Sweet Madrona -Paint Party Friday

I am friends with a very small girl who's imagination reminds me of my own when I was her age.  Madrona is such a wonderful little person.  Her stories are magnificent and her laughter is contagious.  I am the most blessed Auntie in the world.  I have wonderful nieces.

The wind is blowing yellow leaves past my window.  It is a beautiful Fall day.  Have a wonderful weekend, dear ones.  Thank you for your visit--your comments truly bring joy to my heart.  Happy paint Party Friday!

 

There's Hope in a Rose -Paint Party Friday

I have had guests from out of town here all week long, so didn't get to do much drawing.  I'm posting a piece I drew many years ago.  It is one of my favorites.  I'd never drawn anything quite like it before. This faery maiden's heart was badly broken. But the look upon her face, and the rose in her outstretched fingers caused me to believe she found hope and healing.

Hope is beautiful, like a rose. Roses flower throughout the seasons, and astoundingly, I have even found them blooming in January beneath the snow. There is hope in a rose.

Somehow when hope shines impossibly through the cold darkness of hard times, its beauty and fragrance are more precious and lovely than ever before.

Happy Paint Party Friday, dear Friends.

Thumbelissa -Paint Party Friday

One of my favorite fairytales is the story of Thumbelina. The story chronicles the adventures of a tiny girl born in a velvety red tulip, in answer to her mother's wish and prayer.

She has many a perilous journey, but in the end she is rescued, flying away on the feathery back of a sparrow. Her friend brings her to a garden where the fairy folk live in the flowers. (I'm sure the garden must be mine...) There she meets and falls in love with a fairy prince. On her wedding day the fairies give the girl a pair of clear sparkling wings.

I have a collection of old fairytale books, and in the most ancient version, the tiny girl was called Thumbelissa. It's a toss-up as to which name is the most beautiful!

I am going to be out of town, so I'm posting this drawing from 2006.  My model was lovely Melissa, when she was a young girl.  I don't have the original reference pictures to share with you, but I'm sure you will  recognize her wonderful face.

I'm SO grateful for my life-in house sitters, for my watchful neighbors and the policeman who lives across the street.  It makes traveling so much easier to do.  

God bless you, dear ones.  Have a lovely week and Happy Paint Party Friday!

Angel of the Roses -Paint Party Friday

Angel of the Roses started as a pencil sketch in my sketchbook. When I had a moment to spare for drawing, I would add a little here, and a little there. This drawing took about six years to finish.

I love the jewel tones of the colors, and the graceful line of her wings. Many people have told me this piece looks like a stained glass window.

Happy Paint Party Friday, my precious Friends.  May God bless you with rainbows of joy, have a beautiful weekend and thank you for dropping by.  ((hugs))

Malaya Rosebud -Paint Party Friday

Years ago, I was given eight rosebushes to plant in my yard.  All seven of these lovely rosebushes grew and flourished.  Indeed, today at the beginning of winter, I can hardly wait for the soft fragrant aroma of roses to waft through the warm summer air. There is something so exquisitely wonderful and precious about every phase of a blooming rose.

This is a piece of art from long ago--as you can see here, roses are also a great favorite among the faeries who often visit my garden. 

Thank you so much for dropping by!  Have a lovely weekend, sweet Friends!  Happy Paint Party Friday!

Fragrance of Roses -Paint Party Friday

 

This is a colored pencil drawing I made for Valentine's Day this past February.  I believe I've posted this one in the past, but this morning, looking out my window at the vibrant roses of Fall, I decided to post her again.  My inspiration was a vintage postcard from early 1900's.  This beautiful woman is the grown up version of the little girl I love to draw.

Here is a peek into my sketchbook from 2011.  This is the little girl I wrote about above. You can find her image all over the internet.  I often wonder who she was, but all records of her family were destroyed in WW2.   I don't know how I ended up with my drawing backward--I seem to remember printing a reference picture to take on a trip with me, so likely I printed it flipped somehow.  Drawing does help the miles go by faster!

Here is the actual postcard which inspired me--perhaps you recognize her dear little face.  My own beloved niece looks nearly identical to this sweet girl.  Perhaps that is why I love these postcards so much.

Have a lovely day and Happy Paint Party Friday!

Missing Sketchbook--My Heart is Broken

Wednesday evening some friends we hadn't see in years took us to an early dinner at Red Lobster in Salem, Oregon.  I brought my sketchbook along.  I don't know how I could have been so forgetful, but I left my sketchbook in the booth where we were sitting--we left at 5 p.m., just before the evening rush.

By the time I realized I had left it behind, it was too late.  When we called Red Lobster, no one had turned it in and my sketchbook was gone.  My name wasn't in the book.  I'm praying my "logo," BLN, which is included in each drawing, will give enough of a clue that the person who found my sketchbook will be able to find me.

