Saying goodbye to sweet summertime ~

 

Here it is the middle of September and I'm just getting back here!
To say the least, the pool turned out wonderful and
we all enjoyed it so much!

I thought I'd share a few photos with you.

We're about to close it for the winter and it seems a little sad

but the cooler air is exciting too!

At some point this summer I took down the curtains on the front porch.

They were SERIOUSLY covered in mildew because of them

being gathered around each post.

I'll hang something new up soon.

But my dad did get some cute outdoor lights hung on the porch!

They were nice to have on for night swimming.

We grew a batch of sunflowers along with our garden

and when they started to wilt, I picked them all.

I wasn't very successful in drying them though.

They were beautiful while they lasted.

I wasn't very creative this summer in the studio.

I did paint a few bookmarks in the evenings while watching TV.

They were simple designs and fun to play around with too.

I'd bought a laminating machine so it was time to try it out.

It worked perfectly to protect each bookmark!

Lastly, we added some pretty things to the gazebo or

"potting shed" which it's not.

But it is kind of decorated that way!

I think it turned out really sweet.

I've never been a huge fan of summer.

But having the pool made this one wonderful!!!

The days are getting shorter here in Georgia and

the temps are beginning to cool down.

I'm wanting to get back to the studio and just make stuff.

No agenda, no list, no orders.

I just want to make pretty things!

Thank you always for stopping by to see what I'm up to.

Hugs and love,

Dawn

Watercolor painting and sprucing up a bit!

Where do I begin?
It's been WAAAAY too long since my last post for sure!

Things have been pretty good around here.

I sold my very first watercolor paintings!

I've been painting more and getting some packaged

to sell in our local antique store.

Hopefully I will get a few listed in my Etsy store too!

Here's a sampling of what I've been working on:

The peonies below are what I recently sold!

They were huge!!! 18" x 24"

They were a bit rippled when I finished with them

but was able to get them flattened out nicely.

And here they are matted and framed in my client's home!

I've even painted some teeny watercolors to fit into these sweet little frames!

We've been working on planting a small garden,

potting pretty plants and best of all?

Bringing our old, in-ground pool back to life!

We moved here last year and let the old pool remain covered,

especially for safety's sake.

You could hear the frog's croaking at night

as they basically called it home!

It's now been pumped out, cleaned up and we are waiting

on the new liner to arrive and be installed.

We've never had a pool in our entire lives so

there will be a learning curve. Wish us luck!!!

We gave the retaining wall behind the pool

a bit of a face lift!

The cap blocks on top were old and crumbling away.

Well, we purchased some decorative pavers

that looked good with the wall and my sweet dad

chipped all the old off and added the pavers!

It's a simple change but sure makes a huge difference.

The photo below is before the pavers and before pressure washing the concrete!

You can barely see it but the wall was crumbling on top.

Here are the simple pavers. They were only 25 cents each!!!

You can see our teeny garden too.

Spring is all about beautiful, new plants!

I so hope you are enjoying your spring!

It will be scorching hot here in middle Georgia in just a few weeks

and I won't be able to tolerate it.

If you're looking for me,

I'll be indoors or in the pool!!!

Hugs and love always,

Dawn

Welcoming the new year!

 
This ol' blog of mine has been a wonderful way to share
my journey through life.
Artistically as well as personally. And I still love it!

This year begins the fifteenth year of sharing my love

of making and trying new things.

I may not post as often as I did in the very beginning

but still love sharing!!

After Christmas I had a little bit of birthday money.

So I had a day out filled with shopping and exploring!

I discovered a neat book at Hobby Lobby that's

actually a watercolor workbook!

You simply paint the projects right inside the book!

It helps you get the feel of the watercolors and

how to manipulate them.

Here's the cover:

(PS. I saw it at Michael's and on Amazon too!)

Yes, it looks quite elementary but it really DID

give me the courage to start!

My first project was this pair of acorns.

I had some cruddy tube paints that I'd had for years

from Ross but they hadn't been opened so they were still good.

Well, as good as they could be for $2.99 for the set!

I really, really enjoyed it!!!

The projects are lightly printed on the left side and the right side

of the book describes how to go about painting it.

It wasn't long until I wanted nicer paints and I found a few sets

that had great reviews on Amazon.

I continued working on the projects but really wanted

to go rogue and sketch my own designs!!

The small postcard size paintings are my first few attempts.

I tend to lean towards the loose style of painting rather

than the perfection of details.

(This gives me a little relaxing room!)

This sweet cow is my first go at a large watercolor!

It's not perfect by any means but what fun!!!

I even attempted a cute little bookmark!

I've rejected my poor little studio for so long now.

Moving, stress, Covid, stress, moving again

then losing my precious mama,

it all has taken a heavy toll on my heart.

BUT...

with starting something new and

with this brand new year,

I'm really excited!!!

I pray you and yours are doing so good, staying healthy and cozy too!

Happy New Year sweeties...just a little late!!!

Hugs and love,

Dawn