Everybody loves hydrangeas. They’re big and showy, and the range of colors runs from the palest baby blue to deep burgundy and purple. I love them all, but my favorite has always been the traditional blue mophead hydrangea, and I thought you might enjoy seeing step-by-step photos of how I go about painting one. 6-1/2″ […]
Category: Tutorials
The Most Adorable Ruffled Lampshade On Planet Earth
Here it is! The most adorable ruffled lampshade you’re ever going to see… And it belongs to the most adorable baby in the world! That’s my granddaughter, Callista Rose, just 18 months old . She’s the sweetest, cutest, funniest little girl, and I just love her to pieces! When her mom was decorating Callista’s new […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Piazza San Marco, Venice + Step-by-Step
Ready to escape to Italy for some fun in the sun? Come along with me as I work on finishing up the travel journal I started on my two-week trip to northern Italy and Tuscany last spring. I worked feverishly on the sketches last spring and summer, adding watercolor to line drawings I had done […]
Fabric Origami Step-by-Step – “Fennel”
Fabric + thread + beads + buttons + wire = WOW! This “Fennel” origami ornament is a perfect example of the end result being greater than the sum of its parts. In just a few minutes, using the simplest of supplies, you can create a beautiful Christmas ornament sure to impress anyone lucky enough to […]
Step-by-Step Watercolor Painting: Highland Light – Cape Cod
When we were in Cape Cod last week, I did a quick vignette sketch of the Highland Light near Truro, and I thought you might enjoy seeing a step-by-step of how I added the watercolor back at home. Here’s the completed sketch… “Highland Light”, 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ ink & watercolor in Stillman & Birn Beta […]
Step-by-Step Watercolor Painting: “Autumn Glow”
It was one of those absolutely perfect fall days when I grabbed my sketch kit and headed out across the fields. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the trees in the woods fairly glowed in the sunshine. Fall was almost over, and I was determined to hold onto it the only way I knew, […]
Step-by-Step Watercolor Painting: “My Own Sweet Time”
“My Own Sweet Time”, 10″ x 15″, watercolor & ink This post is a behind-the-scenes glimpse into my sometimes focused, often haphazard, approach to painting the watercolor shown above. If you don’t care to read all the details, just scan through the pictures, but if you’re like me, you might find it interesting to see […]
Step-by-Step Watercolor Painting: “May Morning”
If you have followed my blog for long, you know that most of my watercolor paintings are done in my sketchbooks. I like the continuity of seeing them all together, a record of my life experiences. I never remove pages from my sketchbooks, even if I’m not happy with my work. I figure it’s part […]
Fabric Origami Step-by-Step – “Primrose”
When I taught my “High-End Embellishments” class last weekend, I added a new fabric origami design to my usual curriculum. The “Primrose” pattern is simple and quick to fabricate. I used this origami design on a job that I completed last winter – box pleated drapery panels and scalloped valances with origami accents. We needed […]
