Still Here!

I'm still here! Haven't forgotten all my Friends and Fellow Fans of Life!

We've just been busy here in the non-virtual world. Several wonderful opportunities have been stepping up to our door and a-knockin'. We've been taking the time to invite them in for some tea and chat, you might say!

So, we will be back. And, soon, I'm sure. Thank you so very much for all of your continued support!

And, take time to enjoy your non-virtual world, too!

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On another note:

I would love to have your suggestions on a holiday give-away from Bronson Hill Arts! Something easily customizable, or a print, or some notecards (which can be customizable, too), or anything else!

I'm planning on running it next week so that I can get it mailed to the winner by Thanksgiving week, so let me know what you think, friends!

Thanks, again!

IF Scattered

Scattered & Frazzled
6x6 Colored Pencil on Smooth Bristol Paper
©2011 BEDeuel

Too much paper and detail to track effectively. Demands on your time coming from all directions. And, boy, is the house ever a mess!

Seems to describe life as of late which makes it a very appropriate topic to illustrate. Thank you, Illustration Friday.  Enough said, I think!

Take some time to yourself this weekend and enjoy it!

IF Hibernate



Hi-BRRR-Nate
4x6 Water Soluble Pencil on 140# Coldpress Paper
©2011 BEDeuel

With the topic at Illustration Friday being "Hibernation" this week, it was too easy to think of cold and lots of protection in which to hide from it. And with the thought of cold, as well as the arrival this week of actual cold weather, it was bound to make me realize something:

It's official: the shortest summer (that I can remember) is over.

In some ways, it's good. In other ways, it's not.

Let me start with the "not" list.

The days are short. The temperature is very fickle, making it difficult to decide how much to wear at any given minute. The gardens and trees are fading. And, the worst, winter is coming up fast and furious. Indoor confinement and difficult travel lay ahead.

The good?

The shorter days make it easier to settle in earlier in the day. It feels good to put on some clothing that is soft and comfy, instead of trying to strip down to the bare basics without being arrested. Once the gardens are done, the workload is cut in half with only the house needing to be tended. The trees will turn gorgeous with vibrant colors to fill the heart with wonder and an urgency to appreciate the quick passing of time.

Winter, though, how can that be good? Unless you're a skier, snowmobiler, or general winter-sports fanatic, what fun is winter?

The fun is the excuse to use the fireplace and snuggle with whatever pleases you, be it a fuzzy blanket, a loving pet, or your best friend and lover. The fun is making sinfully indulgent comfort foods and drinking hot chocolate on a daily basis. The fun is watching the first flakes land and change the world before your eyes. The fun is knowing that there will be another spring in which to enjoy so many other pleasures of living.

With the change of the seasons coming around again, make some fun with it. Take a moment to realize it can all be good.

Here's hoping it is and will be all good for you!

Some Coloring Fun

With fall pretty much parked outside the house, I've found a little more (not a lot of) time to hit the studio. Also, I'm trying to rest my left wrist a bit, to ease up a chronic case of tendonitis, so the keyboard is on light duty right now.

So just a quick blog to share the newest ones:



White Tanks Waterfall
5x7 Watersoluble Oils
©2011 BEDeuel 



Reaching #1
4x6 Watercolor on 140# Paper
©2011 BEDeuel



Reaching #2
4x6 Watercolor on 140# Paper
©2011 BEDeuel

These last 2 have been submitted to Teri for the Twenty Minute Challenge, which I enjoyed trying, immensely. Same reference photo, 2 different takes on it in 2 separate 20-minute blocks.

Check out the TMC at  http://twentyminutechallenge.blogspot.com/ !

Let me know what you think!

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A while back, I posted about personalized notecards that I did for a lovely young woman's bridal shower. Her wonderful mother took the design one step further and had the bakery recreate it for the cake for her shower!

I think it worked very well!

Hope this post finds you and yours safe and secure and finding time to enjoy each other!

A Long Week in a Short Summer

A common theme seems to be occupying my thoughts lately: Things we cannot control in our worlds and the anxiety it can cause.

