Summer into Fall

  

 Summer is gone, fall is here and it's more beautiful than ever on the Rock River. The trees are mainly Silver Maples and so lovely. The temperature was 70F+ (21C+)all week, very rare for us at this time of year. I took advantage by walking in the dog park. The dog thought that was a good plan, too.

Crafty Stuff

And now for something completely different. I've been fooling around with a graphics program called "Illustrator" and came up with a bunch of designs for scrap booking or maybe scrabble tile jewelry. I put a small sample on the left to show you. Its fun for me to do something really the complete opposite of what I normally do. Gives you a better perspective on where you are going for one thing and I didn't have to wash out any brushes for another. If anyone is interested in a .pdf file, let me know. I think I'll have these up at Etsy. 

Black-Eyed Susans

Black-eyed susan daisies done in gouache. They are a mid summer flower, and very reliable. These are growing by my garage door. This is a link to Jungs Seed company, a Wisconsin seed firm that my family has been going to since my Granddads' time. They are celebrating "100 years of growing", but that is two years less than my aunt who is 102.(So we win!!) She was a good customer and this year helped me pick out some CherryBelle radishes to plant.

Old Barn

I went out painting last week and came back with this. It's one of those plein aire paintings, also known as 'painted all-at-once
outside, don't worry I brushed off most of the bugs' paintings.

Parrot and Roses

She loves to be outside, and I think she likes the color red. A few years ago she flew away out of an open door and was gone for four days.
Unbelievably, I found her and she was a very hungry bird. Now she is clipped, no more adventures for her. There are Cooper's Hawks here and Great Horned Owls, too, so it's a dangerous world for little parrots.

Ribbon Work

A ribbon embroidery pendant, with beads and cameo. I think I am going to try more of these. I haven't done much embroidery as of late, for which I am very sorry. I was taught to embroider when I was four, by our neighbor. She grew up as an orphan in pre-WWI Hungary, and was taught to embroider by the nuns as a means to support herself. After she came to America, she was widowed, and in fact supported her four children by doing embroidery for specialty stores. She was a very interesting woman, and would talk about hearing the wonderful gypsy violinists playing on the street corners of Budapest.

Summer roses

It's rose time. Most of my roses only bloom once a year, so I have to hurry if I want to do a picture of them. This is gouache on illustration board. P.S. It's finally stopped raining!

Cow

Ahhh, the weather is gloomy, its rainy and cold, it's time to take a picture of a beautiful cow. It's got horns, too.

Ginger Jar and Peaches

This is a ginger jar I bought for $15.00 at a local antique store. It turns out to be from the 18th or very early 19th century. I don't know if that makes it more valuable, but it makes it more interesting than it already is. The peaches are early 21st century.

Scarecrow

I'm not sure that scarecrows really work. I think the crows are too savvy by now to pay them much attention. I'm trying to think of what medieval Book of Days showed one in a farmer's field. It wasn't working too well way back then, either, as I remember.

Peaches and bowl

Another peach picture. I like peaches.
It's gouache about 8"x10".(20x25 centimeters) I have another I want to do with a ginger jar.