It’s done! The winners of the greeting card giveaway will be revealed in just a minute. First, I wanted to say thank you to all of my friends and family who have been so supportive of both my writing and painting in the past year. And, a special shout-out to all of my writing and blogging friends who have read, shared, commented, and lifted me up – I appreciate all of you very much. This year has definitely been a year of growth, success, learning opportunities (or failures, but this is a more negative connotation), and opportunity – a year that has been one of my absolute favorites. Thank you all for this. Second, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Laura Ingalls Wilder said it best when she wrote: “Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” I hope you all experience a little bit of that child-like spirit this Christmas. The Winners Okay, Okay, I know – enough of the sappy stuff. We’ll get to the drawing for the watercolor greeting cards now. The following two winners are receiving my very first printed packs of greeting cards. The cards are printed on fine art paper using archival ink, so these prints can last for centuries if they are in the right environment. I hope you enjoy them! I had my two little elves help me draw two names out of my son’s trusty cowboy hat. So, here we go! The first little elf drew Marian from Just Muddling Through Life – congratulations, Marian! And… …the second elf drew Lady Pamela Rose from There is Always Hope – congratulations, Pamela! Marian and Pamela, if you could please email me your shipping address at erin@unboundroots.com, I will send your package after the Christmas holiday. 🎄 Thank you to everyone who entered the contest, and Merry Christmas! Warmly, Erin
Watercolor
Watercolor paintings by Erin Burton. Join her on a journey through colors and emotions as she unravels the inspiration behind each painting.
Greeting Card Giveaway
Yes, you read it correctly! I’m hosting a greeting card giveaway right here on Unbound Roots. Last winter, my friend Angela, from You Are Awesome, suggested that I give away a pack of watercolor greeting cards. Angela has many great ideas (you need to check them out on her blog link above), so I thought I better follow her suggestion. Aside from Angela’s awesome suggestion, the timing is right. Let me explain: Unbound Roots is getting a make-over in the next month. I am still going to be writing stories about topics that inspire me – hiking, animals, thoughts that grab my attention, gardening, the family farm, and painting (to name a few) – but my blog will be just one portion of the website. I will also be adding a gallery to showcase my watercolor paintings, and an online shop where people can purchase watercolor originals, limited prints of paintings, and packs of greeting cards. Shoppers will also have the option to request original paintings – personal paintings that can be treasured for centuries. As many of you know, I have been doing a lot of painting throughout the past month. My kids and I came up with a list of animals that are common here in the Upper Midwest, and then I painted them into snow scenes. Five paintings have been completed, and will now be printed onto greeting cards. Silent Night Winter Treasure First Snow Christmas Spirit Late for my Winter Slumber I had so much fun painting these wild cuties! Okay, okay, I’m sure you’re waiting for the details, so… Here are the greeting card giveaway details: On Friday, December 21st, I will be randomly drawing the names of two recipients. Each recipient will receive one pack of five greeting cards – one card of each of the paintings above. How Do I Enter the Free Giveaway? It’s simple! All you have to do is enter a comment below. Any winter-related comment will do. You can tell me about your favorite winter activity, favorite tradition, favorite winter recipes, or you can suggest a painting you’d like to see me complete – it’s up to you! I will write down the names of all the people who comment, and randomly draw the names on December 21st. The winners will be announced right here on Unbound Roots, so be sure to check back! If a recipient fails to respond within 48 hours, a new recipient will be chosen. I am excited to send off my very first greeting cards! Good luck to everyone, and enjoy the holiday season! Warmly, Erin
Wild Spirits: Watercolor Wednesday
Since the day my daughter was able to walk, she ran. When she was able to run, she flew. In her day-to-day world she is a hawk, mountain lion, tiger, jaguar, snow leopard, or a bull. Her imagination soars, and whichever animal suits her mood on that particular day, wins. But, on most days, she is a horse. Going by names of Apple, Pepper, or Candy, she gallops down the side of the dirt road as fast as she can while giving out a few whinnies, neighs, or snorts while kicking up dust in her wake. I wonder if my daughter ever catches me looking at her with extreme love or admiration – I hope so. She is full of wonder – she is a wild spirit. My family is fortunate to live just four doors up from a horse boarding stable, so when we moved to our current house in 2012, we started visiting the horses on our daily walks. We bring baby carrots or apples from our apple trees to feed the horses. If we don’t have any snacks at home, the kids love to pick the long grass just outside of the horses reach by the weathered wooden fence. When we leave to continue on our walks, my daughter always chooses a horse to hug – her love for them evident. For my daughter’s 8th birthday I told her I’d paint her a picture of anything she wanted. Without hesitation, she picked a photo I had taken of her and one of her favorite horses. A horse that she had affectionately named Taffy. Taffy is a beautiful buckskin mare with a sweet disposition. I had taken the photo with my phone on one of our walks about a month before her birthday, and without her knowledge. I loved that my daughter had Taffy in her arms as she closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. I loved that Taffy stood still for as long as my daughter wanted to hold her. I loved that their hair was blowing in the warm summer breeze. I loved that my daughter’s brows were furrowed with strong feeling. I loved that Taffy’s ears were alert and happy, while her eyes were content and warm. I loved that they seemed connected for the moment – wild spirits. How on Earth could I paint this special photo? Could I do it justice? I needed to try. It took me a few weeks after her birthday party to start the actual painting – I was