Lavender Flower Fairy -Paint Party Friday

I have these flowers in my garden.  They bloom in late Fall and have the most beautiful lavender flowers.  Of course there's a little fairy who comes to paint them just for me.

Have a good weekend, dear ones and Happy Paint Party Friday.

 

Pretty Pansy Fairy -Paint Party Friday

Here is another of my little fairy drawings.  This one is in honor of my sweet Grandfather, who taught me everything I know about drawing.   He also had an incredible imagination.  He saw pansy faces--like colorful little lions.  He taught me how to see people and animals in both clouds and trees...  I miss him so much.

Happy Paint Party Friday, sweet Friends.

Sharing Secrets -Paint Party Friday

I love elves...  This little one has a friend--a bird in hand, so to speak.  My precious Daddy could talk to birds and I have some of his abilities.  This elf has the gift of bird speak, too.  One can tell they are exchanging important secrets.

Happy Paint Party Friday, sweet Friends--thank you SO much for dropping by. 

Nutmeg the Elf Boy -Paint Party Friday

I've been drawing a lot of little fairies lately.  I suppose these hard times turn my heart toward the whimsical.  This little fellow reminds me a lot of Timmy--the little fairy Mom told us about in her stories.  I call him Nutmeg.  What a cutie!

Happy Paint Party Friday, sweet Friends.

Swoosh! -Paint Party Friday

I was inspired by a vintage postcard.  This lovely woman was an actress around the late 1800's.  I am sometimes in awe of their sheer elegance and beauty.  It seemed to me a snowstorm would be the right setting...AND Daisies.

Happy Paint Party Friday.  Be careful out there!

Tear Falls -Paint Party Friday

It has been a week or so, since the "stay in place" order has been in effect.  There's no traffic in the streets--no rush hour to speak of.  Nothing is open in this little town I love.  I hope the small businesses here will be able to survive.  The joy I have is that my own precious Mumsie has been with me for two weeks now--she can't go home for a bit, until the rules are relaxed a little.  She misses her place a LOT.

I also had to cancel our Lady's Retreat last weekend.  But there IS a silver lining.  With a only few small changes, we'll be all ready for next year.

Ah, well...  Here is a fairy in front of "Tear Falls."   Perhaps thing will be better soon.


Happy Paint Party Friday, sweet Friends.  Stay safe and have a great weekend!

Sweet Sixteen -Paint Party Friday

Sweet Alexis turned 16 last week.  We had a little birthday party for her, and this was her gift.  Such a lovely young woman.  Wise beyond her years and gifted with a great sense of humor.  

Here is my reference photo.  She's not only lovely on the outside, but she is beautiful on the inside, too.  It is a great blessing and honor to be her friend and mentor.

Thank you for dropping by.  You dears are always an encouragement to my heart!  Happy Paint Party Friday!

Fun Faces on Wood Rounds -Paint Party Friday

I had so much fun drawing these!  A couple of years ago, I bought a bag of pre-cut wood rounds from the craft store.  As an experiment I tried drawing on them with my micron pens.  It was a success as I  came up with these fun faces on wood.

Above is  a closeup of some of the faces I came up with.  I can't tell you how much fun this was.  I'm thinking these would be sweet to put into Christmas cards!

Thank you for dropping by--you dear ones always bring a smile to my face and hope to my heart.  Thank you for your encouragement and Happy Paint Party Friday!

Sisters Three -Paint Party Friday

I have a busy weekend ahead and last week I was just swamped.  So I am re-posting this older pen and ink piece, which was inspired by a vintage lithograph.  This drawing portrays the wonderful relationship between sisters of all ages.

Here are my dear friends Melissa, Casandra and Lyric when they were very young.

Thank you for dropping by, your comments give me much joy.  May blessing and hope be yours, sweet Friends!  Happy Paint Party Friday.

Lady of the Mist -Paint Party Friday

I am going to be away from my computer for a few days and it has been incredibly busy this week, hence I am re-posting a pen and ink drawing done when I was in the hospital for almost two weeks, being treated for MRSA. 

Whimsical memories of the Lady of the Mist come from my imaginative childhood.

I remember sometimes thick ropes of mist would visibly move through the trees of the forest next to our home. The mist would daintily coil above fields, and tiptoe through the blueberry bushes. Sometimes I thought I saw a lovely woman with soft trailing draperies wafting to and fro, in a silent elegant dance.

As an adult, my imagination is alive and well. Early summer mornings, I sometimes catch the Lady of the Mist gracefully twirling over the ripples of the river near where I live. I once watched her whisping through a grove of oak trees, murmuring to a flock of sheep sheltering there.

Except for the sheep (who are huddled out of sight in the thicket) this Pen and Ink was my imaginative rendition of The Lady of the Mist softly dancing among the towering oak trees.

Thank you for dropping by, sweet Friends.  You are such an encouragement to my heart!  Have a blessed weekend and Happy Paint Party Friday!

Lovely Rena -Paint Party Friday

I have been so busy with life, I haven't had time to do much drawing.  That being said, I'm posting this lineart of my friend Rena, which I created in 2018 when I had a little more time!

I love how the patterns turned out.  This is in the tradition of one of my favorite artists, Alphonse Mucha.

Above you see my lovely young friend posing at the back fence of my yard.  I'm so grateful for her friendship, and her willingness to pose.  I am blessed!

Some of you wanted to see more of the ACEO's I created last month--so here you are!  This one is called "Askance," from the look on her face.

Happy Paint Party Friday, and thank you for dropping by.  I love hearing your thoughts.  Your comments are a sparkle in my day!

Reach Up - Paint Party Friday

I have been so very busy this week.  I decided to feature one of my more simple birch bark doodles.

