Santa and Beans Mini

 

Blush is such a lovely ink to render Santa cuddling our hen, Beans! Santa likes his chicken cuddling time as much as we do!  This ink took a lot of coats to get this dark, and is rather light on the first layer.  Beans is a Black Star chicken, with a sparky, sweet personality.  Smart and quick to the treats, she's always aware of where the goodies are.  She has lovely red orange feathering from head and neck that turns a shiny black with blues and greens in the light.  I'll need to paint her in oils one day, too do her coloring justice.  Painting number 4735 in 4735 days. 

Santa and Chicken Mini

 

Day 3 ink in the Inkvent Calendar is Carousel - a vivid red pigment ink!  I LOVE the color - but it was SO HARD to wash off of my glass dip pen!! It's my first experience with such an ink!  A gorgeous red like this called for a Santa sketch - so I have drawn him with sweet Betsy, who is one of the first gens to jump on my lap!  I love the vivid color, but I prefer an ink that moves with water.  I had to actually scrub and use a brush to get the red ink off of that glass dip pen!  That's crazy!  Painting number 4722 in 4722 days. 

Tinsel Santa

 

For several years now, I have explored Diamine's Inkvent Calendar as Christmas approaches.  It is a treat to use glass dip pens and sparkling new ink to create the magic of Christmas!  I've got the 2025 one on order, and I can't wait to open each little door containing the gift of a new ink!  Come see this miniature Santa Claus painting in person, now showing at Powell Gardens!  Painting number 4707 in 4707 days. 

Parked at the Mercantile

 

I just couldn't resist painting this cool old truck parked behind Cockrell Mercantile (in my favorite color)!  The twisted old catalpa tree on the lawn pulled me right into the scene, begging to be painted, too. With ink and watercolor I captured this scene, adding more ink at the finish.  This is a favorite place to paint, and it was fun joining artist friends at the Summit Art Plein Air event!  Painting number 4632 in 4632 days. 

First Pansies

 

Today finds me in the garden for a quick pansy sketch before family come by! Yesterday's rain was a little hard on them, but they are still shining this morning.  Pansies are so sweet in early spring, and each line and brushstroke while in the garden lifts my soul.  I soon will have a couple of little helpers out here, too!  Painting number 5143 in 5143 days. 

Sparrows Jingle

I really enjoy watching the little birds in my yard!  The sparrows are so social, they group around the feeders and bushes, chattering in a cheerful way.  They've grown used to the jingle bells I've hung near them, so it's easy to sketch them in their habitat.  With ink and watercolor I complete this small painting, another in this year's Christmas card series.  I love my sketch time spent ioutdoors, it's so very peaceful here.  Painting number 5050 in 5050 days. 

Jingle Wren

This sweet Carolina wren is one of several that nest all around the place. I find their nests in watering cans, hanging baskets and even on my enclosed back porch when they find a way in!  I've hung a few red bells in their favorite places, and it is fun to watch their reactions!  At first, they were leary of the tinkle, but soon they got close and even pecked at them.  I'm painting these sweet birds for my Christmas cards, and choosing to do them simply, without the noise of a background to detract from the focus.  I like to get quiet and become one with my subject, and let all else fall away.  And then I finish, and the countless duties of the day are calling, and I rejoin the world once more  painting number 5042 in 5042 days. 

Tinsel Santa

 It's so fun to sneak in a quick Santa painting with pen and ink!  This is Surprise Murder Mystery Birthday Party day for our oldest daughter, and we've all been busy with preparations.  The glass dip pen and a little water are perfect to move this ink as I work.  There's always enough time for a miniature painting - even on a day like this!  Painting number 5038 in 5038 days. 

Jingle Titmouse

 

It was such a beautiful December day for sketching in the garden!  The birds are not too sure about the new red bells. They jingle slightly with movement, and I hope they get used to them, and even play with them.  They are not far from their feeders, so we'll see.  We spent the whole day outside with Casper and Kirby, taking care of many chores as we played.  It is nice to get in a quick painting, too.  Painting number 5032 in 5032 days. 

Hay Bale in Autumn

 

I love how the oaks retain their autumn leaves long into the season.   That gorgeous orange red is so inspiring, I just had to paint it.  We've been very busy with family activities, and it has been hard to find that painting time lately.  But the daily painting habit is a well oiled machine that finds that little painting window every day.  Painting number 5203 in 5203 days. 

Old Red Tractor

How could I resist painting a beautiful old tractor, sitting in the sun?  I love the red color against those greens of summer, and oils were the perfect medium to define those masses.  It was a hot one, so I stood a distance away - in the shade!  Painting number 5088 in 5088 days. 

