Everyday Artist

Sunshine Getaway, Days 3-4

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wrapping up our trip to Pensacola ...

Here's the sketch I mentioned yesterday, drawn when we had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the harbor.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

It was the most delicious meal I had on the trip. Simply delectable!

Detail

The next morning we went exploring and drove east on Santa Rosa Island, the narrow barrier island that we were staying on, and discovered miles and miles of deserted dunes and beaches that are part of Gulf Islands National Seashore. We took a walk along a sparkling white sand beach in the brilliant sunshine, just ambling along, picking up shells and watching the waves, without a care in the world. That's my idea of a perfect day.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

This sketch of a battered fence is my favorite. I completed it on site, and I think that gave it a more spontaneous quality than some of the others. I punched up the color of the plain grey fence by adding touches of warm yellows and pinks.

Detail

After touring around the area all morning, we decided to just relax by the pool in the afternoon. The pool water was pretty cold, but Fred did one loop around the "lazy river" (trying not to touch the water!) I much preferred the jacuzzi. It felt great!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

The pool area was so pretty, with its cute tiki hut, palm trees, waterfalls, and spouting jets of water. I couldn't wait to sketch it all.

Detail

I painted while Fred napped in the sun...

Detail

We celebrated our anniversary that evening with a wonderful dinner in town, then headed home the next day. I dashed off this last sketch at the airport just before we boarded our flight to Charlotte, then painted it while we were en route.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

Some of you probably wonder why I would bother to do all this "work" while I'm on vacation. Well, for me, drawing and painting is a way to relax. When I'm deeply involved in sketching, it's almost like meditating. I get so focused on what I'm doing that, if someone speaks to me, I may not even hear them. I'm "in the zone", and there's no room in my head for worry, stress, guilt, or obligations. With my Type A personality, it's quite a feat for me to be able to relax like that just by opening up a sketchbook and picking up a paintbrush.

The other reason I put all this effort into my travel sketchbooks is because I love the results. Instead of returning from vacation with photos like this ...

... storing them on my computer, and probably never getting around to printing them out, I have a sketchbook that I can hold in my hands, filled with sketches like this ...

It's like bringing a piece of that place home with me.

I hope you'll give it try sometime. Anyone can do it -- really! All it takes is the willingness to try. And when you find out how much fun it is, you won't want to stop!

Sunshine Getaway, Day 2

2012-02-06T05:30:00.000-05:00

Our visit to Pensacola, Florida, continued...

Since my husband, Fred, is a pilot, we had to keep our priorities straight and visit the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola Naval Air Station our first morning in town. Usually I get bored with airplanes after about fifteen minutes, but this musem was really great. They had a lot of interesting displays and some really amazing restored airplanes.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

I sat in the grass outside, in the 70 degree temps, soaking up the sunshine while I drew and painted the entrance to the museum. That's Fred sitting under the wing of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. The other two figures are bronze statues of Navy crewmen.

Detail

After sitting and painting for about 20 minutes, I went to stand up and realized that my left leg was completely numb from having it bent under me while I worked. I couldn't walk! I must have looked like I'd had too much to drink as I tried to make my way over to Fred, who, by the way, had a perfectly comfortable seat on a bench. (I'm sure he was sitting there daydreaming about flying around in that fighter plane instead of the commuter jet he flies.)

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

This chubby little biplane that we saw in the museum was just begging to be painted. I love how it turned out. I'm amazed that I actually got the proportions right, and it looks fairly true to life.

Detail

The colors on this next page are softer and more muted. I like the way the two sketches complement each other.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

The Pensacola Lighthouse, on the grounds of the Naval Air Station, is still operational. The lighthouse keeper's cottage is now a museum. I sketched this scene in pencil while standing up, leaning against a post, balancing my sketchbook on one hand and drawing with the other. I left the ink and watercolor for later, when I had a little more control.

Detail

Even if I don't have time to complete a sketch while on location, I like to do a quick drawing to record my impressions. It seems to work out best for me to do it that way. Otherwise, I'm just drawing from a photo, and my sketches seem lackluster and lifeless.

We had a late lunch at a restaurant overlooking the harbor in historic Pensacola, and I sketched the view from our table while we waited for our food.

Detail

I think it's kind of cool that the tiny lighthouse off in the distance in this sketch is the same one that I had drawn earlier in the day when we were across the water.

When my lunch came, it looked so awesome that I decided to sketch it, too, but only for a minute... I was ready to dive in and eat.

Tomorrow I'll show you the sketch of that yummy lunch, plus a few more paintings that I completed before we headed home.

Sunshine Getaway, Day 1

2012-02-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

I can't complain about the winter we've had so far this year, but still, I'm not one to pass up a chance to head south for some warm weather and fun in the sun. Fred and I wanted to get away for a few days to celebrate our 35th anniversary and found a good deal in Pensacola Beach, Florida. We stayed in a nice hotel right on the beach and woke up every morning to clear blue skies, sparkling white sand, and water so clear it looked like we were in the Caribbean.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

I packed a few sketching supplies, just what would fit in a Ziploc bag in my purse:
6" x 9" Strathmore watercolor sketchbook
Winsor & Newton travel watercolor set
Mechanical pencil
Faber-Castell Pitt Artist's Pen
Kneaded eraser
Click eraser
6" ruler

Travel sketching supplies

I amazed myself with how much sketching I did in a few short days, without even trying all that hard. I didn't want Fred to be bored waiting around for me, so I worked fairly quickly, getting the pencil or pen sketches done on site, and adding color later that evening in the hotel room. It was so much fun! Fred says he didn't mind the waiting at all. Sitting in the warm sunshine with absolutely nothing to do isn't a bad way to spend a few minutes... or an hour... or two.

Walking on the beach one afternoon, I drew a few of the hotels closest to ours (the one in the center with the tiki hut.) I added the cute little biplane to fill the empty area over one of the lower profile hotels. Now I can't imagine the picture without it - it adds some life to it. Funny how being forced to solve a problem makes for a better picture.

It had been stormy the day we arrived, but by evening the weather had cleared, and we were treated to the most gorgeous sunset! The waves were crashing, a brisk wind was blowing, and the sky was lit up with shades of pink, orange, and purple - we were euphoric! To be transported in a matter of hours from dreary, grey, cold weather at home, to this spectacular scene - wow!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

I love how the paint granulates and settles into the texture of the watercolor paper - doesn't it look cool?

The storm had washed up some seaweed, which made for interesting beach combing. We saw Portuguese man-o-war, starfish, and lots of shells. The seagulls loved picking through it all.

This beach ball water tower just puts you in the mood for fun ...

Our room was nice and beachy, with lots of chartreuse and aqua colors, and I thought it would be fun to draw a floor plan of it. (I just realized that I forgot to draw the coffee table in front of the couch, where I did my painting in the evenings! Totally spaced it.) Well, anyway, I think this sketch is a lot of fun. I got the floor plan idea from Liz Steel, over at her blog. If you enjoy sketching blogs, hop on over to hers for a visit - you're in for a real treat!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 6" x 9"

Watch for more sketches coming in a day or two....

Chairs, Chairs, and More Chairs!

2012-01-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

I just finished the final page in a sketchbook that I've been working in, off and on, for almost two years. I thought I'd share a few of the pages, before it takes its place on a shelf in my studio.

During the winter of 2010, I started a series of chair sketches. It was a rough winter with enormous amounts of snow, and I was spending a lot of time in the house. One day I was looking for something to sketch, and my glance happened upon the rocking chair in my kichen. I started thinking that so many of the furniture pieces in our house tell a story of a person we knew or an event in our lives, and it might be fun to record them in my sketchbook.

This rocker (below) was a hand-me-down from a guy who worked at the National Security Agency with me in the 70s. It had been in his family for ages, but he gave it to me and Fred to fix up for our home after we were married. Fred repaired it, I painted it, and, three years later, we took turns sitting in it to rock our newborn baby daughter to sleep.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 9" x 12"

These kitchen chairs were one of the first things I bought for our new house in 2001. I've spent a lot of time in them in the past ten years. Stories are told, bills are paid, food is shared, and plans are made in these chairs. I was sitting in this chair when my son-in-law told me I was going to be a grandmother.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 9" x 12"

We have a pair of these cushy yellow chairs in our living room. When you sink into them, you don't ever want to get up - they're that comfy. The old oak rocking chair was a wedding gift from my college roommate - we only hear from each other in Christmas cards now, but I still think of her when I see it.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 9" x 12"

This blue and white painted chair usually sits at my kitchen desk, but has seen a lot of service lately as the base for my grandson Nicholas' portable high chair. The tan office chair is the one I'm sitting in now as I type. I spend way too many hours in it!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 9" x 12"

This floral slipcovered chair now sits in a sunny spot in my bedroom, but years ago it was my father's favorite. Its original rusty orange upholstery was all the rage in the 1970s. Now when I catch a glimpse of that faded orange, it brings back memories of coming in from a date, quietly creeping through the house so I wouldn't disturb anyone, and seeing my dad, asleep in this chair, "watching" Johnny Carson.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 9" x 12"

This little swivel dressing table chair is one of my favorite flea market finds. It came from an old train station. The other two on this page remind me of our son, Matt - we had fun decorating his room together in our new house when he was in high school, and these two chairs were part of our budget decorating scheme. It was something we could share, during a time when he was mostly going his own separate way.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 9" x 12"

I had reserved a couple of blank pages in my sketchbook to finish this series, then never got back to it for a year and a half! But it's finished now, and here are the final two pages that I did last weekend. I like how the dining room chair turned out ...

Watercolor, pen & ink, 9" x 12"

I've saved the best, or at least the cutest, for last. I found these two chairs at our local second-hand shop looking pretty forlorn. They were a faded dusty rose color and looked like they'd come from a little old lady's parlor - in good shape, but definitely needing a face lift. I worked my slipcover magic and now they're cute as can be. I have them in the sitting area of my black and white toile guest room. One of my students said they look like they have their party dresses on!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 9" x 12"

So, that's the end of my chair series, but, believe it or not, I have a couple more chairs that I haven't drawn yet - there's the old wicker chair that Fred pulled out of someone's trash and fixed up, and a couple more that I've slipcovered - but I think I've had about enough of chairs for now. Any ideas for what my next series should be?

Lazy Afternoon

2012-01-24T18:00:00.000-05:00

I was housebound last Saturday after a night of freezing rain and snow. It was treacherous outside, and I was more than happy to stay warm and cozy inside, make a cup of tea, and spend a few minutes drawing. I haven't sketched much for the past month, since the holiday busyness caught hold of me, so it felt really good to get back into it.

Our cats spend most of their time outdoors or in the garage, but on really cold winter days, they beg to come in, and I can't turn them down. Then they find a nice, comfy chair and settle down to snooze the day away. Here's my sketch of a lazy afternoon with Hoover, Genevieve, and Buckley ...

Watercolor pencil, 9" x 12"

I used a Derwent chocolate brown watercolor pencil for these rough sketches. I really enjoy fooling around with water soluble colored pencils, because you can do a quick line study, then take some clean water and paint over parts of it to make nice washes for the shadow areas. It gives me good practice in not getting too fussy with a drawing and makes me pay attention to light and dark contrasts.

It's always good to mix things up a bit and try out some different materials. I think I'll be doing more watercolor pencil drawings - I like the sketchy look, and they're really quick to do.

Hot Off the Press! Sketchbook Journeys: Ireland

2012-01-22T13:44:00.000-05:00

After a frustrating week of trying to teach myself how to use Photoshop and InDesign to do book layouts, I'm happy to announce that my Ireland travel sketchbook is now available as a paperback book from Blurb.com. You can preview it by clicking below or on this link.

Sketchbook Journeys: Ireland by Leslie Fehling

I did this primarily so my mom could have a copy of the journal from our trip, but so many people have said they would love for me to publish it that I decided to go ahead and make it public. It's just my own personal commentary and sketches, and it certainly wasn't intended to be anything more than a remembrance of our wonderful time in Ireland, but now it's out there for all the world to see. I have to admit, it was really fun to open up a nice, new, shiny copy of it and see my sketches on the pages of a "real book." And anyway, all that struggling with Photoshop and InDesign was good for my brain, right?

I hope you enjoy leafing through the book in the free preview, but be forewarned, it just might get you in the mood to start planning a trip to Ireland!

The books are priced at just pennies over cost, and, if you're inclined to purchase one, be sure to check for Blurb coupons online.

Cozy Cottage House Portrait

2012-01-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

I had a request a few weeks before Christmas to do a house portrait of this cute little lakefront cottage in upstate New York, and I managed to squeeze it into my schedule and mail it off in time for the big day. The homeowners were really tickled with it, and that makes me very happy. They just bought the cottage last summer and have fallen in love with the place.

Keuka Lake Cottage, 8" x 10", pen & ink with watercolor

Sometimes I pretty up a house in a painting (like I had to do in this one), but this time I painted the cozy cottage just as I saw it, even including the hose hanging from the side of the house. It hints of real people living here, watering the flowers or hosing off sandy feet.

I layered watercolor washes of grey, blue, and brown on the chimney to indicate the variety of colors in the stones.

The Adirondack chairs invite you into the picture and bring to mind warm summer evenings watching the sun set over the lake.

The owner shared with me that her son has nicknamed the cottage "The Slice," because it's their own little slice of heaven on earth. As I sit here in the depths of winter, with the thermometer hovering at 22 degrees today, I'm picturing them next summer, iced tea in hand, lounging in those Adirondack chairs on a sunny afternoon, watching the boats go by on Keuka Lake. It does sound heavenly, doesn't it?

