Perseverance

I have been looking into licensing some of

my artwork, that is selling the rights to some

of my work to be reproduced on tableware,

flags, gift bags, etc. This is one of the designs

I have been playing with. I am working on a

stripe and a ladybug design to pair with this.

One of the reasons I am looking into this is

financial. I don't have to tell any of you that

things are getting really slow, especially around

here. I learned this week that one of our businesses

in town is closing, two others are for sale, and some

friends with a gallery in Alexandria have closed as

well. It is scary. I really need another source of

income for my shop besides just the local support,

as loyal and appreciated as it is. I know things are

tight, and certainly eating out at lunch, and buying

art are not exactly high on every body's list. We

will survive, but it would be nice to receive some

extra outside help.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Ongoing sketchbook....

Been working in this sketchbook again this

pm...I am up to 22 pages, and I am not

even to the islands yet! I see some more

editing in my future. It is a painstaking

process. There is so much I want to include,

and some of it I made hard on myself! Take

this page for instance. In the original book,

I have handwritten text all around this painting.

But it is all too personal to include in the

printed copy, so I had to mask it out when

scanned, and now I will have to add type back

in in Photoshop (thank heaven for that program)

I am sure some people would not want me

sharing all of our escapades, especially how many

times we crossed the street to get to this museum!

So, I will make this more generic...probably

tomorrow!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Greece Digital Sketchbook $100 Coming in August

Southern Grapes

Traveling in Greece, we saw lots of beautiful

grapes on the vine. My husband and I took a

walk yesterday on our land, and I saw these

beautiful grapes, still on their vine.

These are muscadines, pronounced "mus-kee-dyn"

here in the South. They grow wild in the woods,

and we spotted these near a clearing not far from

the house. There are people that would

love to know I have these growing on my property.

They make all kinds of things from these,

including jelly and wine! I have never had any of

either one, but I am sure it would be interesting.

Maybe I'll pick some, and find someone to use

them..till then, they make a lovely photograph.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Dog Days of Summer

Taking a break from Greece art...started on this

pair of dogs tonight. It is large, 16 x 20. I put down

a watercolor wash first to fill in some color all over.

This is a shortcut in colored pencil...helps to get

some underlying colors down so it goes faster adding

the pencil over it. Both mediums are transparent,

so they are compatible.

These dogs belong to a friend that wanted a large

portrait of them. They are a mother (on the right)

and her daughter ( on the left).

Should be finished in a couple of nights.

For info on Pet Portraits: email me.

I work from your photo, and there are several

sizes: 11 x 14 $100 16 x 20 $150 22 x 30 $250

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Patmos Revealed

One of our stops on the cruise was the island

of Patmos. We arrived in the afternoon after

touring another port that morning. It was the

one place I did not get off the boat! I was

just too tired (feeling my age....). I did take this

photo however from the ship, and did this

watercolor in my book. This of course is the

island where John wrote the book of Revelation.

I thought that made it a good subject for a

Sunday.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Goats eat oats...

When we were driving through the Greek

countryside, we saw small herds of goats

with their shepherd, either resting in the

shade, of making their way across rocky

hillsides. I never did get a great photo of

them. There were also beautiful wildflowers

along the roadways. So, I did this combo

page in my book of goats and flowers. It

will be included in the digital book, coming

soon.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Feeling Blue

One of the reasons I wanted to go to Greece

is evident here. I had seen photos like these

and always longed to see these sites in person,

and have the chance to take photographs like

these myself. And here they are! This is a

whole group of blue and white compositions.

The simple and elegant lines of these are so

appealing, so quintessential. I will enlarge

and print them for the Greece show to be held

in the fall. They will also be available as note

cards and small prints.

Greek Island Blue and White series

Large Prints: 12 x 18 $40.00 each

11 x 14 Prints $25 Note card w/envelope $5.00

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Artist's Magazine Competition

I did receive some good news today about

this piece. I had entered it in the annual

Artist's Magazine competition, and it is a

finalist. All that means is I get my name

mentioned in the mag...no money! Anyway,

I will keep trying, but if this can't win...don't

know what can. I will be anxious to see what

did win 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The issue doesn't

come out till December.

I shipped the rhino off today to California for

the CPSA convention show. I am receiving

a five year merit award out there (again, no

money!!) but there is still hope it could place

in the competition. The judge makes the final

decisions once they see the actual pieces. Have

my fingers crossed...

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Page progress

Ya'll are probably tired of me posting stuff

from the sketchbook, but it is all I am working

on...and I mean working~ It is frustrating

and slow. You have to resize, redo, re-upload,

go to plan B, C and D....I did get this page to

work this afternoon, and I am quiting for the

night. At this rate, it might be ready in September!

