Sunday, December 6, 2015

In the Shadows

I have been intrigued with abstract painting lately for some reason. So I thought I would give it a go on canvas after trying it a few times. This one was done with heavy body paints and pastel chalks.




Friday, November 27, 2015

Christmas card/picture

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving, I hope you all are having a wonderful time with family and friends on this great holiday. I can almost smell the turkey cooking now. I love Thanksgiving it is my favorite holiday. Just good food with great people, no hassles of buying gifts or any of that. Just great conversation with the people you love.

Oh by the way, this is Donna.....

Today I have a Christmas  picture I made for my younger brother and his wife. She was born and raised in Germany and my brother met her there when he was stationed in the army. They married over there and the ceremony was beautiful, but boy can those people party!!! Any hoot, the background is made from hand made paper and then painted then I attached a painting I did to the front and wrote Merry Christmas in German on it.

I also used some LOVELY ribbon around the outside that was so thoughtfully given to us by The Ribbon Resource, it is just lovely and fit this picture perfectly. Thank you so much Ribbon Resource and go check them out, they have lovely items to choose from.

Well, I don't want to keep you from your busy day, so I will just show a few pics. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.



Sunday, November 22, 2015

A small painting done with acrylic background and Inktense blocks used like watercolors.




Saturday, November 7, 2015

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Hello again, I hope everyone is feeling well. I know the flu is going around, I got a flu shot for the first time this year. I did NOT want to get what my husband had....UGH!

Today I want to show you a canvas I did, I call it "After The Rain". I took a painting that Leonid Afremov did of a ballerina and changed it up a bit. He has beautiful paintings if you would like to go take a look, He uses a palet knife to paint, I find that a little challenging for me since I have not had much practice with one.

Hope you like it and thank you so much for stopping by.


Friday, October 30, 2015

Renoir's Red Peonies on canvas

Recently I found a fantastic painter on You Tube and her name is Ginger Cook, she is the mother of Theartsherpa, Cinnamon Cooney. If you have never watched either one, you should look them up and paint along with them.

Recently I viewed a painting video that Ginger did called Renoir's Red Peonies and thought I would give it a try. So here goes......here is my interpretation of what she did.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by. Make sure to check out both of these very talented women.

Monday, October 5, 2015

ATC October

Hello all, today I made an ATC for the ColourArt blog Challenge "Orange is the new Black".
I used Twinkling H2O's to color the pumpkin and then made leaves from paper pulp and a mold then painted them with H2O's. I then added the words "Hello October".

Thanks for stopping by.


Stop by the ColourArte Blog and make something to join in.

Friday, September 11, 2015

From Paper Pulp to Jewelry

Here are a couple things I had been working on before I received my goodies from Arnold Grummer Paper Making. I used paper pulp, which I had been playing with for a while now but not being able to make paper, I went for the jewelry making with it. This first piece is a pin I made from molds. I can't show the mold because I packed it up to go out to my new shed I just had build and delivered. I haven't come across it yet to unpack.

I used paper pulp in the mold, painted it when dry, I then put Glossy Accents on it to protect it and make it stronger and then added the pin to the back with a good strong glue.



Here are the earrings I made also.


This one I still had the mold out so you can see what I used. Again I used paper pulp, painted them and then adhered them to each other with a strong glue. This time I used a wood hardener and dipped them a few times, let them dry between dippings and then used a lacquer on them to protect them even more. 

Since, I have received my package and have been playing around making paper. It is soooo much fun. Go check out   http://arnoldgrummerpapermaking.blogspot.com/ to see all the fun things you can do with paper pulp and don't forget their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/arnoldgrummerpapermaking?fref=ts. They have a ton of fun items to help make your paper making so easy and fun in their store.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy what I made. 

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Day 41 of #90daysofblogging

I went and took some more pictures of my craft shed being built. At least I can go visit it LOL. Sure wish it was in my yard instead of his.....

I am almost tempted to go and get it myself!!! If I hadn't already paid for the darn thing, I would probably tell him to keep it. Two weeks has now turned into two months. I sure hope it's worth the wait. Well, here are some more pics and I was able to go inside this time and take pics. Notice the roof is on but nothing else since last time.