Watercolor Magic

2012-01-09T19:10:00.000-05:00

To an artist, a red brick ranch may not be the most inspiring subject matter. But there's something about putting watercolors on paper that can magically transform even the most mundane subject, like a simple ranch-style house, into something special.

I was commissioned by a friend to do a house portrait of her parents' home in Washington, PA, and when I first received the photo shown above, I was a little concerned that the boxy house might look boring in a painting. After all, it didn't have any interesting details, like a welcoming front porch or gingerbread trim. The trees were bare, and that expanse of front lawn definitely needed something to liven it up.

This is where the watercolor magic comes in. In the finished painting, the house is still technically the same as in the photo - the same shape and dimensions - but it's been enriched with warmth, character, and a welcoming presence.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 8" x 10"

I started with a pen and ink drawing, then added layers of watercolor. The bricks on the exterior were suggested with varying shades of burnt sienna watercolor. The empty urns by the front porch were filled with cheery yellow flowers.

I decided to change the season to midsummer which required clothing the trees in lots of green leaves. I've added washes of blues, yellows, and reds to make things more interesting. Spatters of yellow ochre, brown, and dark green add texture and suggest random individual leaves.

I could see the remains of a summer flower bed in the photo of the house, so I conjured up a profusion of blooming flowers to line the steps leading up from the driveway. They add a much needed splash of color and help to lead your eye into the painting.

The final touch was the quote that I added to the wide front lawn. My friend chose the sentiment, and I lettered it in a casual font. It helps to balance the composition and adds a little something special to the painting.

As I work on a house portrait and add a little something here, or a touch of color there, I'm so focused on my work that I don't really see the transformation that the painting is undergoing. I'm worrying about getting the details right and wondering what my customer will think of it.

It's not until I'm all finished, and I've walked away from it for a few hours, then come back to take a look, that I see the magic that has happened. Looking at it with fresh eyes, it seems that the painting has become more than the sum of all the little parts I painted. It seems to have a spirit of its own. I think my customers feel it - these little paintings touch their hearts.

Good Neighbors, Great Memories

2012-01-03T20:59:00.000-05:00

Indulge me, please. I'm feeling a little sentimental about this painting, and I have to tell you the story behind it.

Before we built our new house in 2000, we lived just 5 miles away, and our next door neighbors were a retired couple named Ola and Albert, who became dear friends to us over the years.

"Memories of Home," 8" x 10", watercolor, pen & ink

I remember the kids and I sitting on their back porch with them on warm summer evenings, just chatting about nothing in particular, watching the fireflies come out. Once in awhile, I'd invite them over for some homemade blueberry pie, and we'd sit on our porch and visit. I'll never forget the time I baked a nice strawberry-rhubarb cobbler, and Albert took a big bite and got the funniest look on his face. "What's wrong?!" I asked in surprise. "I think maybe you used salt instead of sugar in the cobbler!" he exclaimed. Definitely one of my most embarrassing moments ever.

The kids loved them. They were like a bonus set of grandparents who lived right next door. Ola was generous with cookies, so Sara invited herself over for a snack most mornings. Every day, Albert would bring my mail from the mailbox out by the road when he picked up his own, and we even shared our local newspaper. Albert would read it in the morning, then bring it over later in the day for us to read. That's just the kind of people they were.

Eventually, health issues forced them to move to Syracuse, NY, to be closer to their daughter, and we felt the loss keenly. I missed that friendly wave across the yard and those hours of porch-sitting. And life in the neighborhood just wasn't the same without Albert's smile and Ola's memorable laugh.

Albert passed away five years ago - he and Ola had been married for 68 years. I've kept in touch with their family over the years, and last fall their grandson's wife contacted me to ask if I would paint a house portrait of the place where so many family memories had been made. She wanted to surprise her mother-in-law for Christmas, not with a painting of the front of the house, but of the back porch where all the real living took place.

Of course, the house today doesn't look anything like it did then. The maple tree is so overgrown that you can hardly see the house. The siding is now an ugly yellow-tan color with green trim, and the back porch is loaded with clutter. In the days when we lived next door, there was never a thing out of place.

I had to paint my memories of the place - the hanging baskets of fuchsia that Ola tended every day, the impatiens that filled the flowerbeds around the porch, the iris, the bird bath, and the lilacs in the yard, the maple tree, and, of course, our friends who lived there.

I was in my studio one day in November, working on this painting and letting my mind wander back to those days, when the phone rang. It was Ola's daughter calling to tell me that Ola had passed away the day before at the age of 96. She had been battling dementia for several years, and had finally passed quietly from this world with her family by her side.

Ola and Albert were in a better place, and it was good to know that they were together again, as they had been in life for all of those 68 years. As a tribute to their years together, I added the carved heart to the maple tree in the painting.

A simple house portrait of a little white cottage can mean so much to the people who have a lifetime of memories tied up in that place. And for me, painting it was a way to honor two friends who were an important part of my life.

A New and Improved Blog for 2012!

2012-01-02T20:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a year and a half since I started this blog, and I'm amazed when I look back at all the posts I've written and projects I've completed. It's been a lot of fun sharing with you guys, and getting to know you through your comments and emails. I really appreciate all of your interest and support.

For the new year, I thought I'd make the blog more functional by adding some pages that will help to organize all this information and make it easier to find things. It's still a work in progress, but here's what I have so far:

I've added an About page to give you a little more biographical info, and a Contact page for when you need to get in touch.

There's a News page where I've listed galleries that carry my art, shows that I've entered, recent publications, and blogs and TV shows that have featured my work.

What I'm most excited about is my new Gallery page filled with links to my sketches and paintings. Finally, there's an easy way to access my artwork in an organized fashion. For those of you who enjoy looking at sketchbooks, I've included my everyday sketches plus my illustrated travel journals. So pour a cup of coffee, sit back and relax, and browse the various albums in my new online gallery.

I've also added a Custom Artwork page. Since I've been receiving more and more requests to do commissioned paintings, I thought it was important to offer information on what's available and how the process works. I hope you'll check it out - there are lots of great ideas for truly special personal gifts.

And last but not least, I've updated my blog header to showcase some winter scenes for awhile.

Let me know how you like the new features, and please, if you see a typo or something else that needs to be corrected, drop me an email. I'd appreciate it. Also, if there's something you would like me to add, let me know. I'll see what I can do.

So, thanks again for stopping by - it means a lot to me - and Happy New Year!

Well-Loved

2011-12-29T18:13:00.000-05:00

Karli with her painting

My niece Karli is such a sweetie-pie. From the time she was a baby, she's been loved by everyone who knows her. She's kind, compassionate, funny, and one of the best people I know. Next year, she'll be heading off to college, and I'm really going to miss her. We've always been close, and I wanted to do something special for her before she leaves the nest.

Her mom was telling me one day about how Karli's bed is always piled high with blankets, because she likes to snuggle under all the cuddly quilts and throws that have been given to her over the years by people who care about her. That gave me the idea for a special painting, one that would show all the things that have surrounded her with love through all of her 18 years.

"Well-Loved", 8" x 10", watercolor, pen & ink

My husband joked when he saw it, that it looks like a "Where's Waldo?" painting, and I have to agree it's busy, busy, busy! But I love it that way. It's full of life.

There's her crazy backpack, hand-colored and signed by all her friends, and next to it, her favorite pair of running shoes. She runs cross-country at Preston High, so I had to include those. Grandma Saundra made her the black and grey quilt with the Preston Knights logo on it, and Grandma Vi, who passed away two years ago, made her the simple tied patchwork comforter underneath it.

Aunt Michele made her the "Finding Nemo" pillowcase years ago, and it's been on her pillow ever since then, with only the necessary breaks for laundering. Karli bought the little wolf stuffed animal when we went to a wolf sanctuary last summer in Colorado. The limp, floppy, old brown dog toy has been with her almost every night of her 18 years and will most likely accompany her to college.

The zebra print pillow was a project she worked on here with me one weekend. The bright green blanket was embroidered by a family friend who's known her since she was a baby.

Her three dogs have been a huge part of Karli's life. Rudy the beagle is 14 years old now and his arthritis has slowed him down in recent years, but he's still as sweet as ever, with his placid disposition and gentle ways. Brewster, the baby of the bunch, is a bouncy Cairn Terrier who never runs out of energy.

Kayli is Brewster's mama and is a bit feistier than her son. There's a lot of dog packed into that little package! The yellow duckie polar fleece throw was one that I made for Karli when she was little. She's been snuggling under it for fifteen years. The numbers on the wall are reminders of all the cross-country races she's participated in.

Next fall, when she's far from home, and maybe missing mom and dad and the dogs a bit, I hope she'll glance up and see this little reminder of all the comfort and security she enjoyed growing up, knowing she was and still is ...

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas morning sketch, 9" x 12"

Christmas morning ...

pretty packages under the tree

fire burning in the fireplace

          hot coffee

            sticky buns in the oven

              camera at the ready

                 granddaughter running

                    baby watching

                        squeals of delight

                            laughter

                               excitement

                                  smiles

                                      hugs

                                         dogs shredding boxes

                                             cats pouncing

                                                 kids playing

                                                    grateful

                                                       happy

                                                          content

May your Christmas morning be filled with all the joy your heart can hold!

Embroidered Wool Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-21T20:06:00.000-05:00

Christmas is only three days away, and I'm finishing up some last-minute projects, like these cute embroidered wool Christmas ornaments. Since I'm a grandmother now (and a crafty one at that!) I've decided to start a new tradition of making a handmade ornament for the grandkids each year. Since we only have two grandchildren so far, it's pretty easy!

Lilly and Nicholas each got new Christmas stockings this year to match the rest of the family's, so I thought it would be fun to make stocking ornaments, too.

Wool ornament, 3-1/2" x 4-1/2"

Nicholas' stocking has snowflakes embroidered on hand-dyed blue wool. For each snowflake, I drew three criss-crossing lines with a chalk marker, to give me a hexagon shape, then just started adding French knots and crossing lines. They're not perfect, but I wasn't too concerned about it. It just makes them look handmade, right?

Wool ornament, 3-1/2" x 4-1/2"

Lilly's sweet little pink wool Christmas stocking ornament has embroidered daisies, done with a lazy daisy stitch, surrounded by French knots. It looks like daisies in the snow, doesn't it?

I added a monogram to the front side of each cuff and embroidered the date on the back.

I love knowing that, years from now, when 2011 is just a distant memory, Lilly and Nicholas will be hanging these ornaments on a Christmas tree and remembering their Grandma Leslie.

..........................................................................

If you're interested in this little project, here are some rough guidelines for making them:

Embroidered Wool Christmas Stocking Ornaments

1 - Make a simple drawing of the stocking and cuff. (The cuff on mine measures 2-3/4" wide x 1-3/8" high. The stocking measures 3" from the base of the cuff to the bottom of the toe, but the stocking piece extends up under the cuff about 1".)
2 - Cut out the drawing to make a pattern for the stocking. The cuff can simply be measured and marked on the wool.
3 - Trace the pattern onto the wool, but don't cut out the individual pieces yet. If you leave them as a larger piece, it's easier to handle them while embroidering.
4 - With a chalk marker or disappearing marker, draw on the flowers, snowflakes, monograms, and dates.
5 - Embroider the designs using 2-3 strands of DMC floss.
6 - Cut out each stocking and cuff.
7 - Using fabric glue, lightly glue the edges of the stocking front and back together around the edges, leaving the top open. Don't use too much glue, just enough to anchor the pieces together.
8 - Glue the cuff pieces onto the front and back of the stocking.
9 - Embroider the blanket stitching on the bottom edge of the cuff, front and back.
10 - Stuff the stocking lightly with polyfill.
11 - Make a hanger by cutting three pieces of 6-ply embroidery floss and braiding it together. Knot the ends and glue it in place inside the cuff of the stocking.
12 - Lightly glue the top edge of the front cuff to the back cuff.
13 - Blanket stitch around all the edges with 3 strands of embroidery floss.

More Folk Art Christmas Stockings

2011-12-17T15:28:00.000-05:00

Our family is growing! In the past year and half, we've welcomed a new son-in-law and, not one, but two new grandchildren into our family.

Nicholas and Lilly

Last year at Christmastime, we made-do with an assortment of miscellaneous Christmas stockings for the new additions, but this year, I decided to stitch up some stockings for Ian, Lilly, and Nicholas to match the folk art Christmas stockings that we've used for years. (I wrote about them last year here.) It makes me happy to see the mantel so full now...

Each stocking is unique, with a different main character. On Ian's stocking, Santa plays the starring role...

Hand-embroidery outlines each appliqued wool piece.

Five-year-old Lilly's stocking is made of cheery red and green gingham with a pretty angel in the center, surrounded by stars, branches, and wool "pennies."

All of the stockings are fully lined and interlined.

The wool applique pieces were fused in place, then edged with buttonhole stitching done with two strands of DMC embroidery floss.

The angel's skirt was given a little something extra, a decorative band of feather-stitching with French knots.

Little Nicholas already seems to be fascinated by trucks and cars, so I put a classic VW Beetle on his stocking, along with a cute Christmas teddy bear. (If his name had been any longer, I don't know how I could have fit in on the cuff!)

Now we're just waiting to see what Santa brings to fill our stockings - only a week to go!

Sketchbook Journeys - Ireland: Days 13-16

2011-12-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

With only three days left until we had to fly back to the US, our wonderful Irish adventure was coming to a close. As we left the west coast and pointed our car toward Dublin, I was feeling a little worn out and ready to head home. Two weeks is a long time to be on the road, and I missed my little grandson Nicholas so badly! I really couldn't wait to hold that baby again.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

(Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view.)