nervous. I had never painted a person, and horses are not easy to draw or paint. I wanted the painting to convey the feelings that I knew were behind this moment. In preparation for the painting, I read books on painting portraits and figures, I watched YouTube videos of artists painting skin, hair, and horses, and I studied my photo. My first step was to sketch out the photo on my watercolor paper. A simple background was the first paint to be laid on the paper. I didn’t use any detail in the background because I wanted the viewer’s eye to be drawn to the detailed figures only. From there, I painted the face because I figured that if the face didn’t turn out right, I could easily start over without wasting too much time or paint. Satisfied with the face, I continued on to the hair and the horse. My daughter had snapped the picture above while I painted the horse. I must have been zoned in on my painting as I found a surprise on my phone a few days later. My favorite part of painting animals is painting their eyes. I feel that if a good eye can be painted – the rest of the animal will fall into place. After a few days of painting, I was happy with the look of the sunshine on my daughter’s hair, the shine on Taffy’s coat, the way the highlights and shadows made the facial curves just right, the soft look of the muzzle, the sparkle in Taffy’s eye, the windswept hair, the course-looking texture of the mane, and the wrinkles in my daughter’s shirt. My daughter’s 8th birthday painting was finished – it’s one of my favorites. Wild Spirits is the name that came to mind when I looked at this painting. My daughter wholeheartedly approved. My daughter said that she loved the horse’s eye, how their hair was flowing in the wind, and all the details of the painting. I love that my daughter’s feelings of love, passion, connection, and yearning are evident. Happy 8th birthday, my dear daughter! May your wild spirit live on forever.
Watercolor Wednesday: Using a YouTube Tutorial to Paint an Elephant
Welcome to another Watercolor Wednesday! Today I want to give a shout out to YouTube watercolor painting tutorials. For a new watercolor painter, the tutorials have been invaluable to my learning in the past year. I have many watercolor books on painting technique, and for me, they just don’t compare to watching technique as it happens. For example, watching this fun painting of a chickadee taught me how to paint wing feathers, bird eyes, and how to let the paint flow out-of-bounds to give the painting a loose feel. Here is my final product: A few weeks ago, I was discussing elephants with my family, and I found myself thinking that elephants would be very challenging to paint. How in the world do I paint wrinkles? My first thought was to consult YouTube to see if anyone had an elephant tutorial. Within minutes I found an elephant tutorial by Maria Raczynska (she has many great tutorials for those who are interested). The eyes looked soulful, the wrinkles looked perfect, and I loved the colors. I had to find out how Maria painted this wise soul. For the next few hours I sat and painted, pausing the tutorial every few minutes so I could follow along. I learned how to paint an elephant eye, how to combine colors to produce the shadows and highlights on elephant skin, and most importantly, how to paint those wrinkles. The secret to making the wrinkles stand out was to remove paint after letting the entire painting dry. Removing little bits of paint highlighted the wrinkles in a very unique way. It made them come to life. Alas, here is my first elephant painting: Every YouTube tutorial I have used has taught me something new about watercolor painting. Have you used YouTube tutorials to help you paint, complete a new craft, or do something new? Please share!
Watercolor Wednesday: Shugren Barn and Pond
Welcome to Watercolor Wednesday! Today I’m sharing a commissioned painting I recently completed for the Shugren family. The family is beginning an exciting adventure – they converted their family barn into a wedding and event venue. The beautiful red barn, built in the 1920’s, is a show-stopper. It sits in the middle of more than 100 green acres, and has been in the family since the day it was built. A serene, shallow pond is situated just west of the barn where lily pads and cattails grace the landscape. I was asked to incorporate both the barn and the pond into a watercolor painting. A painting the owners hope to use as a part of their new business logo. Shugren Barn and Pond Shugrens, I wish your family the best as you begin your new adventure with the Shugren Farm Wedding and Event Venue. For more information on the Shugren Farm: Shugren Farm Wedding and Event Venue.
Watercolor Wednesday: A Pair of Indigo Buntings
The past month has been a whirlwind of crazy! My family has been out-of-town twice, my mom and dad hosted a huge family reunion of over 150 people that we had been preparing for for over a year, the kids and I attended the last of my husband’s amateur soccer games for the 2018 season (his team has been promoted to division one for the 2019 season – woohoo!), and I’ve been working with a great group of soccer parents to organize a recreational soccer league for kids in our community (you can read about the problems we’ve been facing here, here, and here). This Watercolor Wednesday post is not being posted on the first Wednesday of the month, nor is it being posted on a Wednesday at all due to all that has been happening, but I wanted to get caught up. So, without further ado, I present to you: A Pair of Indigo Buntings. My family and I spent a week up at the family cabin last month, and on one particularly rainy day, the kids and I decided to get out our paints. As I sat gazing out of the large lakeside windows, I remembered seeing an indigo bunting fly into the very windows I was peering out of just a few years ago. At the time, I ran out onto the deck and looked over the railing to see an immature male indigo bunting sitting stunned in the shrubs. His bright blue feathers were just beginning to show through. He sat in the shrub for about 10 minutes before flying into the woods, allowing me to take a few photos of him. What a treat it was to sit and observe this skittish species from just a few feet away. Remembering this event led to the painting of A Pair of Indigo Buntings – a bright blue male with a soft brown female on a birch tree. Do you have any memorable bird experiences? I’d love for you to share them in the comments below. Thanks so much for stopping by to read today!
