Life is Short....

Available on Etsy

....Eat Dessert First! So tonight my Grandson Mason is spending the night. I told him we could eat out any place he wanted to go. He decided on Olive Garden. "It has salads Granny Jo and I know you like salads."  So we went to Olive Garden. But before we got there we stopped by Wendy's for a yummy frosty.  After stuffing our faces with salad and bread sticks, he had a make your own pizza which looked more like a meat lover's pizza to me. Even the waitress said it looked awesome.

I got a shrimp pasta dish. It was good but it was a bit spicy. It didn't take long until we were both stuffed. The waitress was like, "you hardly ate anything." And then I told her well you know life is short, we ate dessert first.

Tea Time

Jeannie's Website

Available on Etsy

I have a friend, Jeannie, who owns Sandpiper Boutique 6142 Maddox Blvd, Chincoteague Island, VA. Jeannie is a long time friend. She invited me to put porcelain and my alcohol ink art prints in her shop.  Recently I was in Ocean City which isn't too far from there so I dropped by. Jeannie's family is from Taiwan and her brother processes and sells tea. As I was shopping, I noticed she had some of her brother's Jasmine Green Tea there. I bought a couple of tins of the loose tea. I love that tea. It's like drinking flower petals!   It's so yummy.

Fall Ya'll

Original Oil Painting on Canvas Available on Etsy

Yes indeed. The mornings are starting off with that little chill in the air. 

The crickets are chirping big time. I see waterfowl flying in formation, kids with backpacks and school buses on the road. 

Yep it's Fall Ya'll~

The Setting Sun

Sunset is my favorite time of day. You never know how it will look or what colors you will find. Sometimes its a dusty pink or a dark blue or even a mix of the two for a beautiful shade of purple but the most spectacular is when it's that bright orange as in the photo I took in Key West. This photo was not digitally enhanced. That sunset was just like this....breathtakingly beautiful.


If you'd like a print or cards made of this photo you can find it on my website:  
http://joann-y-wheeler.artistwebsites.com/featured/sunset-in-the-keys-joann-y-wheeler.html

Tea Anyone?

So I've had some pieces waiting to go on to Etsy for a little while now. Well last night I got the listing bug. Here's 2 of them related to tea.  They are also related in that they both have yellow roses. Yellow Roses were my Mom's favorite rose. She passed away 1 1/2 years ago. So here you go Mom...yellow roses...thinking of you today.

The one to the left is a miniature teapot box. Inside is a tiny porcelain yellow rose.

Here's the link to it:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/198538614/hand-painted-porcelain-mini-tea-pot?


The one to the right is a small teapot. It is useable as it will hold enough tea for one cup.
This is microwaveable. You could put it in the dishwasher but I think I would handwash it so the ends of the roses and the leaves don't get chipped.

Here's the link to the listing:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/198554664/hand-painted-porcelain-small-tea-pot?

The Beach

It's almost time for the annual trip to the beach. I'm not a lay on the beach person, but I do love the beach walks and just watching the water go by. This watercolor the the nautilus shell was painted at the beach. I generally take some ACEO watercolor cards, brushes and paints with me. During the week when I get bored or just want to get away from my kids, their spouses and kids, I'll hide out somewhere and "Art".

This year by best friend and her husband are coming so I'm not sure how much painting I will get done because I certainly won't be bored. :)

If you are interested in a print of this watercolor it is available in my watercolor gallery on my website.

click here

Time Flies!

I can't believe it's been 5 years that I have been studying iconography. Over the years, I have learned so much from my teacher Irena. She is a master iconographer who is from Russia. Her job in Russia was working for the Synod of Bishops restoring ancient icons. There's so much in her head, it amazes me sometimes. You would have thought after 5 years I would know everything she does but every so often she will say something or teach me something that is completely new to me. 

Iconography is not easy. It is so unlike any other form of painting I've ever done. I enjoy working on the icons because by the end of it, I feel like I know that Saint as well as any of my real friends as I study their image and talk them in silent prayer.

To purchase a print of this icon, please click here.