Merry Christmas

It is snowing at 7 AM on Christmas Day.

May you have a wonderful holiday, holy day, whatever it means to you. Click on the photo enlarge it and see the ornaments.

It's still snowing...

Snow sculpture helps clear the driveway, and is easier and way more fun than shoveling the snow. This snowman doesn't really have red eyes - those are carrots, (which I later stole back to add to the pork roast in exchange for bark eyes, nose and buttons). My massage therapist traded me a bottle of Chateau Neuf du Pape for a few dozen Xmas cards. Such a fine wine goes well with a slow-cooked pork roast drenched in carrots and onions with fresh home-made French bread. And for dessert - candy canes. This may not sound very spiritual to you, but really, it is, in a 2009 kind of way. May you look forward to wonderful great and warm new friendships in the New Year. The Times they are a'changing. Again. Thank God!Save your buttons because you just might need them.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It's snowing again...

These hungry Steller's Jays are invading the bird feeders and scaring the smaller birds away. I let them feed a while, long enough to get several picures. I added the red cotoneaster berries to the painting which are more food for the robins than the jays. They were hard to paint - I added the snow using a toothbrush which spattered all over my tiny studio tv. It's ok because it soon won't work anyway and it is only black and white. I am out of birdfood and must get to the store soon.

Looking out the studio window at the snow

Making time for a quick watercolor study -

Darker leaves add contrast to the delicate flowers.

My teachers have warned me to avoid the tyranny of reality, and I have tried to omit unnecessary detail here, not so easy. I like the complementary colors of the Christmas season, red and green, or any variation thereof. This is the beginning of the painting - to be darkened.

Christmas cards are starting to arrive...

Here are two imaginary horses, one a show horse and the other a pleasure horse. I am now painting more in watercolor than sumi because it is much easier. I will get back to sumi in the new year to prepare for my next show at the Gallery, in April.

A thank you gift

I helped my friend Betsy set up a blog; look at the beautiful cyclamen she gave me in return.

Too busy to paint or blog right now

If you have time for a quick break, go here. The puppies are really fun to watch when they are awake (this site is good for another couple of weeks or so). Enjoy:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam