we plugged in the address into my 'smartphone' to find the other store.  Thankfully, we found the store, Pier One, and they did have the 2 chairs that I wanted and I completed my shopping for the day. Unfortunately, my purchase didn't qualify for the tax free shopping. But I am happy with my chairs and think they will fit into my Art Festival Booth perfectly!

On the way out of town, we decided to stop and take some photos of the very low Mississippi River and area around it.  I had not been down there for awhile. They have made some improvements and are still working on adding some features to the park along the river.  I decided we need to go back when it is cooler, but I took a few photos. 

The Memphis Egg is at the Welcome Center at Mud Island.  It says the "Birthplace of Rock and Roll".  Too bad it wasn't there when "The Firm" was filmed in Memphis! Tom Cruise could have hidden behind the egg!

Beth ♥

Oh! It's August?

Hello August! I can't believe it's already August...although it has felt like August since June...or maybe even May.  It's been hot and dry here, like most other areas of the country.  But other than the heat, it doesn't seem like August, because I'm NOT getting ready to start back to school!!!! I have to remind myself all of the time that I will have time to create this fall!  Fall is usually my busiest and most stressful time of the year.  This year I should be able to enjoy it because of my retirement!  I especially look forward to enjoying the weather when it finally begins to cool off.  I'm going to make a list of fall favorites that I can especially enjoy this year and share as it gets closer to Fall.
The projects that I'm working on now are private commissions that are almost done!  For now, that's all I can share.  I hope to be able to share the details about a month from now.  I did spend a couple of days working on some clay houses last week. They are in the kiln today and I will be glazing some of them this weekend so I can list them in my Etsy shop.  I will be working on those and some whimsical paintings to get ready for the holidays and the John's Creek Art Festival that I will be participating in, October 26 & 27th!  It is a new festival this year and it should be fun! Till next time...

Have a great weekend! 

Beth  ♥