Feeling Crabby

Been working on this drawing for awhile.  It is a basket of
blue crabs....such an iconic Louisiana image.  The funny thing
is I took the photo in New York City, in Chinatown!  They
were selling all kinds of stuff in the markets there, and these were on
the ground near one of the tables.  I just took two photos, and
this is the cropped version of one of those.  This is colored pencil.

Here is a little more progress on it.  It has been very intricate and time
consuming!  I do like the colors though, and it really is fun.  Hope to be
through real soon!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Art Class Wednesday

Another Art Class Wednesday....today we did some pastel
drawings.  We did the beach scene together.
And then they chose another one to
do on their own.

Lauren chose a sunset scene with bright oranges
and purples

Olivia did a yellow flower landscape

And Alyssa did the beach scene again...she liked
it so much!

Children's Art Classes: Wednesday  4-5 pm
$15.00 a lesson
I am only doing classes till the end of May.
Hope to see your little one soon!

Georgia on my Mind

Georgia O'Keefe.....master painter of flowers, and one of
my favorites.  In my art class today, they learned about her
and how she painted flowers.  We examined her sunflower painting,
and then tried to copy it on canvas.  They did pretty well!
It was fun, and they got to take home their
little creation!  It was a good day!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Children's Art Classes  Every Wednesday from 4-5 pm
$15.00 a lesson
We only meet during the school year.  I will schedule other
special classes during the summer

Fingers Crossed

"Strokes of Genius" is a book published by North Light Books.  It is
made up of drawings submitted by contemporary artists working in
drawing mediums (pencil, colored pencil, ink, pastel, etc).  I just submitted
all of these for publication in the book.  They accept a higher percentage of
black and white entries, but they do accept colored entries too.
I will not know for a long time...August 28th, which happens to be my
birthday!  Maybe I will get a special present, and have one of these
accepted.  Got my fingers crossed!

sheltongail@hotmail.com 

The World in a Thistle

While outside this evening, I noticed this thistle, and wondered how it
would look with the setting sun behind it.  So, I practically laid on my
stomach! to try to photograph it.  I played around with a couple of versions...
like it.  How beautiful God has made even the grasses of the field...
here one day, and gone the next.  Oh, how He must love you and me!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Senior Gifts

Here are the final chalkboard projects.  I trimmed the photos, and
placed them around the edges.  I attached the chalkboards to the back of
the beaded board frames.  These are gifts for these graduating senior girls....I bet
they are surprised and happy!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Framed

Just a quick project for a couple of graduating seniors.  One of their
friends wanted some chalkboard boards, framed in the old
beaded board.  Today, I sprayed the masonite with the chalkboard paint.

This is the beaded board frame that the chalkboards will go in.  Then she
wants me to add some of their photos onto the chalkboard (around the
edges).  I should be able to get them done tomorrow.

I know I haven't posted in awhile.  I have been having trouble with
the arthritis in my hands, and it has been hard to do any
work.  I am doing a little bit of drawing, but it is very slow.
Don't give up on me...keep checking back...I will be posting
again soon!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Texas Transplant

You know that all of us Texans are always proud of our state, and look
for opportunities to share that pride.  I was surprised to hear from an
elementary school in Fort Worth, Texas.  The teacher was planning a school Texas program, with the students singing and performing.
She had come across my Texas design on Pinterest, and tracked me down through this blog!  She wanted to know if I would give
permission for them to use my design for their
stage decoration. I said, "Of course!", and she sent me these photos to show
how they used it.  It looks like a great group of kids, and I am honored they wanted to use my design.  Hats off to all of you!  Yeehaw!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Parade of Pigs 2015

It's Parade of Pigs time again!  Our little town hosts the
annual Uncle Earl's Hog Dog Trials every March, and
we decorate these concrete pigs to mark the occasion.  This
is "Frankenswine"...my entry.  Hog hunters come from all over to
enter their dogs in this contest.  It is quite interesting.  And amazing to me..
a big city girl living in a small town!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Clara in Pencil

Did a little sketching this weekend of my favorite smiling face!
There have been several photos I have wanted to draw, but this
is the first one I have tried.  It was fun, and not too difficult.  I will probably
give it to my daughter sooner or later, but right now, I am enjoying it
sitting on my drawing desk!

I can do a drawing of your favorite little one too!  Email me
for info on children's portraits.  I am very reasonable, and
fairly fast.  I can work from your photograph, or I can come
and take some too.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Sunsets Times Three

I am still teaching kids art lessons on Wednesday afternoons.  These three
did a watercolor today using the wet into wet technique on the sunset,
and then dry brush for the trees. I let them choose their sky colors...they turned
out very colorful!

I take students age 10 and up, and we meet every Wednesday from 4-5 pm.
It's $15 a class, and they are not consecutive.  You can call the gallery
for more info.

sheltongail@hotmail.com
Pea Patch Gallery  318-628-3560

Blue Pelicans

Still in progress here...I did some "lifting"....you can re-wet some dark
areas with a brush, scrubbing slightly, and the pigment will loosen
and can be dabbed up with a paper towel.

Here's a close up of some of the lifted areas.

I still thought it needed something, so I added some pen and ink lines
and flourishes.  I may still add some colored pencil strokes too.  I like the
colors in contrast with the white birds.  I thought the complimentary
scheme of purples and yellows would be different.
It's just a fun piece...another Louisiana subject.  It will be for sale
in the gallery, or I can ship!

Blue Pelicans   Watercolor/Ink   11 x 22
$150.00

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Blind Pelicans

Been working on this watercolor of these white pelicans...
I like the bright colors.  I am not finished...they are "blind" right
now...no eyes!  But I am going to lift some of the dark reflections
and add some details.  Will post when I finish...soon!

Bike Shadows....Pedal Power!

I did get a chance to paint this bicycle photo...from New Orleans.
It's watercolor on Arches cold pressed paper.  I used a sponge
to make some of the texture in the corners.  The bike and the shadow are
painted mostly with just black, but I mixed in a little purple and blue.  I
thought it still needed some tweaking, so I worked on it a little more this morning.

So, here is the finished product.  I painted it all again, and deepened the
shadow.  I punched up the blues, and then added some more splatter on the
ground.  I like it...it's different for me, but fun!  Maybe a bicycle enthusiast will
have to have it!

sheltongail@hotmail.com
Bike Shadows  Original watercolor  $150.00

The Long View

Just been scrolling through some of my New Orleans pics....looking
for something new to paint.  These are some possibilities.  I cropped
and saturated them with color.  I really like the shadow patterns,
especially the first one, the buggy.  We'll see what
develops!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Winter Berries

I love these winter berries.  I don't know what kind of tree this
is, but it grows in damp areas, mostly in south Louisiana.  I was
driving around down there the other day, and wished I could pull
over somewhere and photograph them.  But everywhere I spied them,
there wasn't a place to park, or get out without wading through the
water, etc.  So, I was disappointed.

As I drove toward my house, here in north Louisiana, just down the
road, there they were! And the light was beautiful.  The ground was dry,
So, I excitedly got my camera, and snapped away.  I love the color and
the contrast against the sky.  These would be good for scripture photos, or
I can add a bird or bug in a composition.  Or I could just look at them
and admire one more of God's glorious creations that
color this grey season of the year.
amen

sheltongail@hotmail.com