The predominant problem in that arena is the havoc that Irene is creating along the east coast. I have friends who have been evacuated and are in a worrisome state over their homes and possessions, things that represent their lives. They're understandably concerned about the damage that will have to be dealt with once the storm has passed.

No matter how often anyone can say to them that there is no point  in fretting about possible problems that may or may not come to be, they will be fretting. There's no turning it off no matter how hard they try.

After these monumental events, the small worries pale dramatically. The hassles of vacation that diminish the fun of vacations. The frustrations of too much rain and too much heat in too short a time that stunts the growth of the gardens. The difficulties of finding the time to do the things that bring pleasure to your life.

These are minor problems that really are not worth the worry we put into them.

Wish that were true of the worries the people living through this storm have.

But, while we can't do a thing about the effects that Irene will have on our material world, we can pray for the safety of those enduring it.

And, we do.

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Just some reminders that no matter how badly things seem to be, there is still beauty in the simplest things:

 

 

Enjoy everything!

Imperfect for IF

Belmont Bridges
5x7 Graphite on 130# Paper
©2011 BEDeuel

This sketch of a photograph taken last October represents one of about 3 artpieces that vex me. All of the pieces have the same 2 elements that elude me in any medium: leaves and water.


Belmont Bridges
4x6 Water Soluble Pencil on 140# Paper
The First Completed Attempt:
An Imperfect Attempt

So, how does this represent "Imperfect"? As long as my attempts at representing the original scene are "imperfect", I will keep pushing for "perfection" of the subject.

If everything was always perfect, what would we strive for in our lives?

The Perfect Original

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For whatever reason (and the reasons seem to be varied), the last few times I've tried to post to Illustration Friday, it won't take my file. I thought I had it figured out, but then other problems started to arise. Any suggestions would be helpful regarding reducing DPI (without PhotoShop), "Save as" options (like web?), and, now, a message of "wrong file type" even though I'm uploading a jpeg file.

So, in a round-about way, this post hasn't made it to IF. But, the topic was interesting nonetheless! Thanks for the idea!

Gardens, Gardens Everywhere!

                 

Back in March, I posted an inspiration piece called “String of Spring”. It was a first attempt at painting flowers and the result was mixed.



Original
String of Spring
6x18 Water Soluble
Pencil on 140#
Cold Pressed Paper
©2011 BEDeuel



But I call it an inspiration piece because, it inspired Stephanie of Crystal Allure Jewelry to special order a “String of Spring” to use in her own home. She wanted purple coneflowers with an eggshell background. Another idea to offer as a customized, art-for-fun item!

In developing the piece for her, I did a sketch that didn’t really translate well to watercolors. I kept it on the computer and, the other day I thought to use the computer’s Paint program to “colorize” it. And, I like the effect. It’s different than my other pieces, but I think that’s what I like about it.


Computer
Colorized Sketch
©2011 BEDeuel



I’m going to use it for a note card design to raise some funds for Hearthside Cats, a local, no-kill fostering program that provides so much for the community. Let me know if it appeals or not!

Oh, yes, and here’s the final piece designed for Stephanie:


String of Spring Coneflowers
6x18 Water Soluble Pencils
on 140# Cold Pressed Paper
©2011 BEDeuel


A customized “garden” for her wall!
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Speaking of spring:

As I’ve mentioned before, it was an extremely snowy winter which became an equally extremely rainy spring. Then when June came, the sun came out and the spring season lost her shyness.

When spring burst forth, all of our efforts were turned toward tending the lawn and gardens. And it started to look so beautiful. These pictures show how much so.
Then July came, all too quickly, and sucked every bit of beauty out of the glorious gardens. We watered as much as possible, but most of the annuals died and a lot of the perennials went brown and curly. It started to rain a little bit this last week or so, but the goal at this point is to salvage as much of the perennial gardens as we can so that they can regroup for next year.

And they will. They’ll rebound and bring all their loveliness along for the show. There will be two more seasons, each with their own offerings and pleasures, and, when spring is ready to re-emerge, we’ll be ready to welcome her again.