Today's Muse is brought to you by : Jack Frost (and by the number 6)

I have always had to take Hallmark's word for it that snowflakes are in fact delicate little lacy stars...until today. My reward for getting out and clearing the driveway was to be showered with these beautiful little wonders.

Please forgive a 30-something year old getting way too excited about snow, but a child growing up in England is deprived of many good snow days. Despite the fact that driving down treacherous hills and clearing a long steep driveway are more in order than snowmen and sledging these days, there is still a joyous bubbling in my stomach ever time the flakes start fluttering.

I hope there will always be magic in the snow.

Color Pencil Landscape : Art Work in Progress : Summer

I had just enough pencil left to start a small work on smooth mat board, so it won't be too hard on my remaining pencil stumps. This will be the final one in the "Seasons" series. I am hoping to get it finished and framed in time for the show at L & M Gallery - 15th March  :  www.lmartgallery.com

Yikes! 15th March - there's only one thing to do when deadline looms - make a promise.

I PROMISE to post an update on this drawing EVERY DAY this week, until it is done.

Lordy! now I'm for it

Today's Muse is brought to you by Lulu a very elegant German Shepherd

For the past month I've been meaning to photograph Lulu basking in the morning sun, but never quite got around to it. Today I was heading down to the studio to start a new painting, and instead of hopping into the warm vacant seat, Lulu starts padding around the studio and up and down the hallway like she does when she wants to go out. So I go back to let her out into the garden, but instead she jumps straight onto her bed and fixes me with a meaningful stare.

Today she wants her picture taken. Today she is a film star, not a shy teenager slinking out of the shot as quickly as possible. Today she is my muse.

Tomorrow she will be my Snacktastic Fluffbag of a dog again

Who ate all my colored pencils?

I must start off with an apology. I got so carried away listening to "Anthony and Cleopatra" by Colleen McCullough and the work was just flowing by, that I quite forgot to take an intermediary photo to show you, before getting stuck into real color. You can still see most of the purple under painting though.

I am working on Cold Press watercolor paper, which is rougher than I usually use. The texture is terrific for the paper bags, but it sure does eat up my pencils. I am down to a single stumpy nub on the Dark Indigo.

I also appear to have blown through my reserve stock of favorite colors which means, alas, a trip to Jerry's Art Store this week. What is a girl to do? Forced to spend the morning browsing through paper, testing the pencils and sniffing the oil paint. And then I suppose I will HAVE to have lunch at the Whole Foods just down the road. Such a trial.

Hire Me to draw a Portrait of your Home : Custom House Paintings

After an excellent article in Art Calendar Feb 2009 by Molly Crabapple - I have been working on a new "Hire Me" page to promote my House Portraits. I always enjoy reading Molly's contributions and often flick to those first. I can count on them to be stuffed with useful ideas and advise. Good and MEATY, tell-it-like-it-is prose...with lashings of gravy. - Yum - I've found one of the loveliest commissions to work on is the celebration of a family home - Mom and Dad get the original, perhaps as a retirement present, with prints for all your brothers and sisters.

There's no need to fix the place up either - Artistic License allows me to overlook anything you'd rather not immortalise. And if you've only just moved in and the only thing you're proud of is the front door...well I do those to. I'll even paint it a different color if you want and make "We've Moved" note cards to send to your friends.

You needn't limit your ideas for a commissioned drawing to just your beautiful home - how about capturing that favorite summer retreat by the lake; or the romantic view from your Honeymoon Hotel Window; or the magic of Grandma's spectacular garden. What place holds a special place in your heart?

If you are anything like me, you tend to have the best ideas three days before the event. So for all us Last Minute Geniuses there is also a Gift Certificate. So if you have maybe left it just a weeny bit late or you cannot obtain photos, the Certificate will come in an elegant presentation pack  - such an original house warming or wedding present. (rush shipping available)

Broken Christmas Ornament : Charcoal Drawing

Every year, without fail, there will be a casualty by the end of Christmas. This broken bauble was actually laying on top of the garbage, when the light caught those weird inner prongs...they twinkled...and winked...and it gained a reprieve.

I usually draw from photographs, but the practise of drawing from life in an unfamiliar, fragile medium is an engaging challenge. I think there will be more.

This charcoal still life drawing is part of the “Carbon Footprints” series

Spit and Polish : shiny new art resume

Well, THAT was a busy weekend. I have been polishing up my resume for an upcoming show entry and boy did it take some polishing. So after digging through the archive shoebox of old programs and postcards I unearthed some nice juicy quotes to include - something I didn't realise I should do.

As I did not attend art school, I have always felt a bit embarrassed that there was nothing meaty to put under "Education".  I would wonder whether to gloss over the fact and leave out this section altogether and I was always rather glad that the Education section is traditionally at the end of the document. But after reading "Brag" by Peggy Klaus,I have decided to shout it out loud.

It is what makes me different.

It is my story.

It is the first and last paragraph, the framework for my new resume.

Color Pencil Art in Progress : paper and plastic bags

Well I think it's done.

I'm still living with it a little longer and making minor adjustments, but I'm pretty happy with this.

I burnished the plastic bags with a white pencil to make them look slick, but left the texture of the drawing paper to come through in the paper bags. So there is a nice contrast of shiny and rough textures, as well as the contrasting juicy purple shadows against the pure yellow highlights.

Still no title.

Color Pencil Still Life Art in Progress

OK! everything's got color in it.

Now I get to sit with it a while.

It's on an easel across from me at breakfast; it's joins me for lunch at the kitchen table and it's propped up next to the TV in the evening. It moves around the house with me throughout the day so I can see it in different lights and live with it long enough for things to start bugging me.

I've also got to think of title...all suggestions gratefully received -  just leave a comment at the end of the post.

Color Pencil Still Life : paper and plastic bags

I got quite carried away today and if it hadn't been for Lulu I would probably have forgotten lunch.

Lulu NEVER forgets lunch

I am on the final stages now, before I start on the fine details and any corrections I want to make.