 This is the front with the small porch cut out, the second pic is of our new swimming pool in our back yard (how that one got in here I have no idea).


This is one of the inside where the small porch is and then the cut out inside on the opposite side of the porch (did that make sense?.... Oh well)


These are two more of the inside, there will be 3 windows total and hopefully, it won't come with bats...........


And then the back side.

Maybe I will go over again tomorrow and see if he has gotten any further on it. Well, thanks for stopping by.

Day 40 of #90daysofblogging

Lately I have been into learning how to draw faces. I am wanting to learn with colored pencils how to shade and whatnot. I have to say, it is very hard. I have watched a number of videos and all the colors they use just for the skin tone, wow!. Here is one I did with colored pencils...



As I look at it, I can see so many places that need to be fixed, but......I am just learning so not too bad. I used Prismacolor Pencils and black paint for the hair and brown paint for the shirt and then used pencils to highlight in areas.

This one, is done in Charcoal...


It is the same subject photo just using different mediums. Again, practice, practice, practice. LOL.
Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Day 39 of #90daysofblogging

Altho my crafting shed is not finished or delivered yet, I was able to drive over last week and take a few pictures of it in the making. I forgot I had these on my phone (DUH) He is a little behind due to some things beyond his control, one being the weather. Like I said in an earlier post, we have had nothing but non stop rain for days. I think every ones basements are flooding. But today, finally, we have sunshine :) oh what a relief.

Here are a few of the pictures I took, we couldn't get into the inside because he had ladders and such in the way of the door because he was just starting to put the shingles on the roof.




It is 8 feet by 16 feet with a small 4 foot by 4 foot small porch, which now I am not sure I should have had him put on. But, I may end up liking it. The inside is going to be jam packed with all my crafting supplies (hope I have enough room) and then I am going to foo foo up the outside LOL

Thanks for stopping by and check out my friends.


Monday, June 15, 2015

Day 38 of #90daysofblogging

I have been trying to learn how to draw portraits by watching Dede Willingham. I don't have toned paper so I have been having to improvise. This time I used the back of a cereal box (not the best choice) to draw Marilyn Monroe. I have a fascination with the woman I think because not only is she beautiful but because of the mystery surrounding her death. She died at such a young age and not at the height of her career even. I know she had her struggles in life, if you have ever read anything about her, she had a hard childhood.

There are so many talented artists out there that have captured her likeness incredibly well, I like mine but I know I still have a lot to learn. Like shading and getting things proportionately right. On this picture you can really see the stroke lines, I think it is because of the "paper" I used.


and this picture was taken in shadow...


Deep down, I know it isn't a bad drawing but I am very critical of my own work. I know I will never be a portrait artist even tho I have always wanted to be good at it. When I was in collage and took art lessons, I tried drawing my kids and didn't think they were good enough so that is about when I quit. Maybe had I keep at it........who knows. Some have it (and I have seen some very good ones) and some don't.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week.

Don't forget to visit the other ladies.


Day 37 of #90daysofblogging

Well, :::sigh::: my "Crafting Cottage" was suppose to arrive yesterday (Sunday 6-14-15) But........the man that builds them lost both his helpers. His wife, who is ready to have a baby any day now and the man that helps him that just found out he has cancer and has been going for treatments. And on top of all of that, we have had rain for almost a week straight now. I am so sick of rain!!!! I think maybe I should have him build me an ark (is that right? arc, ark....whatever) I will definately bring my animals a dog and two cats but the rest is going to be filled up with craft supplies LOL.

It's my ark I can do what I want and bring what I want. I was hoping to have pictures of it being delivered and being put in place but nooooooo, instead I took a picture of a groundhog in our yard with my phone. But it is too small to even show you that.

Well, I hope she has a healthy baby and I hope for the best for the gentleman that found out he has cancer, those are more important than getting my shed here on time. And I do mean that. It's just that I have been so excited to get it.

Ok, that is my post for the day, have a wonderful week everyone.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Day 36 of #90daysofblogging

Yesterday we had our cat shaved (really it is my daughters, but she could not have animals at her apartment when she left for college, so my husband has gotten so attached to it, it is now ours!!) any......we always have her shaved in the summer because she is such a furry cat. When she is not shaved she looks like she weights 100 pounds (Ok, I am exaggerating but she is big). We always ask for a lion cut LOLOLOLOL. My daughter hates it!!! :::maybe that is why we do it.....not:::. Well, here is a picture of her shaved...




