Blogging Break- Wedding Time

Hi Everyone! I haven't had a blogging break in ages, but as you can see it is wedding time for my daughter Krissy! I am packing my bags, traveling and then there is all the details and gatherings involved to attend. The big day has arrived! It is hard to believe that time has passed so quickly since her searching for the perfect dress for her~ Both her daughter and my youngest are the flower girls. It will be a very special day for our whole family and of course the groom's family too. PS stay creative while I am away, post your summer inspiration, crafts, art, photography, blog posts... in the Summer in Bloom link up in the previous post from Simply Sunday that way I can see what you have been up to while I am gone!
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.~ Mignon McLaughlin

Simply Sunday "Summer In Bloom"

Summer is in full bloom. Hot days filled with water activities, travel to exotic places, romantic get a way's, weddings, camping trips and hikes on trails or maybe just long walks soaking up all that nature has to offer. Or is it staying cool indoors sipping ice tea until the heat breaks, then going outside? Enjoying the evenings barbecuing and then star gazing. What ever you are doing make sure you take time to put some entries in your journals. Capture the summer in bloom with your camera, draw or write about it. Then when you are done link your post up here so we can come visit~ I would love to see what summer has blooming for you~
Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne.
~Barry Cornwall

Circus Juggler

My Circus Juggler is made with acrylic paint on paper. I used a little led pencil for some detailing. I tried to use a looser style for the background.When creating him I did not draw first but used painting then outlining the detail in certain areas. I wanted to keep the color pallet simple. This is what I came up with for my Circus Juggler. I wanted him to have a vintage feel. I also wanted to have the color show the movement. Well I have more coming in this series. I also did a set of 4 on canvas with a carnival, circus theme which I will show you at a later date. Its very hot here right now, and not my favorite weather 106* and hotter! So I will be juggling all I have to do in the cool of the morning and evenings~ I hope you are having a wonderful summer so far. What things are you working on? Are you managing to make time for creating art? Have you worked on a series lately? Let me know what Circus Juggling you are doing~
Keep the circus going inside you, keep it going, don’t take anything too seriously, it’ll all work out in the end.~ David Niven

Row House Art Card Display Holder Tutorial

I wanted to share with you about this tutorial and how to get it from Kim Newberg from Art and Images. Ning she had made a wonderful tutorial. I am showing only 1 of the process images and her finished piece. But if you would like step by step instructions on how to make one just like this just hop on over to Kim's site when you are done! She is also having a contest for anyone who makes one with prizes! This is a fun site I came across when looking for images and information about digital art over a year ago. It is a ning site which means you have to have an account to get in but it is really easy. Just sign up and its free~Kim's site is great she has ongoing contests, access to some free images, and she also sells images.There is also access to groups 10 and growing, other tutorials, ATC cards, and swaps~ Not to mention that you end up finding more friends from all over with similar interests! This is what Kim has about her group posted; Altered art, mixed media, collage, scrap booking, paper, digital, jewelery, fabric & other arts & crafts. Fun, free membership, free images! Well I think that about covers it~ I hope you find the time to make your way over and get some inspiration and access to the tutorial and more! I know I want to make one of these displays after all the wedding things calm down! What have you been crafting lately? Have you tried making ATC cards? Until next time have a wonderful day~

Simply Sunday *Wonder

Circus Trees Gilroy Gardens
Viewing bees making honey Gilroy Gardens
Arch Circus Tree Gilroy Gardens

Do you ever wonder how things work, are created or made by nature? This weeks journal prompt is *Wonder. Try and take a photograph of a child / or anyone engaged in wondering about something, write about things that interest you that you have always wondered about, draw a picture of something of wonder. These images of the sycamore trees have me in full awe and wonder, how could someone create something like this? I have often wondered just how bees make honey? My niece and I watched in amazement of how the bees went about their work in the hive. Every time I cross the Golden Gate Bridge or see a similar structure I wonder how did someone think of this, engineer it and set the building of something so magnificent into motion. When we see these structures they are amazing and full of wonder. Well I hope you can find something of *Wonder and add your link right here to share with us! What things do you *Wonder about? I hope you are able to keep your day simple and enjoy Sunday for all it holds for you.
Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand. --Neil Armstrong
Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.-- Johnathan Swift