One night, we stayed in a quirky old inn near Nenagh, in County Tipperary. It was surrounded by park-like grounds with meandering trails that we could stroll around on to explore the area. There was a lake with flocks of swans and ducks, a pasture with grazing horses, and some deep, dark woods with huge old trees. It was so idyllic!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

I was wandering around by myself the morning we were going to leave and came upon a Victorian walled garden, hidden between the woods and the barnyard of the old manor house. It was so cool! I felt as if I had stepped into the pages of The Secret Garden.

Detail of Ashley Park House

Before we packed up and headed for the city, I took some time to do this sketch of the house. It was so nice sitting there drawing, just enjoying the peace and quiet of that pretty, secluded place.

On our way to Dublin we stopped at the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens in Kildare. The National Stud is the Irish national horse farm where generations of champion thoroughbreds have been raised. On the grounds of the farm are the beautiful Japanese Gardens, created in 1906 and recognized as some of the finest in Europe. Not exactly what I expected to find in Ireland, but a pleasant surprise that I really enjoyed.

Watercolor, pen & ink, (and coffee), 7" x 10"

Walking through the gardens, we followed a path which traced the journey of man from birth through death and afterlife. I thought it was so interesting, and profound in a lot of ways. I loved the part where the man gets married, and the path widens, "so that two may walk abreast." Then comes the "Difference of Opinion", where the husband and wife take their own separate paths for awhile, eventually reuniting after going through some rough places.

Detail of Japanese Gardens

I wanted to remember our walk through "The Life of Man," so I cut up the brochure that told the whole story and glued all the little pieces of text onto a collage page, with the story spiraling around on a path to the center. It's not a particularly successful sketchbook page, but at least I have a record of a place that I really enjoyed.

Collage, watercolor, 7" x 10'

Our last day in Ireland was spent touring Dublin, so I dedicated a few pages to some of the things we saw there. We took the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour, which was a fun, stress-free way to get around the city and learn about its history.

Collage, watercolor, 7" x 10"

Trinity College was an interesting stop. We took a guided tour, and, at the end, I had a little time to sit on the steps of the dining hall and draw the famous Bell Tower. Later, when I painted it at home, I decided to liven up the gray stone structure with the glow of late afternoon sunshine that had warmed me while I sat and sketched.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

The main reason I had wanted to visit the college was to see the famous Book of Kells that's on display there. I think it was worth the trip to Ireland just for that!

Collage, watercolor, 7" x 10"

I like this cappuccino background painting that I did on the final text page of my journal. Doesn't it feel warm and cozy?

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

And finally ...

The End

Sketchbook Journeys - Ireland: Days 11-13

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

I took way too many art supplies with me when I went to Ireland, just like I do for every trip. I always have such high hopes of all that I'll accomplish: "Oooh, I might want to try out those colored pencils! And I just might need that spatter screen and all those drawing pencils in various hardnesses. And I'm sure I'll use that set of markers." Then reality hits when I'm in the midst of my vacation and for days I haven't had time to do anything more than jot down a quick pencil sketch.

So, I thought I'd show you what I actually used when I was on location in Ireland. I took a watercolor set with 18 pans of color which I had filled with Winsor & Newton and American Journey watercolor paints. I like having a decent sized mixing area and a nice selection of colors to work with, so this size works well for me. I usually sketched with either a mechanical pencil, or a Faber-Castell Pitt Artist's Pen with Superfine nib. Often, I did a preliminary pencil sketch to make sure my proportions and perspective were okay, then inked the lines with my Noodler's Flex Nib Fountain Pen and added some details. I always carry a kneaded eraser or two, plus a stick eraser. I took several regular paint brushes along and used a few of them, but mostly I just pulled out the water brush you see in the picture above. Now that I know that I can get by with just the basics, I wonder if I'll be able to control myself when I'm packing for my next trip. Hmmm, probably not.

I mentioned Kylemore Abbey in yesterday's post. While we were there, I picked up a few fall leaves and pressed them in a guidebook we had along, so I could use them later in this collage.

Collage, watercolor, 7" x 10"

(Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view.)

Our traveling companions added so much to our enjoyment of our week-long tour with Driftwood Tours. All four of us kept saying over and over how thankful we were that we all liked each other. We can't imagine how the trip could have been any better.

Collage, watercolor, marker, 7" x 10"

After saying goodbye to our friends, we were on our own again. We stayed near Galway that evening and got a kick out of people-watching as we walked along the Promenade.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

Because a hurricane was on its way, the winds were fierce, and some good-sized swells were crashing into the old diving platform at Salthill. It was half submerged, but people were still jumping off of it into the turbulent waters of Galway Bay. Those Irish are hardy souls!

Detail of Salthill diving platform

Another page of text...

Heading east toward Dublin from the west coast, we drove through County Tipperary. I wanted to paint one final picture of the gorgeous green fields before we returned to the city, so I sketched this one.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

I thought it would be fun to surround the sketch with a border of frolicking sheep and an Irish stone wall.

Detail of County Tipperary

Only one more day to go, then it's back home again!

Sketchbook Journeys - Ireland: Days 10-11

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you're enjoying this sketchbook journey through Ireland. We're past the midpoint of our trip, but there are still lots of sketches I'd like to show you...

This next page was a bit of a catch-all, where I wrote down an assortment of interesting observations and facts that didn't really fit in anywhere else. I just added to it day by day when there was something I wanted to remember.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

(Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view.)

Since I was working on both sides of the paper in my sketchbook, I tried to coordinate the colors of pages that were facing each other, like the ones shown above and below.

Collage, watercolor, 7" x 10"

After looking at thousands of sheep over the course of our two weeks in Ireland, I had to include this quote in my journal ...

Collage, marker, watercolor, 7" x 10"

We visited many of the famous sites in Ireland, the ones that top every tourist's list of must-see places, and I wouldn't have wanted to miss any of them, but the place I loved the most was Fanore Beach in County Clare. It was just by chance that we pulled in there for a rest stop at the public facilities (which were few and far between!) I couldn't resist checking out the beach, just over the hill.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

Wow! It was a beautiful, wide expanse of sandy beach edged with limestone outcroppings leading up to high sand dunes. The sun sparkled on the water and a brisk wind was blowing in off the sea. Waves were crashing on the shore and up against the cliffs in the distance.

Detail of Fanore Beach

There was just something about Fanore Beach that spoke to me - the wild beauty of it all. I felt a connection to that place, and it was so hard to tear myself away and head to the next stop on our trip. I vow to go back someday and stay in a little cottage just over the hill. Then I can walk those shores to my heart's content.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

The page above commemorates a funny moment during our trip. One of our traveling companions, Mary, saw a sign along the road that said "Bouncing Castles for Hire," referring to the inflatable jumping rooms that you can rent for children's parties. Since we had visited real castles several times that week, she, of course, had them on her mind. When she innocently asked our driver "What's a bouncing castle?", I piped up and explained to her what the sign referred to. There was a slight pause, then her daughter said, "Mom ...what did you think it was?!" We all started giggling, while poor Mary stammered and turned red in the face. The more we thought about it, the funnier it seemed to us. Maybe we were all giddy from too many hours in car, but we laughed so much we nearly cried at the silliness of it all. Maybe you just had to be there, but it was funny! The rest of the evening, as I was drawing this sketch, I still got the giggles whenever I thought of Mary's innocent question and the hilarity that had ensued.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

On our last day together as a group, we visited Kylemore Abbey in Connemara. It was a cold, rainy day, but we decided to visit the famous walled garden after touring the abbey. Walking around in the rain had us chilled to the bone, so we stopped at the tea room to warm up. Just looking at this sketch of the table scene from that day makes me feel warm and cozy all over again.

Detail of tea at Kylemore

It was a bittersweet moment for the four of us, because we were about to go our separate ways. Our friends would be heading back to Dublin to fly home, while my mom and I were remaining on the west coast for a few more days. We sat there together, enjoying delicious homemade pastries (even gluten free almond cake!) while sipping fragrant herbal teas and cappuccino, making plans to meet again someday.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

This sketch of Kylemore was, by necessity, done after I returned home. There was just too much wind and rain the day we were there for me to pull out my sketchbook. Working on it weeks after our visit gave me a chance to enjoy it all over again.

Only two more days of sketchbook posts to come - don't miss them!

Sketchbook Journeys - Ireland: Days 8-9

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Dingle Peninsula is the Ireland that everyone knows from photos on calendars with titles like "Magnificent Scenery of the Emerald Isle." Stone walls surround vibrant green pastures where flocks of sheep idly graze. Picturesque cottages perch atop towering cliffs with waves crashing below. It's almost too beautiful to be real.

But a few weeks ago, I was there! That scenery was all around me, and I could hardly believe I was finally seeing it with my own eyes!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

(Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view.)

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

Our driver/guide, Danny, was the sweetest guy, and he taught us so much about the history and culture of Ireland. He had a wry sense of humor, too, and, as we were driving through the drizzle in western Ireland one day, he popped up with this quote ...

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

It's not easy trying to draw while holding an umbrella overhead to shield your sketchbook from the rain, but that's what I had to do to record the Dingle Harbor sketch, above, in my journal. Overall, though, the rain wasn't so bad; we had plenty of sunshine to balance out the occasional showers.

Detail of Dingle Harbor

Here's another collage filled with ephemera: clippings from brochures showing places we visited, a business card from a wonderful restaurant in Dingle where we had dinner, a soap wrapper from one of the B&Bs we stayed in, a label from the milk I used in my morning coffee, and a paper coaster from a hotel in Portmagee.

Collage, watercolor, marker, 7" x 10"

The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon is a favorite venue for weddings, and to set the stage they have a dovecote on the front lawn, surrounded by flower beds. White doves flutter in and out, cooing to each other. Ah, how romantic! I enjoyed sitting in the late afternoon sunshine to draw them ...

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

...and this view of the falls, with the village of Ennistymon in the distance.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

Alll of us were really, really, really excited to finally arrive at the long-awaited Cliffs of Moher. It was a sparkling, sunny day which made everything even more awesome.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

To give a sense of scale to my sketch, I added two tiny figures at the top of the cliffs - they really should be even smaller to be correct. Wow, those cliffs were impressive!

Detail of Cliffs of Moher

And that's not all! Stop by again tomorrow for even more sketches of Ireland, including my favorite stretch of windswept beach.

Sketchbook Journeys - Ireland: Day 7

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

The 7" x 10" Canson watercolor sketch book that I used for my travel journal contained 20 pages of 140 lb. watercolor paper. I used both sides of the paper, which gave me 40 pages to fill during my 2-week trip. The whole time I was in Ireland, I had a niggling worry in the back of my head that I would run out of journal space before I hopped on that flight back to Pittsburgh, PA. But, wonder of wonders, I managed to end Day 14 on the last page of my sketchbook!

Watercolor and collage, 7" x 10"

(Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view.)

At home, I removed the wire binding temporarily so I could work on finishing the watercolors. That way I could work on several pages at the same time. I'd paint a little on one page and set it aside to dry while I started on another. I also added several extra blank pages (from another sketchbook) to use for a few more collages. With the addition of the collage pages, the journal is a bit plumper than it was originally, but the binding still fits.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

We finally had the opportunity to hear some live Irish music when we stopped in Kenmare overnight. It was fantastic! It gets your blood pumping and your feet stomping - then, with the next song, it stirs your soul and almost brings you to tears. I loved it. I drew the above sketch while I was enjoying the music, and every time I look at it, it brings it all back to me.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

I sketched Muckross House while we were waiting for our tour to start. I wanted to change the look of the page and try a different layout, to keep the sketchbook from becoming too monotonous. I did my sketch inside a circle, then later added the curlicues to frame it, but I still had a big white space all around it that was looking pretty empty. Then I got the idea to do a light blue wash with a plaid sort of pattern over it. I like the way it turned out.

We arrived in Portmagee in the evening, tired from a full day of touring, but I felt the need to get outside and walk around a bit on my own. I grabbed my sketchbook and headed out the door of our hotel into a fierce wind blowing off the ocean. I wanted to get a good view of the town for my sketch, so I walked out on the bridge that crosses over to Valencia Island.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

I got out my sketchbook and tried to do a quick pencil drawing, but it was tough, because I was being buffeted by the howling winds. I was suddenly horror-struck, thinking, "Oh, my gosh! What if I dropped my sketchbook off the side of the bridge?!" I think I would have had to jump in after it! I figured it was much wiser to pack up the art supplies and head back to the inn for an Irish coffee. I snapped a photo and finished up the sketch later at home.

Detail of the harbor at Portmagee

During the day, my tour companions were very patient in allowing me a few extra minutes when we stopped at a point of interest, so I could do a quick sketch and get my impressions of the place down on paper. Even if I don't have time to complete a painting on location, there's something about getting that sketch done on the spot that adds life to a picture.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

Join me tomorrow on the Dingle Peninsula ...

Sketchbook Journeys - Ireland: Days 4-6

2011-12-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

Dunluce Castle was our last stop in Northern Ireland. The crumbling structure looks as if it might tumble down the cliffs into the churning waters of the Atlantic during a rough winter storm. When I did this little sketch of the castle, I framed it with a Celtic border, drawn after we were out of the blowing mist and chilly wind. It looks so simple, but those Celtic designs are tricky to draw!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

(Click on any of the sketches to see a larger view.)

I collected all sorts of collage material while we were traveling - brochures, ticket stubs, business cards, labels, wrappers, even the calling card that I used to phone home. I reserved some pages in my sketchbook for collages that would be assembled after I returned home.

Collage, watercolor, marker, 7" x 10"

I struggle with the whole concept of collage. Mine always end up looking sort of untidy, which goes against my natural tendency toward organization and neatness. But I really wanted to include all the doodads from our trip in my travel journal, so I did the best I could and just had fun with the process.