She would not hold still for me for anything! Cats have such an attitude.....On the other hand, this one


is a ham and thinks he has to be in every picture taken LOL. We also have a pure white cat but she is like Houdini.....can never find her when you want her.

Well, have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Day 35 of #90daysofblogging

My sister in law that lives in Omaha, NE saw some yard art that she liked and asked if I could make some. Sure if she shows me a picture of what she means. WOW, I don't know who made the one she took the picture of but, it was beautiful.

They are made entirely of glass plates, bowels, glasses and such. Then put onto a garden stick. So of course I had to get to our local resale shops and pick out some pretty glassware. (if they only knew what I was going to do with it LOL)

 
Here is the picture, it has 4 layers of glassware. The green and pink one is one large plate that I painted with FolkArt Multi-Surface paint in Bright Pink and Citrus Green. Then I painted the yellow one with Daffodil Yellow. After painting I let them sit for one hour to dry then put them in the oven and turned the oven on to 350 degrees and let them bake for 30 minutes. You then leave them in the oven until the oven cools down.

I then used a silicone adhesive to glue them all together. I have not attached the back or the stake yet.

I am starting on another one with more glassware, they are getting ready to go into the oven now.
You don't have to use clear glassware, it was just at this time when I was shopping I didn't find any large plates that were with a design on them.

Try them and put them in your yard, they look like flowers. Here are a couple more pics of them...



Thanks for stopping by and don't forget my friends...

   Sharon Estes 

Friday, June 5, 2015

Day 34 of #90daysofblogging

Every Friday night in Clinton, IA, we have what is called Finally Fridays at the Riverfront. They have bands that play and people of every age come and just listen and chat. It is only in the summer months but it gets people out of the house for a fun time. They do sell beer and such so you may want to not get drunk if you have the little ones with you.

We have a band shell (huge) where the bands play.

Here is a pic of the bandshell and tonights crowd.



If you look, in the background is the Showboad where they hold plays. Like I said it is right on our river front.

Thanks for stopping by and check out the other blogs.

     Sharon Estes 

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Day 33 of #90daysofblogging

Sorry, life got in the way LOL. I have not blogged for a few days now :::hanging head in shame:::
I started a new job Monday......then quit on Tuesday. Shorted length of a job in history! I think I may have hit a record, right? The job just wasn't for me, I have to be moving and doing something almost all the time. I have to stay busy. It was a very easy job but like I said.....too easy. Oh well, I am sure he will have NO problem finding another person. He just opened the business and there are a lot of people that would love to have that job.

Today I put another down payment on my crafting shed (maybe I will start calling it a cottage, it sounds better). I have not been out to see it, no time but tomorrow he is putting in the insulation. Oh I can't wait. Then when it gets put into place I need to have it wired and electricity running to it. I thought about using solar panels and running electricity for free then. But will have to look into how much they would be to use for a building that small.

Ok, well that is all for this post. Thanks for stopping by.

Don't forget my friends blogs below.

     Sharon Estes 

Monday, June 1, 2015

Day 32 of #90daysofblogging

Today I started my new job at Kin Stoneworks previously known as Boyce Monument. Very easy job :). The man that owns the business also does rock carvings and he does some beautiful work. You should check out his Facebook page called Kin Stoneworks and see some of the rocks he has carved for people. He can do just about anything. He is working on a job right now for a restaurant which are going to be so cool when he is done with them.

Don't have a lot to say today, need to get caught up at home since I am now working again. I have been a nonworker for almost one year now. I had to quit working to take care of my mother when she was not doing well at all. But that is the past and now I need to move on to the future.

Have a wonderful day every one and don't forget my friends......

    Sharon Estes 

Maybe tomorrow I can post some of the stones he has carved.

