Logo Selected

I had been asked by the Louisiana
Baptist Singing Women to design
a logo for them. They notified me
that they would like this design. So
I am in the process of doing a camera
ready copy for them. I have to make
sure all the lines are really crisp and
clean. I will add the text with the
computer. Will finish it up and send
it off...one more thing off the list!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Sketch of the Egret

I am still working on this "egret theme".

I just love those tall, majestic white birds.

This will probably be done in acrylic on

a square canvas. Just playing around with

some ideas. Those are supposed to be frogs

across the top...I got tired of drawing all of

them! I am still working on the alligator

design, and I am playing around with some

frogs and turtles. just a "swamp" frame of

mind...

sheltongail@hotmail.com

A Day for a Ride

Small watercolor painting of the

mule drawn carriage in New Orleans,

for the upcoming Louisiana show.

My college watercolor teacher would

like to absence of detail! He always

wanted me to loosen up...

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Carriage Ride Watercolor

8 x 10 $35.00

for Liz (and Brian)

Agapanthus on the edge of a cliff in California

Blue wildflowers in my backyard

I have been working on several

things, but have had some computer

connectivity issues! So, I will do a

couple of posts in a row...hopefully!

These scripture photos are for a

friend, Liz. She wanted this verse,

but with a blue color scheme. And

since my brother had surgery today,

this has been my own personal prayer,

all day today. He is fine, and will have to

be in the hospital a few more days. God

does care for His own. Let not all our

hearts be troubled!~

sheltongail@hotmail.com

scripture photos 12 x 18 $35.00

available as note cards and 11 x 14 prints

Gator Background

I added the watercolor background tonight.

I just did a juicy, wet wash of ultramarine and

pthalo blue all over around the green gators.

I am going to add some details to them, and

may do some more in the background as well.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

"Choot him!"

Those of you who are fans of "Swamp

People", will identify with today's title!

I say a Troy t-shirt today with that

slogan on it. hilarious

I started working on these gators

tonight. They are going to be similar

to the egret design I did a week or so

ago. I just started painting them. I

will add the background and some details

as I go. Will post when finished.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Maison Catherine-Sold

I did this painting during a trip to

Paris two years ago. This restaurant

is on top of Montmartre, and is one

of the oldest in Paris. I had an email

this week asking about the painting,

and they are going to buy it. It is

going to be a gift for a woman named

Catherine who is traveling to Paris

soon, and her friend wanted to get it

for her as a reminder of their trip...

how sweet! I am boxing it up and

shipping it out to New Mexico. neat...

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Maison Catherine 11 x 14 watercolor

SOLD $150.00

(this painting continues to be viewed often

on this blog...I don't know why?! But I

hope the new owner will enjoy looking at it

too!)

Shrimp Boats and Rusty Tin

Someone asked me recently about how I

decide what to work on next?! I can't

really explain how my creative brain

works, but I can offer a few insights.

I usually have a goal or an incentive;

a show piece, an exhibit,

a series, a competition, or a commissioned

piece. And I usually have multiple goals

all at once! So I alternate between subjects

or projects, usually depending upon my

mood or the "squeaky wheel". Right now,

I have the priority of working toward the

Louisiana show that I will need to hang in

the fall, by November 1st. So I am constantly

thinking of subjects for that, and deciding

which mediums will work best for the

ideas that come to me. I thumb through my

countless photos, and get those ideas simply

by viewing them, over and over.

These two images, from a trip down to

south Louisiana, keep coming around. So,

I will probably do something with them,

perhaps a watercolor or a drawing. You'll

have to stay tuned to see!

I hope that clears up some of the artist's

mysterious process...maybe I wrote this for

myself! I hope it will help me focus, and get

some work done!!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Reclaimed, Recycled, and Re-Written

One of my favorite booths that I visited

during the Gift Market in Dallas was this

one. It is a "mom and pop" business that

paints catchy sayings on old tin made into

signs and decorative pieces. fun, fun

I just received an email from them saying

they won"Best in Show" for their

booth display! Congratulations!

I placed an order with them that should

be arriving soon. These will look really

great in my shop, and they would look

great at your house, or in your yard!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Blackwater Folk Art

Florida, USA

Coasting Again

I am still making some of these stone

coasters, decorated with my photos.

These are all from Lake Martin, in

south Louisiana, around Breaux Bridge

(pronounced "bro"). I am trying to

stockpile some sets for the Christmas

season. I will have to stop taking them

to the shop...I have sold them all! That

is a good problem to have, but if I want

to have a lot for the Christmas season, I

will have to hold them back.

I hope some of you enjoyed the video from

yesterday. After I watched it more closely

(I was mainly just listening) I noticed some

mis-spelled words. I think the message is

still the same, so I am going to leave it

instead of posting another version. I hope

the words speak to you, typos and all!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Cure for Troubled Hearts!

I heard this song several months ago,

and it has become one of my favorites.

The lyrics are some of the finest I have

heard in a long time. This singer/songwriter

has spent some time "down in the valley"

as many of us have, and this song so

captures the true Christian attitude toward

this life. I was listening to it while working,

and I thought some of you would enjoy

hearing it as well. Blessings to you!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Laura Story "Blessings" CD

Troubled Hearts

This is a scripture photo that I had done

earlier this year. I have one framed in

the gallery. A customer came in this

week, and wanted this same image,

only vertical. So I have been working

on the other version tonight. I may

do her a couple to choose from.

