ArtEveryDayMonth day7

One of the other nearby peaks, just before sunset.  -watercolor in sketchbook.

ArtEveryDayMonth day 6

Busy day but I managed to squeeze in a 10 minute watercolor sketch of the mountain.  Racing the setting sun and the dinner timer.  Stay loose, work fast!
November 6 and Day 6.

Secret - Illustration Friday, AEDM day 5

                                                       Watercolor, colored pencil & ink.

Sunrise. October 23

Morning beauty

ArtEveryDayMonth day 4

This is the mountain that stares at me daily.  I love it.  And it frustrates me because it is always there, yet constantly changing, and that makes it difficult to capture.  At night with the full moon rising; at sunset when it turns garnet and purple; in dust storms when it disappears; or rainstorms when the clouds surround it.  Amazing.  I've hiked to the top of each of those peaks and gotten to know her, so it's not just a long distance love affair, but one of the things that brings me closer to my Creator.

 I didn't get to work on this watercolor study as much as I wanted, because I had to be somewhere on the other side of that mountain.  When I returned, I had to take the "long way home" (in a story that involves fire trucks and helicopters).  There was a hungry family to feed, a table to clear, and my daily art was shoved aside.

ArtEveryDayMonth day3

Here's little something I began in August but set aside until today.  Enjoy!

ArtEveryDayMonth day 2

This is an idea I've had in my head for a couple years but never made it happen.  I sketched a different version last Christmas, thinking I would just paint a scene onto a board and set it out against the tree. Today, I sat outside in the awesome November desert weather and worked on a new idea.  With art every day month, and starting early enough, I might have a nativity display this year.

ArtEveryDayMonth -day 1

...in the sketchbook while cooking dinner and handing out leftover candy to neighbor children.    

Spilled milk,Hansel & Gretel, Dry ice

Sometimes what we pour down the drain looks just as interesting as what we make.  Being a watercolorist, I really liked the way this milk experiment cleaned up.

A last minute Trunk or Treat idea had me painting a background in the garage with a neighbor child.  I wish she could have seen how good my car looked when I set it up.  Hansel was caught in a cage near the fire, while Gretel roamed around gathering candy.

We also had some fun with dry ice this Halloween.  My daughter is a huge Steve Spangler fan and encouraged us to to try some different things.  The whole family joined in for smoking water, foaming tubes, boo bubbles, and probably the most impressive - the dry ice crystal ball.  Suspense built as we watched it grow full of mist until it popped and washed over the table.

Oatmeal pancakes

Creativity often happens in the kitchen.  This weekend my kids wanted pancakes but we were out of milk.  Now, I know some people will use orange juice instead but my children won't eat those.  And besides, we were out of orange juice.  (By Saturday I really need to go shopping.)  I suggested oatmeal.  How about oatmeal pancakes?  Half the family was intrigued so I started searching for a recipe.

I did not find exactly what I needed, but I felt pretty confident I could make something they would eat.  Success!


Enjoy my creation.
Yes, it has an oatmeal texture, but if you like 'em fluffy, mix in the blender.

Oatmeal pancakes

Mix together:

1/2 cup oatmeal

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup water 

Add:

1/2 cup flour

tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

One big shake of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 egg

Mix well

Ladle 1/4 cup at a time onto prepared griddle.

Makes about 8 pancakes.