Collage, watercolor, marker, 7" x 10"

We picked up a tour on day 5, and I was able to relax and not stress about driving on the left side of the road anymore. I had the luxury of settling back and watching the pretty scenery roll by. My mom was much more relaxed, too, with a professional driver behind the wheel instead of me!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

I decided to try sketching on the fly, so I pulled out my sketchbook and drew the beautiful Irish countryside of County Kildare as we drove along.

Detail of County Kildare

The Celtic crosses in the cemetery at the rock of Cashel were amazing. After my own feeble attempts to draw the simplest of Celtic designs, I could really appreciate the intricate interwoven patterns on the centuries-old monuments.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

This sketch is one of my favorites ...

Castletownberre was one of many towns that had strings of pennants criss-crossing their main street. I'm not sure what their purpose was, but it sure made things look festive. It was fun painting this cheery scene - aren't the colors of the buildings amazing? They really were that bright.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

I did a quick pen and ink sketch of this ancient stone circle as I stood in the pasture, surrounded by cow pies. Miraculously, I didn't step in even one of them!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

Here's another page of text, livened up with a bit of background painting.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

Sometimes I draw a map of the route we've traveled in my journals, but this time I simply pasted one into one of the collages. I also have a full-size map that has our entire vacation route highlighted with various colors of markers, showing where we traveled each day. Our driver, Danny, was such a sweetie - he marked the whole week-long trip for me in great detail.

Collage, watercolor, 7" x 10"

For all of the collage pages, I painted the backgrounds first with watercolor washes, then glued the cutouts down, and added extra watercolor or marker lines, if I felt they were needed.

Palm trees aren't what you would think of as typically Irish, but they're found in some of the sheltered areas of the southwestern coast. I thought it was an interesting fact to portray in watercolor on this journal page.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x10"

More Ireland sketches are on their way tomorrow ...

Sketchbook Journeys - Ireland: Days 3-4

2011-12-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

I wanted to stop and visit every cute little town we drove through in Ireland. They all looked so inviting, with their colorful buildings, interesting shops, pretty houses, and window boxes filled with cascading flowers. We did make a stop in Ballycastle, where I sat in the warm sunshine on a stone wall, balancing my sketchbook on my lap and drawing while eating an ice cream cone. Ah, vacation!


Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

(Click on any of the sketches to see a larger view.)

I got such a kick out of the terracotta chimney pots on the buildings in Ireland. They're something we rarely see here in the US, and they really add a lot of interest to the skyline of the Irish villages. Some of the old ones have beautiful designs molded into the terracotta. On the larger Victorian manor houses, they were treated as an integral part of the architecture, resembling huge chess pieces with spiked crowns and elaborate base mouldings. The ones in my sketch are much simpler, but they add a nice dash of red to all of the buildings.

Chimney pots in Ballycastle

I have an unfortunate tendency to make all of my buildings lean to the left in my sketches, as you can see here. I never had this problem before I got my most recent pair of glasses, so I like to blame it on them, instead of my own inability to draw a vertical line. I really should work on being more aware of what I'm doing while I'm doing it - I usually don't notice that everything's leaning until I sit back to survey the finished sketch. Then I mutter to myself, "Oh, shoot! I did it again!"

The Torr Head Road, near Ballyvoy in Northern Ireland, is considered one of the best scenic drives in the world. No sketch could do that gorgeous scenery justice, but at least I commemorated it in my travel sketchbook ...

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

I even managed to preserve some of the white paper to indicate a flock of sheep grazing near the ruins of an old abbey. It wasn't easy to do - they're really tiny!

Detail of Torr Head sketch

Painting the Giant's Causeway was challenging, trying to figure out how to indicate the rock formations without getting into too much detail. I like how the sketch turned out though.

Detail of Giant's Causeway sketch

When I have a page filled primarily with text in my sketchbook, I like to add some background color to give it a little pizazz. This one shows some of the hundreds of sheep we saw along the Torr Head Road, painted very simply. It looks okay, but I have to admit I'm a little hesitant to post it, because the writing chronicles one of the funniest moments of our trip, and it's embarrassing! If you must read it, just remember my intentions were good. Honestly, sometimes I'm such a doofus!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

On our last day in Northern Ireland, we visited a couple of spots around Portrush, before heading for Dublin. My favorite was the Dark Hedges, an allée of huge old beech trees.

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

It looked like something out of a fairy tale, so I painted the scene with a palette of soft, dreamy lavender and turquoise. Looking at this painting takes me back to the feeling of pure delight that I felt as I stood there sketching, with those long, sinuous beech branches arching overhead, like the ceiling of a leafy tunnel.

Detail of The Dark Hedges

The day turned blustery as we toured a nearby castle, and, before we hit the road for Dublin, we decided to have lunch at a quaint little tea room next door. As we waited for our lunch and warmed up next to the fire, I sketched the quirky interior of The Wee Cottage.

Detail of The Wee Cottage

As I sketched, my mom whispered to me that an elderly gentleman was watching my every move from the next table. He barely spoke to his wife, seated across from him; he had eyes only for my sketchbook. After finishing our tea and sandwiches, I got up to leave, and he initiated a conversation, asking me where we were from, what brought us to Ireland, where we were headed next, etc. He was so sweet and kind, a very proper Irish gentleman. Art opens up doors and makes friends out of strangers.

More sketches tomorrow ...

Sketchbook Journeys - Ireland: Days 1-3

2011-12-03T15:43:00.000-05:00

The last line has been drawn, the last brushstroke painted. My Ireland sketchbook is complete! I still want to dress up the cover a bit when I get a chance, but I'm so anxious to share my sketches with you that I just couldn't wait any longer!

7" x 11" watercolor sketchbook

(In case you're new to this blog, my mom and I spent two wonderful weeks in Ireland in September 2011. If you missed my earlier posts and want to read about our itinerary and see lots of photos, check the blog archive for October 2011.)

I worked in a 7" x 10" spiral bound Canson Montval Field Watercolor Book , and sketched with pencil, pen, and ink, then added watercolor, and, once in awhile, a touch of colored pencils.

Title page, watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

The title page was done back home in the studio after the trip. Even though it's the first page of the journal, it was one of the last ones I painted. The Celtic designs and the scene of green fields divided by stone walls say "Ireland" to me.

Watercolor, pen & ink, colored pencils, 7" x 10"

My first sketches were done in the Chicago airport while waiting for our flight to Dublin. Hurricane Irene had totally messed up our travel plans, and we had been delayed two days in leaving for Ireland. It was a nightmare, and we almost had to cancel the entire trip! In the end, everything worked out and we were so grateful to finally be in Dublin that we almost kissed the ground when we stepped off that plane.

I had to include a sketch of our tiny little car that I maneuvered through the narrow, windy roads of Northern Ireland ...

Watercolor, pen & ink, marker, 7" x 10"

We loved the B&B where we stayed in Bushmills, Northern Ireland. The hosts were the nicest we encountered on our whole trip. What a great welcome they gave us!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

It wasn't easy to find the time to write each day. Often I would still be at work long after my mom had gone to sleep at night, but it was important to me to get it all down on paper. I knew I would forget so many of the little details and experiences if I didn't. We had waited a long time for this trip and I wanted to remember everything!

Watercolor, pen & ink, 7" x 10"

It was starting to drizzle when I got out my sketchbook to record this scene on Day 3 at Whitepark Bay, so I had to work quickly. I got down the basics in a quick pen and ink sketch, then added the watercolor later. It was a dreamy, beautiful place, one I'll never forget.

Detail of the old boys' school at Whitepark Bay

All in all, I completed 52 pages of paintings, writing, and collage in my Ireland sketchbook. Working on it at home after our return allowed me to relive everything we had seen and done, and enhanced the whole experience for me. Although it would have been great to sit and paint for hours while we were in Ireland, that wasn't realistic, considering all the places we wanted to see in a limited amount of time. Catching those first impressions while on site and adding color later, is a good compromise.

Detail of cliffs near Ballintoy, Northern Ireland

More to come tomorrow ...

Silk Origami Christmas Ornaments

2011-11-28T21:23:00.001-05:00

Fabric origami is a lot of fun, and I love the fact that, in just a few hours, I can have a whole collection of beautiful handmade Christmas ornaments to give to friends and family.

Made of silk dupioni, they add an elegant touch to a Christmas tree, but they're almost too pretty to put away after the holidays!

Designs range from simple ...

to complex ...

The simpler designs come together in a few minutes, while the more complicated ones require much more hand sewing and take a bit longer.

Each piece is accented with a handmade swirl hanger. This year I've added beads and buttons to make them even prettier.

I like using vintage buttons like the brass one (above) and the mother-of-pearl ones (below) to add some variety.

My inspiration for the ornaments came from the book Flower Origami by Kumiko Sudo.

Once again this year, a limited number of my silk origami ornaments are available for purchase at Artisans in Waynesburg, PA. Last year, the ornaments sold out long before Christmas, so stop by soon for the best selection of colors and styles. (Custom orders are available by contacting me directly via email.)

A handmade gift from the heart can never be matched by something mass-produced in a Chinese factory. I hope that you will take the time this year to make a few simple gifts. Or support local artists by stopping by an art gallery or craft shop in your area to find that perfect little something, made in the USA.

Earlier posts about fabric origami:
Drapery panels with origami accents & instructions for how to make "Primrose" origami.
Fabric origami pillow with quilting

Soft Cornices with Jabots

2011-11-26T12:08:00.001-05:00

I guess I should put down my turkey sandwich and leftover pumpkin pie, and take a few minutes to catch up on posting some of my latest projects. Let's talk about window treatments today, then later in the week, I'll show you some pretty Christmas ornaments I recently made. I've also finished my Ireland sketchbook journal, but haven't had a chance to get it all scanned and online yet. It's coming soon - I promise!

Soft Cornices

A soft cornice is a lightweight version of a traditional upholstered cornice. They have all the style of an upholstered cornice without the massive, heavy look. A thick, sturdy buckram is used to stiffen the treatment, rather than the plywood that has traditionally been used for cornices. A wide range of profiles are available, from a simple arch, like the one below, to more complex designs.

We recently installed a pair of soft cornices for a client who had wanted a simple, tailored look in her family room. After discussing a variety of style options, she decided on gently arched soft cornices with pleated jabots. The floral fabric was chosen to coordinate with the green wallpaper and deep brown woodwork.

The only detailing on this treatment is the apple green welt cord that outlines the pleated jabots. The welt continues up the leading edge of the jabots to help separate them visually from the cornice fabric. It contrasts nicely with the chocolate brown cotton sateen jabot lining. A green and brown double welt accents the lower edge of the cornice.

The window treatment had to allow access to the back yard through a set of sliding doors. Mounting the valance high on the wall and curving the lower edge provided the needed headroom, while also helping to balance the proportions of the window with added height.

We window treatment designers have to be problem solvers - finding the right style, coordinating with existing furnishings, working with dissimilar-sized windows and doors, balancing beauty with functionality - it's all in a day's work for us. When it all comes together, everybody's happy. Thankfully, that's what happened here!

Tomato-Mushroom Chowder

2011-11-16T11:46:00.001-05:00

November weather puts me in the mood for soup - how about you? When it's cold, gray, and drizzly outside, I love to fill the house with the aroma of sautéing vegetables and herbs. The anticipation of sitting down to a steaming bowl of chowder makes me feel all warm inside, and somehow that dreary day doesn't seem so bad anymore. Here's a recipe for a yummy soup I made the other evening. It's one of my go-to recipes ...

Pen & ink with watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Sometimes I'm just seized with the urge to sketch while I'm cooking, and that's what happened to me as I was waiting for the mushrooms and onions to sauté. I had a lot of fun drawing this page, trying to fit in all the ingredients, adding a touch of color and a swirl here and there. I love the way it turned out - so cheery and happy! I think I need to do this more often.

This recipe is really quick and easy, and very tasty. Give it a try to chase the November blues away.

Tomato-Mushroom Chowder

Ingredients:
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
1 med. onion, chopped
3 T. butter
1 T. parsley, dried or fresh
1 tsp. dried basil
1/3 c. flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 c. water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 can (20 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 - 2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large saucepan or soup kettle, saute mushrooms and onions in butter until tender.
Add herbs.
Stir in flour, salt and pepper.
Add water and bouillon. Stir and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until thickened.
Add tomatoes and heat through.
Add cheese just before serving; stir until melted. Do not boil. Or sprinkle cheese on top of each serving.

Recipe Notes:
- I like to use baby bella mushrooms, but any variety will do.
- Jules Gluten Free flour is a great substitute for regular wheat flour in this recipe.
- Substitute vegetarian bouillon for the chicken bouillon, if desired.

"Our Town: Monday Morning" Watercolor Painting

2011-11-10T16:35:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, I did a sketch of the main street of our little town, and it's been so popular at the gallery where I sell my work that I decided to do a whole series of "Our Town" paintings. Here's the second in the series, completed just a few days ago ...

"Our Town: Monday Morning", 9" x 12", pen & ink and watercolor

We have a small but vibrant downtown here in Waynesburg, PA, with lots of beautiful old buildings. I love painting them, because it gives me time to really study the architectural details that I never notice when I'm just driving or walking by.

Detail

Maybe I need to make a point of looking up more. The corbels, friezes, and dentil trim on these two buildings are gorgeous, and drawing them gave me a real appreciation for the dedication of the people who own and maintain them.

Detail

Weekday mornings in Waynesburg are filled with the bustle of people going to work, shopping, or walking their dogs. I felt I had to include a few of them in the painting to give a true picture of life in our town. Recognize anyone you know?

Detail

The first person I sketched was engrossed in texting (above). The mom and daughter shown below were headed into The Locker Room to check out the sporting goods.

