Merry Christmas!

This is an acrylic painting I did to hang over our mantle this Christmas. The dog is an Australian Shepherd, our beloved breed for the past 25 years! The bare trees which you can see very faintly in the green portion of the background are symbolic of the 285 pecan trees we have in our orchard.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This year since funds were scarce due to my hubby being out of work for 4 months following open heart surgery, I decided to make as many gifts as possible. I made hats (see photo below) for the younger grandchildren and did a few paintings for the older ones and even did some crocheting this year. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed crocheting! It's a great "bad weather" activity. I'd much rather be outside working in my garden and/or flower beds or playing with the dogs or horses but chilly/cold or rainy days are not my idea of a fun time outdoors. So this winter, I've spent a lot of time in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot tea, my crochet hook and yarn, watching old movies and throwing the tennis ball a million times into the air in the living room to my youngest Australian Shepherd, Woodie - who would also much rather be outside!



The grandkids were very interested in the Nativity this year! Which no doubt made this Nana very happy. Gwyneth was very surprised to learn that I had painted this Nativity when I was 8 years old - her age now! Hudson thought it might be nice to let one of the characters from "Toy Story" visit the baby Jesus alongside of the wisemen and the shepherds. Paige isn't so sure about that!












Pictured to the right are the hats I made the grandkids. The girls and their dolls got crocheted floppy hats with pretty crocheted flowers and the younger boys got patchwork bucket hats made from their late grandfather's shirts. For fun I crocheted my son-in-law a beanie hat complete with beard since he always complains he cannot grow a full beard. He said he would now be wearing it to all the family gatherings during hunting season when one of my other sons-in-law sports his beard! :) Eldest grandson, Jacob, did like his crochet beanie hat inspite of the scary look he gave me for the camera!






Our granddaughter, Zoe lives with her family in South Florida and she dearly loves the manatee. She asked me while visiting this past summer if I would paint her a manatee for Christmas.....so I did. This is the painting. It is a 16X20 acrylic. Merry Christmas Zoe!















This watercolor painting was done for one of my dear friends. It is her husband and daughter while at the Father-Daughter dance performance this year. She liked it so much that she had prints made for her mother and mother-in-law.
















This is a watercolor painting that I had done earlier of my husband's 1961 Corvette reflected in a dark black truck that was parked alongside of us one year at the Hot Rod Power Tour in Mobile AL. I decided to give it to my grandson, Jacob, who is now 12 years old to go on his bedroom wall. My daughter and her family moved into the new home they built and this was their first Christmas there. Jacob's room has all the colors that are in this painting and I also thought he could think of me and Asa whenever he glances over at it.

And....I made a purse for my daughter, Christine. I forgot to get a picture of it before I gave it to her so maybe she'll take one for me and I can post it later.

"Old-Rides" and Nostalgia Pensacola

Favorite "hang-outs" from the 60's in Pensacola FL along with your favorite "old-ride". Places of interest include the ORIGINAL Pensacola Beach Sign, Krispy Kreme Donuts, Tastee-Freez, The Old Fire House Drive-In, The Dairy Bar - known more locally as "the Milk Bottle", and the 17th Avenue "Graffiti" Bridge.

I can paint any car you wish in this scene, just drop me a note in the "comments" and I can either use my own image or you can send me a photograph of your actual vehicle. The background might be arranged somewhat differently depending on which angle of the car I use in the piece. (Price is quoted below as "custom original watercolor painting")

• A custom original watercolor painting of this or similar arrangement, is $150. This piece is 9.5 X 11 and is NOT matted. Optional matting can be provided for additional cost.
  
• A matted print of the CAMARO, CHEVELLE or CORVETTE, is $25. (Size of matted prints of the Camaro are 11X14. Size of matted prints of the Chevelle & Corvette are 16X20.
• A Print (not matted) of the CAMARO, CHEVELLE or CORVETTE, is $15.
  

The "LOST" painting of Bernie

This is a commissioned painting I finished recently. It was to be the buyer's gift to her husband for Father's Day! I mailed the painting in plenty of time for it's arrival before Father's Day....but the US Postal Service had other plans! I filed the insurance claim on the 11th of July after waiting 26 days for the painting to arrive to my customer and repainted the piece to be mailed out later that week. On July 12th I received a call from the buyer stating the painting just arrived unharmed! So, after 27 days of being LOST in the mail, it finally made it and now I have only to cancel the insurance claim. I'm thinking from now on I will be using UPS or FedX! Sorry it took so long to arrive folks, but I hope you enjoy your painting of Bernie!

A watercolor painting of a Lake at Water Colors

I did this for my daughter, Christine for her new house.

It is a 22X15.5 watercolor painting of her favorite place to visit...Water Colors, a community in Northwest Florida along the Gulf Coast.

My Koty Boy!

This is an 18X24 acrylic I painted recently of my late dog, Koty. He was a red merle Australian Shepherd and my treasured companion for 12 years. It took me well over a year after his death to be able to paint him without breaking down. I feel very confident I have captured the way I want him to be remembered. This painting now hangs where he is the first thing I see each morning when I awaken and the last thing I see before I fall asleep each night - well that is along with my other 3 living Aussies, who are next to me at all times. :)

His eyes are upon you!

Quick pencil I did while waiting out the rain this morning of my beautiful dog, Winston's eyes!