Monday, September 10, 2012

Gardening, rain and miniature watercolors

Good afternoon Folks,

It’s Monday and after doing some errands I mowed, and it’s a good thing, as we’ve already had some rain since I finished and I hear thunder in the distance.  I hadn’t mowed in two weeks and it really needed it. I’m glad that’s done. I enjoy mowing but it’s not as nice when the grass gets higher. I try to keep on top of it, but sometimes rain, or work stops me.  Tomorrow I hope to get out to weedwack and do some major trimming/pruning. I am behind so need to get caught up.

We were in a drought for about 5 years and gardens were easier to handle, now that we’ve had all of this rain I can hardly believe the growth on a daily basis, and feel like I’ve almost got more than I need and overwhelmed at times. Once cooler weather gets here though it will be nicer working outside.

Yesterday I dove into a stash of miniature watercolors that I did in 1996. Things happened in life, and I had put them aside. Now that we have my little Etsy shop I dug them out. I had to find a spot to take pictures without having shadows, and that wasn’t all that easy. I only did so many yesterday, then edited and uploaded them to listings on Etsy. There are more to come.

The paintings are all around 1 by 2 1/2 inches at the most, the overall sizes are larger of course because of the frames.

wc-lazuli-bunting

wc-mntn-blue-bird

wc-mntn-quail

wc-birds-nest

wc-tigridia

wc-bears

This morning I woke up before 5 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep.  I was thinking about my wish list of books on Amazon, one of them is about Embroidering Redoute’s flowers. I have a book of Redoute’s finest flowers in our little library of books, and had to get up right then. I came out here to my little creative space, found the book, then saw another book I had forgotten about, The Florilegium. I had painted paintings from both of these books in the past. After looking at the little paintings from ‘96, I started feeling like painting again. DH encouraged me to yesterday when looking at them himself. He also paints (I have a miniature nude that he did after one of the old masters that I’ll have in my shop), and taught me and encouraged me to paint when we had our picture framing shop back in the mid 70’s. I used to doodle a lot, I mean a lot, but once I started painting I have hardly doodled. He would make miniature frames for me and still does. We’ve sold our art at art shows, flea markets, in the picture framing shop when we had it and then in our antique shop later. We have short lengths of picture frame moulding even now, in our stash, and he makes up frames for me and I fill them.

This morning I also thought of painting out in the caravan once it is finished.  There is LOTS of natural light in there and since I paint miniatures it is a nice space for that. We’ll see. One day at a time.

If any of you don’t think you have any talent, you are sadly mistaken.  It might be hiding and you’ve just not stumbled on it. At other times you just start out doing something and it turns into a love for doing it and you go from there. I used to say I couldn’t draw a straight line. You don’t have to. Let your heart speak through your hands, your words, cooking, gardening, in whatever medium you might enjoy. Have fun and don’t stress. The more you do something, the better you become at it. I want to paint better, do finer needlework etc.

Well, that’s it for now from Plum Cottage.

Thank you all so much for your kind comments and anniversary wishes. They are saved and cherished.

FlowerLady Lorraine

 

16 comments:

sharon said...

wow i didnt know you did watercolor...I do too..the one on the bottom of my blog is one....Im doing oil nowdays...Very nice!!!I have no patience for sweing...(I used to ) or needle work anymore...Ill bet you play the piano too..geez

Masha said...

What a wonderful post, and such lovely miniatures!

Happy anniversary, and I wish you many more just as happy as this one. I am sorry I am late in congratulating you.

Anonymous said...

Oh FlowerLady - I absolutely LOVE the miniature paintings . . . especially the birds and the nest. Might I also add that I love the nickname!

Thundering and raining here as I make my way out to class.

I'll be checking out your Etsy site very soon. Etsy is where I found my Holly Hobbie watch.

Hugs ~

eli



Rebecca said...

Oh! The miniatures - esp. the bluebirds - make my heart race! Of course I think you SHOULD set up studio in the caravan :)

Belated Anniversary Wishes to you both. Your quotes/reflections on marriage are beautiful.

Sandy said...

These are beautiful, Lorraine! Now we discover you are even more talented than we thought! I love birds anyway and these are so pretty.

Leslie Kimel said...

I really like your watercolors, Lorraine. I just started drawing a little myself, and I appreciated your wise words of encouragement. I'm going to keep doing it!

Lynn said...

Is there anything you don’t excel at? You are my dream renaissance woman. Have a beautiful week.

Nancy J said...

Beautiful miniatures, and great photos,The caravan should be the new studio, your talent is your treasure, and I value your words so much. Maybe I am one of the ones who will stumble and find theirs one day. Fond greetings, Jean,

Sunray Gardens said...

The paintings are lovely. Hadn't been mowing hardly at all and then with the rain, twice within 4 days.

Cher Sunray Gardens

Balisha said...

I love your miniatures. I always get in the mood to paint once the summer is over. The caravan would be a perfect place to set up your art studio.
Balisha

RURAL said...

I love your work, it's charming, and fresh, and so beautifully created.

Congrats on the anniversary.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

GRACE PETERSON said...

Bravo Lorraine! It's so true. We all have talent. We just need to find it and then practice it and not get stressed but enjoy it. You, my dear are a wonderful example of this. I knew you were the queen of stitchery but you're a watercolorist too! Amazing. I'm going to visit your Etsy shop and have a look around. Your birds look so lifelike and the Tigridia is amazing.

I hope the rain lets up. It's literally becoming a jungle out there. I understand how overwhelming it can get. Hugs!

Cassundry said...

Those paintings are just wonderful!

Skeeter said...

They are beautiful!

gld said...

I didn't know you also painted! You are a very talented lady.

I love the miniatures.

That would be such a sweet place to work....the renovated caravan.

Gayle said...

I can't believe you can paint so teeny tiny. I am amazed. You are so talented. Stress... that ruins most of everything I do. I'm so high strung and as my son put it "you never enjoy anything". That is my goal I'm setting for 2013... to laugh, smile and enjoy. Your words lead us all in that direction if we listen.