A Rose, A Mixed Media Canvas and A Face

I hope you aren't tired of seeing my roses. We only have one bush, but it gives me such pleasure. The colors have such a range from light yellow to golden peach. I never know what I am going to see as each new bud opens. Here is today's photo:

I would really like to get set up outside with a long lens and a tripod and spend some time capturing the birds, but in less than a minute the mosquitoes would carry me off - me, hell, they would carry off my camera and tripod. Have you encountered any of those mutants this summer. They are huge and are everywhere. Needless to say many of my pix are taken through windows and/or screens. Unfortunately, the quality suffers, but I can't help myself, I love to take pictures. Maybe if the weather becomes a bit drier the mosquitoes will take a hiatus and I can get outdoors and really do some shooting!

Meanwhile, I've been spending lots of time in my art room working playing. I have been working on my ongoing mixed media canvas. I have added to it, but it is not done yet. I made myself a stamp from a trio of leaves I cut out of some wallpaper in a sample book I have and used Stazon ink to stamp the canvas. I am thinking I will sponge a mix of greens and yellow greens over the leaves to give more of a treed effect and maybe put a bit of brown on the cheesecloth to simulate a farmer's field. I am trying to think how to make a transition from the ground to the sky. I love the colors in the upper part of the piece, but need to put in some greens and maybe some tiny bits of wildflower color to make the land part of the piece. Then I may add a small barn to complete this project that I've come to think of as "A Birds' Eye View". Do you have any thoughts about this?

The other project I am working on is for Sharon Tomlinson's Faces in Watercolor Class. I have the first face finished - at least I think it is finished. There are some spots on it where the brush strokes are visible and the edges aren't smoothly blended. I may get brave and work on those transition areas and I am thinking I may add something to the right of the canvas. What do you think?

It is another gray day, but here is what my weather forecast has to say for today:

Forecast for Early This Morning
Showers likely and isolated thunderstorms overnight. West winds around 10 mph with gusts to around 20 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
Forecast for Today
Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 15 mph.

Right now the weather conditions say the humidity is at 88% and I can tell.

I must thank you, dear readers, for the time you take to read and comment on my blathering and your input into my art attempts. I truly appreciate each and every one of you, even you lurkers. I'd really like to get more input; I can take criticism and would hope you would be able to give it in a constructive way.

By the way, I still haven't cleaned the bathrooms. Today, for sure!!!

xoxo