Spring Flowers!

                     In spite of the rainy, cool and cloudy spring, the backyard still sported quite a few lovely flowers. I took a few photos of the ones I like the best.

                                                     "Ivory Tea Rose"

              "My Amber Rose" in the Mock Orange bush.

         And the very beautiful Mock Orange Blossoms, that fill the yard with their wonderful orange fragrance in the evening time.

         The Honeysuckle is just starting to bloom, the Hummingbirds love it. as they have been more or less dependent on the feeder this slow spring.

              Bye for now! I hope you are also getting your share of spring photos for your albums.

Thursday Nite Art Club.

                 The Forth Gentleman; Plum Blossom!

                        We had a fun nite Thursday, learning to paint Plum Blossoms, which can be used as cherry, peach or apricot blooms. My granddaughter joined us, and what is it about kids? They catch on so fast, I'm afraid she showed us old girls up! Ha ha. So we ate pizza and painted and this is what it looks like;

                      I have to confess that my students keep me busy, practicing beforehand the next weeks lessons.  You see I am just learning the art of Chinese brush painting myself, (and I have to look good for my students!)  But like any good teacher, my greatest joy, besides the great fellowship; is seeing those students who surpass the teachers efforts, and show great promise! I am lucky to have two of them!

                       So next week I have to show them how to join their blossoms onto the branches, and here is one of my efforts;

                           Peach Blossoms with Butterfly's

                    I chose Peach because I like the color, and when done I was looking forward to the Dancing stroke, used for a multitude of flowers, also butterfly's. Well I just had to try them and I'm pleased with the results, so I go whole hog and and paint on a backwash- background too! what do you think for a first try?

                 Hopefully I will have some nice ones to post next week from my star students. Meantime have a good week and  "Keep on Painting"

Thursday Nite Art Club!

                                
                              Sprayed Backgrounds!


                    What a fun nite, we reviewed (painted) the bamboo and the orchid and used a spray bottle to mist in the background. we placed a cap where we wanted the moon in the background to keep the white. It really gave us a nice perspective. Next week we are moving on to Cherry Blossoms. Painting on the rice paper is so different, but is so adaptive to different techniques with great effects. we still look like grade one, but with each repeat performance we are starting to look better with our form.  We are starting the blossoms at the same time the cherry crop is coming ready to pick, so that will be fun inspiration! :)

I am Back! *_*

             It has been a while, so have lots to catch up on. Have been busy with spring cleaning, inside and out, got the garden all planted before the rains started, it all sprouted up ok.

                 Had a week or two in May of sunny weather that blessed the spring flowers!

                 Enjoyed two field trips with the Art Club, Tina and I went to sketch and paint the Red Bridge at Keremeos.

                          And the next time we went with Heather also, to visit the Art Gallery at Princeton, and to cruse the back Hedley Hwy, to enjoy the river, hills, wildflowers and stopped to look at the pictographs.

                                  I also finished up a couple of souvenir art objects for my good friends, who went on a trip to N.S. last year

                                   The Art Club continues it's studies of Chinese Brush painting, there is sure a lot to learn with this style, lots of discipline. 

                       The Third Gentleman: Orchid .