Images of Beijing

Beijing

Tiamenen Square

 

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City

Packed and Ready

I hope to be seeing more of these in their native country...really soon!
We start our first leg today, driving to New Orleans to catch the plane
tomorrow morning.  Everyone in my group seems to be ready and excited.
I hope it will be a great trip.

I have already booked next summer's trip to the Galapagos Islands, leaving
July 14th for 10 days.  This is a fascinating place, loaded with lots of
unique and amazing animals and birds.  We will fly into Quito, Ecuador,
and tour there, and then board a small cruise ship to the islands.
We will sail several days around each island, going ashore to see
the great tortoises, blue-footed boobies (a rare bird), and lots of
other sea life and aquatic animals.  We are scheduled to snorkel with
the sea turtles, and possibly swim with some dolphins.  It
sounds really great...any of you that think you might like to go,
please let me know.  The sooner you get signed up, the better.  You can
begin paying monthly on your trip, and that always makes it easier.
Don't miss this chance to go somewhere really special.  I would love to
have you along.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Postcard Fun

I have been doing a few little postcards to take along on the
trip...to get ahead a little!  I sell these to other travelers in
the large group tour, and I wanted to stock pile some. 

I used some watercolor, and some ink.  I also used a circle
cut out to splatter paint around to make the moon shape.  I used a
stiff brush to splatter the paint with.    I also got to use my
little signature stamp!  Not long now!!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

It Has Already Begun!

We leave for China in just a few days!  One of my art teacher travelers
said he had already done his opening page in his sketchbook, so I
thought I would get started as well!  So, here is my first page in
the China travel sketchbook.  I sketched it in pencil, using photos
in my Fodor's Guidebook to China, and then painted it with
watercolor.  I also used my little signature stamp! (It says "Gail" in
Chinese...who could tell?!)  I usually do this while waiting in
the airport, but now I can just "people watch" in New Orleans, Louisiana,
 Atlanta Georgia, Tokyo, and then Beijing! 
You can check back, and I will be updating the
pages as we go.  Should be a great, colorful, and unique trip.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Final Signs

Got this finished today...all framed and ready to be shipped to Texas.

This one is finished as well.  She has seen them, and likes them,
so I am happy!  I'm sure the wedding will be beautiful.  I will get to
be there, and join in the celebration.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

A Sign of the Time (to get married!)

I have a niece in Texas that recently asked me to do some artwork for
her upcoming wedding, Aug 10th.  She is using the flowers above: blue hydrangeas,
cream roses, white stephanotis, etc

She wants a pair of signs to use at the wedding...this smaller one with "Forever starts
Today".  She said she really liked my colored pencil work, and wanted this one
done in that media. She is also using silver, so I used that to do the
lettering.
I still have to finish the other sign, and will post it when finished.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

 



Cookies and Canvas

We had our first Cookies and Canvas class tonight...what fun!  I had some
students and some adults join in, and we painted an abstract dragonfly. 
The design was easy enough for everyone to do well, and I demonstrated
as we went.  We enjoyed some cookies for refreshments while the
paintings in progress dried.

We have another class on August 20th from 6-8 pm.
The "Cupcakes and Canvas" class will involve painting
a cupcake, and eating one too!  There is plenty of room
still left in the class.  Tell your friends, and ya'll come and
enjoy an evening of painting all together.

Call the gallery to register: 318-628-3560 
$40 (includes all supplies, instruction, and refreshments)

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Bamboo and Bird - Chinese Brush Painting Enjoy!

I leave for China in a week!  Can't wait to see some of this done in person.
My sketchbook will be full of my efforts with this brush.  I hope I will be a
able to blog from there...so stay tuned!

Two Talons, of a Bird in the Boat

Some friends from Winnfield recently visited Alaska.  They took a tour on a
boat that was able to toss out food to entice the bald eagles
in the area.  He said that within a few minutes, there were dozens of
the beautiful birds diving and flying right around the boat.  He
just pointed his camera on high speed, and shot!  He took 700 pics !
I viewed several of them, and this one is by far my favorite.  I
told him I would love a copy...perhaps to draw someday.  He
brought me the photo.  Isn't it stunning?!  It captures the strength,
intensity, and agility of this great bird.  Wow  God has
made some wonderful things for us to enjoy!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Just a Cup of Coffee

Finished up this sign late last night....here it is outside this morning.  

This is the sign after I distressed it a little bit.  I used some wood stain,
and some sandpaper, roughing up the painted letters some and
adding some depth.  I hope the client likes it.  I will get in
touch with him, and see what he thinks.  On to the next project!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Coffee Time

Another project to be done before I leave for China.  A man in Baton
Rouge saw the sign I had done several years ago on this blog,
and contacted me about doing one for him.  I finally found some
wood I could use; I pieced it together, and I started painting it
yesterday.  I have some outlining to do, and tweaking, but should
be finished tomorrow. 

sheltongail@hotmail.com 

The Alamo Almost Finished

I am still working on some "Texas" things for the
Arizona client.  He has a contract to sell some products in the
gift shop at the Alamo, and he wants an image to use on some
things.  I just sent this to him...I have to know which flag to use,
if he wants a cannon, and what color to make the sky?  Seems like some
"nit picky" details, but I don't want to do something, and then have
to do it over!  Hopefully, we are close on this one.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Catch Up Day

I am finally at home, with a day off, and it is time to catch up
on some of these art projects waiting on my desk!  I am still
doing some western designs for a client who lives in Phoenix.  And the
flower sign is for a wedding in August in Texas.
She wants two, and these are the flowers she will be using.
This is just a preliminary sketch...she will let me know if this is
the way to proceed.  Feels good to make a little headway!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Tombstone



That same client wanted something along this line...we will see
what he thinks.  I am revising the Alamo one to include some walls.

Happy 4th!

sheltongail@hotmail.com