Thanksgiving for all my Blog friends Giveaway

Originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade, the parade started in 1924. It initially featured live animals, but they were replaced by larger-than-life balloons a few years later. The first balloon was modeled after Felix the Cat, photo c. 1932
Just as the Thanksgiving Parade at Macy's announces Christmas and the joy of little children's illustrations like Felix the Cat and Garfield. I am giving away one of my Ornaments that feature a illustration from my in process childrens book on a Christmas Nisse.

I want to know of all my friends who visit me on my blog. I am so THANKFUL for you. Some of you I know because I hear from you in the comments. So as a thank you for coming I am having a mini giveaway.

Please leave a comment on any post up to Dec. 4th 11pm est. I will pick a name out of the hat to find the winner. Please be sure I have a email or way to contact you.
Thank you so much for making my blogging experience so wonderful these past two years. And thank you for all of your encouragement and love. I think of you and hope my little art works and musings bring you joy. I have grown in confidence so much from your support.

May your this years Thanksgiving be a real Blessing!

Christmas Blog Party!

We Love Christmas Coco and I!
A sneeky peek. We decorated for the Christmas Blog Party...listening to Christmas songs and making it all glittery snowy Christmas at our house.

Coco cordially invites to you to the Christmas Party.

We can't wait to visit your house too!

Gabrielle Coco doll

Using Marionette arms it makes it so fun to move them.
Still using Coco for inspiration for clothing.

COCO BEFORE CHANEL: Coco and her Hat

"COCO and Her Hat" a 1912 Coco Channel Art Doll
Posted on Etsy today click here


I saw the most wonderful movie this weekend. The scenes were so beautiful. Coco Channel used black and white as her signature colors. There is a key at the beginning of the movie that tells you why. I wear black and white the most when I want to look smart and think it is so elegant.

The gorgeous scenes have been dancing through my head. So it inspired me to rework a couple of my dolls. Their clothing touches my heart deeply. I were lace as much as I can as well. Antique lace is so very romantic.

She is inspired by the movie about Coco Channel. The scenes from the early 1900's had beautiful clothing. Black and White where signature colors for Coco as well as pearls.

She started her clothing company by making hats so her straw hat is befitting this little Coco doll.

Here shawl is antique lace. And the pearl on her neck is from my mothers button box and came off a elegant 1960's dress that would have been from the height of Coco' 60's Classic Jacket period.

Snowflake Princess Christmas Ornament

You can't see it but the netting over her face has a lovely crystal glitter embedded in it so that she has her own little magical winter world.

I used a wonderful antique gold thread so that she will sparkle even more on the tree.

I placed her on Etsy this morning. I looked at the Holiday Ornaments on Etsy yesterday. I think everyone in the world put on ornaments yesterday! There were 500 or more just listed on Nov. 14th. I guess everyone is thinking Christmas this weekend.

Christmas Gnome Tomte Nisse Etsy Post!

It is Christmas at my house! I didn't want Christmas to come before Thanksgiving but it just seems to creep up anyway! But I love Christmas and this little Gnome is a big part of my Christmas. I have been painting Gnomes or rather Tomte or Nisse since my son was born in the 70's. I was enchanted with Snow white as a child and was so delighted by her little 7 dwarfs. When I went to England I discovered Gnomes and finally found Scandinavian Tomte and Nisse. So this little guy is a part of my Christmas tradition.

I took an old beloved illustration I paint several years ago while developing my children's book character. He he is not the little boy Nisse in my story but I like him so much. I think he would be a great Christmas card. Some day I need to send him to a card company.

I wanted to paint on him a little more. I decided to use my new digital skills. I have learned so many magical things using digital painting techniques. So I took the drawing and added fun star sparkles and snow and such that makes him ever so much more lovely. I put him on Etsy for sale as a print today.
Next I was asked by some artists friends to be part of a very small ornament swap. So out came these little Ornaments. I used all the wonderful things I learned Art Fiber Fest this past June. (Many from Ruth Rae)
It was so cool to go to the fabric store and find Glitter netting to lay over my Gnome and give him his very own little snowstorm! You can't see it in the photo but they sparkle and glitter and I look forward to seeing them on the tree when the twinkle lights hit him!

