Thursday, May 29, 2014

Painting, School, Flowers and Found Objects

When Hayden saw my watercolor post cards that I painted (2 sold, thanks Janine at CraftyTokyoMama) - and he asked if he could paint too.  So, I said, yes, tomorrow we can paint together.  When he came home from school the next day he burst into the house and said "where's Grandma?"!  Can we paint now?  Sure!  I got my basket of paint boxes and watercolor paper, brushes, got a jar of water and a few paper towels  and we set up art class at the outdoor dining table under the gazebo.  While I instructed Hayden on how to use dry pans of watercolor paints, and how to dip the brush in water and carefully draw your brush across to get paint on it.. I began a watercolor of my own.


I showed the boys how you paint water on your paper and then get some paint and paint across the water, how the paint spreads in the water.  In watercolor, if you want white space you paint the sky first leaving the white mountain for later detail.


Hayden painted first - he did an apple tree and other trees.  Caleb was 2nd - he painted the pond with a koi fish in it, with a rock and trees on the side.  


I scanned my painting... but the colors came out off.  I tried to use the color balance option in PhotoShop to get it right, but it never looked like it does in real life.  Oh well!


Last evening we attended an open house at Hayden's school in Corbett - we got to look at his portfolio of work from the first day to the end of the school year - it showed his first attempts of writing and how much he's learned - which is a lot!!  I wanted to get a photo of him with his kindergarten teacher, Miss B - aren't they cute?



Our youngest son, Travis, Hayden, Caleb and Kristi.



When we arrived home this bunny was only 10 feet away from us so I rolled down my window and got a shot.  I think we are a bunny farm!


This is one of my favorite Rhododendrons on the farm, it's in front to the left of our front porch, I had Dayle hack it down low so we could see the Christmas lights better.. :-) but it's come back quite nicely, thank goodness.  


Don't you love the deep pink colors in the buds and the dark red markings in the throat of the flowers.  



And this brilliant red one is always last to bloom.  After these two.. no more rhodie blooms for a year.  What a shame they only bloom once, isn't it?



I would say that this is the epitome of red.


I'm so happy with my 4th of July rose - it's a florabunda so it's covered with blooms and they just keep opening.


Kristi moved the bed into the "new" room and a cool old trunk, too.  Dayle and I went upstairs last evening and moved the oak bookcase headboard in behind the mattress and moved my antique "Princess" dresser in also.  Today Dayle and I are going to Bed Bath and Beyond to get some new sheets for the bed.  While looking through the boxes of items we need to take care of I was thrilled to see an old watercolor of a Cardinal that I painted when we lived in Louisiana for 5 years.  I did this in 1973-4.  This will go on the wall.  I have a partner for this one of a Blue Jay from there - now to find that?  Right.  


In the same box were 4 wonderful books I bought years ago.  I was *really* into beads at one time and have a great collection of antique trade beads, some going back to Roman times.  I'm doing a bead demonstration at Vista House with my friend Sally soon and will take photos to share with you.


Tomorrow will be an early morning as I'm going to attend the grand re-opening ceremony of the Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls.  There will be all kinds of dignitaries and speeches.  I'll take some photos.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-) 

19 comments:

  1. Your water color paintings are great! I love how you paint with your grandson and how excited he was to do so. That's awesome! :-) Beautiful flowers!

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  2. Awww I love how your grandsons were so excited to paint with you, and they did a good job, too. Love the beautiful painting you created....the trees and mountain are so lovely. The red bird painting for years ago is also very nice. You are so very talented.

    Love that you have bunnies on your farm. I just love bunnies. Use to have them at my old place but now we don't have them anymore since we moved....I really miss seeing them.

    Hugs to you sweet friend and thank you for sharing your lovely pairings with all of us. :)

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  3. How fantastic that you can share your love of watercolour painting with the boys, it is something they will always remember.

    Have a wonderful day tomorrow, will look forward to seeing the photos.

    Helenxx

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  4. art learning….I love it. I wish someone had taught me. We are art phobic here!
    I love your Multnomah falls images..can't wait

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  5. Your water colours are beautiful Teresa :-)

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  6. How wonderful that you are teaching your grandsons about painting. And, yours is quite beautiful.

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  7. I have always done lots of art and craft projects with my children. They are 16 and 25 now but we still have all the paints etc for when we feel like being creative.
    Rosezeeta.

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  8. Love your painting Teresa! You are amazing, really you are! : )
    xoRobin

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  9. LOVE that family photo--sooo cute! You are very, very talented Teresa and it looks like the boys also share your enthusiasm for the arts!
    Blessings, Aimee

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  10. Your paintings are wonderful and I do love your Mt Hood one very much, looks real to me ☺
    Those boys have grown a lot and good with the painting too.

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  11. Beautiful: art, family, and flowers, Teresa. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to seeing the results of your beading demo. :) xx

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  12. Gosh, I'm always one of the last to comment and then I seem to echo everyone else Teresa! Your watercolors are very beautiful and I also think it's wonderful your boys want to paint with you. Future artists!!!
    Your flowers are beautiful. I just bought some petunias, geraniums and marigolds to plant at the lake tomorrow. I wish I had as many growing around our yard as you have.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  13. Teresa. you are a talented artist! I love that the boys were so excited to paint with you. Their paintings are precious. I love the cardinal, and the hummer too. The mountain is gorgeous!
    I read the previous post too. Love the bag you bought from a fellow crafter. Beautiful flowers and bunny too!!!
    xo Kris

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  14. Love your painting of Mt Hood, just perfect. Your grand kids are so very cute, and they take after gramma with their artistic abilities :). Hope you have fun on the bead show.

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  15. Your paintings are so good, Teresa. You've always been talented, I can see. The boys did a great job with theirs too. It's nice to see them all together at Hayden's school, I hope he had a good kindergarten year. The flowers are looking gorgeous, it's a flower farm and a bunny farm!

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  16. Your talent is just amazing, that watercolor is so beautiful. It captures the majesty of the mountain, but still leaves you imagination to soar. I love that the boys were so excited to paint with you, I think you have two budding artists on your hands. Can you believe the school year is over?
    Sending you a big hug Teresa,
    Meredith

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  17. Hello Teresa - how lovely to paint with your grandsons - hope they want to do more. You all did a wonderful job. The rhododendrons look beautiful - we've got some just flowering. They are so beautiful.
    Super photograph of the family and of Hayden with his teacher - she looks very sweet. have a wonderful weekend - |I am spending some time with both of my sons and their families - lucky me :-) Hugs Anne x

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  18. The boys are so lucky to have a talented grandma who can teach them wonderful things. Their paintings are great. Enjoyed seeing your lovely photos of flowers - that red one is amazing. Hayden looks so cute in the picture with his teacher. They grow up too fast don't they? Have a wonderful weekend. xox

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  19. Oh wow, your painting are fabulous. I have never got the hang of water colours.

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