Hot Press (smooth) watercolor paper is not always easy to find in journal form, but I love the texture. This is a spread from a small journal I made using that paper. In May everything in my yard seemed to come alive at the same time. The two flowers in this journal spread were particularly vibrant at that time. The purple iris are flowers that I grew up seeing in almost every yard but the weigela is a small shrub brought home by hubby. Stays green all year and blooms twice in the summer. Gotta' love it!

Virginia Spiderwort

Early in the morning in my backyard, my Virginia Spiderwort opens for a short time. For most of the summer months I can count on the beautiful periwinkle color to stay with me. This pencil sketch is in preparation for a small watercolor I want to do. Hopefully soon!

Yellow Door

This is the second painting I did on the Paint Out at Cedar Hill Farm. The owners were so gracious to share their home with us and there seemed to be beautiful scenery and still life setups at every turn. New to this experience, one of my biggest problems was deciding where to set up and paint. Surrounded by talented artist - including my new painting friend Lin - it was intimidating and inspiring at the same time. What an incredible day...

Garden Gate

Painting plein aire is another new experience for me, but Alamance County has a wonderful group of outdoor painters that are very supportive and encouraging of beginners. This watercolor was done during one of their all day "Paint Outs" at Cedar Cliff Farm in the Piedmont area of North Carolina - an incredibally beautiful setting. The owners have filled their own lives with art and a landscape that screams to be painted!

Tulips

Yesterday I tried to catch up on my scrapbooking, so today's work is an older piece. It is a watercolor woodcut and was created just like it sounds. The drawing was done on a piece of birch plywood, cut, and then instead of the regular printing process - watercolor was used as the printing medium. It's a time consuming process but I always like the soft effects it creates.