The Red of Winter

We take a group of people from our church every January up to Potter County, Pa. This year we had some beautiful snow. As I walked around the barn in the snow this spot just stuck out to me as an area with a lot of character. I love the wood and the hinge. The Cardinal is one of my favorite birds. One of them has been sitting on the tree right outside my front window. Sorry, this is getting posted so close to spring. You may not want to be reminded of winter right now.

Work, Home and Family

This picture was also inspired from an afternoon spent in Lancaster County. My goal in this picture was to create a fuzzy background and have the man driving the team stand out.

I need a title

This picture was taken by a friend of mine that spent some time in Thailand. She took this picture and I asked her if she would mind if I would paint it. It was a good study in skin tones. She has such an innocent look on her face. It was fun to see her come alive on my canvas.

Looking Back

My husband and I took a visit to near by Lancaster County. We felt like real tourists with our camera in hand. We came up behind this buggy and I saw the little boy with his hat sitting in the back. It was screaming at me to be photographed. So I told my husband to drive slow and I stuck my head out the window. About that time the little boy turned and looked at me and he was caught on camera.
There were a couple of things that I strove for in this picture. To create the depth in the buggy by making the parents not look as dark as the dark of the buggy. Also, to have the red and orange sign without it taking over the picture. That was done by making a bit of a muddy orange and red. Hope you enjoy this Lancater County picture.

Amoung the leaves

This picture was an experimental piece for me. The background was done by laying down color and placing fresh green leaves in the paint, then allowing them to dry for about 14 to 20 hours. The hardest part is not peeking. After the paint has dried you remove the leaves. The result is all kinds of fun imprints in the paint. The bird is a finch and was photographed in Indiana. We were there for a wedding this summer and I spent a morning with my aunt. She has several bird feeders in her backyard that a wide variety of birds visit. I had great fun taking pictures of them.

The Lititz art show

I did my first full art show on Saturday, July 26th. The show was a juried show. We were able to choose three paintings each to be judged. I picked the oranges and the girls with pinneapples and the Piper. The Piper won 3rd place. Kerry told me He wished he could have taken a picture when the judges came asking for Jennifer Martin. He said my eyes got real big and my mouth dropped open. It was a real honor.

Lilly

Just for fun. I have been doing so many large pictures and wanted to have a break. These Lillies have been blooming outside my house. The dragonfly flew onto the canvas and stayed. =)
He wanted to get into the act.