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Day 31 of #90daysofblogging

Friday night, May 29, 2015, at 9:00pm my husband came down stairs and said "lets take Smokey for a walk over on the trail" "in the dark" I said, "sure" he said "it will be fun" he said. I said "ok, but I'm not going without a flashlight". So off we went, across the bridge over into Illinois to the boat dock where he goes fishing and a man made path next to the river into the wood. If you keep going it gets even denser and deeper into the woods. You could not see a thing. "It will be fun" he said........and like an idiot, I went along.

Here is what he kept talking about.....



And other stupid alien or man eating creatures!!! "It will be fun" he said....

This is what I kept imagining.....





I don't fear the things I don't believe in, it's the ones I KNOW are out there including bats....UGH!!!!

"It will be fun" he said!

"I itch" I keep saying "I knew I shouldn't have gone" I said!!! I was right

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget my good friends

   Sharon Estes 

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Day 30 of #90daysofblogging

I have a few cigar boxes that I had gotten from one of my sisters and thought I would do something with one of them some day. Well, that some day came, finally.

First I painted it black and then made some clay pieces out of Sculpey clay to add to the outside. It is still a work in progress, just like most of my things LOL

I just use whatever molds I have around and some I have made myself. Below are a few pictures of the top and side of it. I still want to do more on it but just not sure what. I am never really in a hurry to finish something that I just happen to pick up and start working on unless it is something someone wants me to make for them.




As I was going thru my pictures on my computer, I found a lot that I thought "how in the world did they get on here?" I don't know a lot about computers and I will be the first to confess that and some times I delete things that I think I don't need just to find out if was a program or something that was important.....Opppps. I need my own personal IT person to clean up my computer for me.......I knew I should have stuck with computers in college, but nooooooo, I had to go for Accounting!!! Duh me, now everything is computorized and when I took it, it was all paper, old school. Oh well, no going back now.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to stop at my friends places :)

    Sharon Estes 

Friday, May 29, 2015

Day 29 of #90daysofblogging

I have been watching Dede Willingham draw and then color faces, she does an excellent job of teaching also. She has a couple videos up and the first one was "Amelia" (little girl) and I did and showed that one to you earlier. This time she is doing an adult but I can't remember the womans name. I decided to do one on my own. But I still had to watch her video to remember how she colors hers in. I need more practice and I will never be one of these that can draw a real human (portraits) but I will keep at it because I do like what she is showing us and I am learning a lot by watching her. If you have time, check out her youtube videos.

The first one here is the inspiration for my drawing...


And here is my drawing...


 I still need a lot of practice, for instance on how to cover the white highlights better. But I am happy with it (I very rarely will admit that LOL).

Don't forget to visit my friends
     Sharon Estes 

Day 28 of #90daysofblogging

We have 3 ducks that show up every year, one female and two males and it is always the same three. Don't know why there are two to one but that is their business (raising eyebrows here). There is a creek right next to our yard, it runs from the Mississippi River to who knows where, a long way ....
but they make their next and have their babies in our part of the creek.

Wellllll, last night our dog was out in the yard and the ducks just happened to land in our yard. Our dog has never seen a duck before and was interested in these huge alien things that just landed in our yard. So, of course he is going to chase them.......Luckly 2 of them got away and were able to take flight but the other one was left to defend for himself against this huge monster that was just not going to let him fly away, LOL Now if you knew my dog, he would NEVER have hurt it, he was just interested in it and wanted to get close enough to check it out. I finally went out because I heard all the ruckus and saw what was happening. But, NOT before I grabbed my phone (Hey.....I needed something to blog about...) I have a gate leaned up against our fence in the corner of the yard and that is where it took shelter from the monster.
My husband came out, let our dog out of the yard so the duck could take flight and get away, but not before I could get my pictures LOL, so yeah, after the dog left the yard then I was the monster....
Any Hoot, I snapped a few pics and here are a couple. I also took pics of the creek that runs along our yard the the back of the yard.


 
Isn't she cute!! I think so and I love that they come back here every year. Well, maybe not after this episode.

And here are a couple of the creek, a couple have overgrowth and I didn't feel like walking another few yards to get better ones because as I was leaving my yard, I saw a snake. Yes we get snakes in our yard because of the creek but I had not seen one yet this year. (Thanks Sandee!!!) I hate snakes!!



Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out the other friends...

     Sharon Estes