This sketchbook is filled with notes on life and drawings of people I love--including a brave young lady, who has been very ill.  I have also been working on a cartoon of my cat.  I had scanned in every one of those drawings, except, somehow I missed the most important one--a drawing of the brave girl I wrote of at the beginning of this paragraph.  How I missed scanning it in, I don't know.  The finished piece was to be a gift.

If you are the person who picked up my sketchbook, perhaps you are trying to find me--please write to me at beth @ niquette. net.  The reward for the return of my sketchbook is an original drawing to express my gratefulness.  The art would be of anything you like.

I would be eternally and ever grateful to you--would likely hug you to bits should you return my sketchbook.  I can't tell you how much this would mean to me.

My offer is a long shot, I know.  Like a finding needle in a haystack.  I don't know if I ever will hear from the person who took my sketchbook.  If this person contacts me, it would be a miracle. 

Toez in a Roze is one of the sketches in my sketchbook, as is the dear brave girl above.  I'm praying for a miracle.

Happy Dance -Guest Heart Thursday

What a happy heart this little girl has--she loves to come to my house and play dress up!  With all the costumes I have, the selection is endless.  As you can see, the leaves are in the shape of hearts, just perfect for Guest Heart Thursday! 

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

Rapunzel

This is a lineart drawing from around 2003. The border was inspired by an old Art Nouveau rose design I found years ago.

I love the way this piece turned out.  There's such an endearing beauty and grace about the girl in this piece. 

Have a wonderful day, everyone.

Hubby Update:  The surgeon believes he was able to get all the cancer.  Tests results this week should confirm that fact.  My dear husband has been home since Friday and turned a corner last night--He's doing MUCH better this morning!  I'm so grateful for your lovely thoughts and powerful prayers.  (hugs)

Rose Heart Logo -Guest Heart Thursday

I was going through all my old sketchbooks and scanning them into the computer, when I found the first creative sketches of a lovely heart logo I created in 1994 for a radio talk show back East.  I had forgotten all about that!

It seemed the perfect thing for today's Guest Heart Thursday.

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

Little Buddy

Yesterday was my friend Theresa's 50th birthday!  We have known each other for about half that time.  She is such a lovely, wonderful friend--A dear lady, who's gentle heart is full of beauty.

Happy Birthday, my Friend!

Faery in Rose - Guest Heart Thursday

Here she is, nestled in one of the last roses of Fall, before it's petals give way to frost and colorful leaves.  I would like to take a nap in that soft rose, too.  Yes, there are several hearts to be found in this picture--can you find them?

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

The Rose

This is an ACEO, 3.5 x 2.5 inches.  Over the past day or so, I've been experimenting with Prismacolor pencils on black art paper.  This is the last of four experimental ACEOs.  I love roses--I especially love the way this one turned out!   I thought this Rose would be perfect for Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Fairy in Rose

This is a doodle I drew during a service. Sometimes people might think I'm not listening, but that's not the case. When I doodle I remember what's being said better. There are words in the border of this picture--they're kind of hard to make out, but they're there. I believe the words are peace, hope and love.

One of the things I do with nearly every drawing is to hide my name somewhere in the piece. It is usually an integral part of the drawing--and unless you know where to look it is hard to find. I do this because there are actually people out there who might want to pass my art off as their own.

Tiffany Rose

This is our Lovely Tiffany Rose. Her profile is so beautiful--I had to draw her.

I used both Staedtler pigment liner pens, and Micron Archival Ink pens for this drawing. I have discovered using various sized pens create a sense of depth in a pen and ink drawing, which pleases my eyes.

Little Princess

I've decided to dedicate the rest of this week to Motherhood.

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This is a drawing I created for my brother's son's darling baby girl. How Dow would have loved to hold his tiny Granddaughter in his arms. I can picture that quirky little smile on his lips, and the pure delight beaming from his eyes. I am so happy our brother lives on through his son, daughter-in-law and Granddaughter.

In the future I plan to draw her inside of a rose--as her name is Rose.  She is a dear little girl.

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Happy Mother's Day!

Rose of My Heart

This is one of my very first watercolors. I've always loved roses. Their beauty and fragrance have always brought joy.

There are many memories associated with roses, the white blossoms which grew rampant over the old shed at Grammie's house, a start Mom brought home which grew up into the oak tree next to the pathway.

Our last home was surrounded by roses of every kind and hue, even a blue rose. I LOVED them. the blue roses were more purple than blue, but they were the most aromatic roses I've ever known.

I have always associated roses with my heart. Perhaps because in their fragrance I can walk back into wonderful memories from my life.

Roses of my heart.