Detail

The lady below is definitely more dressed up than the average dog-walker around here, but I thought we needed a touch of glamour!

Detail

The striped awnings on the Blair building are what caught my eye when I was choosing a scene to paint. I just can't resist painting awnings - they're so jaunty and fun! And this scene had the added benefit of having a boisterous display of flowers on the upper porch.

Detail

So, the "Our Town" series is begun! It may only have two pieces right now, but I have plans for lots more. Keep watching!

High-quality giclée prints of "Our Town: Monday Morning" are available at Artisans, on High Street in Waynesburg, PA, or by emailing me using the Contact button.

My Sketchbooks Make Their Television Debut!

2011-11-01T09:01:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, out of the blue, I received an invitation to appear on a local cable television show to talk about my art. I was happy to have an opportunity to share my work, although I was a tiny bit nervous about appearing on camera. Everything worked out just fine, though, and I actually enjoyed the experience! Here's a link to the video - the first 10 minutes is an interview, then I talk about my sketches for about 20 minutes:

The show is called The Greene Room, and it's a production of Waynesburg Community Television (WCTV), a public education channel that broadcasts in our local area and is operated by the students of the Department of Communications at Waynesburg University.

Host Haley Greene, introducing me on The Greene Room

The Greene Room is hosted by Haley Greene and features some of the talented people living in Greene County - artists, musicians, poets, and others.

Presenting my work on the set of The Greene Room

Everyone made me feel right at home when I arrived at the studio, and once the cameras were rolling, I got into the flow of things, and had no trouble filling the time allotted to discuss my work.

Showing a page from one of my "everyday" sketchbooks

I focused primarily on the travel sketchbooks that I have kept over the years during our family vacations to such varied locations as Maine, Alaska. Colorado, and Ireland.

Showing my Colorado travel sketches on The Greene Room

I hope that by sharing my sketches on the show, someone watching might be encouraged to pick up a pencil or a brush and give drawing or painting a try. Sketching is fun, and all it takes is the willingness to start. Skill comes with time, and the learning process is really rewarding. It's never too late to begin!

Haley Greene (host), me, and Casey Zell (show producer)

Thanks to the entire WCTV crew who helped me through my first TV experience without any mishaps!

Valance Ideas - Casual, Elegant, Fabulous, or Funky

2011-10-30T09:36:00.000-04:00

It seems like it's been awhile since I shared any window treatments with you, so I thought it might be nice to catch up, and show you a few of the things I've been working on.

Valances seem to be at the top of everyone's window treatment wish list lately. They offer a great look without requiring a great deal of fabric (a nice money-saver in these leaner times), and the style options are almost endless - everything from formal swags to a casual look like the cuff-top kitchen valances shown below.

Cuff-Top Valance

Cuff-top valances

The homeowner fell in love with this large-scale Thibaut print in rich gold, red, and green.

Fabric: Thibaut, Stout Hardware: Pate-Meadows

A contrasting plaid lining accents the cuffs and jabots. A simple red welt finishes all the edges.

The knobs reference the floral design on the fabric, and the antique bronze finish coordinates with the cabinet hardware in the kitchen.

I think this is a perfect window treatment style for a casual space. My client loves the way her new valances added the finishing touch to her newly remodeled kitchen.

Victory Swag Valance

Another customer had purchased ready-made drapery panels and wanted to add some valances. She decided on the more formal look of the Victory Swag for her master bedroom and chose a lovely floral that coordinated well with her existing panels.

Victory Swag valance

Chair tie tassels were used to gather each horn and add a decorative element to the valance. The welt cord on the lower edge matches the panel fabric, helping to tie together the custom with the ready-made.

Fabric: Fabricade

Triangle Valance

The owner of an historic farmhouse, just down the road from me, wanted to add window treatments to her family room without covering the beautiful original wood molding or obscuring the view. Although I designed several more elaborate styles for her consideration, she ended up choosing this very simple, yet dramatic, triangle valance.

Triangle valances with tassel fringe

The simplicity of the design allows the damask pattern of the lush chenille fabric to shine, and the gorgeous tassel fringe adds richness and a touch of elegance. The geometric fabric on the side triangles is a perfect coordinate; its straight lines contrast with the sinuous curves of the fabric on the large triangle.

Fabrics: Carole Fabrics, Fabricade Trim: Carole Fabrics

The scale of this valance is larger than I would usually recommend, but the soaring ceilings in this grand old house would have made a shorter valance feel skimpy. I'm glad we went with the size we did.

The 7" long tassel at the bottom of each valance is the perfect finishing touch.

Jackson Valance

It seems like most teenagers' rooms are a jumbled collection of memorabilia that's been accumulating since childhood. Everything from ragged teddy bears and well-worn Goodnight Moon books to a dried prom corsage or soccer trophy finds its way onto a wall or shelf. It's the happy clutter of an interesting life, and to me it seems like that's the way it should be. There's plenty of time later for a pristine bedroom that's tastefully designed. But that doesn't mean you can't have some pretty custom window treatments in the meantime! Take a look at the valances I made for this teen's bedroom using a bright, funky contemporary print.

Jackson valances with beaded trim

The lively floral fabric is a lot of fun, but I didn't want it to look over-the-top crazy, so I used a deep chocolate brown lining to tone it down a bit.

Fabric: Carole Fabrics, Trim: Lina's

Brightly colored glass bead trim adds sparkle to the lower edge.

I was really happy with the way these valances turned out. They're whimsical with a touch of class!

So, that's it for our valance fashion show today. Do you have a favorite?

A Place to Call Home

2011-10-21T08:34:00.000-04:00

There’s such a sweet story behind this painting, and I’d love to share it with you. It’s about the excitement of starting a life together and finding a place to call home.

A Place to Call Home, 14" x 20", by Leslie Fehling

I received a call one day last spring from a nice young man who wondered if I could do some custom artwork for him. He had an old black and white photo that he wanted me to turn into a watercolor painting to give to his fiancée as a wedding gift.

I was excited and honored to take the job, and as I painted, I wondered about the people who had lived on that farm in the 1800s, and what life was like for them. I smiled when I thought about this painting of mine hanging in a new home on the same land, and how it would become a part of this young couple’s family.

Detail of farm house

I thought it was such an interesting story of how he had found the old photo, and I asked him to share it with you. Here it is, in his own words:

I wanted to give something special to my fiancée for a wedding present. I thought about making bookshelves or getting her some fancy old book, but I finally decided on some kind of painting, but I wasn’t sure of the subject matter.
At the same time, we were in the process of purchasing our first piece of land. The property is part of an old farm near Graysville. While researching the property boundaries, we came across an old picture, on Ancestry.com, of what the property used to look like. It was a great old photo, taken nearly 150 years ago, of an old farm house, four barns, and miles of fencing, none of which are still there today. Where there are fields in the picture, there now stand many trees, and only one worn out house remains, and it isn’t even pictured.

When we first saw this photo, I thought nothing about it, but when brainstorming for a painting idea, this popped into my head. It was our first property. It was going to be the place where we were going to build our home.
The picture on the web site wasn’t the best. It was faded, so you could not make out many of the objects. So, I looked up who posted the picture, found her name in the White Pages online, and gave her a call. She turned out to be a descendant of Thomas Gray, the person who had owned our land and for whom the town of Graysville is named. She was dedicated to tracing her family tree. Just months before, she had visited Greene County in search of this property, but had been unable to find it. She was happy enough just to find the town that her family had started. After a conversation that lasted a good twenty minutes, she took my address and sent out a better copy of the picture, along with a letter.

Detail of foliage and fence

     I was thrilled to get the picture in the mail, because there was so much more that I could see in it. Now I could make out animals, gardens and a couple of people that before were just smudges.
     Now I needed to find a person to paint it. The only place I know that does anything with painting is Artisans, the art gallery on High Street near the court house. I went up there, talked to the person in charge, and after a couple minutes looking at the work of several different artists, I made my decision. Leslie’s style appealed to me, and I thought she would do a great job with the subject matter.

Detail of barn, garden, and orchard

A couple of months later, after our rehearsal dinner, my wife and I met in our apartment to say one last good bye before the big day, and to exchange our gifts. I was a little nervous, but she opened it, she liked it, and gave me a big smile and a hug. I was happy, and couldn’t have asked for anything more. We now have something to hang on our wall and a story to tell for a long, long time.

Detail of tree and fence

Now, isn't that a nice story? And I think she's one lucky girl to have found such a sweet, thoughtful man.

If you have an idea for some custom artwork, just drop me an email using the "Contact" button, on the right. I'd love to talk with you about some of the possibilities.

Ireland 2011 - Chapter 7 - Heading Home

2011-10-16T06:30:00.000-04:00

It was our last (*sniff*) day (*sniff*sniff*) with our friends, Mary and Bernadette, and our driver, Danny. Our 7-day tour was almost over, and my mom and I were sad to leave them and head out on our own once more. I was dreading having to get behind the wheel again, this time with a standard shift - I was used to being chauffeured around!

We had such a fantastic time on our Driftwood tour. If you ever plan to go to Ireland, check out their website - it's a great, stress-free way to see the country.

It was a misty, rainy day when we visited Kylemore Abbey but that didn't diminish the beauty of the place. Built as a home in 1867, it has been owned by Benedictine nuns since 1920 who ran it as a boarding school until just last year. What a lovely building and setting!

Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland

We took a short walk along the lake to the beautiful Gothic chapel, which looks like a cathedral in miniature.

Gothic chapel at Kylemore Abbey

The interior is filled with delicately carved cream-colored sandstone.

Interior, Kylemore chapel

In the south transept, stained glass windows depict the virtues of Fortitude, Faith, Charity, Hope and Chastity.

Kylemore chapel

The 6-acre Victorian Walled Gardens at Kylemore Abbey have been restored in recent years, and we really enjoyed learning all about their history. Only plants and vegetables that were grown in Victorian times are grown in the garden today.

Victorian walled gardens at Kylemore

After a warming cup of tea in the Tea Room, we headed on our way, to Galway Airport where we said goodbye to our buddies, hoping to meet again some day.

Hurricane Debbie was heading for the western coast of Ireland by the time we hopped in our rental car and headed for our B&B in Salthill, just outside Galway. The winds were so wild that it made it hard to walk along the Promenade, Salthill's oceanside walkway.


The Promenade at Salthill - Look at those flags standing straight out in the wind!

It was fascinating watching people jumping off the old 1950s diving platform into the churning water below.

The diving platform at the Promenade, Salthill, County Galway

It seemed kinda crazy - I mean, the air temperature was in the 40s, the wind was whipping, and the water temp was frigid! While they were jumping into the bay in swimsuits ...

... I was dressed like this!

We stayed at Marless House, just a block from the water, and were greeted by the owner with afternoon tea. Curling up on the sofa in the parlor, after braving the blustery weather outside, was really cozy and nice.

We spent the next day up the coast, in Westport and toured that area a bit, but the hurricane was scheduled to make landfall there the next day, so we headed south again and decided to revisit the Burren before making our way to Dublin.

Near Ballyvaghan, County Clare

Hurricane Debbie was stirring up some good-sized waves along the coast.

I couldn't resist stopping again at Fanore Beach, the place where I had wanted to spend a whole day earlier in the trip. I had the beach entirely to myself this time, and it was wonderful! There's nothing that speaks to me more than a stretch of sandy beach and crashing waves.

Fanore Beach, County Clare

I just had to take a picture of my Merrel hiking shoes that I wore every day for two weeks. They were wonderful!

We said goodbye to the Burren for the last time and turned our car towards Dublin.

The Burren, near Doolin, County Clare

We spent our final day in Ireland touring downtown Dublin. The "Hop On Hop Off" bus tour was a lot of fun and a great way to see the city. We visited the National Museum of Ireland to see a special display of Celtic crosses, which have always fascinated me. These were castings of the originals. Their size and intricacy really impressed me.

Celtic crosses at the National Museum

Our final stop in Dublin was at Trinity College...

The bell tower at Trinity College

I was really anxious to see the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the Four gospels, created around 800 AD by Celtic monks. I remembered being impressed when I studied it as an art major in college, but seeing a picture of a manuscript page projected on an 8' x 10' screen couldn't prepare me for seeing it in person. The pages are only 9" x 10" and the details are so intricate, it looks like some of them must have been painted with a single hair! Simply incredible!

The Four Evangelists, from the Book of Kells, photo courtesy of Brian Keller

We were up early for our flight home the next morning. I could hardly sleep anyway, I was so excited to get home! Two weeks was a l-o-n-g time to be away from home and family. We flew eight hours from Dublin to Chicago, had a three-hour layover, then another hour and a half flight to Pittsburgh. By the time we landed on our home turf, I was almost beside myself with anticipation.

When we hurried into baggage claim and I saw my daughter Sara, with baby Nicholas, sitting there waiting for us, I ran over, grabbed him, wrapped my arms around him, and hugged him tight. Nothing could feel better than that baby did at that moment. Sara laughed as I started bawling and saying, "I just missed him so much!!!" It was so good to be home.

Mom and I, with Nicholas, home at last!

Have you enjoyed your virtual tour of Ireland? I hope so. It's been fun for me to look back through my photos and remember all the wonderful experiences we had. I'm still working on finishing up the sketches I did while we were there, and I'll be posting them sometime soon.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

On a final note, someone asked about the camera I used for my Ireland photos. It's the same one I use for everything, a simple point-and-shoot by Canon, the Canon Powershot SD4500IS. I used to carry around a larger, fancier camera, but decided I wanted the convenience of being able to keep my camera in a pocket or purse, so I did some research and decided on this one, mostly because it's really good in low-light conditions. I never need a flash when photographing Nicholas indoors, and rarely when shooting pictures of window treatments for my business. It's fully adjustable and has lots of nice features and specialized settings.

