Wild about Flowers

It was a busy day here, and I have not been able to draw or

paint today. These are two more of the many photos I took

yesterday, of wildflowers and wildlife around our home. I

do not know the name of the little blue wildflowers..but they

are all over our pasture. They lend a blue hue as you look

out across it. This butterfly is on the hawthorne bush that

is part of our landscaping in the yard. Huey (one of the cats)

spotted it as I was photographing it, and soon after this

picture, he made an unsuccessful attempt at butterfly

nabbing..and landed head first into these bushes. He

disappeared beneath their branches, and emerged looking

rather sheepish on the other side. He is always very

entertaining.

I took the two pencil drawings of Mattie and Essie Mae to

the Tom Peyton Memorial Art show in Alexandria today.

The opening reception is Friday night. We'll see how

they do.

Buzzing Blooms

It was a beautiful day here in Louisiana today.

The spring flowers are blooming in my yard, and

I spent the afternoon photographing them. I

have an ancient wisteria in the front yard, and it

is in full bloom. The bush is alive with the buzzing

of the hundreds of bees busy with their task.

Dewey was fascinated with them...I am just glad

he didn't get stung!

Seashells at the Seashore

I had this photograph enlarged and printed on canvas. It is
large, 30 x 40 inches. It will be in the show in the Key West
section. It would look great in a shore decor space.

Prints of this photo are available in a variety of sizes.
Seashells orig photograph giclee on canvas
30 x 40 $400.00 20 x 30 $300.00 10 x 20 $100.00
sheltongail@hotmail.com

A Mule and A Museum

Here is the finished drawing of the mule, and the destination

for it in about a month. I visited the Schepis Museum in

Columbia, Louisiana today to see the space, and get an idea

of the show's arrangement and installation. It is a really

nice space. The building was built in 1916, and is Italian

architecture. There are two statues on top; George Washington

holding an American flag, and Christopher Columbus holding

an Italian flag. An American eagle flies above them, and an

Italian coat of arms is placed in the center. John Schepis was

an architect in Italy, and immigrated to America, and eventually

built this structure in the riverboat town of Columbia on the

Ouachita River. Over the years the building has been a

mercantile store, a feed and seed business, even a skating

rink. It was restored in 1993 after being placed on the National

Historic Register in 1985. Today it houses the museum with

rotating exhibits, the Caldwell Parish Downtown Development,

and the Chamber of Commerce.

It is fitting that part of my "Destinations" show will include

Italy. Also in the show will be Alaska, Key West, Big Bend,

New York City, and New Orleans. I am excited and will

post you on the progress.

Pigs as Promised

When I posted a photo of my pig the other

day, I promised to send some others. Here

are four more. I believe there are 20 in all.

The Hog Dog Trials start this week, and they

are expecting hundreds of entries from all

over the nation and a couple of foreign

countries. Wierd, I know....

Easter photos

That's all of us this Easter Sunday,

after church, at our house. This is

most of my husband's family, and

we all celebrate holidays together.

I hope you and yours all had a

wonderful Easter as well.

one more piece of the puzzle

I worked awhile on this mule again
tonight. This is just one more part
of the overall design.

We will celebrate Easter tomorrow
with our family. I hope that you will
find time to celebrate as well.

Abstract Thought

I have always enjoyed drawing
and painting in a style that would
be called "traditional realism".
While majoring in Art in college,
I had lots of professors that
wanted me to work in an abstract
style. They argued that there was
no real artistic value in simply
copying life, and that I was not
truly expressing myself with
realism.
As I have been working on this
drawing, I have been impressed
with how each different area of
the drawing, removed from its
context, is so very abstract. I
have been aware of this fact over
many years, and have often
wished I could show certain
professors a work in progress to
prove that I can indeed work in
an abstract style; then I just
combine all the elements, and
aha! a realistic image appears!

This happens to be the ears of
the mule I am drawing, but you
can also consider it an abstract
set of pencil shadings and designs.

whatever floats your boat....

New Mule

This is the last drawing I am doing

for the "Destinations" show. It is

a mule from the French Quarter.

It could be from Big Bend or New

York...I saw mules there, too.

This one was pulling a carriage,

and I took his picture during a

break in the tourist action.

More of him tomorrow....

Window to the World

There is a new website that you need
to check out: VerveEarth.com
You can see blogs from people all over
the world simply by clicking on the
circles all over the world map. pretty
neat...

This is Venice, one of my favorite
images from my trip. Will get this
printed on canvas for the show.

Venice Windows photo on canvas
tba
www.peapatchgallery.com

Royal Street

Another "Destinations" painting for
the show. This is a watercolor on
canvas of the Royal Street Grocery
in New Orleans. I believe it it
still there, and in business. I hope.

I spoke at the Kiwanis meeting
today, and did a program on my
"Riddle Pics". They are the series
of drawings that combine an
animal and an object to form a
word puzzle or pun. They enjoyed
the program, and were successful
at figuring out most of the images.
I want to do "Tiger Woods"...it'll
be a good one!

