A New Dog Portrait on My Easel!

Yes, I am finally painting again after a very long dry spell. This portrait was commissioned by my daughter, to give to the wonderful family who billetted her during an International Pony Club Exchange way back in the spring of 2008. This long overdue portrait is of Gracie, the family's whippet. The photo's that I have to work from aren't the best, and Gracie passed on shortly after my daughter came home, so I will have to do the best I can with what I have been given.

This is the first stage of the portrait. I have transferred my drawing on to watercolour paper, and started on the background. I had originally planned to paint this with acrylics, but after transferring the drawing I was compelled to start in with watercolour. I haven't painted with watercolour for a very long time, so it will be interesting to see where this goes. I have a feeling it will end up being a mixed media painting!

My Art and Jewellery is in a YART sale!

I am very excited to be taking part in the second annual YART sale at Etsy!

The “2nd Annual Yart Sale” will be held from Wednesday June 10th-Sunday June 14th, 2009. This year the “2nd Annual Yart Sale” will be sponsored by the Etsy Supply Street Team (Team ESST).

A “Yart Sale” is an artistic spin on the traditional Yard Sale: Art + Yard Sale = “Yart Sale”. There are many art museums, artists, and groups that have Yart sales annually to raise cash.

I have marked down some of my shop items 25% or more, plus I am offering free shipping to Canada on all items in my shop! Take a peek at the art and jewellery I have in my YART Sale section.

The YART sale only runs until June 10th, so don't wait too long to visit all the wonderful shops participating!

I've Got Sunshine on a Cloudy (Snowy) Day

It has been snowing on and off all day here on this, the last day of May. I snuck out for a quick walk between blizzards wearing my winter coat, toque and mitts. It was a bit surreal to be walking, all bundled up, among the green grass, and newly blossoming plants and shrubs. But no photos of snow-covered flowers - I need something to brighten up my day! So, here is a photo I took a few days ago, of one of the first mosquitoes of the season one of the first flowers to blossom in my garden.

And, just because I haven't seen the sun for a few days, here is a bright yellow pendant I finished a few days ago.

The fused glass with attached hematite bead was made by Cheryl Olafson of Visions in Glass. We have been collaborating on a quite a few pieces lately. I wire-wrapped the piece in oxidized sterling silver to frame it, and keep the modern feel.
This, and other pendants are available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

Here's hoping for a brighter day tomorrow!

A Sunrise, a Good Mother and Earrings

I woke up early this morning to this beautiful spring sunrise. The pinks, oranges and yellows of the rising sun contrasted beautifully with the blues and violets in the clouds. Five minutes later it was gone and the horizon was just a mass of dull, grey-brown clouds. Being in the right place at the right time is always nice, but sometimes it can be downright magical!

Lately, the talk in my house has often been about prom and grad. The prom tickets and dress are bought, ready for the big day next week. My daughter wandered in to my studio the other day and started playing around with my stash of pearls, informing me that I should make her a necklace for prom. So, good and dutiful mother that I am, I promptly hopped to it and started creating.... some earrings. For pierced ears. Which my daughter does not have. (I said I was a good mother, not a perfect one!)

I haven't made earrings for a while, so I enjoyed going through my stash of pearls and other beads, trying out different combinations, and making the ear wires to go with them. Here are some of the earrings I've created so far:

Purple Fire made with amethyst coloured fire-polished glass beads,

Teeny Weeny made with tiny freshwater pearls and oxidized sterling silver,




and Neapolitan made with three flavours of freshwater pearls.

See more prom, graduation and wedding earrings at my Etsy shop.

And that necklace my daughter wanted me to make? I just might finish it in time .... for next year's prom.