Fantastical botanical doodle

I came across this old one in a sketchbook from last fall. I like it better now than I did then, so felt OK about sharing it here. It was done at the same time as this one and this one.

Free December desktop wallpaper

WOW, I can't believe I'm early with this one! 

To be redirected to the blog’s flickr gallery and download the

December wallpaper for your desktop (1600 x 1000), click HERE

For iphone size (640 x 960), click HERE

Gorgeous amaryllis graphic from The Graphics Fairy!

Birdwatching

Bluejays eating peanuts and chickadees getting the last of the live mealworms

Waning season of autumn

Weathered wood, burning bush leaves, noontime shadows

Milkweed pod progression

Mums, Jack-in-the-pulpit, bugleweed

Free November Desktop/iPhone Wallpaper

To be redirected to the blog’s flickr gallery and download the
November wallpaper for your desktop (1600 x 1199), click HERE

For iphone size (640 x 960), click HERE

Nature’s tie-dye

Gems found on last night's walk.

Big Willow Park

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of having a little time to kill on a beautiful autumn day in Minnetonka, Minnesota. When in this park, it is hard to believe you are in the middle of a large metro! I did a guided birding walk here last spring - it was fun to revisit in a different season to note the contrast in landscape. The water in the creek was very low due to the drought. The fall leaf color was a bit past peak, but still magnificent. Especially beautiful were the red jewels of sumac!

Free October desktop/iPhone wallpaper

To be redirected to the blog’s flickr gallery and download the

October wallpaper for your desktop (1600 x 1000), click HERE

For iphone size (640 x 960), click HERE

Free September desktop/iphone wallpapers

To be redirected to the blog’s flickr gallery and download the
September wallpaper for your desktop (920 x 526), click HERE
For iphone size (640 x 960), click HERE

P.S. Sorry I missed August!

Clean III Exhibition

I received word on July 21 that two of my pieces were selected to be included in an upcoming show at Your Art's Desire gallery! I can't tell you how exciting this is! This will be the first time since college that any of my work has been shown for the general public to see. And...they will be up for sale. Below is the promo postcard if you would like more information.  See you at the opening?

Art journal: meditation

Just like my blogging, my art journaling has been sporadic. Been working on this page since the beginning of July.

Hot air balloons

Free July wallpaper

So sorry it's a bit late!

> click HERE for desktop size (1600 x1199)
> click HERE for iphone size (640 x 960)

Summer garden

It's a beautiful time in Minnesota! Can you blame me for spending as much time as possible outside? It's that magical time when it stays light out until after 9PM! Here's a peek into my garden.

Mayan art

Wow, June has gone by incredibly fast! On Monday, hubby and I returned from 5 days in the Yucatan Peninsula. I brought home these lovely examples of Mayan craft. The colors always inspire me!

June desktop wallpaper

It's ready! Download for free...
LINKS:
>1600 x 1199 for desktops
>640 x 960 for iphone

Mystery Project

YAY! I've finished a painting for Art House Co-op's "Mystery Project." After I joined, they sent a random Prismacolor marker and theme to be used as inspiration. My marker color was "violet" and my theme was "the future of the year." I have 'til tomorrow to install it in a random public place so a stranger can find it. I chose the subject "SECURITY", since I feel like this year of my life is both secure and insecure, depending on which inner struggles are visiting me at the moment. And some days I don't want the responsibility of doing my part to mold my life. Fear, procrastination and self-doubt sabotage me, and can keep me from moving one foot in front of the other. Maybe it's my impending 50th birthday?
Anyhoo, here's the painting, and a copy of the note I'm leaving with it. I'll stash it somewhere tomorrow in Stillwater, MN and document it here and on the blog's facebook page. Leave a comment if you want a hint on the location.

Journal Page

A page in progress in my "Life is So Daily" art journal. I try to add something each day. In those stretches when I'm not doing anything else creative, it keeps me from being crabby and restless.

May wallpaper: Bonfire season! Woohoo!

New month, new eye candy. Enjoy! :)
Downloadable from the blog's flickr account...
> desktop size (1024 x 585)
> iphone size (640 x 960)

Art House Co-op project

These things always start a fire under me. I am SO much more productive when there are real deadlines! This project intrigued me, so I signed up a few weeks ago. I got my project kit in the mail today - it includes a "violet" prismacolor marker and a random theme, both NOT of my choosing. I also like the idea of installing it in a public place for a stranger to discover. I'll update as I make progress.

