Summer Succulent Garden

Hello there! It’s a wet, raining day her in San Luis Obispo, which is so fabulous for many reasons. For one, I can hear the pitter patter of rain on the roof as I work, which I love! For two, the beautiful succulent garden (behind our yard) that inspired my most recent paintings is actually getting some much needed water. Here are just a few “in progress” images I wanted to share…

I added lots of colorful layers underneath the final layer of paint.

I cut out some of the black and white photos I took and figured out an arrangement.

This is my painting palette as it’s being rinsed off.

And here are two recent paintings, side by side, so fun!

Morro Rock, Version 2

Morro Bay is a quick (and enjoyable) drive from where I live. Sea lions, boats of all types and sizes, seagulls and human beings make Morro Rock and it surroundings a fabulous site to take in when you need some fresh ocean air. Here is the photo I began with for this painting:

I took it on a day when my soul was in need of being refreshed by God’s goodness and creation. In the painting, I incorporated photos of the rock and the plant in the foreground, then I added paint over the top of them. There are also a lot of torn paper textures in the water. I hope you enjoy it.

~Holly

San Luis Obispo Mission Bells

Last week I began a painting based on a photo I took of the SLO Mission bells.

Bells in the courtyard of SLO Mission.

For those of you inquiring minds, here’s a little background on the Mission:

Founded September 1, 1772 by Father Junipero Serra

Named for Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, France, this Mission is located in the middle of downtown San Luis Obispo at the corner of Monterey and Chorro Street. It marks nearly the halfway point along the California Mission Chain. It’s sometimes known as the Mission in the Valley of Bears, located close to The Los Osos area because bear meat is what saved the Mission from starvation (see referenced link).

Truth be told, this collage/painting started in one direction, but I wasn’t really liking where it was headed or the color scheme. I do that sometimes! It can take a few tries for me. So here’s how this one started:

This is how it started out. Not really what I was going for color-wise and otherwise.

When I came back to it a week later, I decided to cover up the original painting with a whole new texture and color scheme. 

Background created with layers of paper. I used a darker blue/gray background color then went over the whole thing with dry brush layers of white.In progress. This is after I placed the b&w photo of the lattice and bells on top.Finished.You can see a page from a cookbook showing through here. Yes, it does say “Spanish Pickles”.I love the softness of this new version.

Prints and Cards Now Available in an Atascadero Studio!

Yesterday I had a wonderful time meeting Tisha and Lauren in their Atascadero studio, Boyd & Bradley and Dudleya Studio Arts (two studios under one roof)! They were both as sweet as can be and their shop is quite adorable. All the products in their store are handcrafted locally by artists and makers in SLO County. I feel privileged to be among the artists featured in their shop, too. You can now find some of my art prints and cards there. The studio also offers a lot of art classes and workshops, so you should check out what they’re offering on their Facebook pages. They do art parties as well, which can be a lot of fun for all ages! Here are a few photos from more morning in A-Town:

View from the shop’s front door (on Traffic Way in Atascadero)

Tisha and Lauren, the studio owners

Do you see two of my prints on that fun table?

Fun, eclectic mix of hand-crafted items

That cute birdhouse made from corks is one of their class projects

Hubby helped me create that box to display prints

5820 Traffic Way in Atascadero, come on by!

I hope you’ll check out this wonderful little place, their new location as only been open for a matter of months, but they already have so many cute handmade goodies to offer and tons of classes. Thank you, Tisha and Lauren, for inviting me into your space!

New Cards – Giveaway!

Happy Tuesday to all of you browsers out there! As promised, I’m doing a little giveaway, after having recently created some new cards for the shop. Some of these new cards were snatched up by art lovers at my recent Open Studio, which was a lot of fun! But don’t worry, I’ll keep making more. These cards are cut to fit A2 size envelopes and are blank on the inside, ready for you to personalize.

Here’s how this giveaway works:

Write a comment in the comments section of this blog post stating which of the following card images you connect with most and why. Which one would you most likely send to a friend or someone special?…

Adirondack Chair

Wine and Good Company

Good Read

Sewing Machine (Printed with words or without)

Birdhouse Bench

Night Owl  (Printed with words or without)

Fresh Cut Flowers

I’ll review all comments and choose a winner on Friday Morning, October 25th! The winner will receive a set of four cards (whichever one or two designs you mention in the comments section). So check back on Friday to see if you won and I’ll get your mailing address to send you your cards!

Thanks for participating. I also look forward to having these cards available (among other fun goodies) in my booth at the Central Coast Craft Fair on November 29th and 30th, for those of you who live in SLO County. 

Have a lovely day.

Sewing Machine – Start to Finish

Yesterday I had a wonderfully focused day of painting. It was such a joy! I had been wanting to do a painting centered around a beautiful sewing machine I had taken a photo of in an alleyway of Lhasa (capitol of Tibet). The sewing machine was undoubtably someone’s livelihood, allowing them to sew garments for an income.  But the owner of it wasn’t around when I snapped the photo:

Sewing machine in an alleyway of Lhasa.

I also know that I wanted to place the sewing machine in a living room sort of setting with a ceiling lantern, so I did a Pinterest search of twinkle lights and lanterns:

http://pinterest.com/choobarue/twinkle-lights-lanterns/

Once I was feeling thoroughly inspired and ready to begin, I came up with this sketch and thought about color scheme:

Rough sketch and colors

I then primed the surface of my board, cut out the sewing machine photograph, painted in the background, and filled in the areas that I wanted to have texture (table & floor) with torn paper:

Beginning stages

Eventually (as seen at the beginning of this post) I arrived at the final product. This was a FUN one 🙂