Getting back to it...

            I am trying again to add things I have done to my ETSY store.
First off is this, Sandipaints Vine Signs, and it is called  HOPE. It is a small sign of encouragement which we could all use at some time in our lives.
 I have just recently painted this gallery wrapped, ready to hang, vine sign.
By using vines, flowers, and insects to write a message oh encouragement i
I am having so much fun coming up with the ideas for this fun new art form...
The sign is on a 4x12 inch canvas and I used Acrylic paints, I also varnished it to protect the finish from bumps and scratches.
I was very excited to be able to participate in this years Inktober2018 and did all 31 of those... So much fun....
If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you have already seen these so I will try not to post too many of them here...

Maybe just a few favorites..

Ja and I also had a beautiful day in Safety Harbor watching the Manatees and exploring the nature on the boardwalks...

Now it is time for me to get back to work on a commisioned piece, and get ready for the Holiday meal... Happy Thanksgiving to one and all may you have a great day of giving Thanks for all we have

AUGUST 14TH. 2018

  I am teaching this tonight for a painting with a purpose.
The Affirmations project is sponsoring it for cancer survivors and we have sold out both classrooms.
Thank you to everyone who has signed up with us tonight to support this cause...and paint this picture...
 It should be fun and I am excited to be a part of it...
I hope everyone has a creative week...
bye for now...



 

Aug.5th 2018

   I was so excited to be able to get to see all the new changes in Jenn's family home..
 It is beautiful and well worth the effort put into it to make such a comfy, cozy environment...
I was also so happy to get to see Becky and meet her son, what a cutie, and at 10 months starting to walk...so much fun to watch....
I was able to see so many more members of the family and friends as they gathered at Jenn's to meet up, to go to the Gorge together, for the Phish concert there...
They all said what a great time was had there and they came home tired and happy...
.Aidan and I held down the fort and were quite happy to spend a quiet weekend together in what feels like a brand new home...
Time sure flies when you are having fun, and now I have been home and back to work for about a week ...
WOW what a great July !!!!
Have a nice Sunday, Relax and just Breathe.....

August 3rd, 2018

I was able to get some other artwork finished while I was in Seattle.
I was having some fun with Pastels, doing these when we stumbled upon a really nice art store in downtown Edmonds.
I purchased a few pastel pencils that were made in France, and I am really glad I did. one of the results of using these....The sunflower.
 It is the only example of the pencils, but more to come soon....
Jenn has set up the perfect atmosphere for the all the birds and small animals in her area and I was amazed to get to observe and photograph many different breeds, that made it possible to then sketch them too...
I have to get moving this morning so more to come on the Seattle trip...
Hope everyone has a peaceful weekend... Bye for now

August 2nd. What????

               I had a very fun, very busy July this year...
Thank You!, Thank You!, Thank You!!!
The first two weeks I spent with family in North Carolina, celebrating Woody's birthday.
We had so much fun, and It went by way to fast...
I also decided to try #worldwatercolormonth, but because I have no more wall space I started doing very small, calendar size, watercolor paintings...Not like me at all, I paint large, and mostly in acrylic paints... I had a great time with the watercolors and the size even though I had a tendency to overwork some of the paintings I am overall pleased with the results and with what I learned along the way... I ended up doing 46 of them.
The second half of July I spent in Seattle, Washington with more family, and I got to see all the improvements that have been made there, as well as, enjoy spending time with the boy...
He is growing and changing so fast and is going to be a first grader this year. Wow!!!
Time is moving at lightning speed ...
It is back to work for me today so I best get busy now.
 Hope everyone has a good week and weekend....

Mountains in July

  We have had a great time celebrating an early birthday, in the mountains, with Woody and family...
So much fun putting together a book of all our adventures together through these many years... Seeing the delight on his face says it all.....
 #Watercolormonth is here and I have never participated before, but, with no more wall space or even other space to hang paintings, I decided to try making a calendar of much smaller paintings...
Not like me at all, I paint large and have not been successful with some, but very happy with others...
I have overworked some a bit, as you will see as the month progresses...
I am painting ahead a bit because I am flying to Seattle in a few days and will not have time to get to it then...
The small calendar paintings were not my original idea but I saw it done by another artist on Facebook and borrowed it...
The picture is of the first four days ...

May in the Mountains

   

                   Red in the sun...

           View of our yard from the deck...

             Glad to be here in time to see these bloom...

              Birds found the feeder...

Wow, we have never seen so much wet weather as we are having here this year...

 It has made everything so lush and green... 

Not to say we are not seeing the sun some,but, I am impressed .....

We are so happy to be here, no matter what the weather ....

We have really been working around here to get bushes trim back and things looking good....

 I am pooped but it is really worth the effort put in....

The time here goes so fast and is almost gone, so must enjoy the last days until we can come again....

Jan.14,2018

                                  From this before

                                  To this after

                           From this before

                                To this after

                          I do not seem to have the before photo, but this is the after...

My last blog entry I mentioned that I had been rearranging the paintings , so many paintings so little wall space, time for a something different to start off the new year....
We are having another cold snap this week and are starting off with a temperature of 39 degrees
Believe me that is cold for what we are used to here in Florida....
I am one who does need a bit of cool ,to be able to get through the long periods of heat...

And now about a boy....

This is the truck I sent Aidan for his birthday that he painted himself...

                  Great job buddy..
           .Very creative this boy...

Now on with this beautiful day...
 Hope everyone has a good one and keep warm out there.....

Jan.7th. 2018

I am loving the results of these pens on the black paper backgrounds....
Some pens are the chalk pens and some are the metallic pens ,
So much fun to see how bright they turn out....
If you have not tried these,I think you might really have some fun with them....
Anyone else out there trying something new to you and having fun, happy results with it???
If you are, I would love for you to share so I can see and enjoy too ....
I have had a bit of extra time off, so making creative use of it is what I do...
The weather has been unusually cool here for way longer then we are used to, so I have been keeping pretty busy inside,between rearranging and cleaning and, imperfect doodles and brand new pens of all kinds... The fun never ends....or so it seems right now...
I will try to remember to post some of the rearranging photos soon....
Anyway it is back to work I go a bit later today so I best get busy around here ..
 Hope everyone has a beautiful, creative Sunday...

Jan.5th.2018

We had a great time ,on a beautiful cool day,celebrating my birthday.
We went to lunch at Rusty Bellies in Tarpon Springs. It was so yummy... and not just because of the two Bloody Mary's I consumed.
We headed to Fred Howard Park for a breezy walk on the beach ...
The first one in a long time...
 and then home to relax, just in time to see these guys on the bank behind the house....
Am I so old now that these buzzards are circling  or what the f....???
Anyway I wish everyone a very nice day and hope you are keeping warm....

P.S.  We are not doing the 30 paintings in 30 days until February...Just in case you were wondering....

Jan.3,2018

I have really been enjoying coloring in my new Imperfect Doodles book that Wy order from England for me... I am using the new double sided pens that I got for my birthday.. They are great Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!!
Nice to have this to do when the weather is acting so crazy [,Snow in Florida?? What??] and I am spending more time inside.. I can only clean for so long before I need to get creative again....
I have been getting things in a bit of order as well...and feeling better about cleaning things up....

In November I was invited to teach a group of pre-school teacher students how to teach children to do self-portraits ...
  Each of the students did a great job on their own portraits and  I really enjoyed watching each of them create theirs as they processed how it will be to teach this to pre-school children.... ....

That is all for now , so everyone hunker down and stay safe and warm tonight....