> MORE ON THIS PROJECT

More Flowers

My posts have taken on more of a garden/nature theme lately. I've thought about doing a separate garden blog. Until then, you'll just have to bear with me :) After a long Minnesota winter, can you blame me for reveling in the scent of blooming hyacinths and lilacs? The hyacinths are from my garden, and the lilac is from today's early evening neighborhood walk. I'll get back to my paints and pens soon. Promise. :)

Vintage Educational Charts

Bjorn Lie, an illustrator from Norway, has put his own spin on something I really love: vintage educational charts! Love the specimens on the black background. 

If you dig this style, check out this book published by Chronicle Books! It includes a large cache of prints of the 19th and 20th century originals. It is on my coffee table right now :)

> Amazon.com

Friends School Plant Sale!

My highly anticipated catalog arrived in the mail yesterday.
56 pages of green thumb goodness for all gardeners in the Twin Cities!
I've waited every Friday morning of Mother's Day weekend, with hundreds of others, in the cold rain, sunny warmth, and everything in between the past 7 years to get my hands on well-priced perennials, succulents, rarities, bulbs, anything you can think of!

LINK: > Friends School Plant sale website

April desktop wallpaper

Here is this month's art and calendar design. Click on the links below to be redirected to the blog's Flickr page, then download the large size and enjoy!

> monitor size
> iphone size

Spring has sprung!

The warm temperatures and rain have really jump-started things! Here is a peak in to my garden. The color of the label on each photo corresponds with the color of that plant's flowers, or in the case of the burning bush, the fall foliage color.  :)

Why I love Pinterest!

I can go into a wormhole and come out the other side having been exposed to so many cool things I may not have found on my own.

Case in point: Artist Olaf Hajek!

Spring Break

I figured I deserve one, too :)  Thanks for stopping by - more when I get back next week!

Green Paper March challenge

Another digital photoshop collage. I gave it the title "scandalous", because I gave this victorian gal tattoos, funky jewelry, makeup and a pet bird on her shoulder. See every participant's entries on Mary Green's blog "Green Paper".

March Desktop Calendar

Enjoy! I don't know about you, but I hope to see the first spring robin soon!

LINKS:  > Large size (1024 x 585px)   > Small size (720 x 412)   > iPhone (640 x 960)

Vintage robin image from The Graphics Fairy.

Feb. NaNoJouMo day 26

Prompt: Give me a "Y". The first word that popped into my head was YELLOW, which led to the letters in circles, which led to flowers...

Daily journal: an intentional layout

I tried something different with this page. Instead of just "journaling" and letting the words flow and go where they may on the page, I decided upon the layout and design before adding lettering. I'm happy with the more graphic look.

Blue and orange

This color combo was everywhere I looked today.
I especially love when the blue is on the gray side.

LINKS:   > SCARF from lemlem     > Artist Levi Smith    > Artist Madeleine Hatz

Feb. NaNoJouMo day 16

Prompt: "free to be..."   I didn't elaborate - partly fatigue, partly satisfied with it as its own sentence.

Feb. NaNoJouMo day 14

Prompt: "In a state of..."

Spring Fever!

Feb. NaNoJouMo Day 11 prompt..."Lovely to meet you"...

Green Paper challenge

Month of February. I'm been creating these in Photoshop CS5, adding free goodies from the Graphics Fairy's blog. Go to the contest HERE.

Feb. Art Journal

Dawn D. Sokol is once again supplying free daily prompts for the month of February. Play along! Check out her blog HERE. Here's my day three page...

Free desktop/phone wallpaper for February

Hello! Sorry I didn't have time to do one for January.
The good news is I have one to share with you for February!
It was in the upper 40s here today - so you'll understand why it features one of the earliest spring bloomers in my garden. Alas, it will be a couple months before they actually appear. But I couldn't resist. Enjoy!

To be redirected to the blog's flickr gallery and download a

springy February wallpaper for your desktop (1024 x 585), click HERE.

For the iPhone size wallpaper (640 x 960 pixels), click HERE.

"Life is So Daily" Journal - inside cover

I used a cereal box for my journal cover - on the right I adhered some paper tape on the scores so it is less likely to bend. The white sun was printed via the foam plate method. DEMO PHOTOS HERE. The rest is doodled with watercolor markers and micron pens.

Hand-lettering: K