Flowers and Frames

I began the day among the blooming iris in the

backyard. I love these flowers. My mother had

planted some in our backyard, and I can remember

enjoying them as a child.

The frame came in for the Trade School portrait, and

I began the process of framing it. They do want to

come and approve before the final assembly. So, it

is sitting behind the frame. Hopefully, I will get the

thumbs up, and can get this project finished.

On to other things...

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Louisiana Pecan Festival Poster contest

The deadline for the Louisiana Pecan Festival

Poster is May 1. I have been playing around with

some design ideas. I have never entered before.

I am usually not interested in entering these contests;

I usually think my art is not very applicable, or

the competition is too stiff, and I don't have a chance.

But they have contacted me for the last two years,

and I feel kind of obligated to at least send something

in. I tried looking up past winners, and could only

find one: a very realistic watercolor still life with

pecan products (pecan syrup, pecan pie, a bag of

pecans, etc).

Anyway, I am thinking graphic, with some browns,

blues, and aqua. Will post the progress.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Louisiana Pecan Festival Colfax, LA Fall 2010

Final Exam

This is the finished drawing of the Huey P. Long
Trade School. I used black watercolor to do the
washes over the ink drawing. I will mat and frame
this original, and the Trade School is purchasing
it from me. It will hang in the new school that has
been approved, and will be built in the near future.
I still have to do some tweaking over the main
door; there is an added awning there now that was
not original to the building. I have to see an old
photo to see what was above the door. I will try
to do that tomorrow, and add the finishing touches.

I enjoyed doing this drawing. And I hope they are
pleased with the results.

for info on House Portraits/Architecture Drawings:
sheltongail@hotmail.com

Promise of the Flowers

I took a long afternoon walk today after a short

spring shower. I came across these blackberry

vines in full bloom. There used to be lots of these

across the back of our pasture. When my daughter

was small, we would walk to the back with buckets,

and pick the berries. There are countless thorns on

the vines, so you had to be careful. But we would

always manage at least part of one bucket before we

gave in. My husband loves blackberry cobbler, and

always told me how his grandmother used to make it

all the time. His grandfather would put it in a mayonnaise

jar and take it with him. I still make him some from time

to time, without the jar, and he still loves it.

I am almost finished with the pen and ink drawing. Will post

the final results soon.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Ink and Watercolor

Been doing a little bit of several things tonight.

I have been working on the pen and ink drawing,

and then taking a break, and dabbling with the

watercolors. I am also doing some work on the

New Orleans collages. (it's kind of a mess around

my desk). But it is fun to see progress on lots

of different things all at once. I can always clean

up later...

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Gotta Start Somewhere

Lately it seems like I have had commissions hanging
over my head ( it is really a good problem to have!)
So, while I am doing some garden stuff and also
doing some New Orleans things, I am supposed to be
working on this large pen and ink drawing for the
local Huey P. Long Vocational School.
This is their old historic building,
and they are going to build a new one soon. They
wanted a drawing of the original building to hang in the
lobby of the new school.

I am doing it in ink first, and then I will use an ink
wash and some thin watercolor washes to fill it in
and give it a nostalgic look. I read some great advice
in my new Art Calendar magazine yesterday about
time management: a concept I think all artists struggle
with. It said that if you have a big project to tackle,
work in small available time slots...if you think you are
going to have long, uninterrupted blocks of time to
finish it, you are fooling yourself! So take advantage
of even small amounts of time to get at least something
done. So that's what I did tonight, and I got started
at least. Will try to post progress as I go.

Garden Flower Pots

A couple more little watercolors to sell at the
upcoming Le Jardin Garden Tour. I am trying
to do some ahead of time, so I will have more
things to sell than just the things I can finish
that day.

I have done a lot of painting on location. It is
one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy interacting
with the people, and they are always intrigued to
get to watch an artist at work. I have done it
several times in San Antonio (my home town),
in front of the Alamo and down on the riverwalk.
I have painted in the Grand Canyon, on the Grand
Canal in Venice, in the gardens in Charleston, and
down in the French Quarter. I am always honored
when someone buys my work as soon as I finish it;
it is such a thrill, and such validation (which is
one thing I believe all artists need!) I would love to
hear some of your stories of being an artist out in the
world...email me with some details!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Painting the Garden

I started painting some small watercolors of the

Rossi garden where I will be in a week and a half.

I hope I will be able to sell some of these during

the tour. When I did the tour before, I realized that

the customers really wanted "garden paintings",

not just "flower paintings". They wanted a garden

element...a statue, a bench, a fence, a birdhouse,

along with the flowers. So maybe these will be more

popular. We'll see!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Signs of Spring

Everyone in the South is familiar with dogwood

trees, and how lovely they are in the spring. I

received an email from an old friend who said he

was bringing a "Yankee" friend with him tomorrow

to the gallery: to eat some good home cooking, and

to see the dogwoods. I am sure he will get the food,

but I am afraid he will have missed the trees.

