Limelight Hydrandeas

Limelight Hydrandeas, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

The property is filled with color and things are blooming all year long. Getting to the end of their blooming season these limelight hydrangeas are still so beautiful and last for weeks on arrangements. I also painted the billiant blue lace capped hydrangeas I will share tomorrow,my last day here!

Valley views

Valley views, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

Looking out of the window from moms living room I painted the view she wakes up to every morning. Many days the fog from the ocean creeps in and lays in the bottom of the valley floor.

Anemones

Anemones, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

In one of the shady flowerbeds sits several different colored anemone flowers. Some are white, some pink but all are very invasive and tend to spread really fast. What once was treasured for the wonder flowers and color is now considered a bit of a nuisance. One day you're in, the next you're out!

Hidden Gardens

Hidden Gardens, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

My moms property is nestled on some foothills next to the redwood forest in Mendicino county. She has some of her "garden rooms" tucked under stands of redwoods, this is where this Buddah sits. Watching over this area of the garden surrounded by hydrangeas and anemones she sits on her ivy covered redwood stump.

Rose arbor

Rose arbor, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

My mom made this 75' rose arbor that ends at a gazebo in hopes of having weddings here, overlooking the valley. When blooming the cover the pathway with multicolored petals. Perfectly placed to make any bride feel special, wish it was around when I got married.

Angel wing begonia in Chinese pot

Angel wing begonia in Chinese pot, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

I am visiting my mom in wine country this week. Her 5 acre estate always amazes me. It will forever be a work in progress and filled with secret treasures. Always the interior/exterior designer her eye for beauty and detail has always allowed her to transform the worst into the best. Her deep love of gardening shows everywhere here, taking this overgrown piece of property and transforming it into a place to see in the Valley. At the base of her steps that lead up to the main floor sits this large antique pot that is filled with angel winged begonia.

September Sketching class

I teach a sketching class once a month for a wonderful group of women. Every month we learn something new, technique, paint application etc. This month we worked on how to create a page that shows distance for those distant vistas we all love to photograph when we are on vacation. I took some of my photos that I had actually taken while in Italy of the country mountainsides and printing a bunch of them up. After my demo I mixed up the photos and then had them pick from the stack face side down. This way I wanted to avoid the students making selections based on how hard or easy they thought it might be. It was wonderful to see their faces as they drew their photo!  They did an amazing job of capturing the scene, some did double page layouts some single page. I really enjoy seeing the end results and their sketchbooks are coming right along!

Plating with webbing

Plating with webbing, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

I bought some webbing and sprayed this piece of watercolor paper and then just thought it was too much. So instead of throwing it away or putting it away I grabbed one of my Italy pictures and started throwing on color. I kind of like it! So I will continue playing with it to create textures. If you want to play with me you can purchase the webbing spray at Micheals. If you apply to wet paper the webbing swells and you get bigger lines. This was done on dry paper.

Painting fabric with Copic markers

I taught a class on copic markers and the students did some great pieces. This medium is tricky, like trying to control something uncontrollable. It produces watery, loose representative pieces that can be incorporated into quilts or pillows and are completely washable. It turned out to be a great day, experimenting with different techniques and visiting with friends!

Rocks at Scotty's Cove

With the heat threatening to melt us at 109,we escaped to the ocean and ended up at Crystal Cove State beach. The weather was about 74 and perfect. I carried my art supplies and chairs ( or my hubby did) down the cliff side stairs and found the perfect place to camp out for the day. I ended up spending most of the day just enjoying the breeze, the people and the sound of the waves against the shoreline. I painted two paintings, this one is pastel, done of the rocks close to where we were sitting. The colors were amazing and they seemed to be arranged perfectly. There were tons of wonderfully colored umbrellas, lots of kids and we enjoyed every minute. I wondered why I haven't done this more often.

Rocks at Scotty's Cove

8"x10"

Pastel

The backyard is blooming!

The backyard is blooming!, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.
These Helenium Autumnale or common sneezeweed is in full bloom. The days are long and hot and these beautiful yellow and orange flowers are like a bright light in a dark flowerbed. I love them, standing about 3' tall they are covered in blooms until the frost. This is such an exciting time in the garden, and in the yard. Things are blooming, the garden is producing and we are weeding and trimming like mad! It seems to be the year of the bugs though, I have been fighting things like spider mites, and tomatoe worms along with silverfish and bunnies this year. Gardening isn't for the faint of heart!

Negative Paintings

For my last sketching class we talked about negative paintings. I love things that are painted by surrounding the positive by painting the negative. We worked on a negative painting technique with is both challenging and fun once your brain gets around it. You add layers of color underneath the previous layer and you can create some wonderful paintings. I am now turning these into quilts, excited to see how they translate to fabric.

My Fortune Cookie Quilt

We were each given a fortune cookie and asked to make a small quilt to represent our fortune. My fortune was "Try a new hat for a change in looks. Be creative!" This is Nana's New Hat, I painted the whole quilt and then quilted it. I decided to paint all the hats I wear and make them all one hat! The problem was the size restrictions, I have a whole other top section I have to put on after the show. This exhibit will be traveling to a quilt show in Ohio in October! Fun, there were about 8 of us that will be showing in the exhibit.

More of my extended weekend!

I am going to post some pictures from my weekend in San Clemente, it was an amazing time on the beach, celebrating Dianna's birthday with peach pie and vintage candle holders, visiting Andy's beautiful home on the water and taking pictures with all her funky stuff! It makes me excited for next year and I already miss everyone!

Finished!!

