Sunday Sketches

I have been a bit negligent in creating art lately, but I was inspired to design a logo for my cousin's new business. Besides, if he liked it I would get some of his outrageous pastries and preserves!

Apparently in California there is a new law passed which laid the foundations for his business to take off commercially instead of selling to friends and family. He can use his own kitchen.

I did not win the contest for business name, but I did win the logo design. Cannot wait for my goodie box to arrive :)

Do people still create logos by hand? If I were more versed at Photoshop it would have looked very different and maybe more professional. Mine has a hand drawn look and when reduced will not show the imperfections.

Which one do you like?

He is leaning towards number 2.

More Sunday Sketchers.....

Paper Play

Do you see what I see?

Not just pieces of colored paper pasted to the wall......

New Year Collage

I enjoy taking the time to reflect and think about the new year. Last year I made an intention stick; this year a collage.

I gathered with two friends who have been on retreat with me twice this past year. We came up with our idea of an "at home" retreat which proved very helpful in our individual journeys into creativity.

I have made collages many times.....alone and with groups. This gathering to create a new year collage fell on the final days of our second retreat. Together we focused on the year ahead as individuals yet the camaraterie made this time very special.

There are several major events ahead for me this year and I gave them some focus. But the magic of creating collages is that images that are selected may manifest or predict a future event. For example, I made a collage of skiing in the Alps because that is something I wanted to experience. A few years later, I visited Switzerland and randomly selected three ski areas to ski. When I returned home and looked at my collage......................ALL the images were from places I visited and skied. Even a spot where I ate lunch outdoors in the snowfield was in the collage!

So, here is my new year collage. Let the magic to happen.

Violet-Purple Berries

As fall progresses into winter and the days are dark and dreary, the crisp greens against the dark bark and ground seem to be the only color. EXCEPT FOR a plant known as "Profusion" with a classified name of Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii.

The genus, Callicarpa, has about 140 species of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees from woodland in mainly tropical and subtropical regions of North and Central America, East Asia, Australia and Malaya. The name comes from the Greek word callicarpus meaning “with beautiful fruits”.

And, without question, the fruits are beautiful and still creating a patch of color in my landscape. Check it out.....

Sunday Sketches

The other day, my favorite place to walk my dog, the Chehalis Western Trail, had been cleared of leaves. I realized it was a metaphor relating to having a clear path and it appeared that everything along the path was inviting and beautiful.

When I returned home, I decided to create a mandala capturing this walking meditation. I started by painting a colorful path across the circle and then added some of my experience. I felt the need for words and let them flow along the path.

Walking Mandala
watercolor
18" X 24" More Sunday Sketchers.....

Winter Art

Ah yes, the dismal days of winter are setting in.

But it does not have to be that way.

Get outside and stack some wood.......

And my favorite.....

Dog Portrait Winner

Shelley won the drawing sponsored by Training Collar Source for a dog portrait painting. All that was required for one's name to be entered in the drawing was to click on "like" at the business page of Training Collar Source on Facebook. You can still do that and who knows what exciting things may happen.....

Because Shelley has two dogs, I decided to paint both on separate canvases. They are Wire-hair Pointing Griffons and Mother(Frost) and Daughter(Bailey).

Frost
12" X 12" water-based oil
Joanne Osband

Bailey
12" X 12" water-based oil
Joanne Osband

CONGRATULATIONS SHELLEY!