Artwork, travel, and musings by artist, Gail H. Shelton.
 |
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 |
 |
| During my walk this morning, I saw a lot of dandelions along the road. It was a beautiful day, and I decided to go get my camera. |
 |
| I also grabbed a black sketchbook, and tried to hold it behind the subject to give it some drama! So picture me sitting on the ground, camera in my right hand, left hand reaching out with the book in hand behind the thistle, trying to make sure and not block the sun...awkward |
 |
| Same photo, just cropped...better |
 |
| So, then on the computer...playing with some effects. This is black and white, with a lot of contrast. |
 |
| Of course, while shooting, I had some help. Dewey had to get under my leg, and snuggle up, shedding his black fur all over me...lovely. Thanks, Dewey. |
 |
| Final image...I would print this one. That's the beauty of digital photography. The computer can enable you to make works of art from the simplest subject. You can edit, play, do and undo, flip, re-color, crop, sharpen, and saturate. I hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy this beautiful world of ours this weekend. sheltongail@hotmail.com |
 |
"Let it Bee" Polychromos and Prismacolors on Arches Hot pressed paper 15 x 22 $900.00 I finished this drawing this weekend. It was a lot of fun. I have never really done a fuzzy, out of focus background before. It was a challenge at first, until I figured out what I needed to do. The white flowers are a mixture of so many different colors: purple, grey, blue, gold. All of those colors will blend to create a shadow on a white surface. It is often influenced by the other colors being reflected by the white surface. The white that you do see is plain paper. I use an electric eraser to clean up the white areas...they can get kinda smudged as you are working. sheltongail@hotmail.com |
 |
| Took a nature walk today....to see the signs of spring! |
 |
| This is my wisteria....poised to bust open any minute with big beautiful purple blooms |
 |
| This tree is starting to do something...with these neat little tassels... very oriental |
 |
| This is a scary face in a tree!! |
 |
| This is a fern that was nipped by the very late freeze we had recently |
 |
| And this is yellow jasmine...it grows wild in the woods around my home. And it is full bloom all over the place. I love the color yellow...it is a "happy" color. Many of these photos are the small things....tiny details that you have to really look for to be able to notice. I love doing that. It is like a treasure hunt, which I used to do with my parents. We would go for walks, and try to find "treasures"...whether we were at the beach, or the lake, or just out in the country. It might be a piece of a shell, or a pretty rock, or a turkey feather (which I found today). They taught me to be observant, and to notice the fascinating details found in nature all around us. And it can be a time of gratitude and appreciation for all that God has blessed us with all around us. It is also a skill that is useful as an artist. A lot of my work involves detailed work just like these photos. I hope that you enjoy all of it! Thanks for your support! sheltongail@hotmail.com |
 |
| I have made a little progress on this drawing. I just have the last little right hand corner to do. It has been fun trying to make the background look out of focus. (That is how I see without my glasses on!) I will continue to tweak a bit...going back and tightening up details, and adjusting values. |
 |
| These are some wild pear trees that are blooming near the house as well. They are almost bloomed out...these are the last little petals hanging on. |
 |
| Welcome Spring....we have been waiting for you! We have had some gorgeous weather this week... I am so grateful. I am sure we will have some more cool weather, but I am enjoying it for now! You can still leave me a comment to be entered in the free giveaway of the cardinal drawing. I will pick a winner from the comments at the end of the month. If you can't get the comment section to work, just email me, and I will enter your name. sheltongail@hotmail.com |
 |
| I did get a chance to do a little drawing this weekend. This is progressing slowly...I get lost in the details! |
 |
| 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 |
 |
| I have been having the best time watching these little guys! The mockingbird pair started trying to build their nest in the wreath on my front door about 6 weeks ago. Then there were 4 little blue eggs. And now, there are 3 very hungry and sleepy little baby birds! I check on them all the time...and I hope they get used to seeing me through the glass, with my camera. I have put up a wire barrier to try to keep my cats away...I so hope that they do not end up as appetizers. I will keep you posted on their progress! "Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord!" sheltongail@hotmail.com |
 |
| This is a pastel drawing that I did awhile back, and I sold it this week to a collector. I did this during a garden tour, where I was painting on location. |
 |
| These are some geraniums on my patio, and I thought I would do a little painting on location at home! |
 |
| This is my finished pastel drawing that I did while enjoying the beautiful weather outside today. Generally, I work from light to dark...and as it starts to take shape, it is made up of only the light values...the paler colors. It never really looks complete, until the darks are added. It is the contrast that adds the final touches. It is not a complete design without the darker parts. As I thought back over this incredible week, the loss, the sorrow, and the heartache from so many tragedies (here and across our nation), I could not help but take notice also of the heroism, the outpouring of compassion, and the unity of spirit among so many as well. It was like the light and the dark existing side by side...like in great artwork. So it is, that life is not truly experienced except when we face both good and bad, highs and lows, true joy and great sorrow. And it is our God who never forsakes us or fails us...no matter what the situation. I pray that you have been able to find His peace in some small way this week. I know I have. sheltongail@hotmail.com |
 |
| I thought this would be a good image for today. I have been guilty of wishing my life away at times, waiting for circumstances or timing to be just right. We all tend to believe that the grass is always greener somewhere else, and that we can be happy only when everything is perfect. We waste precious time under-appreciating (is that a word?!) our lives as they are. I love the words written here: The time to be happy is now The place to be happy is here I saw this somewhere years ago in my life, when I needed to see it, and it really spoke to me. I thought it would look good with this "happy" sunflower, and the contented bees. I hope on this God's day, you can appreciate your own life, and embrace your circumstances, and be grateful. I will try too! sheltongail@hotmail.com |
 |
We got up before sunrise this morning, and made our way out to Boxley Valley where the elk usually browse. They told us that early morning would be the best time to see them...and they were right! The elk were there and they were stirring around. It was cold, about 34 degrees, and the crisp mountain air was filled with the bugling and whistling of the bulls. We were not alone; there were about a dozen other photographers there, whispering and moving their tripods around. The elk didn't seem to notice. A few of the bulls chased each other a little...but we didn't get to see any challenges. All in all, it was a great morning, and I have many more wonderful photos of these beautiful animals. I will print some of these, and they will be available in the gallery. sheltongail@hotmail.com Elk Herd Boxley Valley Ponca, Arkansas |
 |
| We ate lunch here on the way to Harrison, Arkansas |
 |
| yum....peanut butter and chocolate ganache pie.. |
 |
| "Patsy's Antiques in Ozone, Arkansas This cute store was next door to the diner. I found an adorable quilt here for $25...wow |
 |
| We stopped along the Buffalo River...just beautiful |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Can you see the little snails on the rocks? |
 |
We made it up into Arkansas yesterday, and spent the night in Conway, above Little Rock. We drove on farther north this morning, into a cold front moving through the state. The temperature dropped, and it rained most of the day. We managed to get a few good shots on our way to find the elk. We did find the elk late in the day...and I got some great shots of some really big bull elk. But I will save those till tomorrow! so stay tuned! sheltongail@hotmail.com |
