Artwork, travel, and musings by artist, Gail H. Shelton.
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I have always wanted to make a trip to Washington, DC to photograph the cherry blossoms. It has been on my bucket list for awhile. How surprised I was to see cherry blossoms in full bloom while in Nashville last week?! It was overcast, but I still got some images. The trees were beautiful, and all over the downtown area. I would like to use some of these in some scripture photos. Pretty....check! sheltongail@hotmail.com |
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Sibley Lake is in Natchitoches, near my home. There is a large cove in the lake that used to be full of these graceful lotus plants. I took lots of photographs of them last summer. I decided to draw one of those photographs in colored pencil. This is the finished drawing. I used some of the solvent to help melt the pencil, and I used the Icarus Board to blend the background. I will take this up to the gallery tomorrow, and it will be on display and for sale. sheltongail@hotmail.com |
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MOTHER'S DAY GIVE-AWAY Here's close-ups of the little watercolors I painted in the garden at Minden yesterday. The irises are at the top, then the little pot of flowers, and the lemon tree at the bottom. I think I will give these all away. Leave me a comment before Mother's Day, and I will give all three away. They are 8 x 10, matted and ready to frame. So, leave me a comment or email me (some people have trouble with the comment section?!), and I will put your name in the hat. There will be three winners this time, and I will give the first name I pick, first pick of the paintings! Just a little Mother's Day "happy"! sheltongail@hotmail.com |
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This is a whole collection of floral watercolors that I designed as garden flags. I am going to submit them to Toland Flag Company as possible flags for them to manufacture. Speaking of gardens, I have been asked again to paint at the Minden Garden tour on Saturday, April 26th. They ask several artists to be on location during the tour at each home. I have done this several times before, and it is quite enjoyable. They have assigned my home, and I am going to try to check out Google Maps and see if I can find it. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate, and I will be able to sell some of the quickie watercolors I will do that day. I also plan to take some of my poppy bags, and other merchandise to sell too! sheltongail@hotmail.com |
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| I did get a chance to do a little drawing this weekend. This is progressing slowly...I get lost in the details! |
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| I added a little bit more dark background, and tweaked the blossoms some...adding some darker values and details. This tree is out my front door, and this year the blooms were stunning. In fact, all of the pear trees all over town have been prettier this year than anyone can remember. They say it is because of the extremely cold winter we have had. That is probably true. Sometimes we get to experience real beauty only after we have gone through real adversity. Amen. sheltongail@hotmail.com |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| I had the pleasure of going with a couple of my students over to Natchitoches last evening, to take a few pics, watch some birds, and enjoy a good meal. These lotus flowers are growing along one of the lakes there, and they were beautiful. They make me think of China, and the upcoming trip. I will try to paint some of these in the Chinese style soon. pretty |
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The sun finally came out today, after a stormy Christmas day. It lit up these white poinsettias by the window...thought you might enjoy them. I am reading a little book I received. It is titled: More Than a Bucket List, by Toni Birdsong. I have been interested in my own bucket list for years. This little book, however, deals with dreams, passions, and faith, and how you can better yourself and achieve goals in these areas of your life...thus crossing these off your "bucket list" as well. "You'd have a hard time proving this, but most of us agree that the older we get, the faster time seems to speed by. As our time on earth gets shorter, the list of promises we make to ourselves tends to get longer. This book will encourage you to view these accomplishments from God's point of view and to make your bucket list matter eternally along the way. With each page, the dream inside you will be drawn out-the higher dream of what God has purposed for you." Toni Birdsong so as the new year approaches, I will be adding some things to my list...hopefully improving my character along the way! |
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| There are some blackeyed susans down by the creek.... |
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| As I prepared to photograph them, I suddenly had some help from Huey |
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| I tried a back lit shot up close... |
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| Then, a different set up.... |
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| I wanted a blurrier background..... |
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| And of course, the last one I took is my favorite! I love blackeyed susans...the simple wildflowers that blooms along our roads here in the South in the summer. I had been wanting to photograph some before they went away. So, I stopped several places along the highway (risking getting run over by a log truck!). I wasn't able to get what I wanted, so I drove on home. And then I spotted some flowers right along the creek that winds through our land, so I picked some and took them to the house. I moved them around outside, trying different effects, etc, (and with a lot of interference from a certain four-legged friend). I finally liked the very last one I took...isn't is always either the very first one, or the very last?! Hope you are enjoying a simple and beautiful summer where you are. sheltongail@hotmail.com |
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Some flower paintings (acrylic on canvas) |
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| Flower art display in the gallery |
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| New spring tunics |
