Thursdays Just For Fun - Beautiful Wintertime

We do not have snow at my house today. These were taken by my son last winter in the Arkansas Ozarks. Aren't they beautiful!

Wind and Honey Creations

Merry Christmas to You All

May you all be blessed with a merry and joyful Christmas. I hope as you walk through the new year and the inevitable challenges that come with life, that you will be strengthened with hope and the peace that passes understanding.


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Thursdays Just For Fun - Cute Overload!

I have watched this video many times and it makes me giggle every time. I hope you find it equally as delightful. It starts slow. Just stay with it a moment.





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Creative Pencils is a Place to Grow

Wind and Honey Classes is an online learning site.  I teach drawing lessons to new pencil artist through a video format.  The camera is situated just behind my shoulder so the student gets a perfect view.  

Come on and join in.  Its fun.  You really can do it.  You'll be glad you tried.

Wind and Honey Creations

On my Worktable today...

Today I am finishing up this leopard portrait. It has taken me longer than usual. It is a special gift for my son. Maybe that is why it has taken so long. I am excited to give it to him. I hope he is pleased.

Wind and Honey Creations

Art Journal - Rabbit

Here is a bunny quickly sketched in my art journal using marker and then colored in watercolor pencil. Do you use your artist pencils in your art journal? Art journals aren't just for mixed media collage artists! It can be fun to draw in a journal with no performance pressure. You discover all kinds of surprises.

Wind and Honey Creations

Merry Christmas Bunny For You

There are so many ways to use your art pencils for the holidays. You can design your own gift tags, tree ornaments, or greeting cards. You can even draw something special and frame it as a gift. Remember to bring your creativity into this wonderful season. You will enjoy it so much more. I've recorded this video demonstration to show you how quick and easy it can be to personalize your items. I am including here the pattern for the little bunny. Please feel free to download him. He is large enough to be used for a greeting card. Or you could print him smaller for gift tags or ornaments. Feel free to add embellishments like more greenery or more ornaments or perhaps some collage elements.

I hope you enjoy him.

Want to learn more about drawing and creating your own pencil art?  Try out my online pencil art learning community at Wind and Honey Classes  We are having a great time there and my students are progressing so well.

I used Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils for this drawing.

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Announcing Creative Pencils

I am so pleased to announce the grand opening of Creative Pencils. Creative Pencils is a ning site that I have created for the presentation of my video drawing classes.  The Classes begin with a 10 lesson series called Pencils 101.  These beginning 10 lessons will lay a solid foundation for many pencil adventures in the future.  After the completion of Pencils 101 the students move into the monthly lessons.  These lessons are more challenging and continue to help the student progress in their drawing skills.

Once the student is well grounded with the graphite pencil, the lessons progress into the various types of colored pencils.  The site also has studio groups that are like little coffee houses where the students can gather to discuss topics like art journaling, artist trading cards, or how to incorporate their drawings into their mixed media collage.  They often discuss supplies and other practical matters.  It is a fun and inspiring place to learn in a positive atmosphere that generates success.

CP is a subscription site under the umbrella site Eclectic Art Studio created by Zinnia Galliher of Zinnia's Treasures and Roses on My Table. This is the beginning of a great adventure. I hope you will come by and take a look.

Creative Pencils workshops have been moved to Wind and Honey Classes.

"Capturing Dreams One Drawing at a Time"



Wind and Honey Creations

Dancing Swan, Finally Finished

A while back I posted the unfinished version of this Dancing Swan.  At the time I thought I would finish her in the next few days.  However, I've had several curves thrown into my schedule since then.  But she has been gracious and patient as she waited beside the drawing table.  I did hear her feet tapping a few times.  But I don't think that was impatience.  Rather, I think she was longing to get up and dance to the music I was playing that day.  I hope you enjoy her.

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A Special Sunset

I want to share this painting created by one of my private students.  This young man is mentally challenged.  He loves art and has quite an eye for it.  He especially loves to paint and to take photographs.  Whenever this young man goes on a trip with his family, he always brings photographs back to share with me of art and artistic moments that he has found.  I love when he shows me a moment he has captured and he is quick to remind me that even that is art.   This painting is a lovely sunset over a lake.  His inspiration came from a calendar photograph.

Wind and Honey Creations

Shiny Glimpses of the Past

The Poet and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary recently.  Its funny.  It seems like such a short time ago that we stood face to face captivated by each other's eyes and promised our whole lives to each other.  And yet at the same time, it seems we've been together forever!  In reality we've spent well over half our lives in this commitment.  

This year our calendars were both very full.  So rather than going on a trip for our anniversary, we simply had a nice lunch together and walked down to a local antique store to look around a bit.  Right up front there was a stack of dishes just like the ones we got when we were married.  Denby Seville Stoneware.  We never did get very many of these dishes and just a few years later, they were discontinued.  I have never seen even one piece of it in an antique store or a thrift store or at a garage sale.  This is the absolute first. 

