Dog Intermission

Someone called today, and needed this dog

portrait asap for a gift by the 22nd. She emailed

me the photo, and I got it done tonight. It is

only 8 x 10, and she wanted pencil. I had done

two other dachsunds for her last year.

I finished this collage today, too. I added some

other columns on top of these, mounted with

foam core..making it dimensional. It doesn't

show up in the photos, so you will just have to

come to the Greek Art show opening in November,

and see it in person!

I sold some art over the weekend, and it is always

so nice to have someone want to own my work.

I sold a Paris photo collage to someone who had

just visited Paris, and wanted a gift for a fellow

traveler. And a long time collector came by to

browse and left with two to add to his collection.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Column Construction

Progress on the column collage..some more of the

process.

Photo 1: the final design and the paper pieces

arranged and layed out

Photo 2: the Modge Podge process lots of glue

on front and back....adheres it to the

canvas

Photo 3: More Podge all over, and then wait to dry

The Modge Podge will dry clear, and acts like a

sealer. I will cover the whole thing with it. I did

paint the canvas first with some brown paint. Should

be all finished tomorrow. Any questions?

I teach Collage Workshops...if anyone has a group that

would be interested, please let me know. I can

come to you, or we can have one in the studio.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

3 Column Collage 24 x 36 $300

Scripture Photo -Greece

I started on the scripture photos for the

Greece show today. This is the first one

I wanted to do.

We were in the bus on the way to Metsovo,

when this group of sheep appeared on the

side of the road. We saw the sheep

dogs first, and the bus slowed to let us take

some pictures. Our tour guide let us get off

the bus, but told us to be quiet and quick...

she wasn't sure what the dogs might do if they

thought we were a threat to the sheep. And then

the shepherd appeared, walking slowly up behind

the sheep, carrying his staff. I think he was stunned

to see a dozen tourists with cameras pointing at him

standing beside a huge purple bus...but I got this

shot, and it is one of my favorites from the trip.

He finally figured out we were taking pictures of him,

and gave us this final little wave...perfect.

Scripture Photo: The Shepherd and The Sheep

12 x 18 fine art print $65 Notecard + Envelope $4.00

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Evolution of an Idea

I thought it might be neat to share some of

the process of a finished work: in this case,

a photo collage using some photography,

my computer, large format printer, collage

paper, some paint and a canvas.

I liked this photo of three columns (on the

temple of Apollo on the Acropolis). But that's

pretty boring...so, once I saw the gold, brown,

and red collage papers, I thought about using

these columns, only in those colors. So, I digitized

the photo using Photoshop, and printed large

prints of each column. I am in the process of

working out the complete design using the papers,

and some acrylic paint, etc. It will be assembled

on a large canvas, and all glued in place. Stay

tuned.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Loose Ends

Lots of stuff happening today....

1. Paula came by and picked up her free

watercolor. It was the give-away for

July. It is a painting of a window in Corfu, Greece.

She was happy!

2. I finished a collage with those cute papers I

posted last week. It has 2 of my Greece watercolors,

copies of the old money, stamp, and paper on canvas.

3. I also finished the pastel of the bay in Mykonos,

which will be my give-away in August.

I am working on a pencil portrait at home for a client.

And then it is back to Greek artwork. I will get some

of my photographs enlarged soon, and get them done.

There are so many that I would like to do..it will be

hard to just pick a few. I already have the whole

gallery layout planned, and I have gotten in

the Greek Christmas ornaments, ribbon, decorations,

etc. They are all aqua and royal blue. It should be

really pretty. And it will be here before we know it!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

An Open Mind

I wish I could say this is my painting, but it
is not. Let me start at the beginning...

At the gallery, almost every day, I have
someone tell me that they know an artist:
(their child, brother-in-law-, neighbor's
ex-wife...etc, you get the idea) For some
reason, I think they feel like they always
need to share that with me. Anyway, most
of the time I just file that info away, or I
might look them up just for fun. Well, today
this nice gentleman came in for lunch, and
on his way out, said to me, "My sister is an
artist in Baton Rouge...do you know Carol
Creel?" Since I am so out of the loop living
in this rural place, I said no I did not. And
he said, "Well, she is a watercolorist, and
she is really good." and he gave me her
website. Well, by golly, she is REALLY good!!
This is one of her pieces. Check out her site:
www.carolcreel.com I was so pleasantly
surprised...you never know what you might
learn, and I need to keep an open mind.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Bicycles and Brewery-Blue Star

I did a post the other day about the Blue

Star Art Center in San Antonio, and I had

some other pics I wanted to share. We had

lunch in the Cafe and Brewery, and the

food was good. They do brew their own beer

and there are several that you can taste.

I am standing in front of a modern sculpture

made of various blocks and pots..kinda interesting.

They also rent bicycles there to ride on the

riverbank, and I really loved seeing the

colorful ones for rent. If you are in town, it

is a good place to go and visit; there are several

art galleries and shops there as well.

Blue Star Art Center

San Antonio

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Note-Worthy

I decided to photograph a set of these Greek

notecards that are ready now. There are 8

cards (two of each design) along with the

envelopes. They are $15.00 for the set. If

you would like a different combination, I can

do that. They feature some of the Greek

photography printed in black and white.

They are about 6 inches square.

I also have Venice, London, and Paris designs

available. same price. Great gifts!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Greek notecards Set of 8 $15.00

New Greece GiveAway

I am still working on this pastel drawing, and I

have decided to make it the give-away for August.

It is 11x 14 on pastel paper, drawn with pastels

and colored pencil. I will mat it and display it at

the Pea Patch Gallery. I will draw a name from

my followers at the end of the month, and give this

artwork away.