Afternoon at the Barn

 

I love painting the vintage barns of the Missouri heartland - even when I'm short on time!  With only enough time to enter two paintouts briefly for the Summit Art Plein Air, I arrived here on my way out of town for a 30 minute quick paint.  It was like sprinting in a race to get this painted, framed and turned in - but it was also my little slice of sanity on a crazy day.  I always feel better when my daily painting is done. Painting number 5060 in 5060 days. I've had no coverage these last 5 days, so none of my photos would load to a post.  One would think the days of no service areas were minimal, but they've only grown worse in the last year.  

Tinsel Santa

Oh what fun it is to paint Santa with glass pen and ink, and a little water for gradation! This Tinsel red ink is another from my Inkvent calendar - a rich, bold red shimmer ink that sparkles in the light!  It sure stirs up the magic of Christmas with each drop!  I have a collection of glass dip pens, and don't remember where this one came from - but it's tip is lovely and it holds plenty of ink for script. Can't wait to try all of Diamine's Inkvent Calendar inks, as I'm just a wee bit behind this year!  Painting number  4000 in 4000 days!  Could this be true?  I'll need to check my numbers because I've been at it for nearly 11 years daily, now! 

Morning on the Farm

I'm so happy for the invitation to paint this lovely farm in Rosebud!  I met the owner, Bob, at my host home last night where he entertained us at the piano after our quick sunset paint along the lake.  What a lovely evening!  He has even inspired me to get back to the piano, too.  The morning light here was glorious, and I've wanted to paint that very unique roofed silo for years! Yay for getting that done and I love that this painting has a new home, too! Painting number 3939 in 3939 days. 

Geraniums in Great-Grandma's Teapot

 

Geraniums are one of my favorite summer flowers to paint - and these are in my Great Grandmother's teapot!  I seem to edit a scene for a painting, without even realizing that I've done it.  I often don't see the things that weaken a composition until another points it out to me.  In this painting, I didn't realize I was overlooking the stonecrop that spilled from the teapot - until I looked at this photo!  It would only detract from the painting to add it in, so I didn't see it!  It's funny how skills progress into an auto-pilot process until pushing towards the finish.  That's when things kick into high gear for me, and I want to fully describe my feelings in a place - with paint.  All I strive for is to improve a little each and every day.  Painting number 3890 in 3890 days. 

Coxcomb

 

I'm in the garden working on something new for Powell Gardens, a lovely old variety coxcomb shared with me by a friend.  This bloom always reminds me of the seed Grandma Bessie used to share many years ago.  The bees and flies were all over the bright red flowers, so it was easy to paint one in!  These beauties all came back from seed dropped last year, and I didn't get them thinned quick enough.  By the time I returned to town they had gone crazy!  So, now I'll freely use them for cut flowers, allowing some to remain until frost.  I may be painting these many times in the weeks ahead!  Painting number 3879 in 3879 days. 

Zinnia!

Once again, night falls before I get my painting done.  I've been so busy multi-tasking, that it's dark before i know it.  I plant seeds that I collect each year, and this red zinnia has evaded the voles to burst in bloom!  I have two colors - red and yellow, and the long, twisty petals are unlike any I've ever grown!  So, as I tend my gardens - forgetting to move sprinklers twice - I am also sketching this beauty in miniature, as a cool breeze stirs the hot summer air. I love painting to the music of crickets, and the first notes of the frogs!  Great way to center and collect my thoughts, surrounded by my garden. Painting number 3838 in 3838 days. 

Old Red Waiting

Old tractors always remind me of my Grandpa Frank, though many times I saw my grandma on the old John Deer 1010. She even showed me how to drive it when we were buying her farm.  We still have that tractor, but our Kubota is the work horse now. So, when I see these old tractors dotting farms, I wonder about the stories they could tell, and I feel compelled to paint them. Painting number 3816 in 3816 days. 

Cardinal Santa

What fun to open a new door of my Inkvent Calendar to find a special surprise each day!  This vibrant red ink is Cardinal by Diamine, and is extra amazing!  It is truly a knock-out red, one that commands attention.  It washes well with water, and bleaches right back to white (the white dots in the background).  I can't wait to see what else it can do!  Painting number 4121 in 4121 days. 

Mums!

I got these fabulous chrysanthemums from Suburban Lawn and Garden nearly a month ago - and they are still spectacular!  The very large flowers are bold and bright - lighting up my kitchen table!  I'm painting in miniature tonight, because once again I have worked myself into the late hours.  I had just boxed my last commission up when I sold another painting and got another commission!  I hadn't even made it to the UPS store - lol!  It's a good problem to have and I do like to keep on top of things.  So, that leaves only a little painting window, and I'm using ink and watercolor on handmade paper, and trying to capture those vivid hues.  I hope these sunny blooms last long into winter - and I can try them in oils!  Painting number 3230 in 3230 days.