I spent part of the evening attending

a choral concert by the Master's Voices,

a high school group organized by

Dr. Loyd Hawthorne from Hardin Simmons

University. I know the director from my

participation in Louisiana Baptist All State

Youth Choir several years ago. I had a

chance to catch up with him and his lovely

wife, along with the accompanist, Jeremy

Mims. It was a wonderful, worshipful

experience, and a great end to another

Lord's day.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

www.mastersvoices.com

Something Fishy in the Studio

Here are the photos of the PreK art camp

students! They did a whole series of fish

and underwater themes. These are their

paintings...most of them are proud. One

would not show her face or her painting...

oh well.

Mr. Daniel Rockett is going to do another

art camp this summer. If you are interested,

please let me know. Or you can reach him on

FaceBook. Lots of fun!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Showtime

I attended the opening reception last night

for the Contemporary Artist's Guild show

at the Alexandria Museum of Art. I got

to visit with several friends and view

everyone else's work. It is a pretty

impressive show. There is a wide variety

of subject matter and mediums. The show

will hang until the end of July. If

you are in the area, you should try to

make it by. You can check out the

museum website; they have lots of

activities all month long.

sheltongail@hotmail.com
"A Column in Time"

The Library at Ephesus

Photo on Canvas $800

Out of the Furnace, Into the Fire

It is really hot outside here in the South...hot

like a furnace. So everyone is eager to indulge

in some indoor activities. One of the bravest

men I know, Mr. Daniel Rockett, agreed to teach

a pre-K art camp this week. (yes, I said pre-K!)

So, lots of little 3, 4, and 5 year olds have been in

the studio all week, painting, sculpting, and

drawing their little hearts out. Mr. Rockett has

lots of help (one grandmother is pictured here),

and the children have been very good. They will

finish up all their projects tomorrow, and I will

try to photograph them. Should be a hoot!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

For info on Art Camps/ Art Lessons/ workshops

email me thanks!

You did notice I said HE was teaching this

week....I tend to want to start them around age 10.

I still have a couple of classes this summer:

check the website for schedule

www.peapatchgallery.com

Inspiration Abounds

I read recently that about 78% of working artists

travel....to see new sites, to relax and regroup, and

to gather new inspiration for their work. I am one

of those 78%ers. My recent trip home is a prime

example. Yes, I was pretty much on vacation...but

the whole time I was taking in the bright patterns

of all of the Mexican influenced art there: the painted

pottery, the woven tapestries, the embroidered

dresses. Just looking around in San Antonio is a

feast for the eyes...color and pattern are everywhere.

So I came home and started working on a series of

"Louisiana" patterns and color, starting with one of

my favorite motifs: the egret. This is an acrylic

sketch for a larger painting. I am still working out

the design, but this is where I started. I have the

image I want in my mind's eye, and this is not

exactly there, but it is a start. And afterall, they

say just getting started is half the battle!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

I met several interesting new people during my

trip. I hope some of you are joining us on the

journey here...welcome aboard!

The San Antonio River Walk Museum Reach

I found this video about the RiverWalk

artwork. It will give you a better idea

of the amazing art installations along that

stretch of the river. I hope some of you

can make it down there to see it in person...

really worth it.

I am beginning to do some more work for

the Louisiana show coming in the fall. And

we are looking forward to hanging a show

by the Natchitoches Art Guild members

during the month of August.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Museum Reach River Walk Art

Art on the River

We just spent the best day down on the

San Antonio river. There is a new section

of the river that has opened up: the Museum

Reach. It starts up at Pearl Brewery where

there are shops and restaurants too. You can

take the new river taxi down the river, through

a lock system, all the way to RiverCenter mall.

It takes you by the San Antonio Museum of Art.

But the neatest features are the art installations

all along the river, especially under the bridges.

The grotto, shown above, is along the sidewalk

beside the river. And the fish are huge, fiberglass

sun perch suspended under the bridge. They light

up at night, and are amazing! One of the installations

is made of colored strips of glass that sparkle on the

surface of the water as you pass under the bridge.

It is all a great addition to the RiverWalk, and makes

a perfect destination for a little tourism, a little culture,

and a lot of fun.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Dodging Ducks in Boerne

After spending the day in San Antonio, I

attended a great little concert in the park

in the nearby community of Boerne. My

brother and his wife play in the community

band, and they held their 4th of July concert

in the park tonight. It was so charming...

very "Americana". They played a wide variety

of songs..mostly patriotic. There was flag

waving and cheering, and applause for lots

of veterans.

After the concert, we ate at this little restaurant,

The Dodging Duck, named for the many ducks

that cross the road between the cafe and the

river. They also display a great deal of art in

the restaurant. These are a couple, done by

local artists. The second Saturday of the month,

they hold "Market Day", where lots of artists

display all over town, and vendors sell goods

and food too. This restaurant always features

an artist, and they are usually there to meet and

greet. If you are ever in San Antonio, go and

check out Boerne...neat place.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Gallery Walk

I am traveling (again!) this weekend, visiting

family for the 4th. I am planning to go to some

galleries today. These paintings are from a show

at the Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio.

I have been to the gallery several times, and it

has a stellar reputation. However, there is rarely

anything but an oil painting on display. There

are some sculptures, but works on paper are

seldom seen. I am always interested in seeing some

watercolor paintings and some drawings. But I

will go and enjoy the oils just the same!

sheltongail@hotmail.com