Ireland 2011 - Chapter 6 - The Burren and Beaches

2011-10-15T18:42:00.000-04:00

It would be impossible to choose a favorite out of all the wonderful places we visited in Ireland, but the Burren stands out in my mind as one of the best.

Fields of limestone in the Burren, County Clare

The rugged landscape of the Burren (Irish for "stony place") is made up of layers of limestone that have eroded away over thousands of years into unusual shapes. I loved the wildness of this area along Galway Bay, with its barren, stoney mountains and rocky cliffs.

Waves crashing on the Burren cliffs

Because there was a hurricane on its way when we were in the area, the sea was really choppy, and we were treated to some nice crashing waves.

The sunny day made everything so much more enjoyable. The water was a deep aqua blue, almost the color of the Mediterranean.

Burren coast, County Clare

One of Cromwell's minions, Edmund Ludlow, said, in the 17th century, "(The Burren) is a country where there is not enough water to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury him." Guess we'll just enjoy the views!

Limestone outcropping on the Burren

I've been to beaches from Honolulu to Maine, and have loved them all, but there was something special about Ireland's Fanore Beach. The hurricane-driven waves were rolling in, the sun was shining, a stiff breeze was blowing off the bay, and there was hardly a soul sharing it with me. Just a lone windsurfer and my traveling companions.

Fanore Beach, County Galway, Ireland

There were tide pools to explore, with lots of neat little critters to see. I could have stayed there all day!

Fanore Beach

Seaweed

As the clouds began to roll in, we traveled around Galway Bay, through the city of Galway, and up the coast through the wild, rugged Connemara region.

We had an adventure, (that's code for getting lost), driving around the countryside near Clifden, meandering along little unmarked roads through the peat bogs. But it was kind of interesting to see how they cut and dry the peat to use as fuel.

Peat logs drying

And we were lucky enough to see some Connemara ponies ...

Connemara ponies, near Clifden, County Galway

Mare and foal

We ended our day at a cozy B&B in Clifden where the proprietress was the spitting image of Mrs. Doubtfire. She was such a sweetheart, but everytime she spoke, she sounded exactly like Robin Williams, and it was hard to keep from giggling!

Signs

I couldn't resist taking pictures of some of the signs we saw in Ireland. It was so interesting to see how different things are from the U.S. Sometimes we forget that everyone doesn't do things like we do. That's one reason I love to travel - it gives me a broader view of the world.

"Ends" seems so much more polite than what we would call them, doesn't it?

Not "Men" but "Gents". Isn't that cute? And, oh, so British!

Instead of ordering drivers to slow down, they suggest "calming".

And my favorite ...

My 79-year old mom, mimicking the "Elderly People" sign in Ballycastle

Tomorrow, I'll wrap up the last few days of our two-week journey. Almost time to head home!

Ireland 2011 - Chapter 5 - The Cliffs of Moher

2011-10-14T07:55:00.001-04:00

We really enjoyed our stay in Dingle town. The pub at our hotel offered live music in the evening, so we finally had a chance to hear some wonderful, foot-stompin' traditional Irish music. And my mom and I had our first Irish coffees! Mmmmm!

We had a free morning in Dingle to wander around and check out the town, do a little shopping, and visit the local farmers' market.

Produce at the farmers' market in Dingle, County Kerry

The new crop of potatoes was in, and we saw signs all over the countryside for NEW SPUDS.

Farmers' market at Dingle

Goose salami, bison salami, and Irish chorizo at the Dingle farmers' market

Kelp products at the Dingle farmers' market

We did a lot of driving that day - from Dingle through Tralee to Tarbert, where we took a ferry across the River Shannon to Kilrush. But it was a beautiful day and the sun was shining, and I didn't have a care in the world. I just sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed being chauffeured around and watching the gorgeous scenery go by.

For years and years, I have longed to see the famous Cliffs of Moher, and this was the day my wish came true! We were giddy with anticipation as we walked up to the edge and saw this jaw-dropping scene ...

Cliffs of Moher, County Clare

This is the highest cliff, at 700 feet!

Cliffs of Moher

There are warning signs like this all over the place ...

but stupid American college kids still insist on doing this ...

People at the top of the 700' high cliff

The "green" visitors' center is built into the hillside, so it doesn't spoil the area around the cliffs.

We finished up our day at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon, where we had a beautiful view of the waterfalls, the village, and the church ruins on the hilltop.

The falls at Ennistymon, County Clare

Begonias in the garden at the Falls Hotel, Ennistymon

Tomorrow it's on to County Galway and Connemara.

Ireland 2011 - Chapter 4 - Dingle Peninsula

2011-10-13T08:02:00.000-04:00

After a hearty Irish breakfast, we set off on the fourth day of our tour. The morning was misty and overcast, but the views were still wonderful. Our guide, Danny, took us across from the mainland to Valentia Island, to start the morning off right with with a brisk morning walk.

View from Valentia Island, looking toward Portmagee

We could see our destination far off in the distance, a watchtower on a point of land overlooking the ocean. First we had to climb over a nifty stile to get into the field where we would be hiking.

Looking out at those views, I just kept thinking, "I can't believe I'm here!"

Bray Head on the Skellig Peninsula

It was great being able to spend so much time with my mom...

Portmagee, the most westerly harbor in Europe, from Valentia Island

Heather covering the old stone walls

Can you see the Skellig Islands off in the distance in the photo below? On the larger island, Skellig Michael, a group of monks started a monastery in the 6th century. We went to an information center on Valentia Island that told all about it - it was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen.

As we watched the movie about what life was like for the monks, we all sat there with our mouths hanging open in amazement! It was an incredible feat of perseverance and pure determination that they could build a community on a rock eight miles out in the Atlantic. And the fact that they managed to eke out a living in such harsh conditions - unbelievable! This photo of a display from The Skellig Experience Center will give you an idea of why I was so impressed. The paths were carved by hand out of solid rock using only the most primitive of tools.

(Display at The Skellig Experience Center, Valentia Island)

It's possible to visit the island today by boat, but it was too stormy for the boats to land when we were there. I'm not sure I would have had the nerve to do it anyway. The thought of climbing those steps, with no guard rails, up those sheer cliffs gives me the willies!!

We finally reached the watchtower on our walk. It was used during World War II to watch for German planes. Now it's used by cows as a shelter from stormy weather.

As we were looking at the waves crashing below, I asked our guide, Danny, what it was like in the winter there, and he said that the waves could be crashing as high as the tops of the cliffs during a storm!

As we turned to head back, a farmer stopped by to check on his cows and mentioned that up over the hill, now mostly covered with vegetation, there are huge boulders laid out to spell I R E. They were put there during WW II so that any German planes flying over would know that this was Ireland, a neutral country, and not England.

After our wonderful morning walk, we continued driving around Dingle Bay and the Ring of Kerry. Take a look at a typical Irish scenic route road, below. You just have to hope you don't meet a car coming the other way!

Rosebehy Point near Glenbeigh on the Ring of Kerry

Beach along the Ring of Kerry

More pretty fields!

County Kerry

On to the Dingle Peninsula ...

Isn't this how you picture Ireland?

Dingle Peninsula

Along Slea Head Drive, Dingle Peninsula

Just outside of Dingle we visited the Gallerus Oratory, believed to be the oldest unrestored church in the world. The stone work is amazing! It was built about 1,400 years ago, with each dry-stacked rock laid at an angle with the outside edge lower than the inside edge, so it stays snug and dry inside.

Gallerus Oratory, Dingle

Tomorrow, we leave Dingle and head for the long-awaited Cliffs of Moher!

Ireland 2011 - Chapter 3 - Beara Peninsula & Ring of Kerry

2011-10-12T08:17:00.000-04:00

Our Driftwood Tour of Ireland wasn't like a typical tour at all - no big buses or crowds of people. It was more like having a friend show you some of his favorite places. We went off the beaten track often, and saw so much more than I could have on my own, places only a local would know about, like Gougane Barra Forest Park.

Pine trees at Gougane Barra Forest Park

After a ferocious rain storm the night before, the second morning of our tour dawned dry but overcast - nice enough for a walk in the beautiful forests of Gougane Barra. It was damp and mossy and quiet as we strolled along a little stream that is the beginning of the mighty River Lee.

Old stone walls have been covered with moss in Gougane Barra.

There was such a wonderful feeling of peace in that place. It's hard to describe the serenity and calm that you feel. It's almost a spiritual experience, walking among those dramatic towering pines with the carpet of soft green moss underfoot.

Gougane Barra Lake and waterfalls

Because of all the rain the night before, there were waterfalls streaming down the sides of the mountains. Simply beautiful!

Just down the road, believe it or not, we saw this thatched roof public toilet - with skylights, no less!

It even received public recognition for its innovative design!

Next stop: Bantry House and Gardens...

Bantry House & gardens, on Bantry Bay

The gardens were beautiful - I loved the boxwood knot garden, wisteria circle, and fountain.

Gardens at Bantry House

The stables at Bantry House

Flowers in the gardens at Bantry House

We drove around Bantry Bay to the Beara Peninsula and stopped in Castletownberre for lunch at MacCarthy's pub...

Castletownberre, County Cork, Ireland

... the very same pub shown on the cover of Pete McCarthy's McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery in Ireland . When I read that book five years ago, I never dreamed that I would one day sit in the very place that was featured on the cover. That really tickled me to no end!

Here's the poster they have up on the wall in MacCarthy's, with a picture of the book cover...

After lunch, we drove up a narrow country road to an unmarked pull-off, walked through a rusty gate into a farmer's field, made our way through a pasture, dodging cow pies, and found this ancient stone circle, constructed around 2000 BC. It seemed incredible to me that the Irish are so casual about their historical landmarks. There were no guards, no big parking lots, no information center or tourist brochures. And no vandalism! It was that way all over Ireland.

Dareenataggert stone circle

I had to take this picture just to show that we really did see bright blue skies while we were there!

I was surprised at how rugged a lot of Ireland is. There are some spectacular mountains, like these on the Beara Peninsula ...

Driving over Healey Pass on the Beara Peninsula

View from Healey Pass


View from Healey Pass

We stayed overnight in Kenmare where we had fun shopping along the main street.

Kenmare, Ireland

The next day we drove through the mountains via Molls Gap to Killarney National Park on the Iveraugh Peninsula.

View of the lochs from Molls Gap

We had a really interesting tour of Muckross House. Very beautiful!

Muckross House, Killarney, Ireland

Gardens and greenhouses at Muckross House

Flowers at Muckross House

Driving along the Ring of Kerry, we stopped at the Staigue stone fort, built around 300-400 AD. I was really impressed with the engineering of this place. It was built during the Iron age, without mortar, and the walls are 13 feet thick at the base. It's been standing there for thousands of years, and the walls are still even and stable. It was really cool!

Staigue fort, Sneem, Ireland

The small opening in the wall, to the right in the photo, is the only entrance to the interior. The built-in steps shown here allowed access to the top of the walls.

Interior of Staigue fort

Look at the stacked stone work on those walls!

We continued on our journey around the Ring of Kerry, over the Coomakesta Pass, then took a side trip to Ballinskelligs and around the Ring of Skelligs, where you can see the Skellig Islands eight miles off-shore. (More about that tomorrow.)

Ring of Skelligs with Skellig Islands in the distance

We ended our day in the tiny fishing village of Portmagee, where we spent the night in a hotel right on the harbor.

Portmagee, County Kerry, Ireland

I went out to explore and sketch a bit before it got too dark, and was touched by this memorial to those lost at sea.

Memorial at Portmagee, County Kerry, Ireland

Tomorrow we continue around the Ring of Kerry and on to Dingle!

Ireland 2011 - Chapter 2 - Kilkenny, Cork, & Castles

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Our last day in Northern Ireland started out at a magical place called The Dark Hedges. Out in the countryside of Country Antrim, this wonderful hidden gem of a place is an allée of 300 year old beech trees that originally led to a manor house, but now simply connects two small county roads. It was so COOL looking!

Dark Hedges, Ballymoney, NI

We got lost on the back roads trying to get back to Portrush to see Dunluce Castle. It was Sunday morning, all the gas stations were closed, and I was running out of gas - talk about nerve-wracking! And I didn't even have a cell phone to call for help! Luckily, everything worked out okay, and we found a fuel stop just in time. Phew!

The golf courses in Ireland are so different from those in the United States. I didn't see any trees on them at all, and there's a lot of rough area. We saw very few golf carts; most players were pulling their gear behind them.

The Royal Portrush Golf Club at Portrush, Northern Ireland

The limestone cliffs along this stretch of coastline have been eroded away over time into interesting configurations ...

White Rocks, Portrush, Northern Ireland

Dunluce Castle, near Bushmills, is perched on a high basalt cliff overlooking the ocean. This place was fought over for three hundred years, from the 13th century until the late 18th, when it fell into disrepair. Treachery, murder, betrayal - the history of Dunluce Castle reads like a Lifetime movie script. (When we were standing at this spot taking a picture, we met a man who was bicycling through Northern Ireland, and, after talking for a few minutes, found out that he lives just an hour or so away from me here in Pennsylvania, and loves the hamburgers from a certain little restaurant in my home town!)

Dunluce Castle, Portrush, NI

The castle sits on an outcropping of land, and the only way to gain access to it, back in the days of knights and ladies, would have been across a drawbridge where you see the walkway today, then through a narrow door in the gatehouse. They kept the entrance small so their enemies couldn't overwhelm them with great numbers of soldiers all at once.

Dunluce Castle

It's hard to imagine how they built this place on the steep cliffs. Pretty impressive!

Dunluce Castle

Stones from the Giant's Causeway were used in the construction of the castle walls.