I will be doing a lot more work from the trip to be

included in a show this fall.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Back to Greece

I am back from my recent little trips, and it is
time to concentrate on getting some original work
done for the Greece show this fall. I had started this
pastel before I left, and I have been working on it a
little tonight. It is the bay in Mykonos.

Welcome to any visitors from the Go Ahead Tours
blog! They have posted some of my photographs from
the trip on their blog. And I am excited about getting
some good exposure there. If you sign up to be a
follower of this blog, you can be eligible for free stuff;
I give away artwork once a month or so to a lucky
name drawn out of the hat. So, sign up...I would love
to have you join the journey.

sheltongail@hotmail.com
travelblog.goaheadtours.com/six-inspirational-travel-photos-greece

If you are interested in group travel, I highly recommend
Go Ahead Tours. I have been traveling with them for
seven years, and I always have a great time. My next
trip will be to Machu Pichu sometime in the spring of
2012. Let me know if you might be interested in going
with me.

News from Natchitoches

I just heard that this piece received an honorable
mention in the Natchitoches Art Guild annual
show. The opening reception was this last Saturday
night while I was in San Antonio for my high school
reunion. This is my great niece..enjoying the water
at the lake.

I draw a lot of childrens' portraits, and I work from
your photograph, or I can take them as well. This is
a great time to order for Christmas. They are not too
expensive, and make a great gift for the person who has
everything!

Email me with any requests or questions:
sheltongail@hotmail.com

Some Blue Star Art

I visited the Blue Star Contemporary
Art Center in San Antonio on Saturday.
We viewed a couple of really contemporary
art exhibits. This is the most normal stuff I
could find to post! Anyway, it is a large complex
in downtown right along the river on the south
west side. They are currently working on that
stretch of the river to improve it all the way
down to the missions just south of town. Should
be really neat when finished.

I will fill in more about the trip, and some of the
art I saw when I get home.

Welcome to any TJHS followers...hope you come
back and visit!

sheltongail@hotmail.com
www.bluestarart.org

On the Road again....

I am in San Antonio attending my 35th
high school reunion tomorrow. Should be fun
to see old friends. Time really does go
faster the older you get....

sheltongail@hotmail.com

The Color of Money

When I travel, I am on the lookout for paper

items that I can use later in collages. I pick up

printed materials, brochures, magazines, postcards,

money, stamps, etc. I make copies of them, and

use the copies in the collage. The copies enable me

to use the same images over and over. And I combine

them with my own photography and artwork.

This is an old Greek bill

that I purchased while there. I loved the design, the images,

and the color of the bill. I think the money

was called "drachma", but I don't know the

value of this one, or if the bills and the coins were

called the same thing. If anyone knows, feel

free to fill me in. I am making copies

of it, and will use bits of the torn images in various

ways. coming soon!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Paper News

They make the prettiest paper these days. These

came in today; they are handmade in India from

recycled materials. I am planning to use them in

some Greek collages along with some of my photographs

and scanned paintings. I loved the

colors, especially the blues. I bought them from one of my

favorite online art supply stores: www.cheapjoes.com

Their prices are always really good on things that I

use, and their service is excellent. They sell a wide

variety of art supplies, and they also hold workshops.

If you are shopping for any kind of supplies, give them

a try.

I am working on a Greek collage now, and will post it

when finished.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

www.cheapjoes.com

Bee Finished

I finally got back around to working on this

watercolor. I used the masking fluid to cover

the flowers. Then I wet the background, and

painted the blue wash. When dry, the masking

stuff rubs off, a lot like rubber cement. Then

I added the details, etc. I will try to photograph

the whole thing (when my camera battery charger

gets here...long story). Anyway, I will be starting

to work on Greek stuff for the show in the fall.

Have already started printing large format photos,

and some notecards. Will post as I go along.

The Greece sketchbooks will be here sometime next

week, for all of you who ordered one. If you would

still like one, and you have not let me know, I can

get another order in shortly. If you want to go ahead

and send your payment now, that will be great.

You can call the gallery with a credit card, or mail a

check.

Greece Digital Sketchbook $100 (50 pages)

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Pea Patch Gallery 318-628-3560

109 S. Abel Winnfield, LA 71483

Time for a Winner

I finally drew a name for the winner of the watercolor

from Corfu, Greece. It is PJones....so, get in touch with

me, and you can make arrangements to pick up your

prize!

I will be giving away something in August, too, so stay

tuned. I will try to decide by the end of the week.

Congratulations! Thanks for being a follower! I appreciate

the support.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

All in a Day's Work

With unemployment numbers so high, we

are all thankful to have a job. Here are some

people hard at work on Fisherman's Wharf...

The bakers work at the sourdough bread factory,

and they are called "dough artists". They are

making specialty loaves: a teddy bear, an alligator

(I could sell those here!), a turtle. There was a

crowd watching them at the window.

The man with the filet knife was just back from

a chartered fishing trip, and he was fileting the

fish the people had caught for them to take with

them. He sliced open this flounder is seconds

flat....that's a play on words...think about it.

And the two guys were dishing up crabs and

clam chowder is bread bowls. I did partake of

the latter, and it was delicious. I would love to

figure out how to serve our soup in bread bowls

here at the cafe. If anyone knows a bakery that

would ship us some, let me know.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

"I left my Heart..."

I am back from San Francisco, and I left

my heart, and my camera battery charger!

(they are shipping it to me). Here are a couple

of pics from the city. Someone sailing on the

bay; the bridge with fog at the top; some of

the working fishing boats at the wharf; their

nets at rest. It was a beautiful day (a little

cold for me). But now that I am back in

Louisiana, and my thermometer on the rear

view mirror just said 108...I might be wishing

for that cool weather!!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Time to Shine

The opening reception for the CPSA

international exhibition. Me and the

rhino..."A Wrinkle in Time"

sheltongail@hotmail.com