EnGarde! -Paint Party Friday

I loved this picture I took of Rena a couple of summers ago.  There's something about her stance, the twinkle in her eye...I think I've caught it here!

What a talented young lady and lovely, both inside and out. She says she's doing well even in the midst of this pandemic.  I'm so thankful she and her husband are doing alright.

Happy Paint Party Friday, dear Friends

Mountain Dancer -Paint Party Friday

One of the ways I handle sleeplessness is to draw in the late hours of night, or the wee hours of the morning.  This is one such piece.  I haven't slept well in a long time, but I don't mind as much when I end up drawing something like this.

Above you see my lovely model, Rena.  The girls came over for a photoshoot a couple of weeks ago.  It was SO much fun!  They are wonderful friends, and I am privileged to work with them.

Thank you so much for dropping by--your visits mean a lot to me.  Blessings, comfort and joy to all of you, dear Friends.  Happy Paint Party Friday!

She is Beauty -Paint Party Friday

I like the way this particular piece turned out. I believe it will be spectacular when I put it into Pen and ink.  This piece will go into a coloring book I am working on for this Fall.   I adore this girl's graceful pose and artless confidence--indeed she IS beauty!

Above you see my lovely model, Rena.  And by chance, her favorite Disney cartoon happens to be Beauty and the Beast.  I love working with her--she is a photographer's dream come true.

Have a lovely weekend, dear Friends, and Happy Paint Party Friday.

Lady of the Hill -Paint Party Friday

This is a drawing from last year at this same time.  I added color to it last week and I rather like the way it turned out.  This is my sweet middle daughter, who's beauty and kindness lend enchantment to every piece of art I feature her in. 

It is very cold where we are--for our area of the world 17 degrees is REALLY cold.  I can't remember feeling this cold in my life!  But the sun is shining and it is a new day.

God bless you everyone and Happy Paint Party Friday!

Pray Without Ceasing -Paint Party Friday

This is a drawing I did just after returning home from the hospital.  I find when I draw, or write for that matter, pain fades away and I am lost in another world.  I have been surrounded with prayer from the day I discovered I needed a hip replacement and all through my recovery.  Hence the title to this drawing--Pray Without Ceasing. 

I am so grateful to those of you who have been sending your good thoughts and prayers my way.  I am improving daily.  The Physical Therapist told me my rapid recovery is VERY unusual!  Haha!

Have a lovely weekend, dear Friends.  May God bless you with His tender care.  And happy Paint Party Friday all you wonderful people!

Purple Moon -Paint Party Friday

I painted this large acrylic on a large canvas in 2010 to honor the life of a dear little friend. Crickette's extraordinary story can be found at Angel Stories.  Her face is hidden in this painting--can you find her?

We still miss our small mischievous Crickette'. 

Above is another peek into my sketchbook.  I found a wonderful photo of a cat yawning--it so hit my funny bone, this sketch popped out of my pencil.  Bwaahahahahaa...Dragon Breath!  I am sure Crickette' would have smiled to see this one.

Have a lovely day, sweet Friends!  Happy Paint Party Friday!

Saw the Mountains

This is a photo of a saw I painted over ten years ago.  It was done in acrylic and I'd forgotten about it until just recently.  It hangs in my Papa and Daka's home.

You can see profiles of faces in the clouds...

...and in the mountains.

These fir trees turned out so pretty.  I love the color of the blue.

More cloud faces and then my signature.  I remember I had so much fun painting this.  In cleaning out my shed recently, I discovered a bunch of old saws.  I'll be painting them soon.

Have a lovely day!

Snowy Mountains

To my joy, my brother and his family came to visit last week.  They camped out in the back yard...and I loved it.

While my dear brother and his family were visiting, along with walking, laughing, talking and canoeing--we did a lot of painting.  What fun--to share what I love to do most with those I love so much.  This little painting is the size of a baseball card!  This tiny painting started off as waves on an ocean.  Then my incredibly talented nephew suggested they looked like mountains...and so mountains they became.  I LOVE how this turned out.

Ah, I had so much fun with my family.  I admit to missing them today, more than I can put into words.

Have a lovely day--and think cool thoughts!  (grin)

Rockin' Hearts -Guest Heart Thursday

I decided to draw these two lovers as mountains, complete with trees, meadows and water.  Mountains, strong and sure, last for all time--as does true love.

Of course, there are lots more hearts hidden in the picture.  How many can YOU find?

For more heart art, photography and altogether fabulous heart stuff from around the world, visit Clytie at Random Hearts for Guest Heart Thursday.

Into Heaven's Sunrise

Ten days ago, Daddy left us at Sunset--here he is, joyfully stepping into heaven's sunrise.

This is the final effort of one of my first attempts to meld my own artwork into a real photograph.  The actual photo is very small.  I'm so grateful for this wonderful scanner.

May God be gracious to you 

And bless you 

And cause His face 

To shine upon you.

Welcome Home

Thursday I lost my breath and my heart started to beat so hard, I could not even stand to wash the dishes...my knees were weak and I was shaking.  So, I sat down and drew the artwork which is incorporated into this picture for Mom. As I was drawing my heart slowed, the shaking stopped and my breath returned.

This is is an old picture of Dad hiking along a trail.  He loved to hike and explore.  Mom says that's Mt. Jefferson in the distance.  I still have to figure out how to make the drawings more detailed in the photo. I'm also not sure I will be using the fiery sunset clouds from a photo I took in the back yard.  Nonetheless, I thought you would like to see my first attempt at melding art and photo.  It isn't very good yet--but it gives an idea of what I'd like to do.

Daddy is headed for heaven any time now.  He will be soon clasped in the gentle arms of the Great Shepherd Who loves him.