Finished!!, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

So nice to be finished although the weekend could have lasted forever! Lots of laughing and sharing this weekend I will post more photo later to share the fun with you!

Working on more sunflowers in San Clemente

Working on more sunflowers in San Clemente, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

Having an amazing time with my art buddies in SC taking Dianna's amazing class. Our yearly get together at Pattis is always so perfect. They are warm and welcoming and make us all feel like family! This is it so far, more to come.

Sketches from my walk

Sketches from my walk, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

This morning I woke up and was out early, just Chloe and I making our way to the coffee shop when I saw this feather. I think it's from a Red Tailed Hawk. I think one of the best things about walking or running is that you notice so many wonderful things that would otherwise be lost if you were driving by. What oddities do you find on your walks?

Cosmos

Cosmos, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

Another watercolor aquaboard painting. The board does not allow the paint to run and blend on the surface very well so I am really having to work to get it to happen, some are working better than others

Buena Vista Bridge Commission

Buena Vista Bridge Commission, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

Here is new, looser version

Another aquabord sample,new colors

Another aquabord sample,new colors, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

I decided to paint again,reselecting my colors to achieve more clean color on the surface.

Testing aquabord

Testing aquabord, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

I love the idea of a watercolor surface that accepts paint the same as paper but doesn't require blocking. It would be wonderful for plein aire although, as I found with the pasteboard, the larger sizes get very heavy. I wish it was on gatorboard instead. I seemed to fight the surface a bit but it was the first one so I think it's too early to vote. This would be nice for framing and at 6"x6" the size paints up quickly.

Apricots and Peaches Everywhere!!

Well its that glorious time of year again, when the beautiful flowering fruit trees have put on their crop of fruit and the warmth of the sun has ripened it all at ONCE!! Ahhh. I love the thought of going out and picking a ripe apricot or peach from the tree on a hot day and enjoying it but it doesn't happen like that. It takes ladders and every bowl in my house to carry in the ripening and falling fruit. I try to pick the ripest first and spread the wealth over at least a week.

Sometimes it happens, sometimes not.

Normally I spend the early summer dreaming and pining over canning and preserving books I have collected over the years for some new, exciting recipes. This year I didn't do that. Then Marta called me to tell me she was canning strawberry margarita jam! Oh, I got all excited. Finally after canning by myself for so many years I have a few friends that have begun to can!! Its so exciting, exchanging recipes, canned goods etc. Dawn also then posted she had canned Ginger Lemon marmalade. Wow!! more goodies.

Well I better get busy here.

This year, like last, my apricot tree has had a disease. Don't panic, it isn't contagious, but it does affect the production of fruit. We lost the whole crop last year but this year Randy did get the tree sprayed once. It probably needed to be sprayed three times but being organic gardners it really pains us to treat things we are going to eat with anything. But the idea is to spray before the tree is setting blossoms and then the disease will be treated. Anyway (long,boring details), we got apricots, but they were small but plenty of them and they tasted good. So I picked the day before fathers day and set them out for the party goers the following day. After everyone had eaten their fill I still had plenty left over. Not wanting to tackle jam during our heat wave I got a great idea, Apricot BRANDY!! So simple but so much fun. I got on the internet, poured through all my books and found a recipe that seemed good. After I put the apricots in the liquor I had to put them into a brown paper bag in the closet, to keep it cool and dark. It has the feeling of being a closet drinker during prohibition days I must say! It felt weird to show Marta the concoction cooking away in the pantry! LOL Marta and I were dreaming over a chapter of decorated jam jars, already planning how we will prepare the Christmas gifts for my everyone!
Here is the process and I even took the time to journal it in my sketchbook!

Preparing the liquors, sugars



In go the apricots



One jar down, one to go

Working on some new art pieces for dishes!

I am working on some artwork for dishes! They are looking for a salsa, Tex-mex theme. I have been painting and putting some things together hoping that the company will want the artwork for a set of dishes! I don't know about you but the thought of having my artwork on dishes is soooo exciting! I would just have to order every piece! The several pieces that I have done and were rejected have become images in my inventory for anyone else looking for that theme so it is time well spent. Here are are few of the pieces that weren't going to work for what they wanted, the last image is a new submission, waiting to hear.

Sub Q's newest meeting and challenge

I belong to an art quilt group called Sub Q, Subterranean Quilters, meaning we had to go underground to do art quilts! LOL Our challenge last month was to interpret a fortune cookie that was handed out to each member. We had a month to do an 18"X24" quilt to bring to our June meeting. We had a wonderful time revealing each quilt and reading our fortunes. The actual fortune had to be somewhere on the quilt top. Then Ann, Debbie and Nancy shared a technique they had learned and we all worked on another small quilt at the meeting. Such a great time. 

I decided to paint my quilt top after I drew some of the hats I wear.

Then Painted

Then attached my fortune

Then I quilted and made a new price tag for the fortune, that I also wrote; My Life, Priceless

Countryside Cottage Roof Raising

Countryside Cottage Roof Raising, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.

Marianne had a roof building class at her beautiful home today! Cynthia led the class as she taught us how to build our moss roofs and then plant the tiny little succulents that will be covering the roofs. Marianne also provided custom wood houses to set our newly planted roofs onto! What a great class, fun day. I also have to mention Mariannes amazing gardens and yard, a treat for any garden lover. Here is my sketchbook entry for the day. I will be moving my little house around the yard until I find it the perfect place.

Supplies

Some of the mature succulents

Marianne had yummy snacks too! Rosemary sugar cookies and bear claws!

My adopted youngsters!

Unplanted....

Planted, da da!!