Illustration Friday - Freeze

I have had trouble keeping up with Illustration Friday lately.  The word this week is freeze which is hard to wrap my head around...the morning fog hasn't been making an appearance and it's finally hot here.  Here is a painting I did years ago after a rare freeze.  The mountains were covered in snow, and it was freezing standing there.  This was actually my first real painting and hangs in my living room.



Snow over Lake Cachuma, acrylic on cavas. 

Polka Dots

I keep my sketching pencils and my beloved micron pens in this polka dot pencil case. 

I've had it forever.

polka dots!



on my art desk



on vacation





late night sketching





Current (and lifelong) Obsession

For the duration of the Olympics I have had my art supplies in the living room and I've been painting and drawing while watching TV.  My little art desk was looking dusty and sad so I cleaned it up and moved back in.  Here's what I have been working on lately...my current (and lifelong) obsession with Hungarian folk art.

all clean

sketchbook

watercolor and pen

acrylic on canvas pad

sketching a vignette from my mom's china cabinet

practice, practice

watercolor and pen

watercolor and pen

inspiration from the real thing

My Hungarian Doll Collection

I've been doing a lot of Hungarian folk art lately and today I decided to take out all of my Hungarian dolls to share.  Most of them live in a china cabinet but some are so old that they are packed away.

The two on the edges are my oldest dolls, especially my childhood doll on the left who dates back to the early 1970's.

Here she is in better days...I must have been 7 or 8 in this picture.

Detail of her skirt and apron.

At school with me, I think this was third grade, it was some kind of heritage day.  I'm also wearing an embroidered blouse, apron and slippers (papucs,) I wish my teacher had taken better pictures!

My other childhood doll (on the right in picture above.)

Detail of her apron

She is my big girl (in the middle in picture above.)  My mom brought her back from Hungary for me about 5 years ago.
 She is almost 2 feet tall

She has great little feet (and bloomers!)

I bought this doll when I was in Hungary in 2001.

Also bought in 2001.  Even though she is small, the detail on her is amazing.

Given to my daughter by her grandmother.  I've had to repaint her face a couple of times.

Tiny

A Puppy and A Doggy





Hello Oberon who is 13 weeks old today and often wet and muddy.  In this picture you can see his "flaw," the black spot that we found out about the day before he came home to us.  We had no plans to show or breed him and we think his spot is charming even if it is considered a fault. 

I was extra busy last week painting special pictures for two special girls this week.

I painted an owl for H and then this fluffy white doggy for M's 7th birthday.



Acrylic on canvas, 12" X 14"



Linking up to Hello Monday.

Rozsa Loves Her Red Boots

 A while back I drew this Hungarian girl in traditional Hungarian folk clothes.  Here she is making another appearance, this time in red boots.  I suppose since I have drawn her twice she deserves a name and I decided on Rozsa, which means Rose in Hungarian and is a name that is near & dear to me.  I'm looking forward to her next outfit!

colored pencil and pen on paper

More Hungarian folk art doodles...this while watching the Olympics.

pen & ink on paper

An Owl

Acrylic on canvas, 12" X 14"

I painted this owl for H's 9th birthday.  Her family, besides being very dear friends, are some of my greatest supporters.  Six of my painting hang from walls in their home.  Seeing H's reaction when she opened her gift was priceless and the best compliment!