Happy Friday to all of my friends out there! Autumn has finally come to Morgantown and I am enjoying the sunshine as I work in my studio. I completed another painting this week (yippee!!!), and I'm excited to share it with you. It is a mixed media painting that I've worked in collage and acrylic paints. I have really loved painting on a big canvas! I hope the bright colors will add a little happiness to your day. Sunflowers With Fruit Mixed Media On Canvas 30" x 40" This is how it looked in the early stages. I usually sketch... Continue reading

Hello my friends. Last month, I told you I would be sharing some of my newer works with you. This is what I've been working on in my absence from blogging. All of the paintings are mixed media on canvas. I am very much influenced by Cezanne and Matisse, and the work of the Fauvist period. My style continues to be a work in progress! Apples With Urn Mixed Media on Canvas 24" x 24" Coffee Pot With Grapes Mixed Media on Canvas 12" x 12" Cone Flowers and Peaches Mixed Media on Canvas 12" x 12" Fruit and Flowers... Continue reading

Hello! I just finished a new mixed media art journal page. This one is painted first with Derwent Inktense Pencils and then enhanced with Twinkling H2Os. I designed the hand lettering on a separate sheet of graph paper and then transferred it to the journal page for painting. The page was inspired by my surroundings while staying at our farm in upstate Pennsylvania. I was surrounded by foliage and the sounds of birds and insects. The verse is from Psalm 98. I also have a new mixed media canvas on the easel, but it is just in the drawing stage.... Continue reading

Hello, my friends. By now, I'm sure I'm a voice from the past, but my last year has been well spent. I've been on an amazing creative journey and I would like to invite you back into my colorful world again. In the coming months, I would be so happy to have you join me as I share with you what I've been up to. There have been many changes in my world, both on the artistic side and the personal side. My wonderful son has struck out on his own, and the husband and I find ourselves with an... Continue reading

I finished up this zendala today. (It looks more like a compass rose). True North 8" x 8" Pigma Micron Pen on Strathmore Mixed Media Paper In case you were wondering how these things end up symmetrical, it's definitely not my insanely good eye! I have a little help. About a year ago, I found a Zentangle CZT in Canada who sells point-plotting templates for designing mandalas. They are called Genevieve's Mandala Stencils and you can order them at Amaryllis Creations. They come as a set of three. I just make a light pencil dot in each hole. When I'm... Continue reading

I have yet another page from my digital art journal to share. I was experimenting with some new graphics I purchased from Design Cuts and Mischief Circus. Their stuff is awesome! This one had about fifty layers! I worked the whole thing in Photoshop CC. See you again soon! Until next time, Continue reading

Hi there! I wanted to share more images with you from this year's trip to Santa Fe. The sights on the street are as visually exciting as the art in the museums. This is a city with a technicolor heart! On our way out of the hotel one morning, we stopped to peak in a courtyard next door. I am always pleasantly surprised by what I find. I love the play of light and shadow on the wall. The iron gates are exquisite. On another street, we happened upon a pottery shop. This sunlit window caught my eye. Art rises... Continue reading

My favorite time of the day is morning. Morning brings hope...hope for new inspiration and a fresh start. I started my day browsing through the latest issue of Stampington's Artful Blogging magazine. I came upon an article by two friends who have undertaken a year-long project in journaling. They are documenting the project with their blog, A Year To Inspire. If their aim is to inspire, then they are succeeding in a very big way. I began reading their blog while feeling rather uninspired and more than a little discouraged. I came away with an entirely new mindset. Both of... Continue reading

In September, my husband surprised me with a four day trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico for our thirty-fifth anniversary. It marked the beginning of a long hiatus from Comfort Cottage in order to work on some projects I've been putting off. I have no shortage of things to share with you but I decided to start with an art journal page I created to commemorate our trip. The trip was truly a delightful adventure. We stayed in a four star hotel in the heart of Santa Fe and walked or took the bus to dozens of fabulous museums, galleries... Continue reading

Although it will not officially be autumn until September 23, I thought I'd get started early. The fall has always been my favorite season. Today we are taking a little trip to Maine - Acadia National Park to be exact. I can't be there in body, but through my pastel painting, I can be there in spirit! Autumn In Acadia 16" x 20" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord It's the perfect place to kayak! I would like to thank David Mark who contributed the lovely photo I used as a reference through Pixabay. Thank you David! Until next time, Continue reading

It could be anywhere, but the experience is the same. As I worked on my pastel painting, I was transported back to the many country lanes and trails along which I have had the pleasure to walk. I can hear the buzz of insects, the sweet singing of birds, and the feel of the warm sunlight on my back. All thoughts of everyday life fly away and I am totally in the moment. Down The Road 18" x 24" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord Let's go for a stroll, shall we? My sincerest thanks goes out to Dieter at Pixabay for... Continue reading

