After Christmas Sale

January 3-22, my Etsy Team, Folkart and Prims (FAAP) is having a sale!  I'm looking forward to finding some great bargains!

Search AFTERXMASFAAP on Etsy to find the sale items or check out our E-catalogue. If you are on Facebook, join our FAAP Marketplace!

What a View

So today I went with the DH (today's meaning-Darling Husband) to one of his coworker's open house. Steve had knocked down his house and rebuilt it.

His house is on the water in Baltimore County. It has a killer view.

As I sat talking and mostly listening to his coworkers and their wives, I couldn't help day dreaming from time to time as I enjoyed the view.

Available on Etsy

On the way home we were going over the Key Bridge and the sunset was just amazing. I was thinking as I snapped the photo it might be an inspiration for an alcohol ink painting at some point like the print to the right.

Mason the Safety & the Maryland State Flag

Acrylic on wood. Available in my Etsy Shop

Mason, my grandson, is back in school. Can't believe he is in 5th grade. He applied to be a Safety this year and was thrilled to be chosen as the Flag Safety. That means every day he puts up and takes down the American Flag and the Maryland State Flag.

We had a big discussion about the Maryland State Flag and how to remember which way was up. I told him the  right corner should have the cross that goes up to Heaven, like Jesus did. I googled it and showed him how it should look.  So the day before yesterday before he takes the flag down, he runs up to my car and say's "Granny Jo look at the flag." I almost spit out my coke. He had it upside down!!!

I told him so but he said that one of the teachers told him that when he put it the way I told him that it was incorrect. I told him, I knew my flag. I worked 35 years for the State of MD and that was one of my pet peeves!  So yesterday he runs out to the car pointing to the flag and I gave him a thumbs up because it was correct.

Mason said the teacher told him again  it was wrong again and instead of being diplomatic, he told her she should google it because Granny Jo worked for the State for 35 years and it's her pet peeve.

Well if this apple box doesn't sell I just might have to give it to her as an apology at the end of the year.

Tomorrow is Fall Ya'll

Luster China Paints

Raised Enamel China Paint

It's hard to believe that summer is over! Soon the tree leaves will be changing colors and the next thing you know there will be no leaves on the trees.

I am not happy about putting away my flip flops until next year but I have mixed emotions. I love the crisp fresh air of fall and the beautiful colors in the trees. 

Then again winter, everything looks so cold and stark. But all of that gives me something to look forward to...summer returning and the return of my beloved flip flops!

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Note: both of the items above are available in my Etsy shop. Click the photo to go to the listing.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

So for a week I was floating on a boat so to speak. My husband and I took an 8 day Caribbean which also stopped in Charleston, SC and Port Canaveral, FL during Thanksgiving week.

It was a little strange to be away on a holiday. There was no kids or grand kids, no getting up early to cook the turkey and worse of all no black Friday sales!

Click here to go to my Etsy listing.

It was nice to get away to the beautiful islands and warm weather. Then I came back to 3 days of rain and cold weather!

The cold inspired this colored pencil piece that is available in my Etsy shop.  I'm hoping it warms up a bit so that I'll be inspired to paint some of the beautiful photos I took while in the Caribbean! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Welcome Fall

The temperatures are noticeably cooler in the morning and the days are getting shorter and shorter...Welcome Fall!

I'm not looking forward to raking the 50 bags of leaves that come with it. What a work out! Last year I left some in a grassy area and the grass died. I won't get lazy again.

The decorations are up and the DH (Darling Husband) can't wait to do his Halloween theme thing. But for how, it's happy pumpkins and scarecrows!

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Still Life, Oil on Canvas adhered to metal plaque.  

Available on Etsy:   Click Here for Link to Etsy Listing

August is Artist Appreciation Month....

China Painted piece from Joyce Taylor seminar.

....who knew? Thanks to the folks over at  Patience Brewster for letting me know about this holiday! Patience is an artist who creates whimisical Christmas Ornaments and figurines.  When I got thinking about Artist Appreciation Month, I thought, I've been painting a long time and I had no idea. I was inspired to share some of the artists that have had an impact on my work today.

When I was a kid one of my "toys" was always pencil and paper and that's how I got started really. I remember my Dad doodling little faces while he talked on the phone. Dad wasn't a traditional artist but he was a Masonry Specialist and his art involved brick and mortar. Even though he's been gone 2 years now, his work lives on and will for a long time. He created beautiful brick faced buildings, steps, fireplaces, barbecues, not to mention his work with stone and marble.

In 1986 I was taking a drawing class at the community college and met a china painter. She invited me to come to her studio. Her name was Jean Featherstone. When she invited me, she told me that I could use her brushes, paints, etc. and and the end of the class if I liked it I could buy my own and if not I could have a beautifully painted porcelain plate., Well I liked it and the rest is Herstory. 

My watercolor inspiration was inspired from all the ACEO artists that were in my art circles on Ebay. I dabbled with that and found that it was much like china painting, painting from light to dark. I was very comfortable with it.

I always liked to use pastel and colored pencil but I have no recollection of how I got into that. I was self taught for that. Although I guess looking at the beautiful chalk paintings in the art galleries were probably where I got the inspiration.

Later when I start dabbling in decorative painting in acrylics I met a group of ladies in the Chesapeake Bay Decorative Painters many of those were teachers. Kathy Anthony, Debbie Reeder, Candy,Mollica, Beverly Cratty, etc...all inspired my painting and helped me learn techniques that I could then incorporate in my other art forms.

One day I was on Facebook and a friend in my art circles, Riv, was showing off some of her paintings in alcohol ink. Oh boy. I was hooked on that big time for a while. I took classes on line from Karen Walker. She was such a good teacher. 

Over the years I have taken lots of seminars, workshops, classes and watched demonstrations by many talented artists (watercolor, alcohol ink, colored pencil), china painters, and decorative artists. From each of these I was left with a little bit of their style and techniques. But my biggest inspiration is the best artist of all, the God who created the sunset and sunrise, the seascape and the landscape, animals and  humans and who also gave me the talent to develop in my life journey.
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