Gilroy Gardens

Here is one of the photo collages I have made so far of Gilroy Gardens. On my other blog I have a full write up on the park and another collage if you want to hop over and see it click the link here.It has been a full week for us with swim lessons, traveling to Gilroy to go to the Gilroy Gardens with fun in the sun all day long, and wrapping up the week with visiting more cousins nearby. Whew! Summer Fun can be exhausting~ What are you doing with your summer so far?
(besides the creative end that is) Has it interfered with your creative flow? Or has it inspired a renewed spirit? I'd love to know~

High Wire Journal Page- Circus Trees

Partial shot from journal page

Circus Tree Images via Donna62
My journal page high wire partial shot

Just a short post today~ I am going to meet my brother, nephew and niece in Gilroy, CA. about a little over 2 hours away from us and about hour from where he is staying. In the midst of swim lessons and everything else, but it is hard to get together when they live quite far from us and they happen to be in the bay area where is wife is working a conference. We are going to take the kids to Gilroy Gardens where there is 6 gardens and 40 rides now~ Here is a little information about the Circus Trees grown by Axel N. Erlandson (1884-1964) History about Axel click link here & here. I hope to take some pictures when we are there to share and post later this week. Here is a glimpse also of part of a journal page I am working on. I'll post the rest of the photos and full shot of the journal page later too. I find it quite odd that I had been thinking circus and here we are going to see these unusual Circus Trees at this amusement park~ I love when stuff like that happens, a little bit like Déjà vu. Does that ever happen to you? Have you found time to make any day trips this summer? How about work in your journal or on some artwork? Check out the links the history is quite interesting and amazing life art~

Simply Sunday "Happy Fourth of July"

Flickr Page

1. red white and blue quilt, 2. 188/365, 3. Apple Pie Filling, 4. Red White & Blue Quilt, 5. Red, White and Blue, 6. Red, White & Blue, 7. Red, White, and Blue, 8. Cow's Skull Red White and Blue by Georgia O'Keeffe in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, March 2008, 9. Red White and Blue Picnic Quilt, 10. American Watermelon, 11. Apple Pie, 12. Blue-Ribbon Apple Pie, 13. red white and blue buttons and thread, 14. Red, White, And Blue (Plus A Little Green, Brown, And Black), 15. Red, White & Blue Fireworks, 16. Red, white and blue

Happy Fourth of July! I hope this finds you enjoying your day with a picnic or friends. I put together some images of what things evoke the feelings of being American. As an after thought baseball is another that I would of added and there is so much more that I thought of too. I haven't done a Fourth of July journal page yet but now I am inspired to one now and when I do I will post it for you to view~ And nothing says the Fourth of July more than ending it with fireworks and a good piece of apple pie! Write down your thoughts on being American. What does the Fourth of July hold for you? What images come to mind when you think of the Fourth of July? Maybe try a collage of images in your journal? Take some photographs of your Fourth of July~ I would love to see what you come up with and have added Mr. Linky for you to share your work. I hope you are able to keep your day simple and enjoy Sunday for all it holds for you.

Painted Angel from Sketch

Full pic
This lighting shows the indecent silver and gold better
Photo in better lighting
Painting an image can really transform a sketch. This almost has a cartoon like feel to it to me.
I have a few angels in my head we'll see if we can get them on paper and painted~
I played with the wing detailing, and also the hair. I kept the rest pretty simple. Not my favorite thing I made but that is part of the process~
Sometimes, to pursue a new idea, the artist must forfeit his deposit on an old idea. ~Robert Brault

Sketching Angels

Oh hello friends, ~ I wanted to share some angel sketches I did before I was so busy. This is the beginning of a larger journal art page. I will show how I painted it in the next post. I was playing around with eyes, face shape, and her lips. Not my favorite angel face I have done, but I am trying out new faces. I haven't had time to do any art lately. I have been traveling and gave my daughter a bridal shower. It turned out just wonderful! I have another busy month and then it will slow down a bit. So forgive me if I get behind. I took a lovely photograph of my daughter I might have to use her as a model for my next angel. I did not use a model or photograph for this angel sketch at all. What art have you been working on this summer? Have you bee inspired to draw or paint angels? What have you been inspired to draw or paint lately?

Angels aide us in our personal mission. We have to learn to listen, for if we block the angels out, they become only the fairy beings of dreams and pleasant stories. ~ Silver Ravenwolf , Angels