We got the collection at an incredible price and there were even some fun extras that I have always wanted.  The funny thing was we never even discussed whether we were going to buy them.  We just walked in, saw them, and both knew instantly that we would definitely be getting them. 

I ALWAYS wanted this beautiful teapot!!!

And a SERVING BOWL!   I'm sooo excited!

This color is so versatile. It looks beautiful with Fall decor.  But the softness and the hint of very pale blue allows these plates to coordinate well with just about any decor you wish to use to creatively compliment them.

What surprises have you had lately to remind you of the good things in your life?

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Winged Creatures of Surprise

Laura Carson of Artfully Musing created this unique and absolutely fun little book.  Laura is a very talented mixed media artist.  The cover of the book is made from dominoes that have been altered and altered and altered.  The creativity in this little book is abundant.  The theme is Birds and Bees.  Laura has covered every single spot with a unique touch that is just right and never over done.  And her workmanship is quality.  

A while back Laura was having a drawing on her blog.  I enter lots of drawings just for the fun of it, especially if I like what the prize is.  But I never win.  I usually even forget about signing up since I don't really expect anything from it.  But when I saw this prize I really wanted it.  So you can imagine my surprise when I received notice from Laura that I had won her new domino book!  

I haven't decided where and how I will display my miniature prize but you can be sure it will be someplace special where I will see it often.

Wind and Honey Creations

Wordless Wednesday ... well, almost

This is for my friends in Oklahoma and Texas where we are at almost 60 days now of over 100 temperatures!  

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On My Worktable today...

Here is a glimpse of what I am working on now.  She is being drawn in graphite - Derwent Graphic 8B.  I do almost everything in 8B.  This isn't the best copy of the image but I just took a quick photo rather than a scan.  This swan has a secret.  And her secret will be revealed when she is complete.  I'll post her here when she is ready to share her surprise.  This piece was inspired by a young friend of mine who has overcome difficulties in her life and is moving forward with joy and strength.

And this is what else is on my table.  Kenya thinks swans are boring.  He is quite sure that he should always be the subject of my drawings.  --funny.....he's yawning but really it kind of looks like he's laughing!  Can you hear him?  HaHaHaHaHa!!!!

What is your newest project?

Wind and Honey Creations

Wordless Wednesday

Wind and Honey Creations

Faces From Eureka Springs

 

These are the faces of some of the friends we made while in Eureka Springs.  We spent an afternoon with them thoroughly enjoying their company.   These beautiful cat faces belong to some of the residents of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.      

 

The refuge takes in all kinds of big cats that need a home - usually because someone thought they could keep a wild cat as a pet.  Then one day the bobcat started spraying all over the house or the cougar shred the couch.  Or the tiger began to show some aggression acting like, .... well, a tiger.   Imagine that?!

  

What in the world makes people think they really can make a pet out of these cats?  No one loves them more than I do.  No one would absolutely love having a lion lying around the studio more than I would.  But its just not realistic.   And even if you could, it isn't fair to the cat to be so confined.

 

Turpentine Creek is a sanctuary so they do not do any breeding or selling of the cats.  They simply provide them with a safe home.  They attempt to make their habitat as conducive to what is best for the cat as is possible.  They are a non-profit organization.  So, funds are always an issue.  Some of the cages are smaller than is ideal while they wait for funding.   I wish I had a bundle to share with them to make all those cages as large as possible

 

My son is a gifted photographer.  He took lots of great shots for me. I will be able to use them for art reference.  I'm so excited to get started.

Wind and Honey Creations

A Few Days in Eureka Springs

I recently spent a few days in Eureka Springs, Arkansas with my family.  We each came from our separate places of residence and met there.  Two of the four of us had been there before.  I was one of the ones that had not.  We enjoyed our time together and enjoyed the unique atmosphere of the town.

The locals complained of the unusual heat they were experiencing. But we LOVED the moderate temperatures compared to the 110F plus temperatures we had been experiencing for weeks prior to our trip. 

This is the Sweet Spring noted from the 1800's for its sweet water.  The spring is down a number of very old winding steps. 

This vintage water fountain still works.  The fountain and this wonderful old bench are both by the Sweet Spring.

The whole town has a laid back atmosphere to it which was just what we were needing.  We visited art galleries, quaint shops, and antique stores.  Each of the restaurants we visited were extraordinary.  Of course photography was not allowed in the galleries.  And I guess I was always too hungry when in the restaurants because I never remembered to take pictures there.  

I would LOVE having a studio on the top floor of this building!

I especially noted the vintage and unusual musical items I found.  Arkansas is a very musical state.  

I'll share a few other images with you on another day.

Wind and Honey Creations