Wall of Dunluce Castle

After touring the castle, we were chilled to the bone, so we warmed up with a hot cup of tea and some lunch at "The Wee Cottage", a quaint little tea room on the grounds of the castle. Then we were off to Dublin to turn in the car and get ready for the next part of our adventure.

We made it to Dublin, but not without a few detours, courtesy of our "quirky" GPS. (By the end of our two-week trip, after being misguided countless times, we were calling Ms. Garmin some very unsavory names!)

THE TOUR

The next morning we met in the hotel lobby to pick up our Driftwood tour. The 7-day Treasure Island tour was supposed to be a small group tour with 12-15 people, but we were surprised to discover that our only other traveling companions were Mary and Bernadette, a mother and daughter from Virginia Beach. It was like having a private tour! We rode around in a stretch Mercedes instead of a minibus, and felt like we were sitting in the lap of luxury. Our driver, Danny, was the sweetest guy, and so incredibly knowledgeable about Irish history. We took to calling him Mr. Google, because we could ask him anything and he'd have the answer for us!

Our first stop was the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary ...

Rock of Cashel

This section looks like Rapunzel's tower!

Monastery ruins, Cashel, Ireland

Rock of Cashel

Then we traveled southwest to Cork and stopped at Blarney Castle. No, I did not kiss the Blarney Stone, but I did climb up the steep, narrow, winding spiral staircase to the top of the castle to see it. The view from the parapets at the top is spectacular.

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle and watchtower

One of the nicest parts of visiting Blarney Castle is having a chance to meander around the grounds. The Rock Close garden is a wonderful, mystical place, with streams and waterfalls, flowers, caves, and centuries-old trees. There were places where I almost expected a fairy or leprechaun to peek out from behind a tree!

Blarney Castle gardens

After leaving Blarney, the day turned blustery and rainy. We drove through the mountains of County Cork to an out-of-the-way place called Gougane Barra, one of the neatest places we visited on our trip. More about that in my next post!

Ireland 2011 - Chapter 1 - The Adventure Begins

2011-10-10T08:58:00.000-04:00

Well, I've had a chance to catch my breath and begin to sort through all the photos I took during my trip to Ireland. If you've ever been there, I hope this photo tour will bring to mind good times and happy memories. If you've always dreamed of going, as I did for the past twenty years, let this be an encouragement to you to one day find a way to make that dream come true. Our trip exceeded my wildest expectations. I'm so glad we went - I know I'll remember it forever.

My mother (and super traveling companion!) Saundra, and I flew to Dublin, then rented a car to drive to Northern Ireland for the first leg of our two week journey. The first hour or so of left-side driving was kind of hair-raising, but I didn't wreck the car or injure anyone, so I guess I can say I didn't do too badly. I did hit a few curbs and Mom did a lot of gasping from the passenger seat, but we survived and lived to tell the tale.

Along the northern coast of Northern Ireland

We stayed near Bushmills in a great B & B and spent two days exploring the northwestern part of the country. September is a great time to visit - the tourist traffic cuts back in the fall, so the driving was fairly leisurely and most of the places we visited were almost deserted.

My mom and I, at an overlook along the Causeway Coastal Route.

The weather changes every few minutes in Ireland; at least that's the way it was when we were there. We didn't see a lot of heavy rain, mostly sunshine interspersed with periods of light drizzle. Some days we lucked out and had sunshine most of the day. Whatever came our way, we took it in stride, figuring it was all part of the Irish experience - that's why we brought umbrellas and waterproof jackets!

Rainy one minute ...

... and sunny the next!

Our first beach stop was at Whitepark Bay, near Ballintoy. The waves were rolling in and a fine mist was blowing off the sea. A few people were walking their dogs, but aside from that we had the place to ourselves. The small white building in the foreground was a boys school years ago, now abandoned.

Whitepark Bay, Northern Ireland

Such a beautiful place! It was hard to tear myself away and move on down the coast.

Plant at Whitepark Bay

One of the coolest places we went to in NI was the tiny harbor of Ballintoy.

I just loved the feel of the place. The weather had turned blustery and the waves were crashing on the rocks just offshore, but Ballintoy harbor sat snug against the tall limestone cliffs at its back, sheltered from the wind and waves.

Ballintoy harbor

An old stone building houses a cozy tea house where you can warm up with a cup of Earl Grey and a scone.

The coast at Ballintoy

There were gorgeous scenes everywhere I looked!

Near Ballycastle

Just off shore, near Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, sits Sheep Island, where farmers used to graze their flocks - with no need for fencing!

Sheep Island

Ireland is beautiful in any sort of weather, but when the sun comes out, the greens are simply luscious!

I loved the little farms perched on the cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Along Torr Head Road

Some of the most spectacular scenery in Northern Ireland is along the Torr Head Road from Ballyvoy to Cushendun. The driving is treacherous, with narrow roads, lots of switchbacks, and steep drop-offs, but the views make it all worthwhile. Of course, it was hard for me to take my eyes off the road long enough to see the view, so every couple of miles I would pull over, pry my white-knuckled fingers off the steering wheel and get out of the car to take in the scenery properly.

From Torr Head, you can see the coast of Scotland way off in the distance.

Sheep, sheep, and more sheep!

I hadn't expected to see so many wildflowers blooming in September, but the landscape was actually very colorful. We couldn't believe all the fuchsias growing wild along the hedgerows. It was so pretty!!

Wild fuchsia bushes

I had to laugh at the vast fields of heather we saw blooming everywhere. I just kept remembering the one little perennial heather plant that I bought at a nursery a few years ago, for $12 or so. I babied it and coddled it for a couple of years, and then, despite all my care, it ended up dying. In Ireland, it grows wild, abundant, and free, with no coddling from anyone.

Heather

The towns are almost as pretty as the countryside, with every business and home sporting huge baskets of flowers. They were gorgeous!

Flowers in Cushendun

Cushendun's old jail sits in the center of town - kind of a cool old building ...

Old jail in Cushendun

Drive along any road in Ireland and you'll see ruins of old castles, monasteries, and churches. It surprised us that so many of them were on private property, with cows and sheep grazing around them. The landowners allow access to the historic sites and everyone seems to cooperate by respecting the land and the value of the ruins, some of which are over a thousand years old.

One of the most popular attractions in Northern Ireland is the Giant's Causeway. It was located just over the hill from our B&B, so we were able to walk to the top of the cliffs overlooking the causeway and get a birds-eye view.

Giant's Causeway, from above

It looks like a big pile of rubble from far away, but the closer you get, the more interesting it is.

We walked down the steep face of the cliff to the Causeway ...

Benbane Head, near Giant's Causeway

Thank goodness we only had to walk DOWN the steps!

The "Shepard's Path" that we walked on was at the top of the cliffs

Basalt columns of Giant's Causeway

Over the years, visitors have pushed coins into the seams between the stones for good luck.

Some have been there since Victorian times.

Giant's Causeway is a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the most unique places I've seen.

We had arrived late in the day, and rain was threatening the whole time we were walking along the cliffs and down the mountain, but as we approached the stones, the sun came out and brightened the whole scene with beautiful light before it set.

Can you believe we did all that in just one day? Everything was within a short distance of our lodging, so it was easy, and we didn't feel like we were rushed. There's so much to see in Northern Ireland - I'd love to go back and spend an entire vacation there. At least we got a good introduction to it.

Stop by again tomorrow, when we head for Dublin and points south.

The Best Things in Life

2011-09-28T07:34:00.002-04:00

I get so excited when I have a commission piece to do! I enjoy the process of discussing the various options with the client, gathering resource materials, and deciding on a composition. It's a lot of work, but it's so much fun in the end when everyone is happy with the results.

A few weeks ago, Laurie, from Texas, contacted me about doing a house portrait for her husband for his birthday. It was to be a surprise, and it wouldn't be easy to keep it a secret, given how excited she was about the gift. She sent photos of the kids, dogs, and house, and told me a little bit about each of them. After taking a few days to mull it all over, I started planning, sketching, drawing and painting. Here's the final result ...

"The Best Things in Life" 10" x 14" watercolor, ink, & colored pencil

The stonework on the house was represented with strokes of watercolor applied with a small flat brush, and a touch of colored pencil line work. I wanted to suggest the texture without painting each and every stone.

The blossoms on the tree add a splash of color.

The children, Emma and Aiden, bring the painting to life, and their mom says this scene is a common one in their family - the kids love playing with the dogs in the front yard.

House portraits can sometimes seem rather static, with nothing much going on. I like the fact that this one has a fun narrative, with the kids chasing Hadley, who's chasing the ball, and being watched by Ginger, who's taking in the whole scene from the sidelines.

As I contemplated a title for the painting, I realized that the picture shows some of "The Best Things in Life" - home, children, pets, sunshine, flowers, simple fun, peace, and happiness. We can't ask for more than that.

PS - Laurie's husband, Mike, was thrilled with his birthday surprise! And she was thrilled that she had managed to keep it a secret. ;)

To inquire about custom drawings and paintings,

please email me using the Contact button in the right column.

I'd love to create something special for you.

Home Again!

2011-09-20T22:35:00.000-04:00

After two wonderful weeks of travel around Ireland, my mother and I arrived back in the US last weekend, overflowing with stories from our trip, and so grateful and happy to be home again. I took a ton of pictures and filled an entire sketchbook, so I have a lot of follow-up work to do before I'll be ready to post about all that we did and saw. I need to edit down the 800 photos (really!!) to a more manageable number, and finish adding watercolor to the pen and ink sketches I did on location. (They're turning out really nice - can't wait to share them with you!)

For now, here's a peek at our first day in Northern Ireland ...

White Park Bay, near Ballintoy, Northern Ireland

Isn't that beautiful?
I'll post lots more soon! Thanks for your patience. Fall's a busy time of year for my drapery business, so it's challenging trying to fit everything in. All in good time ...

Hand-Painted Tile Fireplace Surround

2011-09-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

One of the features of our house that I like the best is the kitchen and breakfast area. It's the space where everyone gathers to eat, play games, and just hang out. The breakfast room opens onto the sunroom, which offers great views of our yard and the fields and hills beyond.

The color scheme for this area was built around my collection of antique flow blue plates, picked up at flea markets over the years. The walls are painted a muted grey-blue that contrasts nicely with the blue and white plates, and the white woodwork.

The fireplace in the breakfast area is double sided - the far side opens to the living room. The tiles surrounding the fireplace were designed to coordinate with the blue and white tile backsplash in the kitchen (described in a previous post).

The cool granite hearth is Buckley's favorite place to nap

The botanical theme of the handpainted backsplash tiles was carried over onto the fireplace surround. Instead of using culinary plants and herbs as subject matter, as I did on the kitchen backsplash, these tiles feature the flowers that grow in and around our yard.

I selected 6" x 6" plain white bisque-fired tiles and painted my designs with a cobalt underglaze, just like in the kitchen. They are bordered by commercial rope trim tiles in a matching cobalt blue.

The prominent center tile holds special meaning for our family. Before we built our new Victorian-style home, we lived just three miles away - two ridges over from the hilltop where we were building our new house. I used to walk to the top of the hill across the road from our old house, where I could look over (with binoculars) and see the building going on at the new house. That view, from the home where we had lived for 20 years, to our new dream home, is what I painted on the tile.

I love looking at it even now and remembering the twenty happy years we spent in the old house when the kids were little, and the excitement we felt as we watched the progress of the new house being built.

(detail) Our new house on the hill

The first flowers to the left and right of the center landscape are daisies. They grow wild in the fields and along the roadsides around here, and I also have Shasta daisies planted near the house. They're so cheery and hardy - I like non-fussy plants that take care of themselves.

I love roses, so I had to give them a prominent place on my floral tiles. I have lots of them planted around our yard, and I've refined my selections over the years so that I only have varieties now that are fairly carefree. They don't need a lot of maintenance - just a little pruning now and then. To the left of the roses, I painted carnations. I like their spicy scent, and they remind me of high school corsages and cheap, colorful bouquets from the grocery store.

The carnations blend into the daylilies. Daylilies are a staple in my landscaping, offering lots of midsummer color. It's fun to walk around the yard on a summer morning and see which ones are blooming that day. I can never decide which is my favorite. I love the soft, pale pink ones, and the apricot blush, but then I see the deep, dusky burgundy, with its velvety petals and I think, "That's it! That's the one!"

The small flowers in the corner tile are pincushion mums. They really help to brighten up the fall landscape, when most of the summer flowers are waning.

Sunflowers are great fun to draw. It was a given that they would play a prominent role in my painted garden. Every spring I'm drawn to those bright packets of sunflower seeds on display - I can't resist planting a row or two in the garden. We also have a crop of them that sprout each summer under the bird feeders from all the seeds that are scattered by rambunctious goldfinches and chickadees throughout the winter.

Below the sunflowers are campanula and asters. When choosing the flowers I wanted to include in my handpainted tiles, I not only picked some of my all-time favorites, but also strove for a variety of forms - big, showy plants like the sunflowers, and petite little things like the pincushion mums - spiky flowers like the asters, and lush, multi-petaled ones like the roses.

Morning glories and foxgloves wind their way up toward the asters, with the curly tendrils of the morning glory vines filling in the spaces.

Gracefully arching below the foxgloves is a single branch of bleeding heart.

Any self-respecting country garden has to have a patch of hollyhocks. Here's

mine ...

I also gave a nod to houseplants by including a gloxinia plant at the base of each side of the tile surround. Their blossoms are so pretty, and I like the interesting way the stems bend and droop.

After all the effort I put into designing and painting the tiles, I happily signed my work ...