Watercolor Wednesday: Quick and Easy Greeting Cards
I’m posting my Watercolor Wednesday article a day early due to a busy week filled with Independence Day activities. I hope you enjoy! My grandfather’s cousin (I’ll call M) has always been an important part of our family. She has hosted family Christmas’, she attends all family birthday parties, and joins our family for many other gatherings. M is like another grandmother to me – how lucky I am. For years, M has hand-painted watercolor cards for me, my children, and many others – all have been saved and treasured. In fact, my son’s most recent card from M sits proudly on his dresser as I write this post- he loves the owls. Knowing how much my family appreciates M’s hand-painted cards, I thought I would try a few watercolor greeting cards of my own. Plus, what a great way to try new painting techniques. I referenced the good ol’ internet for quick and easy watercolor tutorials, and was drawn to a fun and sweet chickadee video demonstration by Wplus9 Design. Here is the finished product – a Father’s Day card for my dad: The video tutorial is a speed painting, but the steps are not hard to follow – especially when the user can pause the video to catch up when needed. If you’ve ever wanted to try watercolor painting, this video is perfect for beginners. You can check it out below: I have completed two more cards since I painted the chickadee for my dad. The first was a painting of a mallard Imy grandfather – an avid hunter and fisherman. The second is of a comical cardinal I painted today. This male cardinal will be sent as a thank-you card to my friend up in the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. She is a lover of wildlife and animals, so I thought this bright cardinal may bring some joy to her day. These greeting cards take, on average, 30-60 minutes, so they can be done in very short order. Even though they are quick paintings, I find them fun and lively – perfect for greeting cards. My greatest joy in my painting journey has been sharing my work with others. The cards I have received from M have made me smile for years. I hope I can continue this tradition, and spread the same joy to others. Do you create handmade items for others, or have others done this for you? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comment section below. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day! ~Erin
Watercolor Wednesday: Bessie the Cow
In just over a week “Bessie the Cow” was born. You can see her just inside of the door of the barn at Westfalcon Farm.
“Home”: Watercolor Wednesday
Spending a week or two at my great-aunt and uncle’s farm every summer is one of my fondest memories. Waking up each morning to the sun shining in the upstairs farmhouse window, playing in the open fields, caring for the horses and ponies, and enjoying delicious homemade food made it a little girl’s dream, but the best was just being around my great-aunt and uncle. Both were happy, loving, and gentle people – the kind that everyone liked to be around. But, this post is dedicated to my great-uncle. The man you see below with that fantastic smile – a smile he wore often. My great-uncle was the one responsible for igniting my horse passion. He taught me how to care for his horses and ponies – feeding, brushing, and spraying the coat to repel flies. He also taught me how to saddle up Danny (the pony I learned to ride on), adjust the stirrups, and control the reigns. It takes a patient kind of pony to let a learning child take control. From the awkward first saddle tightening to letting me braid his mane into several dozen braids (tying each of them with red ribbon) – Danny was just as patient as my great-uncle. My great-uncle sure loved his horses and ponies, but he also loved his tractors. At about the same time my great-uncle trusted me to take Danny for a ride on my own, my great-uncle talked me into driving his tractor for the first time. I remember the gentle, yet thorough, explanation of how to work the tractor. I also remember his giant belly laugh as I lurched the tractor forward in a not-so-smooth manner. My eyes must have been the size of saucers. My great-uncle urged me to go faster – so I did. He laughed the entire time I was on that tractor. Not ceasing until I parked it back in front of him – relieved, but safe. A few years ago, I was up visiting my great-aunt and uncle, and my great-uncle was proud to show me his tractor that he had restored so perfectly. The 1950 Ferguson TO-30’s gray paint was flawless, and its low rumble continued without a hitch. He even had a small replica of the exact tractor wrapped up in a small blanket and placed safely into a small compartment under the hood – that smile of my great-uncle’s never faltered. That was one of the last times I would see him. My great-uncle passed away this past winter, but he wasn’t alone. Just two days before he passed, Danny, his pony, passed away too. I believe God had a hand in that one. I picture them both in the country – my great-uncle on his tractor and Danny in a field of long grass. After attending my great-uncle’s funeral, and learning of Danny’s passing, I felt the need to paint a picture for my great-aunt – one that I hope will make her smile for years to come. Here is my great-uncle and Danny at “Home”:
Watercolor Wednesday: Rainbow Trout
Due to my new-found love of watercolor painting, I have decided to devote more blogging posts to my paintings, so on the first Wednesday of every month I will feature a new painting along with the story behind the painting. Without further ado, today I am featuring a painting that my son requested as part of his ninth birthday gift – a rainbow trout.