House portraits

I have started to do these house portraits again and really enjoy it. They seem to make the owners really happy and that makes ME happy!

These were challenging, with so many amenities, I had to leave some of them out. Hard to get the fish ponds, pool, outdoor kitchen, putting green etc. in the small sketch. But, the home owners seemed tickled...whew!
I hope you will visit me often as I update my other site with new photos of house portraits.
http://sketchmyhome.blogspot.com/

Christmas Card

You may recognize this house from a post I did on October 5th.
My neighbors liked it so much, they asked me to do a Christmas card for them.

Also, wanted to congratulate them on being recognized in Texas Monthly http://www.texasmonthly.com/. They have a restaurant in Celina that was noticed as one of the top 40 cafes in Texas. I can vouch for that. I love those fried pickles at Lucy's Cafe! Way to go, Krys and Steve!

* my photos are lousy--they really look better in person. Please click on them to enlarge. I really must learn Photoshop!

House Portrait

My friend asked me to paint this for a Christmas gift, so I did! I hope the recipient likes it! It is a really lovely home in Krugerville, Texas--a couple of minutes from me.

Southern Sunrise Bakery

We have a new bakery in our little town of Aubrey, Texas. Delicious goodies and a very nice family running the place. It is located right next to the largely abandoned Main Street Building that I previously posted http://lisalou-graceart.blogspot.com/2008/10/aubrey-texas.html We want to make sure these entrepeneurs are a big success!

My neighbor's sweet home

This should have been included in my Aubrey, Texas posts--maybe.

But, I really painted this for different reasons. We are new to the area and new dog owners. My neighbors bailed me out by looking after our puppy, Yao (more to come!)

I sketched this and gave it to them when I saw them at the Peanut Festival yesterday--as a thank you for making sure our puppy was okay. They really seemed to like it! And, I really like looking at their place!

Aubrey, Texas

This weekend is Aubrey's famous Peanut Festival. I thought it was time for me to sketch a few things in my own back yard. We live a block away from these sites on Aubrey's sleepy Main Street. Included is a mostly abandoned strip of stores, the little old church on the corner that is now an event place, the closed down Peanut Factory and how about that quaint Police Station!

La Fonda Santa Fe

Then, I went crazy and juicy on this familiar place!

Sante Fe--vacation

The last phase of my vacation was meeting my Berkeley Bad Girls in Santa Fe for more fun and games! Here is where we stayed or How I see See It! http://www.colorfulsantafe.com/

Crested Butte Colorado

I had THE BEST vacation ever! Phase one--I met Mark and Gretch in Colorado for a few days of laughing, eating, reminiscing...yoga, world class scenary and well....not too much is better than being with them in our family's beloved Rocky Mountains. I have miles of sketches and start with these.

I sat on a corner and could have sketched all day. I was approached by a really darling girl, Melissa Neuner, curious about what I was up to! She has an art studio/school in Crested Butte We talked about art and everything else (!) and became fast friends. I hope to see you next summer, Melissa! Check out her passion, if you are in the area http://crestedbuttestudio.com/default.asp

The church in the distance is where Charles and I found a minister to marry us on the banks of Spring Creek. It is a different color now, so I painted it the way I remember it back in 1981.

The second sketch is dedicated to my brother, Paul---he would call this "Another Day In Paradise"... in this case Paradise Cafe!


This was a day of bliss.......

House Painting

What REALLY kept me from painting recently was PAINTING! House painting that is! My son and I spent some long Texas HOT days repainting the exterior of our little house. I am so pleased with the outcome. Several people have referred to it as a "doll house" which really makes me happy. It is becoming the cottage I envisioned!
Weird. When I picked the colors and put it on the computerized house, I was not even thinking of the back of the house--which seems to be a lost cause. Look at how similar the Home Depot version is to ours. I love it when things happen like that!
Thanks for following along!
Lisa

Ashland Sketch

This is one of the first sketches I did when I started this sketchaploosa and haven't stopped! I posted it before, but it was too small to see. It is on sketch paper with a really light wash- since the paper wasn't made for water! Don't laugh, I was new and didn't know!

The sketch is my wonky intrepetation of a little restaurant in Main Street in Ashland where I went with my Berkeley Bad Girls Book Club in October. Martha sketched it, too. If you want to take another look at hers, it is here...

http://www.trumpetvine.com/sketchblog/2007/11/18/ashland_oregon/

Fun to see how different the two sketches are! I love revisiting sketches even more than photos. What vivid memories they bring!

Our house

So, I see everyone in the EDM (Every Day Matters) group is drawing their houses, so I joined in. It is fun seeing paintings of so many homes around the world! The first one is a re-post from November, soon after I started sketching and blogging. It was done on very thin paper (not watercolor paper) with my "little kid's" box of paints. I didn't dare use much water, and whatever paint I did lay down, dried instantly. Now, I am almost at the end of my first Moleskin= that I re-bound with Fabriana hot press paper. I used mostly Windsor Newton paints. I sat in a different spot this time, so I could paint the whole house. This would be a fun exercise to do every few months, but this is my last painting of this house since we are moving very soon. Next house painting will be of our new place in Texas!

Aubrey Adams Abode

My sister in law wanted my brother to have a painting of their house for his office so I did this little ink and watercolor for him. He seemed to really like it! It is a delightful home and I will be spending lots of time there very soon!

Heather and Jay's Place

A crazy year for my niece landed her and hubby "back home"! A darling place where they can settle in!

More from Naples

I sketched this building while eating sushi with Gretchen and Heather in Naples. What a relaxing time with my sister-in-law and niece!

Pacific Grove White House

The Bad Girls were on the loose again. This trip was to Pacific Grove, California--within walking distance of Monterey. Truly, this is one of the most charming places imaginable. If you ever go, you can't miss the White House on the main drag. Depending on the color of the sky, it looked look peach at one time of day and lavender another. So pristine!

Ashland Church

Hmmm...I don't know why I am so fascinated with old churches. This was a darling little church in Ashland, Oregon. I have little control over the wash on this sketchbook paper. Once you touch it, it's there. Can't wait to try some real watercolor paper

St Michael's

My niece had a wonderful pre-wedding girls weekend in St. Michael's, Md. I had just discovered the sketching- journaling concept. I did this quickly and had no idea what I was doing. So, much of this picture is pretty pitiful, but I learned from it (mostly that I needed to learn how to paint trees!)

St. Joseph's Church

This is one of those years when I can't think of any really "wanted" gifts for my grown kids. So, they are getting some gifts cards and I hate the whole thought of that. The only thing I have done, so far, that brought me that pleasure you get when you give from the heart, is to paint this little picture for Brandon and Jessica. My son and daughter-in law got married two years ago in this precious little church in Galveston, Texas. I hope they like the picture! I changed a few things after I scanned it, added some shrubs below the right palm tree and some more foliage to the palm. Looks a tad more balanced now in the picture I framed. Not great, but from my heart.This was also my first painting on "real paper"--which was pretty eye opening! So far, I have been using a little spiral sketchbook. Now, I can't wait to see what can happen with this nice watercolor paper! I also pencilled some of this first. Makes it a little more formal rather than the quick and dirty ink sketches--where you take what you get the first time! I enjoy doing both! Happy Holidays!