I will post the rest of them each day as I put them up on Etsy. I have 3 more different ones.

Klimt Inspired "Austrian Musician in a Red Scarf" finished

I finished the painting. I wanted to use gold leaf but couldn't find mine. So I used gold oil paint. I thing it works because the gold doesn't fight with the figure.

It was fun to push my self. And of course my sweet brother "Sir Harald" from Wells Austria loves it. He lives very close to were Klimt spent his vacations on the lake. Isn't it interesting that we my husband I are blessed to have friends in Austria. I never dreamed I would get to go to Austria and have friends in Klimt land!

I Love Oils!!!

I had to change the right eye. So that the painting would look like Harald. I get lazy or afraid I will mes up. But because it was my friend and I wanted it to look like him I boldly washed the eye off!

But it really looks so much better. Oil is just amazing to work with. Buttery and soft and so easy to blend. I scraped off the paint in places I didn't want to drag old color that would make it muddy and dull. Give it a try you will love it too.

Oil Painting of Harald in Process

My friend Harald the most wonderful guitarist from Austria asked me to paint a picture of him for his CD. He and I both love Gustave Klimt. I think of him as Gustave Klimt my brother as he lives in Klimt land and is a wonderful artist like Klimt. You can hear his wonderful music click here.

about his music....

"Harald is a musical poet, painting pictures with sound through his sensitve performances and imaginative compositions. His music is both strong and fragile at once, filled with vibrant melodic phrases, harmonic rhythms, as well as moments of profound quietness." JOHN DOAN "Your music is WONDERful! Ethereal, celestial, and so richly layered and inviting." AMY WHITE

I started with an underpainting in oil.

Next I add oil color.

I am trying out a Klimt like background....Harald loves earthy woods and mystical country places.

I plan to paint in some gold like the painting of Klimts on the desk.

I used this painting by Klimt for the idea's of the trees.

Visual Poetry with Susan Tuttle

Photos I took in Spring in San Diego near my son's house.
Made even more beautiful in "Visual Poetry" class.

I am taking another online class in Photoshop! It so wonderful. I love Susan Tuttles beautiful photographs. It is called "Visual Poetry". click here to see her blog.

So SWEET "Thanksgiving Early"

"Laura's Precious Mixed Media Painting"

"Deirdra- My name is Laura and I was in your pretty as a princess class in Portland OR and I wanted to send you a picture of my finished piece! Also, I forgot which colors we mixed together to make the flesh tone on our faces?? I loved your class (it was my favorite at Art and Soul). I just saw that you posted pictures on your blog of our class - love the pictures! :) Thank you so much for being a wonderful teacher. Hope your having a wonderful fall season."

I am so touched! What a kind email from my student Laura. And I am so happy to see this wonderful art she created in my class. It is so rewarding to see people love and cherish a lesson you brought to them. A early Thanksgiving! I am thankful for the beauty of my Students at Art and Soul.

"Passion for Gold" Art & Soul.....Gustave Klimt Class

One month ago I was teaching "Pretty as a Princes" class at Art and Soul 09 in Portland
I started the class teaching a very "No Fault Faces Painting" method.
We used the slow drying Open Acrylic by Golden to give us time to fix our mistakes.
We made sketches and value studies to get it all just right before we added color. It was so rewarding having students tell me it was the first time they painted a face that they really loved!
It was my heart desire to help people paint faces and love them as I do. I never dreamed that it would happen so quickly and that the method I developed really made a difference to them.
Next using Klimt as a inspiration we made drew the clothes that we would put on our collage.


A golden dress. I hope to teach the class again with some changes. I am calling it "A Passion for Gold and Silver"
My students were so so great!
I love her face.
I am looking forward to seeing these collages finished.
This is a painting of my students Granddaughter.

I played around during my demos to make this little girl.
An Angel....
Finished piece by my friend Liz.
Lulu and I shared a booth at Vendor night!
It was a wonderful night. The Vendor show had the most amazing artist. It truly was the best Art show I have EVER seen!!!! You must come next year.