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
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.
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.