Happy Memorial Day!

Today, in Riverside, there was a bike rally to the National Cemetery in honor of our Veterans. Over 7,000 motorcycles took part in this tribute as we lined the streets and cheered them on! It was a great way to start the day. The procession took over an hour to pass by and we were occasionally buzzed by Navy helicopters.

My International Postcards

Some of you know that I am involved in an International postcard exchange where every month we have to send a sketched/painted postcard to one of 14 people from around the world. It is so exciting to go to the mailbox and be able to hold some of my favorite artists work up close. I am enjoying the process so much but realized I haven't been sharing the cards I am sending. The first postcard went to Katherine, I did post that the card was later made into notecards by the hospital that I had painted. The next card went to Liz, and then the last went to Martin. My next card is getting ready to mail but I wont post as I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. If you would like to see all the amazing postcards being sent from around the world click on the logo of the walking feet and it will take you to "Postcards from my walk" blog. Enjoy

I can't seem to find Liz's card, with more than one computer I can't remember where I put it, may have to add later!

The Rose Garden

Our rose garden is so amazing this year. We decided to not prune as severely as normal and then my husband, the closet rosearian, applied his secret fertilizer mixture. It been an explosion of color! The Sally Holmes is amazing, the clumps of roses look like huge ice cream cones covering our metal columns. It is eye candy and that is not even to mention the smell over there.

I am playing in the studio again!!

I have been playing with Copic markers in the studio again. They are very interesting and artists are able to do some amazing things with them on paper. I however am playing with them on fabric. Its another place where I can get that watercolor feel I love, loosing the control I like to have and just letting the magic happen. I am trying different fabrics like silks and muslin along with different methods. I will be playing with a negative painting approach next time, using glue as my resist. The copic markers and even some other markers come alive once I apply this alcohol solution to them, their colors pop but they bleed everywhere. I am also playing with regular sharpies and getting similar results. I am trying to use brushes etc to control some of the bleed. Here is one of my projects.

My Create Art Applique class in Costa Mesa

I met some amazing women and sadly only got to visit with each of them for a few hours. I love the opportunity to teach in these venues and meet lots of creative, artsy people. Being an artist almost forces you into a bit of a hermit like existence. Locked away in my studio or on location I get into a zone, my own little place where I create. I find that I often even talk myself, sometimes good, sometimes bad depending on how things are turning out. We did my colored pencil technique on pre-quilted blocks. It is a lot of fun and can be very relaxing if it hadn't been for the pounding of metal in the next room.  Seems as though we were placed next door to the metal embossing class and they banged on their bracelets and charms all class long. We laughed about it as we were often trying to talk over the noise coming from that room, good thing I wasn't trying to play music! So much for their Zen experience. Here are some pictures of my class working on the project.

The pictures turned out a bit yellow due to the lighting in the room. I also was filmed by Jen Mason from Cloth Paper Scissors for a snippet on their website! Hope all of you had a great day today!

If any of you would like to order a pre-quilted block just email me and I will send you pricing, I have these larger blocks and then smaller 6"x6" blocks!

Back from Market and on to my CREATE Class!!!

We had an amazing time at Spring Market in Salt Lake City. The city is beautiful and I enjoyed taking photos and painting while we were there. My newest quilts were a hit and I loved seeing all the art quilts at the show. It left me very inspired and motivated to get busy.

my newest patterns were received very well by everyone and I have lots of orders to get out, I just finished shipping today.  The art quilts in the show were beautiful, lots of new methods that always peek everyones curiosity.  Then we were on to Zion, wow, another beautiful spot and the weather held until we left and the rain started coming down.  

I now am excited to be getting ready to teach at the CREATE weekend retreat in Costa Mesa. I have been getting my blocks ready and I made my students name tags today, fun fun! All ready, even had time to play with my new copic markers and created a new quilt!!! Marianne inspired me with her beautiful sweet peas she brought over at our last sketching meeting.  We started a sketching blog for the sketch group, I am calling us the Sketchy 5150's, or crazy sketchers! Come over and visit our new blog.  

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

Our view quickly sketched and painted this morning before the show.

Spring Market

We are having an amazing show! Lots of interest and we are making lots of new friends and seeing lots of old friends. The drive into Utah was some of the most breath taking views I have ever seen. Huge, snow covered mountains and clay foothills lined the drive into Salt Lake. Once there we were delighted to see hundreds of tulips blooming everywhere we looked! Its a beautiful city and we are having a great time. Jenn and Kylie even went to watch the Mormon tabernacle choir rehearse!

Happy Mothers Day

I wanted to be the first to wish everyone a Happy Mothers Day!! I know I am early but with my crazy schedule it is the best time for me to post. Before I forget! I hope that all the moms get to do something special for themselves. I booked Happy Feet appt's for me and my favorite moms, my girls! My mom is to far away to join us but will be thinking of her and missing her as I do everyday. Enjoy

A day at the Wild Animal Park

We took three of our grandchildren to the Wild Animal Park in San Diego today. The park was overflowing with baby animals, nesting birds and a special butterfly exhibit! It was perfect weather and the kids had a great time. I took tons of pictures and brought along my trustee sketchbook. I took everything home and painted a few things. I was inspired by all the wildlife, and I do mean animals not grandkids, to paint. Here is one of the Lorikeets that the kids fed while there. 