Wouldn't it be nice to escape once in a while to our own private retreat? This little cottage looks like the perfect spot. Solitary Cottage 12" x 16" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord Wouldn't this be an ideal getaway? The reference photo I used for this painting was provided here by Morgue File. In case you missed my last post, here's another of this week's paintings. Fields Afire 12" x 16" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord I'll be linking this post to Paint Party Friday. Have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you again soon. Until next time, Continue reading

Hi there! I've been working on a special art project, so my painting got put on hold for a few days. Today I missed painting so much, I just had to get back to it. My newest pastel painting features the blazing colors of sunset on a marsh. I especially enjoyed working the clouds. Fields Afire 12" x 16" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord Wouldn't it be nice to have a view like that out of your living room window ? I hope your week is getting off to a great start! The reference photo for my painting was generously provided... Continue reading

Today, I'm dreaming of the mountains. It doesn't matter where, they are always a breathtaking sight. Today's pastel painting takes us to Colorado. Mountains In Bloom 12" x 16" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord The reference photo for this painting was generously provided by David Mark, via Pixabay. Thank you David! Wouldn't this be a lovely sight for a Sunday picnic? I hope your day is blessed one. Until next time, Continue reading

Hello my friends. Today I am taking Paint Party Friday to Italy. Warm sun, quaint villages, lush foliage, and spectacular views...call my travel agent and book me a flight! Italian Village 12" x 12" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord On Wednesday I had shared my drawing with you along with some information on how I make my drawings here. After making the drawing and doing the underpainting, I placed my darkest darks first, and then began adding local color (the color I wanted for each element). It makes for a much more interesting painting if you use several colors in the... Continue reading

As I searched my stock photo sources for new inspiration, I noticed that I am gravitating towards another category of images in additiion to landscapes and seascapes. The wonderful photographers who contribute their work to sites such as Pixabay and Morgue File hail from around the globe. Those of us who paint but lack the means to travel to these faraway places benefit from their generosity and talent. I have found so many photos of the most beautiful villages in France, Italy, Germany, and more. I've been hesitant to use the village photos, as they are a great challenge to... Continue reading

Have you ever gotten started with something and you were so engrossed in the process that you just couldn't stop? Before I knew it last night, the night turned into one-thirty in the morning! At least I had something to show for it. I finished a miniature pastel landcape painting. Pastel Mini No. 4 6" x 8" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord After sleeping in this morning, I got up and did it all over again! Pastel Mini No. 5 6" x 8" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord I added to my pastel arsenal this week. I broadened my green assortment, since... Continue reading

I wanted to share my latest pastel painting with you yesterday, but the New Jersey shore was calling to me. I spent a lovely day on the beach there with my sister. Ruins 16" x 20" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord I used red under the grasses to give them a bit of sparkle. When I began adding local color, I started with the color of the river bed before working the reflections on the water. I pressed the brown into the board using a color shaper tool. These nifty tools provide a way to move pastel color exactly where you... Continue reading

On a beautiful, clear summer day, there is no better place to be than on the sea. For today's pastel painting, we are sailing away. Sail Away 8" x 8" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord Can you smell the delightful salt air and feel the breeze on your face? Trim the main sail and head her up into the wind! Many thanks to Sollermann Heiner who provided the reference photo via Pixabay. Earlier this week, we spent time in a field of poppies. Poppies In The Park 12" x 16" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord I'll be linking today's post to Paint... Continue reading

There are few things more beautiful than a field of poppies in full bloom. I came across this photograph and it has been on my list to paint. Wouldn't it be lovely to sit on the bank and dip your toes into that stream? Poppies In The Park 12" x 16" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord Will someone please bring me a tall glass of iced tea? I'm going to be here awhile. The reference photo for my painting was generously provided by Manuela Lenz via Pixabay. Thank you Manuela! Until next time, Continue reading

Hello my friends. I'm so glad you have come by to visit. I found a photo of this handsome kitty and I just knew I had to paint him/her(?) I don't know what his/her name is, but I decided he looked like a Sigmund. Isn't he the cutest thing? Sigmund 16" x 20" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord The reference photo was kindly provided by Anja Osenberg via Pixabay. Thank you, Anja! Until next time, Continue reading

Right about now is when I usually start dreaming of cooler temperatures. This July hasn't been too bad though. Still, I did this pastel painting of a Pennsylvania barn to cool off a bit. Farm In Winter 18" x 24" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord Living amongst Amish and Mennonite farms has made the ubiquitous Pennsylvania barn very near and dear to my heart. The farm is a symbol to me of family, working together, and living simply. For Pink Saturday, I decided to repost a painting from earlier this week. Field Of Dreams 6" x 8" Pastel on Wallis Professional... Continue reading