I just had to post this. It's a Christmas Card my Granddaughter Rachel (age 13) designed for her family. I am only
posting the front of the card. Isn't it just great!
She did a "doggie" card for my birthday, too. Maybe I'll post that one day too. :-)

Christmas 2009

This is a watercolor of an old Barn (it even has a historical marker) located right near our home. I did this painting several
years ago and decided it might make a Christmas Card with a few added pieces of Clip-Art.
I didn't post the inside greetings--that is just for the recipients of this year's card :-)

This little Bear sits on a shelf where we watch TV--it was a gift from our Granddaughter Laura who is now in her late 20's. I decided to sketch and paint it, since it is a Christmas Bear (note the wreath and bow on his sweater). He has been around for some time now, and has become part of the family :-)

This is a Church entrance that we drove by so many times, we finally stopped and took a quick picture for memory's sake, and I finally got around to Sketching/Watercoloring them. I liked the way the flowers were planted to match the entrance. It really took my eye right to the door.

We were in Williamsburg, VA in the Fall--and these pumpkins took my eye. It was MarketDay Saturday and they were piled in front of the Christmas Shop. It's the closest watercolor sketch that I have with a "Thanksgiving" time of the year theme. Maybe next time, I'll do a pic of my Pumpkin Pie (with whipped cream, of course).

The birds are really surrounding our Bird Feeders this Fall. We regularly see Cardinals, Tufted Titmouse (a picture taken by my husband), Chickadees, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Red-breasted and regular Nuthatches. Also, Blue Jays, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, and the usual HouseFinches, and some sparrows. If I forgot any--I'm sorry :-)
I love feeding the birds and seeing them fattening up for Winter.

I can't believe it was 55 years ago--my Firstborn (s) were twins. We hit the jackpot the first time--having a boy AND a girl. Twice the blessing! Just want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY RON AND RUTH. (And they still are a BLESSING!)

The leaves are all off the trees in woods behind our home. Everything looks so bare--we had quite a rain and windstorm last night.
Haven't done any painting yet (still recovering--very well, thank you--from my knee replacement.)
So I thought I would post a watercolor of Mawbry Mill (in North Carolina). I painted this one Autumn after visiting the area.
This is off the Blue Ridge Parkway--just before you leave the East end of N. Carolina.

Still taking it easy from my knee replacement, so I haven't done much watercolor. I made this card last year after we had been in the Smokies in October for a beautiful Autumn Color display. I painted every different leaf I could find of every different size and shape and put them all on one page.
This is what we are looking at right now in our own backyard. The only thing that makes me sad is the cold weather and winter that this beauty introduces!
We will make the best of it and look forward to Thanksgiving with our wonderful family!

I made a notecard out of this little picture to send to my friend, Tammy, who gave me the Birdhouse.
She really liked it, so I thought I would post it.
I'm kind of "in the house" for a couple weeks recovering from my second total knee implant--and thankful that things went so well!

It was such a beautiful day on Friday--we decided to take a jaunt up to Port Huron (Michigan) and watch some of the Freighters go up and down the River and under the Blue Water Bridge. The Thomas Edison Museum is right there under the bridge. I did the watercolors the last time we were up there. My husband took the picture of the Freighter going under the bridge. No wonder they call it the Blue Water Bridge! Had a fun time, and stopped at the River Crab in St. Clair for a late lunch outside under an umbrella.

Little Cabin in the Smokies

I did this little drawing of a cabin while we
were driving on the Roaring Fork Nature Trail.
We stopped to walk around so I sat and sketched
this little place--then took it back home to put
some watercolor to it. Hard to believe how some
people eked out a living back then.
This is very close to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Went to the Northville (MIchigan) market yesterday and bought some of the last of the peaches for the season...yum, are they ever good. I painted them last season and thought I would "post" them again. We had some on our cereal this a.m.

Black Bear on Clingman's Dome Road

I tried to sketch and paint a small black bear we saw coming out of the woods on the Clingman's Dome Road in the Smokie Mountains.
It's not easy (for me) to draw/paint from memory...but I gave it a try. I've got to keep a "record" of our sights along the way! :-)

Smokie Mountain National Park

After our trip up North, we came home and picked up some other items we prepared for "going on" and driving down to the Smokie Mountain National Park. We shared an "A-Frame" in the Mtns. with one of our daughters and family. Always love the Smokies--did some sketchbook stuff while there too, but it isn't watercolored yet. I'll be posting more.....

These are some misc. sketches I did while we were staying at Lake Charlevoix...A Blue Chair in Bay View with a pot of flowers set in it.
The Charlevoix Lighthouse and beach...you can find Petoskey Stones on this beach.
Nine Mile Beach (on Lake Michigan) where people also comb the beach for Petoskey Stones.
Had a great week up North and rain only on our last day--we made the best of it at Class and painted on a wrap-around porch of one of the buildings.

Sketchbook Watercolor Group

These are some watercolors we did in our Sketchbooks at Bay View, Michigan (17, 18, 19, & 20 Aug. '09)
Picture #1 - a pot of flowers near the old Depot.
Picture #2 - the library doors at Bay View
Picture #3 - the Old Depot at Bay View
Picture #4 - Back garden of Bay View Home

Up North

Looking forward to going up North--hoping the weather will be good! This is my version of downtown Charlevoix.

And the next picture is a part of Harbor Springs--so pretty up there.

To Petoskey and Charlevoix in North Michigan

Always love August when we go up North with our Brother and Sister-in-law for a week. I usually go to Catherine Carey's Watercolor Sketchbook Class (see my profile). It's a relaxing, painting week. This watercolor is one I did in the Memorial Garden overlooking Little Traverse Bay.

I'm posting this vase of purple flowers with lacy leaves for a personal reason. It's sort of a celebration! S.E.P.

Miscellaneous Sketches

Picture One is an entrance to a home in Stratford, Onatario.
Picture Two is one we have all seen when traveling through the Countryside.
Picture Three is one of "old chairs" repainted for the Farmington Founder's Day Festival.
Picture Four is just a drawing of my tools--minus the pencil and eraser.
I like to draw and watercolor for a travel journal.