Watercolor 5"x7"

Another 6" pastel- Paris Street Scenes

I also have this posted on my other blog, Desiree's Designs, but wanted to also share here. I took so many great photos in Paris and want to paint them all, this is one and I did it in pastels and only 6"!

Tomorrow I meet with the people for the commission piece, keep your fingers crossed!

A series for the next 6" show

Randy Higbee's Gallery had their 6" show, it was amazing. I missed the deadline by a day and was just sick over it. This time I will be ready. They are supposed to have another around fall sometime. I am working on a series of small paintings that will also be available for sale on my other blog, desiree's designs , so keep you eyes open as I will be offering new pieces all the time. Here is my latest series called Vineyard Gold. Pastel 6"x6". The photo is a bit blurry, my phones photo quality seems to be slipping!!

From postcard to notecards!

As some of you know, I am doing a postcard exchange with some very talented artists all over the world! I found it nerve racking when I started painting my postcards though, I didn't know if the rest would send their actual postcards or do more of a completed painting. It has turned out to be a mixed bag, some staying relaxed and confident enough to send great sketched cards, while others are taking more time and producing a more finished piece. I was just confused as to what to paint, the first card I did was painted at the rehab hospital where Jennifer has therapy. Its a beautiful, Mediterranean building with beautiful grounds. I painted it and sent it to Katherine in London. I guess the hospital has a Google alert set up and when Katherine put it on the "Postcard Blog" Casa Colina was notified and I got an email asking me if they could use the painting for note cards for the hospital!! I was happy to be able to give back to a place that has given us so much, so here are the finished note cards which have my contact info on the back.

The funny thing about this story is that I am there twice a week, for the past ten years and I have painted and sketched the area many times. It took one postcard traveling to London to get them to see my blog! If you haven't checked out the blog on our postcard exchange scroll down a little ways and on the right side you will see the cute walking postcard graphic that will take you to the blog!

High Tea

High Tea, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

Dawn, Marta and I had High Tea Friday at the Mission Inn. Although the event was disappointing the visiting with friends was worth every cent. We had a great time after getting our spa treatments and sitting in the spa. Perfect weather, perfect company, perfect day!

Chicken Feathers

Don't you just seem to have days like this!? I know I have gotten up and this has been my reflection in the mirror! This was the daily painting challenge and it is a 8"x10" pastel on suede mat board.
Bid on this now! I have restarted my other blog to post paintings only. I hope you will visit and sign up to follow!! I hope to post paintings almost daily that are available for sale.


Desiree's Designs Daily Painting Blog

My sketchbook journaling class

My sketchbook journaling class, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

Today was the first in a series of ongoing sketching classes. Today we discussed the different kinds of journals, styles, text, and layout. Everyone got their brushes wet as we tackled strawberries! We ate our props at the end, well some of us couldn't wait!
I finished my painting and cropped it

Some of my new patterns for Spring market

Working on some small quiltlets for the spring market in Salt Lake. I wont have a new fabric line at this show and I need to introduce some new quilts so I will be busy with that until May12th. I seem to start off behind! LOL These are 12"X12" and designed to hang on a decorative wire hanger or as a wall hanging. This is my Seasonal Scarecrow Series. More to come

Pastel Show 2011

Our Pastel society, the Pastel Society of Southern California, held their annual members show. It was a juried show and Sally Strands was the juror.  I was thrilled to have both of my pieces accepted into the show! On March 26th we had the opening reception which had a wonderful turn out. Members and guest were able to vote on their favorite paintings and I heard that there were over 400 votes. Lots of great food, conversation and then prizes. I was honored to have won in the still life catagory for my painting of Patti's kitchen counter called " Hotel Herdell". Here are some of the pictures from that night. I am looking forward to painting some of the people examining the artwork!

My sketch to quilt class projects!

Friday and Saturday I taught a fun class called "Sketch to Quilt". I give the students a few basic drawing tips and some simple instructions and then I turn them loose to sketch some simple still lifes I have set up. I am always amazed how well they all seem to do with a few sketching secrets. After they have sketched a bunch of quick drawing they can combine them or just use the one they like best and they transfer it to watercolor paper. At that time I gave a painting and collage demo and then they were off painting up a storm and adding empherma! The original paintings turn out fabulous but then  I take them home and transfer to fabric via my computer. The next day they add more color, text and even do some discharging. What they end up with is an amazing little quilt block that they can add to and make larger or they can make a small wall artquilt. Here are some of my students amazing little paintings and fabric transfered pieces, can you tell which is which?

I had a few students that managed to sneak out before I could photograph them. I hop they will send me their finished photos. Congratulations to my talented students for creating such amazing pieces of artwork!