House Portraits

The houses I've been painting lately seem to have come straight out of a storybook, wouldn't you agree? They're just so amazing and adorable. This last one is one of my very favorites (although I tend to say that about a lot of them).  The wood paneled house is set back in the timber, shrouded beneath a giant canopy of bright emerald green leaves, and complete with wandering chickens and a long and winding driveway. I like to think it's someone's dream home!

I'm afraid to say my blog posts will, for the next two months, be slowing down considerably as I try to tackle my giant work load before Christmas. I'm so very thankful to have a growing little business here, and don't want to fall behind. If you'd like to still keep in touch between now and then, I'll be periodically posting new things on Facebook and Instagram, which are a much quicker means of sharing life, I have found.

new work space

I am really so excited to be writing to you from my new (old) desk and upstairs-by-the-window work space!  I love the light in our house and how the shadows shift from room to room.  In the morning it's soft and cool, but by 10:00 the shadows are already slanting into the hallway and creeping into the next room.  And then there's this golden hour that comes about 4:00 everyday when I come upstairs from my basement studio and find the entire house illuminated like a giant glowing balloon.

I just love natural light and the way it makes me feel so inspired.  So, this weekend I dragged Corrie along with me to this great antique store near my house, bought a new (old) table, and begged my husband for a little space in his office, which he so lovingly gave me as he rarely even uses the room.  Just like that I have a work space upstairs right in front of a big 'ol window that let's me in on that soft and cool morning light.  I must say, these squirrels digging holes all over my back yard might be a little distracting, but other than that I am loving it!

The screech owl painting was inspired by a this little guy who was disguised in a tree above my husband's head on Saturday when Seth came to pick up my table.  I've never seen a screech in person so close up!  It really made my day.  :)

Let's talk about something fun today.  Let's ignore the cold and snow and biting wind and dream about riding our bikes through the park with flowers blowing out of our baskets.  Let's talk about plum colored pants and little furry dogs.  And please, let's not mention the color gray.  Just for today!

I'd like to teach you how to do something I just started doing a few weeks ago.  Let's go back to the basics and start our days right, with clarity, Scripture reading, journaling, and painting our dreams.

Here's what you'll need (let's keep this simple):
a compact watercolor set
a cheap sketchbook
a pencil
a glass of water
a paper napkin
a small collection of visual references

What inspires you?  What colors and patterns make you swoon?  If you had the day all to yourself, what would you do with it?  What sort of things would you want to see?

Now, open the curtains and let in the morning light.  Start the tea kettle.  Turn on the music.  Ignore the clock, your phone, the computer.

Let's begin.  Lay out the fun visual references you've been collecting.  How happy are you right now?  What about those references make you happiest?  Now pick up your brush, wet the palette, and begin.  Who cares what happens after that?  This is just for you, for fun, for practice, for presence and joy.

Finished?  How does it look?  Does something bother you, please you, make you smile?  Remember those things.  Now, close the sketchbook and open your heart to what God has in store for you today.

Repeat each morning.  :)

*If you're on Instagram, tag your paintings with my custom label #morningpaintsketch and see the artists who have already joined the fun!

Seth and I returned home last night after a few days away to find our town has nearly turned completely black and white.  All of our neighbors were building great piles of leaves and that Fall smell of burning leaves filled our car as we pulled into our drive.  This time of year always makes me so thankful!  Thankful for where we live, for the life we have, for the colors and the baby squirrels emerging from their summer nests.  You should see these baby squirrels I spotted on my morning walk.  They were about the size of my hand with long velvety white tails.  I went back for a picture, but instead got the warning look of a very protective parent. Next time, perhaps.  :)

And now, as I sit in my studio and listen to the thunder clapping and the rain pounding I am thankful for work.  It's the kind of work I miss when I'm away.  The kind of work that is always on my mind.  I am so grateful to be in my own home with a line-up of customers.  It is the best life.

So thank you to all of the wonderful people who believe in what I do and allow me to paint all day long!  You are truly the best and most loyal customers.  I am thankful for you!

A Winter House Portrait

Our Winter Home
Watercolor on paper, 8x10

It's still a little early to be thinking about snow, I realize.  But we had this empty spot on our wall that really needed filling, and seeing as Christmas and winter is right around the bend, I thought I'd try to envision our house engulfed in thick smooth layers of soft snow.  I love snow!  And twinkle lights.  And red cardinals.

Any ideas where I can find a good wreath for our front door like the one in the painting?  Full and piney with little red berries or a gold ribbon tied into a bow at the top?  Any Etsy shops you know of that sell handmade Fall and Winter wreaths?

Here's an example of a winter house portrait for all those curious minds wondering what painted snow looks like...mostly just white paper huh?  I've officially painted houses in all seasons now!  Feel free to browse the collection here.

Spring Robin

Spring Robin
5x7 in Watercolor on paper, mounted

Click to purchase

Spring weather has brought the robins to our home in Minier.  To celebrate and to wish you a happy monday, I've brought my very own bright-breasted robin to life on paper.

Custom Portrait: mother & child

Wednesday's post was all about Bea and her father, and today's post is just as exciting as I was blessed with the opportunity to also paint Bea going for a walk through the woods with her mother.

One of my favorite things about this portrait series was hearing Lizelle (Bea's mother) talk about her daughter in such endearing terms.  She told me about how much Bea loves nature and going for walks through the woods to pick wild flowers and watch for wild animals.  She said she wanted these paintings to be a momento for Bea, something she and her family could see and be reminded of the wonderful times they had together while Bea was young.

Bea and Her Mother 8x10" Watercolor on paper

In the hope of doing more paintings similar to these last two, I've made a second custom portrait listing in my Etsy shop that you can see here.  Each portrait is an 8x10" watercolor (mixed media) painting by me that you can have for your lovely home to bring back fond memories for years to come.

One final thing I wanted to share were a few kind words from Lizelle:

"First, I have to say how pleasantly surprised my husband was. He LOVED it! He could tell immediately what it was all about and I think it's been one of the best gifts ever!"

''Bea loves them too and I'm sure it will become a treasured little heirloom. We want to thank you once again for a wonderful 'journey', I've greatly enjoyed working with you and look forward to following your blog. Good luck with all future endeavours and keep on dreaming!"

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Remember to plan ahead if you are interested in purchasing a custom portrait for a special occasion.  Mother's Day is May 13th and Father's Day is June 17th- book your portraits now to guarantee your holiday gifts!  And if you happen to have any other ideas for portraits you may be interested in, send me an email or post a comment below because I'd love to hear from you!

{A special thanks to Lizelle for allowing me to share!}