Just for fun I'm also including this pen and ink of an old tractor. It was a Christmas gift for my sweet Papa. Enjoy!

Have a happy weekend, sweet Friends.  Thank you for dropping by--your comments put a lot of joy in my heart.  Happy Paint Party Friday! 

Bright Eyes -Paint Party Friday

This is another drawing I did awhile back.   I love the grace and artistry of the Art Nouveau style.  Alphonse Mucha is one of my favorite artists of all time.  You can often see his influence in my artwork.

Above you see my lovely reference model Lyric.  I've had the blessing of knowing her since she was born.  What a dear person she is.

Thank you for dropping by, even though I'm a bit late in getting this out.  Your comments always are a bright spot in my day!  Happy Paint Party Friday!

Tiger Burning Bright -Paint Party Friday

Good morning!  This sweet tiger is one of the two dozen or so baseball sized ACEO art cards I created over the past couple weeks.  I love tigers.  This one seems quite gentle.

Here is an acrylic I painted many years ago.  The painting is about three feet tall and hangs upstairs in the "art gallery." 

Have a happy weekend, sweet Friends.  Thank you for coming by--your comments put a lot of joy in my heart.  Happy Paint Party Friday! 

Whiskers Akimbo -Paint Party Friday

I took some time aside and made two dozen of little ACEO cards.  This whimsical little fellow is my favorite.  For those of you who don't know, these tiny art pieces are the size of a baseball card.  They're a lot of fun to do.  It will be fun to add color to them.

I hope your week has gone well.  We are expecting rain by Wednesday, then back to higher temps next week.  It has been such a mild summer.  I've enjoyed the warmth and sunshine.

Thank you for dropping by, dear Friends.  Your comments always brighten my day. Have a lovely weekend and Happy Paint Party Friday. 

She Loves Birds -Paint Party Friday

It has been an emotional, hectic week, so I'm posting one of my earlier pen and ink drawings.  Birds have always given me joy.  I love to heckle them with their own calls--it is so fun when they finally realize it is a human talking to them! 

My Daddy had the same gifting.  The birds would land on his shoulders waiting for the seed he would bring out to them.  The humming birds loved him too.  I'm sure they are all around him in heaven. 

Happy Paint Party Friday, sweet Friends--thank you SO much for dropping by.  Your comments are encouraging to my heart.  God bless you and have a GREAT weekend.

Just Out of Reach -Paint Party Friday

A friend of mine who struggles to find words asked me to draw them as birds, just out of reach.  She describes the feeling of being on the edge of knowing what to say, but the words allude her.  I was once terribly shy--and in some circumstances, I still am--so I understand this helpless feeling of wordlessness.

This is the first of four drawings.  She gets to keep the one she likes best.

Have a great weekend, dear Friends.  Thank you for dropping by--your visits and comments are such an encouragement to my heart.  Happy Paint Party Friday!

Springtime Snowstorm -Paint Party Friday

I heard on the news, that in addition to damaging tornadoes and storms, there was a springtime snow storm in Colorado Springs, Denver and Fort Collins!  What a surprise.  This morning some folks awoke to temperatures in the 20's. A lot of records were broken--I wonder what it would be like to find snow on the ground the end of May?

It is beautiful and mild here in Oregon's mid-Willamette Valley.  There are blue patches between puffy clouds--some of them are quite dark!  I keep hoping for a thunder storm.  I adore them.

I looked and looked for the reference photo I used for this drawing--it was inspired by a magazine ad!  When/if I find it, I will add it to the post later.

Here in the United States, it is Memorial Day Weekend.  I will be going with my family to the Willamette National  Cemetery to visit Dad's brothers; Uncle Jody, who fought in Vietnam and Uncle Kelley, who fought in the Korean War.  And especially to honor Dad, who fought in World War II.  He's been gone almost seven years ago, and I miss him So much.

Thank you for dropping by, dear Friends.  Your comments are a bright bit of sunshine in my day!  Blessings and hope to you, and Happy Paint Party Friday!

Good Friends -Paint Party Friday

 Best friends--friendship itself is worth its weight in gold.  I think of all the friends who are in my life and I am overwhelmed with the treasure of their love.  What a blessing they are to me!

Friendship--our Friendship

is like the beautiful shadows of evening,

Spreading and growing til' life

and its lights pass away.

~Michael Fitkovics

I found the above poem in a poetry book from the late 1800's.  My sweet friend Marian gave it to me years ago.

She wrote, "Beth, I do hope you enjoy this little book.  It was given to my Mother long before I arrived on the scene.  So it is very old, but it had the sentiment I wanted to share with you...We are the kind of friends who, at any time or any place can say, "and... & then go on." 

She is in heaven now, and I will miss her always.  Her piano is in my house and I often play it in the night time...

Above are my beautiful models, Heather and Rena.  They are sweet daughters to me--I am SO honored by their friendship--hence my title of "Good Friends."  I am so proud of them.  They have become best friends and continue to be a blessing to me and so many others.

Thank you for dropping by.  I always look forward to your visits! Happy Paint Party, and Happy Easter!  May the joy of Springtime be yours. 

Little Sleeper -Paint Party Friday

Here is half of a sideways legal length Pen and Ink I finished in 2013.  It's my idea to make it the center pages of a coloring book.  My art computer died, though I was able to rescue everything on it--and I will have a replacement soon. In the meantime it is hard for me to put needed copyrights on the actual scans, so I'm posting artwork I've already scanned and copyrighted.

I am very sick.  As you know, I caught the flu.  At first I felt better but then I got worse again.  If this continues, will go back to the doc to see what's up.

Hope you are having a great weekend, sweet Friends!  It is such an encouragement when you drop by and comment.  You are all a blessing to my heart!  Happy Paint Party Friday!