A Pitcher Of Amber

I had been using the pitcher
for a photo shoot out on the deck
of a friends’ place in Vermont when
my granddaughter came to visit.
So it was a natural thing to
ask her to look through it for a
shot I loved . It was a snap decision to
either do the pitcher with her face
or the green Vermont trees in the

yard.for this EDM Challenge 224
The little scene is one I stopped the

car and backed up a bit to

get the only shot
between much foliage

"Trading Smiles"

EDM Challenge #232
Draw The Last Thing You Bought
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First the puzzling twine
over the page relates
to the thought that we
are all tied to things that
impact our lives and
other's. This was my first
time in this store and the
clerk's friendly personality
was such a bonus. She asked
the question on the page and
I replied I might use the photo when
illustrating a journal page,,,so
smiles were exchanged and
life felt good.
The flowers were potted out front
and their purpleness
was so inviting to me.
The watermelons were piled in front
in great arrangements as
the store has very talented people
working for them.
Two purchases I came home
eager to try, were the Triple Ginger
bucket of cookies and bag of
Crystallized ginger, my grandmother
also called one her favorites

Draw "A Neighborhood Store" EDM Challenge 85

The Mill Pond Store has been by

the pond side for many years---

a Vampire film named Moonshine

was filmed here in recent years

and every noon the mill workers

line up to buy delicious sandwiches.

The wild geese are often fed by the

water's edge and are a sight to see .

I recall one year when sea gulls

were all over the pond. Each day

as I get my mail I have but to look over

my shoulder to this store that is

now featuring hand dipped huge

wafflecones. In the back, there is

now a room to read the paper which

is always left there for all to read,

eat or look out at the views of the

Hollow. Years ago I painted a sign

for them with Canada Geese on it that

seemS to be the most

famous thing I ever did around here.

Junk Draw Lion

Click to read the small lettering

"Fourth Colors"

It was extremely difficult for me

to leave this as soft as it is---but

I managed--I started with #2 Mirado

Black Warrior (a pretty macho name)

--which is a regular black color

barrel pencil--I just like it best

--- kept it pretty soft---erased a bit

---then washed it with plain water

as Kate had suggested at some

point in these weeks so the

pencil will be set.. It dried quickly

on the Moleskine page--then I

used F/C watercolor pencils and

waterbrush for the colors---

added a few 0.1 Micronpen lines.

with heavier Pitt Pen as an edge.

Finished with some more

colors with no water added

and some W/N Gouache white

touches. The roast beef sandwich is

wrapped in wax paper---the 3 blueberries

were a great compliment in flavor.

Another note: I cut the right side

of the plate off ---this makes the

viewers eye fill in what might

be there--maybe a glass of juice

or cup of tea--and thus the picture

seems larger than it is as it

grows in the viewers

mind...old Japanese theory--

"The Talk"

I think this is the last chance to

upload for a Kate's final 6th

class photo--I may be wrong--

For the class I added the words...

but for a painting

I would leave them out and

concentrate on the Post Office

building's details more

It appears

in my mind at odd moments

and there's no reason I

know of for that

---but there must be.

'Hang Six " ( Insect)

Part of the last class mixed media

pages. I added rubber stamped

lettering to the regular supplies I prefer.

The background yellows represent sunrise,

at the time this happened--but I think

this guy was still sleeping as

he stayed there quite awhile

You see his underneath as he hangs

on somehow and that's me not

dressed yet--just out in the kitchen

to make coffee.

"Is That You Lizzie ? "

"Is That You Lizzie?"

Here we have a double stories for this Lesson 6 page using mixed media. First is the Lizzy Borden (Missy Warden being my version's name)---personal reason for me to make up the poem I added to the page---it just made me think of Lizzy...then below that story is information from the man that carved the woman from Eastport Maine, Roland.

I was so interested in the Lucy Borden case ---read everything and went to Falls River to see what I could---twice, in fact---a weird thing happened the second time--in the museum where they had some of Lucy's things and case related items---I asked the woman who was the hostess in that room where the father's skull was that had been in the glass case the last time I was there--She replied: "It's odd you should ask that question, because a gentleman was here last week and asked the same question...but, we have never had the skull on display here".....
**********************************
and below Roland's account,
which seems to me would make
a darn good page with
the log's journey depicted....
**************************
This is a carving modeled after my daughter Nicole. Made in 1995. The carving is made from a 20 foot white Pine log which was loaded on a freighter destined for Turkey. It was part of an unstable pile of logs which the Captain instructed the crew push over board. They washed up behind my house most were only telephone pole quality except this one. I made 2 carvings from the log this one is the second I sold the first and hope to sell this one also. I found a 22 cal. bullet in this carving where her belt sash crosses. It took about a month to make. While not being totally repainted she has been touched up over the years She is not in the weather this year. She spends her day looking out at Water Street from my carving workshop window. Priced at $2,500---must pick up here at studio. Roland LaVallee, www.crowtracks.com

Since I always use mixed media, this is done with pencil, Pitt pen, watercolor pencils, waterbrushes, computer typed words, gluestick and a bit of Gesso. I took liberties with The Crow Track's house but the carved woman and urn of Lilies are pretty much true to what I saw.