Primavera




Primavera means spring - in italian, and how i'd love to be able to speak that beautiful language fluently. These 3 paintings were exibited and sold in Locarno, in the italian part of switzerland I was reminded of them by all the yellow things abloom right now, forsythiae, daffodils - it's the yellow phase of spring, and yellow makes my heart sing.
Have a yellow-mellow day and let the sunshine in!

Let your art guide you - weekly challenge 4




A last minute easter decoration idea
- for those of you, who couldn't get your paints out and colour these eggs properly - like me! Just dress them up with nice ribbons, leftovers will do pretty well here. Fix them with a bit of glue and enjoy - makes your table look festive in a minute.
Boy, this week flies by! I'll be gone over easter, visiting my sis in Munich and play with my niece Emma, 5, and hope to do some crafty projects with her for the magazine.
Have a great time all of you, i so appreciate all the inspiration i get from you every day! And link in with us, i you haven't already, at art n'sewl!

I'm seeing red




Red is so warm and vibrant - and maybe i need warmth on a cold spring day like this! I love making !collages" of paintings and things that inspire me, group things, see how they influence each other. It is raining outside, but hot reds and pinks celebrate the tulips and roses that are about to come!

Let your art guide you - weekly challenge 3





Shoes and flowers just fit in the season, but girls, let's be honest: i haven't done these paintings yesterday or today, but last year. I've been away till tuesday and had to much on my desk when i got back, to finish a painting. I started one - but it needs a little more time to "ripen" into sth. i'd like to show.

But i did paint - and i'm happy about it, and garateful to the group. There's just more energy when some of us get together - so, come and link in with us at art n' sewl, if you like!

Baby ferns




Ferns are so fascinating. The way they start as little curls, all brown, and later stretch themselves, like sea-plants. They seem so ancient and yet young to me. Found some beautiful photos and jewelery around the theme and will sure paint them again.

Time just flies, i can't believe it's friday again. Will be gone for a family meet up weekend with my guy until Tuesday, a birthday party in Potsdam, a beautiful town right next to Berlin. I hope you'll all have a fantastic, inspiring weekend, time to breathe, relax and savour the beginning of spring.


Fotos:
Jennifer Aitchison urbandesign LocalColorLiving

Let your art guide you - weekly challenge



The first green leaves of spring are so enchanting. I can't wait to see them everywhere. Meanwhile i was working on this little stillife featuring fern leaves and pastell colours. Contrary to my habbits, i was working with a small brush, concentrating on this one painting and on technique - which felt kind of meditative and calm. I'm using this experience to tune into painting again - feels really good!

Please look at what our other participants did as well - and if you feel like it, sign in at art'n sewl - we'll be happy to meet you in our weekly group!

A birthday present for my blog


Wow, what a happy surprise! Sweet Maria Isabel from "her kaleidoscope eye" has given me my first ever blog award! Thank you Maria, and thank all of you, who are visiting my pages. Check out Marias inspiring blog - it's good to know her.
Artful bloging is an art in itself, and it takes time to find out about how to do things - i'm still far from knowing everything and enjoy developing and changing my page. Now this feels like a birthday present for my blog, which got started about a year ago.


This cute little award carries some tasks with it:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog.
3. Link the person who nominated you.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.
5. Nominate seven 'Kreativ Bloggers'
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.



7 secrets about me:
(See collage above)

1. I'm a late bird! I get up early with my kids - but, after they had their breakfast, i sneak back to bed for an hour! I took on this habit in the depth of winter and am feeling slightly guilty about it. But somehow this extra hour gives me energy for the day

2. I'm addicted to almonds. I have to have them every day, otherwise, i feel i can't work properly. Did you ever try them as a snack? The good thing is, they're so healthy, and you can eat and eat without gaining weight!

3. I love bubble-baths. Nothing helps me more to relax and shake of a hard days work in the evening, then lying in hot scented water. Surely, i was some kind of marine creature in another lifetime.

4. I'd fancy being a witch and have a magic wand to help me get things done faster. Also, i feel a certain affinity to wild things in nature and, as a child, was living in fantasy for hours. Maybe this is, apart from a certain talent, what qualified me for being an artist?

5. I love to spoil my kids. Actually, they're both big teenagers now, but still i make them pancakes or rice-pudding for tea, wash their dirty socks and drive out in the middle of the night when they missed their train home. But don't you think, even as an adult person, we need these treats once in a while?

6. I neglect things i don't like doing till the last possible moment. Would save me some trouble if i could learn to do them first ...