Royal Street Grocery orig wc on
canvas 16 x 20 $250.00

Pork E.Pine

I've mentioned before that as

artists, we never know exactly

what we might be doing next.

I guess these photos need some

explaining.

Our little town hosts the world's

largest "Hog Dog Trials" every

spring. It is a competition that

hog hunters bring their dogs to

where they compete how well

they can bay a wild hog....I know,

we have invited Jeff Foxworthy.

Anyway, the Chamber of Commerce

owns these 800 lb. concrete hogs

that are sponsored by businesses

to help promote the trials. They

are painted and decorated in various

ways by the businesses as a competition

as well.

This is my hog for this year. I spent the

day painting him...white first, to cover

last year's old paint, and then the "E's",

and finally the pine garland...."Pork E. Pine."

When others around town are finished,

I will try to post some of them...they are

always hilarious.

Hope you have a "high on the hog" weekend.

Finished House

I was able to finish

this house tonight.

They are also

finished painting

at my house...so I

am trying to hang

everything back

up, etc. Good time

for spring cleaning...

info on house portraits:

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Back to the drawing board...

Another house portrait....just starting on
the ink. (Our house is getting back to
normal..they are still painting, but have
moved on to other rooms). I think
this is for a Mother's Day gift. will
paint it tomorrow.

My pencil drawings of "Mattie Claire"
and "Essie Mae" were accepted into
the Tom Peyton Memorial Art show
in Alexandria, LA. woohoo!

For info on house portraits, please
email me.
sheltongail@hotmail.com

Time out....

We are having some painting done at our house,
and my drawing desk is in a mess in the middle
of the den. I am not able to get anything done
right now.
This is a photo from my trip to Italy. This
woman is hanging out her laundry along a
canal. I guess you use the space you have!
So, maybe I can get my drawing stuff, and go
to the kitchen island...and imagine I am
surrounded by a colorful canal full of
gondolas and water taxis. Maybe that will
inspire me....keep you posted.

"Laundry Day" orig photograph

Tuba Man complete

This is the finished "Tuba Man", street
musician from New Orleans. This will
be included in the "Destinations" show.

"Tuba or Not Tuba"
original pencil drawing 21 x 11 $250.00

Tiger Inn

I finished this pen and ink drawing of
a landmark in our little town that is
no longer here. My client found an
old photo, and wanted to know if I
could draw it for a gift for his mother.
I plan to have it printed and then
hand-watercolor the prints.

This little store was located across
from the school, and the students
went here for their snacks, etc. I
was told it was very famous, and
enormously popular.

Tuba or Not Tuba

New Orleans is going to be
included in my upcoming
"Destinations" show in May.
I have been working on
this pencil drawing off and
on for the last couple of
nights. I love the street
musicians in New Orleans;
I have several photos of
these colorful characters.

The watercolor painting
of the owl that I had done
in Alaska sold today, along
with a sunflower painting.
good day....

Tuba or Not Tuba
original pencil unfinished

Pea in a Pod

Another "to do" assignment...
this is a design for a baby
shower invitation. The theme
is a "pea in the pod"...cute.
They will add the text.
Check back tomorrow to see
what's next!!

I have to go to Alexandria
tomorrow to pick up the
two pencil drawings,
"Essie Mae" and "Mattie
Claire". I have entered them
in another show, will have to
see if they get in.

Room Proposal

This is a small sketch I was asked to do
today by a decorator. The sketch is for
a client that is planning to redo a
daughter's bedroom in these colors, etc.
It won't be ready by the girl's birthday,
so they are going to wrap up this
sketch to give her. (I get asked to do
a lot of odd things from time to time.)
The weirdest thing I have ever
drawn was a tattoo design for this
guy of a cartoon-like baseball player.
He later came by and showed me
the finished product on his bicep.
wow....my artwork is walking
around on some guy's arm...what
will be next!

a time away....

Two adorable smiling faces...

these two belong to my niece

and her husband.
I got the chance for a short

visit the last two days while

finishing up some business.

I plan to draw the two of

them (I have some more

serious photos!)

I have a whole pile of

commissions to do...

houses and animals,

and I will have to get to

some of them this

week. The "Destinations"

show is shaping up; been

framing and getting

things in order.

Will keep you posted.

A view of New Orleans

I am still working on the
"Destinations" show to be
hung in May. New Orleans
is going to be included in that
show. This is a photograph I
took a couple of years ago, before
the storm. I think that is how
the locals measure things now...
before or after. I have been down
there recently, and the French
Quarter (where this was taken) is
virtually normal. I do know that
overall the city is not, however, normal.
And may never be. It makes me
very sad. It is a unique and marvelous
place.

New Orleans View photograph 8 x 10
$35.00
sheltongail@hotmail.com
www.peapatchgallery.com