I love the way the handpainted tiles on our fireplace turned out. Every day, I sit in "my spot" at our breakfast room table so that I can look toward the fireplace and see all those pretty blue and white flowers. My kitchen is the thing I'll miss the most when I leave this place someday. There's so much of me in it.

Hand-Painted Blue & White Tile Backsplash

2011-09-03T07:29:00.000-04:00

When we were building our house eleven years ago, I had my heart set on having a classic blue and white kitchen. I found some beautiful, hand-painted blue and white Delft tiles at a local tile and stone shop, but when I started adding up the total cost to do the entire 30 linear feet of my kitchen backsplash, I realized the price was way out of my budget. But where there's a will, there's a way, and when I set my mind to something there's no stopping me! I found a way to have my blue and white tiles, and they were less expensive, and prettier, than anything I had seen in a store.

My son was apprenticed at the time to a local potter, who was a great source of information and help. I found out that we could order plain, bisque-fired 4" square tiles from a ceramic supply company, and I could paint them myself. While the tiles were on order, I worked on the layout of the backsplash and the design of the tiles.

With the house under construction, I had the opportunity to plan the spacing of the tiles, and the placement of the outlets in the backsplash so that they wouldn’t interfere with the pattern of the decorative tiles. It was quite a challenge to figure it all out – let’s just say I hope I don’t ever have to do it again!

For the botanical designs on the decorative tiles, I was lucky enough to find a book called Medieval Herb, Plant, and Flower Illustrations, which has nearly 300 copyright-free botanical illustrations of herbs and flowers that I could use as a starting point for my designs. The drawings are based on a series of woodcuts from the 15th-century. I selected drawings of herbs and plants related to cooking, but couldn’t resist including a few others that I just liked the looks of.

I also had to design the field tiles that would fill in the spaces between the botanicals. I experimented on paper and finally came up with a motif that I liked. Where four corners meet, a secondary pattern is formed.

For the kitchen countertops, I planned to use a matte finish ivory tile, but I was stumped about what to do with the front edge. When I hit upon the idea of repeating the cobalt blue of the decorative backsplash in hand-painted edge tiles, my design was complete!

After sketching out each of the 35 botanical tile designs on paper, I transferred them to the plain white 4” tiles. Then came the most challenging part – painting over the pencil lines with the cobalt underglaze. I had to be extremely careful not to smudge my work. If I made a mistake, the only way to correct it was to scrape away the glaze with an X-acto knife. Handling the tiles and packing them for transport to the kiln was tricky, too. An inadvertant move could wipe out hours of work.

At the pottery studio, I coated each tile with a clear glaze before loading them into the kiln for firing. As the lid of the kiln closed, I remember having such a knot in my stomach, so worried that, if something went wrong, all my work would be ruined. It had taken me two months to paint the 35 decorative botanical tiles, 260 field tiles, and 65 edge tiles. (Plus I also designed and painted twenty 6” square tiles for the fireplace surround, which I’ll show you in a later post.)

When the kiln was opened, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. My tiles had survived the firing and looked wonderful! I couldn’t wait to install them!

All of my planning had paid off, and the installation went smoothly. I just had to take my time and not rush things. The whole project was a LOT of work, but it was worth it to me. Every once in awhile, I stop and look at my kitchen and marvel at the fact that I so blithely undertook such a challenging and time-consuming project. But I LOVE my blue and white tiles, and I get to enjoy my pretty kitchen every day. It's everyone's favorite place in our home.

Coming up next ...

... the breakfast room fireplace surround that coordinates with this kitchen backsplash.

A Wish Come True

2011-08-29T08:12:00.000-04:00

I've dreamed about it for more than twenty years. I've hoped and longed for it, wished for it, and planned for it... and it's finally happening! Tomorrow is the day I'm flying off to Ireland!!

Ring of Kerry

It seems like I've spent at least half of my life yearning to see those deep green fields and spectacular seaside cliffs ...

The Dingle Peninsula (Photo courtesy of www.travelglobep.com )

the quaint towns and medieval castles ...

(Photo courtesy of www.pdphoto.org )

and the endless rock walls ...


(Photo courtesy of www.travel.nationalgeographic.com )

For two weeks, my mother and I will be traveling the length and breadth of the country, from Dublin to Northern Ireland, and then on over to the western coast. And, yes, I'm going to have to learn to drive on the left side of the road, something I'm not looking forward to!


Giants' Causeway, Northern Ireland (Photo courtesy of www.irelandposters.com) We'll be staying just a 5-minute walk from here!

I'll take lots of pictures (and paint lots of sketches), and I'll share it all with you when we return. But you won't have a chance to miss me too much - I've written up a couple of posts to tide you over. Stop back by in a few days for a glimpse of one of my most ambitious and all-time favorite projects.

And the next time you drive down the road, on the right side, say a little prayer for me!

Fresh Corn and Basil Tart

2011-08-26T21:28:00.000-04:00

Isn't fresh corn on the cob just one of the best things in life? When you bite into those sweet yellow kernels, dripping with butter, you just can't help smiling. Well, here's another idea for enjoying summer corn, fresh from the field: a delicious Corn and Basil Tart.

The cornmeal in the crust gives it an interesting crunchy texture and adds to the corn-y flavor of the dish. Prebaking it guarantees you won't have a soggy middle. The quiche-like filling is yummy with just the corn and basil, but be sure to try some of the variations that I've suggested in the recipe notes. Adding other ingredients just makes it all the more tasty!

Fresh Corn and Basil Tart

Crust ingredients:
1/3 c. butter, softened
2 T. sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 egg
2/3 c. cornmeal
2/3 c. flour

Filling ingredients:
2 eggs
1 c. half-and-half or light cream
1-1/2 c. fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
¾ c. cheddar cheese
½ c. coarsely snipped fresh basil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Optional:
Chopped tomato and basil

Directions:
1. Make the cornmeal crust: In a medium bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and ½ tsp. salt. Beat until combined. Beat in 1 egg until combined. Add in cornmeal and flour. Mix until ingredients form moist clumps or a ball.
2. Preheat oven to 350º. Pat the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Line the pastry with a double thickness of foil and bake 10 minutes; remove foil. Bake 5-6 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and half-and-half. Stir in the corn, cheese, basil, ½ tsp. salt, and pepper. Add any additional optional ingredients. (See recipe notes, below.)
4. Pour into prebaked pastry shell. Bake 35-40 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove sides of pan to serve.
5. Sprinkle with tomato and additional basil.

Recipe Notes:
- There are so many delicious variations to this recipe. Optional ingredients might include green chiles (1/4-1/3 cup), black olives (1 small can), zucchini, pimento, or chopped artichokes (1/2 cup). My favorite is to add black olives and green chiles to the basic recipe. A topping of salsa is a nice complement to the southwestern flavors.
- Frozen corn may be used in place of fresh.
- When pressing the dough into the tart pan, it’s helpful to use a small glass as a rolling pin. Using the side of the glass, roll the crust smooth on the bottom. Holding the glass upright, gently press dough to the sides of the pan for a uniform edge.
- To make the crust gluten-free, I recommend using Jules' gluten-free flour, along with the cornmeal, which is naturally gluten-free.

Down-Home Barbecue Meatloaf & Sweet Potato Fries with Rosemary

2011-08-19T21:06:00.000-04:00

My husband, Fred, was out doing the manly thing all afternoon, brush-hogging the weeds along our driveway, and I thought he deserved a good, hearty dinner after all his hard work. I decided to make him a real meat-and-potatoes meal, so I pulled out my favorite meatloaf recipe, one that I got years ago from an old church cookbook. Although I'm not a big meat eater, this always tastes really good when I make it. The hint of barbecue flavor makes it a lot tastier than plain old meatloaf. A side of roasted sweet potato (and white potato) fries, marinated cucumbers, and tomatoes, fresh from the garden, rounded out the meal nicely.

Down-Home Barbecue Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
¾ c. tomato juice
¼ c. barbecue sauce
¾ c. uncooked rolled oats
1 egg, beaten
¼ c. chopped onion
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
3. Press firmly into an 8” x 4” x 2-1/2” loaf pan.
4. Bake about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Notes:
- Ketchup or barbecue sauce may be spread on top of the meatloaf before baking.
- Tomato sauce may be substituted for the tomato juice.
- I like to form the meatloaf mixture into two mini meatloaves. Place them on a foil-covered rack in a roasting pan. Poke a few holes in the foil to allow the juices to drain through. Adjust the baking time – they don’t take quite as long to bake as a large single meatloaf. I overbaked mine a little this evening - they should be moist in the center.

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries with Rosemary

Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes and/or white potatoes
Fresh rosemary
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450º.
2. Slice potatoes into pieces about 1/4" -3/8" wide and 3"-4" long. Place the pieces in a 1-gallon Ziploc bag.
3. Add a generous amount of chopped fresh rosemary and enough olive oil to coat all the potatoes with a light layer of oil.
4. Close the bag and shake well to distribute the oil and rosemary. Spread the fries on a cookie sheet or any baking sheet with low sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Roast fries in the oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes, then every 5 minutes until they are cooked through and lightly browned.

Recipe Notes:
- This recipe works well with sweet potatoes or white potatoes, and it's nice to use a combination of the two. They take about the same time to cook, so it isn't a problem roasting them together.
- These fries are slightly crispy when they first come out of the oven, but soften upon sitting. Don't expect the same texture as deep-fried French fries. They're much healthier though, and they taste wonderful.
- Try sprinkling the potatoes with other flavorings before roasting, such as seasoned salt, Italian herbs, paprika, hot peppers, or Old Bay seasoning. Cinnamon is a great choice for sprinkling on sweet potatoes.

Holding Onto Summer

2011-08-12T12:02:00.002-04:00

It was a perfect summer morning when I stepped outside onto the patio to give our little grey kitty, Genevieve, a scratch behind the ears. The temperature was just right and a gentle breeze ruffled the leaves on the trees. The deep blue sky was dotted with puffy white clouds. Birds were chirping and flitting around the yard. Butterflies fluttered among the flowers. I almost expected to see Bambi come frolicking across the yard - it was that perfect! I decided right then and there to take some time to capture the day on the pages of my sketchbook...

A morning like that is something to hold onto. In the depths of winter, I like to remember a summer day like this one -- the happiness and contentment I felt, the warm sunshine on my back as a sat drawing the roses, Buckley lying patiently in the lush green grass at my feet as I drew the hydrangea, and our cat, Hoover, snoozing under the daylilies as I added them to my page. It lifts my heart a little and reminds me that those cold winter days will soon come to an end, and flowers will bloom again.

This sunflower was a "volunteer" that grew from the remains of last

winter's birdseed, under the bird feeder outside my kitchen window.

Potentilla blossoms are just plain cute! The bushes are a mass of pink

flowers in the spring and early summer, but even this late
in the season the flowers keep coming.

These daylilies were given to me 25 years ago by a dear friend,

and every summer when they bloom, I think of her.

Coreopsis is hardy and reliable, and adds a cheery splash

of sunshine-y yellow to the plantings by my front porch

and the back patio.

I enjoy these groundcover roses all summer long - they're right outside
the kitchen window. They grow like crazy and would probably
take over the house if I didn't chop them back every once in awhile!

Campanula (balloon flowers) are one of my favorites.

That periwinkle blue color just couldn't be any prettier.

Hosta flowers don't last long, do they? It seems like

I notice them one day and think, "Oh, don't they look nice!"

Then the next time I look, they're over!

We added a fountain to our backyard this spring, and I surrounded

it with thrift, a perennial that was new to me. The compact mounds

of dark green send up stems with single flowers on them,

and they bloom all summer long.

Butterfly bushes have added a lot of color to my landscape.

The two I planted last year are both prolific bloomers,

and they're a haven for butterflies.

This lace-cap hydrangea must have liked all the rainy weather we had
this spring, because it was amazing this summer - huge, and
covered with hundreds of blooms!

It's already starting to feel like fall around here this week, with cooler temperatures and the first fall flowers showing up along the roadsides. So, let's all vow to take some time and enjoy these last few weeks of summer - they'll be gone too soon!

This painting is available as a 9" x 12" giclee print,

double matted, for $30.00 plus shipping.

To order, drop me an email using the
"Contact Me" button, to the right.

Sketches Along the Way

2011-08-05T22:51:00.000-04:00

We made our annual trek to Oak Island, North Carolina, two weeks ago, and the day we drove down there just happened to be the date of the 32nd Worldwide Sketchcrawl. Artists from all over the globe were holding sketching marathons in their hometowns, getting together in groups to draw and paint their local scene. Since I didn't have anything better to do on our 11-hour drive from Pennsylvania to the beach, I decided to join the party, and draw what I saw along the way.

I did line drawings with pen and ink, then added color with water-soluble colored pencils. To blend the colors and lines, I washed over them with my waterbrush filled with clear water. It was a simple way to sketch in the van.

We watched the sun rise over the hills just south of our hometown ...

By 9:30 am, we were in the mountains of southern West Virginia ...

The scenery in Virginia is so beautiful!

We finally made it to North Carolina...

The temperature kept climbing all day, up to 104! Thank goodness for air conditioning!

I had planned to do lots of sketching while I was at the beach, but it just didn't happen this year. I spent all week playing with my grandchildren, which was so much more fun! This was Lilly's first time at the beach, and she loved every minute of it. In and out of the water, up and down the beach, picking up shells, watching birds and crabs, building sand castles - the fun never ends with a five year old!

Nicholas is 3-1/2 months old now and was a joy to have along on the trip. He's a great little traveler and really enjoyed the wind, water, and sunshine. Every evening we took a walk on the beach at sunset, and he would fall asleep in his carrier to the sound of the waves.

I mean really, how irresistible is this little guy? I had withdrawal symptoms when I got home after spending a whole week with him! He's the sweetest baby.

Until next year ...