Digital Greece Sketchbook Available AUGUST 2010

$100 Email to order..thanks!!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Sketchbook pages

These are the two pages from the beginning

of the sketchbook. I have started uploading

images and working on it. Will keep you posted.

Don't forget to register as a "follower" to be

eligible for the free watercolor. Check the

last post for details.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Blog Giveaway-Greece Window

During the Greece trip, I promised to do a

painting and give it away. Well, here it is.

I had posted several window photographs,

and told you to tell me your favorite...and

then that would be the one I would paint.

Several of you emailed me and told me this

was your favorite (it was my favorite, too!)

And I knew it would make a nice painting.

It is 7x10, and I will double mat it.

So, I will draw a name from among the followers

of the blog, and the lucky winner will get the

painting. And I will ship it to you.

So, if you are not a follower, you can

sign up. It doesn't cost anything, and you simply

add your email address, etc. Just click on

"followers" and follow the instructions. You

do not have to have a Google account..just use

your regular email. I won't draw a name for about a week

to give some of you the chance to sign up.

Thanks!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Me in Action

Someone from the trip just sent me this

pic...that is me on the far left, against the

wall with my camera aimed at that pretty

doorway with the bouganvilla cascading

over the balcony. What is so funny is that

I have the whole group waiting on me....they

are frozen while I compose the shot. It just

struck me as funny...I rarely get to see

myself in action!! thanks Roger

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Ladies in Waiting

When I toured the palace at Knossos on

the island of Crete, this was one of the

frescoes. It is 3 lovely ladies in shades of

rust and brown with great hair. I did a

page in the sketchbook depicting the

fresco. It will be in the digital copy of

the book coming soon!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Blowing in the Wind

These are two small watercolors from the

sketchbook from Mykonos, my favorite of

the Greek islands. It is famous for the windmills.

And all the buildings are painted white with

either blue or red trim. They are whitewashed

two times a year with lime, that was believed

in the past to help with disease, etc. Whatever

the reason, it makes for delightful scenery.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

All in a Day's work

This little hard working woman crossed

my path along the way in Greece. She

was selling these straw ornaments on the

street near the famous canal. I photographed

her, and bought one of her treasures. This

is the watercolor in my sketchbook that I

just painted this morning. I just have a few

pages left, and I will try to get it finished up

this weekend.

I will make some digital copies of the sketchbook

and they will be for sale for $100 in August. If you are

interested, you can contact me by email or

call me at the gallery.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

pea patch gallery 318-628-3560

Santorini

On the last day of our cruise, we made it

to the island of Santorini. I had always been

told that I must go to this Greek island,

because it was the most photogenic, and

there would be many scenes to paint. That

was indeed true. It was lovely.

The island and the surrounding small islets

were formed from the rim of an ancient volcano

that exploded in about 1500 BC. Some believe

this event was the basis of Plato's writings

about the lost continent of Atlantis.

We came ashore at the main town of Thira,

that is perched 1000 feet above the sea level

on the lip of the old volcanic crater. There are

3 ways to reach the city: 587 stone steps that

zigzag up the hill; the famous donkey ride; or

the more modern cable car.

I really enjoyed taking pics of the charming

blue-roofed churches, and the stacked buildings

and narrow lanes. Many of these scenes will

probably become paintings in the next few days.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Sketchbook progress

I am busy working in my Greece sketchbook

trying to get it finished up. This is a watercolor

of Mykonos. I really loved that island, and would

love to return someday and spend some more

time.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Home Sweet Home

I have made it back into the states, and

I am almost home. This is the home of

the famous Minoan king whose palace

was compared to a labyrinth (thus the

story of the Minotaur, etc). We toured this

location on the island of Crete during our

cruise. I really wanted to see the famous

frescoes (wall paintings) that are here, and

that I had studied in art history. The ones

that are on display in the ruins are copies,

but they still looked great to me! The actual

ones are on display in the museum. Even

though these are thousands of years old, they

actually look very contemporary; they could

be for sale in an art gallery today.
I especially liked the dolphin fresco. It decorated

the wall of the queen's bedroom...I wouldn't mind

waking up to those every day.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Travel time

I am going to be leaving in the morning
to return to the States. So, this will be
my last post from Greece. I will post
some of my artwork, etc when I get
home and get organized, and unpacked!

It has been a pleasure to share Greece with
all of you as it unfolded to me. I hope you
have enjoyed the journey as well.

"not all who wander are lost"

Garden Delights

I posted a page from the sketchbook the

other day with small paintings of some

fruits and veggies. These are the photos

I had taken of the plants. Most of these

were just a short walk down from the hotel

where we stayed in Naphlio. Some I am

familiar with, and others, I haven't a clue.

Maybe some of you know. Such variety.

sheltongail@hotmail.com