These photos are from last weekend around my

house, but as of today, most of the blooms are

gone.

I never get tired of spring flowers; I hope you are

not tired of me posting them!!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Another Invitation

I just finished this wedding invitation for a

friend of my daughter's. The flower designs

were embossed into the invitation already,

and I simply colored in the background and

outlined them so they would show up. She is

using those colors in the wedding. I will mat

and frame it, and get it on its' way to the bride.

For info on Painted Wedding Invitations:

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Wild About Azaleas

I received my new copy of Southern Living magazine

the other day, and as I turned the page, I saw a

beautiful photo of one of these wild azaleas. We have

them all along our little creek, and they are blooming

right now.

I have to draw a flower for a competition in Houston

later this year, and I think one of these would be very

striking. They are almost sculptural; so many different

elements...they look like dancers, or maybe fairies...

Dancing spring fairies along our woodland creek...cool.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

In the Garden

Can't you just see watercolor paintings from these?

This is where I will be in two weeks during the

Le Jardin Garden Tour in Shreveport. They invite

artists to paint in the gardens. This belongs to a

young woman named Daphne, and she has worked

hard on getting it ready. It should be a fun day...

let's pray for good weather!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Colored Pencil Stars

I have spent all evening preparing these images and an

artist's statement for an upcoming publication. I was

informed by Vera Curnow, the founder of the Colored

Pencil Society, that all the signature members are going

to be included in the CPSA Signature Showcase book to

be published this summer. I feel very honored, and I am

excited to be included in such a publication. I selected these

two pieces:

"Girl's Day Out"...the three female mallards in the swirling

water. This piece launched my professional career, and has

been very good to me.

"What Goes Around, Comes Around" these colorful pinwheels

were included in the international exhibition of the CPSA in

Chicago a few years ago.

I was also busy today taking photos in Shreveport of the garden

where I will be painting in two weeks. It is lovely, and I will try

to post some pics of it as well. busy....just the way I like it!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

www.cpsa.org for more info on colored pencil

Onward and Upward

This is an altered photo of the famous Pat O'Brien's

in New Orleans. I am starting on a new series of

New Orleans themes, on canvas, with the hope of

getting them in a gallery down there. I am working

on them while I am drawing on the Trade School

building.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Final Four

I have been able to finally finish this portrait
of this family, while my husband was busy
watching the basketball game! I will try to
contact her today and tell her it is ready.
I have a couple more commissions to do,
and will try to post them as I go.

For info on Pencil Portraits:
sheltongail@hotmail.com

More Round Top

This is why the population of Round Top

swells every spring and fall....antiques, and

lots of them. I did buy some things for the

shop, but not until I had looked and shopped

a lot. There is so much to see, you can't

possibly begin to see it all.

There was a definite "look"...the light grey

washed furniture with the printed burlap

upholstery; lots of wire chandeliers; large

lanterns and garden urns; a very urban

chic antique style. There are some blogs

that define this style (I am not sure whose

they are..but I am sure you could find them

if you look). And then there was lots

of the primitive and eclectic antiques that I am

more fond of. "To each his own..." there was

plenty for all!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Easter Greetings

Hope you and yours all had a very blessed

Easter Sunday. Praise God from whom all

blessings flow...from our family to yours.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Accomodations

While in Round Top, our little group stayed at

the Mariposa Ranch. It is a bed and breakfast

in the Texas countryside outside of Brenham.

There are several houses on the property, and

a central office and kitchen where breakfast was

served. The last photograph is of the chapel that

the owner built for his daughter's wedding. It

was a great place for a little quiet meditation.

From what I was told, these accomodations are

booked a year in advance of the Round Top festivals

each year. They are held the first week in April, and

the first week in October. Before we checked out,

they were asking us to reserve for next year, or else

someone on the waiting list would get an opportunity.

lucky us or lucky them!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Mariposa Ranch Bed and Breakfast

Brenham, TX

Close to my Heart

I've been away for a few days, enjoying the nice

spring weather in Round Top, Texas. A group of

friends go to the antique festival there every year,

and they insisted I go with them this year. It is a

HUGE antique fair that stretches along a highway

near the tiny town of Round Top (population 77).

The lovely bluebonnets were in bloom, the longhorns

were wandering, and all the wildflowers were

waving in the strong, southern wind. I managed to

buy a few things that I will re-sell in the shop. I will

post more about the antique stuff tomorrow night.

I can't wait to go get in my own bed, and get some

sleep!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Family in Progress

I have been busy working on this portrait of these
four people. I have decided that it is much harder
to draw adults than small children?! I am a lot closer
than I was, and I hope to be finished by Monday.

I will be starting on some watercolors of some garden
scenes soon. I will be painting in the garden during the
garden tour in Shreveport later in the month, and I
want to have some done before I go. (trying to plan
ahead...which is hard for us scatter-brained, impulsive,
artists to do ).

Shreveport Garden Tour: April 24 and 25
For info on pencil portraits: sheltongail@hotmail.com