 Thank you for your warm thoughts and continued prayers.

UPDATE:  Daddy left for heaven at 5:45 p.m. today.  He is out of pain and I know he is in a much better place.  We will miss him SO much.  Ah, our hearts are breaking.

Lady Montana

I adore the photography of Tammie Lee.  Each time I visit her blog, her incredible portrayal of Montana fills my eyes.  I am in awe of her macro photography of tiny ice crystals.  The way she is able to capture color glowing through rippling creek waters is fascinating. The photos she catches of sky, mountains and trees are indescribably beautiful--as lovely as their photographer.  Tammie Lee IS Montana to me.

To see Tammie's amazing photography, visit Spirithelpers.  To see her beautiful artwork, visit Beauty Flows.

Mountain Song - Sunday Scans

"For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,

But my loving kindness will not be removed from you,

And my covenant of peace will not be shaken,"

Says the Lord God who has compassion upon you.

~Isaiah 54:10

This Mountain Song was inspired by our recent trip through the Great Columbia Gorge and the photo of a dear young man.  Have a lovely day, everyone!

Al's Photography Blog, by our good friend Al, hosts "Sunday Scans" each week.  Sunday Scans is a place for all things scanned.  So pick up your artwork, old photo albums, ephemera, postcards, ANYTHING which can be scanned and join in the fun! 

Unicorns and Pink Meadows

I hope you don't mind that some of the stories behind my pictures are filled with real life--and death. This story is painful--but ends with great hope.

I remember the day our beloved Grandmother Jenny flew to heaven. I sat in the upstairs hallway and cried in the dark. She ran into the arms of her Savior after a long hard night of struggle.

I began to paint. First a stormy reddish sky. As I wept, I crunched sodden browns, streaks of yellow and shadows of darkness into the murky horizon.

I sat back to ponder the stories Grammie had told of her life. Sharp peaks of hardship thrust through the years. She'd conquered them, one step at a time. I knifed thick paint from my palette, forming jagged mountains. Then tears as I covered the jutting peaks with cool snows reflecting pink from the angry skies above.

As I remembered her words of wisdom and faith, gentle tree-clad hills swelled beneath the mountains . . . I thought of her laughter, and the twinkle of her blue eyes and a bright meadow blossomed with faint pink flowers.

I smiled through my tears, recalling Grammie's vivid imagination. I retraced her wonderful stories peopled with elves and faeries. Then from my brush, the outline of a unicorn emerged. His white coat danced with pinks from the painful red horizon, reflecting the cheery pink flowers at his feet. His dark red and pink mane swooped joyfully against the mountains, and his face grew kind and winsome . . .

Spreading out from the unicorn's feet, yellow centers appeared in the pink flowers, twinkling vividly in the tender green grasses of the meadow.

I looked at that painting for a long, long time, thinking about how delighted Grammie would have been. Then I signed my name.

Painting has a way of expressing my heart.

In the hours I spent wielding my paintbrush, I worked through my pain, sorrow and feelings of anger and loss--to precious memories of my Grandmother's courageous life, to thoughts of her laughter and whimsey, to arrive in a place of peace.

And I can feel her smiling.

Purple Moon

I got up this morning feeling sad. I don't know why--some days are just like that. I worked a little, read a little--fed the fish and helped my husband with a project.

The sadness lingered, so I went upstairs to my studio, set up my easel and began to paint. Three hours later I stepped back from the canvas. As you can see, this is not my normal style at all. When I took Purple Moon downstairs to show my husband, I noticed the braided rug in my office is in exactly these colors.

So . . . can you see her?

Enfold

I was toolying around in the Columbia Gorge on the Washington State side, when I noticed this wonderful mountainside towering over the Columbia River. I ran to the car for my sketchbook--this pen and ink is the result. Can you see her?

Spirit of the Mountains

When we were children, our family would go camping every summer. Those were glorious times, filled with adventure and intrigue. Even as adults, camping was a special event.
Before I was married, my fiancee joined my family in a trip to Strawberry mountain. Even the name sounds wonderful doesn't it?

Anyhow, one early afternoon while the guys and kids were at the lake fishing, Mum, Sissy and I watched in amazement as an old pickup barreled into the next campsite. In a rush and a frazzle the young couple threw a tarp over the entire vehicle, then climbed into the back of the truck to huddle beneath.

Suddenly there was a deafening bellow of sound comparable to what Rip Van Winkle must have heard--the powerful awesome thunder of nine-pins echoing back and forth against the mountainsides to rumble down into the earth between our toes.

Then it began to rain. It started softly enough, but quickly grew in intensity. Then our fire started to go out--we rushed around, gathering sticks and burnables from the surrounding woods, tossing more and more wood onto the fire until it raged and spluttered against the onslaught.

Rainwater ran unchecked from the crowns of our heads, into our eyes and faces. Hair wet and whipping, we kept adding to the flickering flames, as the skies grew ominously darker, and cruel lightning split the skies. Thunder boomed and the wind howled, throwing handfuls of rain and hail sideways against our aching bodies.

But the fire roared back in pure spite--so when the rest of our group tromped their cold and wet way into camp, warmth and firelight greeted them. As fast as the rain fell, the fire warmed us. Steam rose from our clothing to mingle with the downpour. And we smiled at one another, reveling in the pure adventure of it all.

Then, as quickly as it came, the storm departed, leaving the air clear and full of sunshine. Our neighbors came out from beneath their tarp, folded it up and went on their way.

The mountains can be dangerous and caprices. But in contrast to the violence which sometimes makes itself known, time spent in the mountains can be filled with the stillness of starlight, the aroma of pine, the crackle of the fire and poignant, fragrant memories of family togetherness.