7. Although i seem extrovert to many, I'm more a listening person, then a talkative one. When i don't feel good or really sad, i like to keep it to myself. Somehow, talking about feeling miserable, makes me feel worse. Instead, i try to do things, that make me feel better. Go for a walk, do some breathing exercices or yoga, eat some chocolate, give someone a little present, work - somehow try to break the vicious circle and do something positive and empowering. Nevertheless i like to be there for my friends whenever they want to talk things over.


7 Kreativ blogger:
(I hope you discover your blog award and look forward to seeing more of you!)

Shannon
from: hapiness is
- cool photos & finds from the web to get fantasy going
Emily from art n'sewl - great gal and emerging artist
Maya from: maya made - the best ideas on easy creative projects for kids
Stephanie from: A studio with a view : very sympathic blog round steph's art & inspiration
Bridget from: Bridget is painting - delicate stillifes with a nostalgic touch
Andrea from: Andrea creates - real cute presents and ideas to get crafty
Elisabeth & Camilla from studio violet - the most adorable drawings

Hope you guys all find this and have fun with it - can't wait to see your new posts!

Pictures in collage from: lesliebeck.com, pfleghaar.com. blueberrypancakerecipes.com and NatureMandalas, TengoSuenos and Sleepyhollowprims from Etsy. Thank you!

Just got a sweet surpise ...


And am filled with gratitude for all the good things in life. My dear anarchic husband, my wonderful sons, my most charming cat, the warmth that surrounds me, the lovely day i just spent, my sweet friends near and far and from the blogworld, that is so much more then virtual, the green buds coming out of the earth, the coming of spring, my colours and canvases ... Life just wants to be celebrated from time to time!

And the surprise?
More about it tommorrow or on monday, i promise!

Picture via

Turquoise and white-delight




Just found this beautiful print with the turquoise wall and the lovely Hydrangea-bouquet on etsy and look how well it fits with this painting (middle)of mine from a series some time ago. Am in a dreamy mood and would like to style a whole room for a wedding or fun theme-party in these colours. Who knows, what the weekend will have in store ...
Have a wonderful time with sweet surprises and happy moments, and don't forget to hug your loved ones ;)

Painting: MVS, Bouqet: jdleggans, Print: eyeshoot, both on Etsy

Let your art guide you - weekly challenge



This is what i did yesterday for our weekly art challenge. It's a small stillife - and it was an interesting experience, because i worked much faster, then i normally would. Just started with an idea and see what i could do with it, in a limited amount of time. Usually i never finish a painting in almost one go, because i work in layers and need time to know, what i want to happen. The good thing is: i took some time for painting when normally, i'd have felt too tired or whatever. Am curious already, what the others will come up with.

If you're interested to create with us every thursday, check out:
Art n'sewl

Displaying kids art





Creative kids produce a lot of paintings - and some of them are just too nice to disapear into drawers. Yet, you and your little ones will appreciate them even more, if they're presented in a real nice way, like proper artworks.
Here are some nice ideas how to jazz up your rooms!

Upper photo: http://decor8blog.com , middle photo: http://www.sayyestohoboken.com , downer photo: http://wondertime.go.com, downmost photo: Photo for Canadian Family Magazine taken by Michael Alberstat. Thanks!

Sunshine & snow





Sunshine and snow, spring dancing with winter, waltzing over the fields and having some fun together, icy but lovely. Beautiful light in the room is so good for painting - and for anything else. Isn't it stunning, how our mood changes with the light?
At least mine does ;)

Flowers in snow photos: Fotolia.com, Painting photo: MVS

Find your pleasure



Don't you start to crave flowers? I do. Sweet reminders that life is beautiful and wants to be celebrated. Have a lovely weekend and do something, you really enjoy!

By the way: i have just entered the "Let your art guide you" challenge from Emily at art'n sewl. Create one artwork each week you share with the rest of the gang every thursday - that sounds like fun. And is a good excuse to keep working! Come and join us. See details when you click the button on the left side.

Flower paintings above are from an older series that is sold already.

Getting started ...


... on a new painting is exiting - a new challenge every time.

With color one obtains an energy that seems to stem from witchcraft.
(Henri Matisse)

Maybe that is why it feels so invigorating to spread colour, revel in it, enjoy it, the pure energy of it. Beginning this way, just painting freely with a colour, is such fun. I wish i will learn to keep this lightness for the whole time of working on a painting!

Pre-spring season



Two little paintings i finished last weekend - after cutting away those dry fern branches from the garden. Somehow, these brown, dry, half rotten things are still around, but the birds are singing and green things are coming out of the earth.