Needing a pick-me-up

My emotions have been on a real low lately. So I thought today's post would be about a wonderful and yummy memory for me. A year ago when we went to New Orleans we stopped off at the Cafe Du Monde early in the morning. Here's my yummy and still warm plate of beignets right before I dove into them, right next to hubby's incredible smelling chickory coffee all sweetened up and smoothed with milk. If I close my eyes I can still smell it all, and taste the wonderfully warm fried dough, and feel the powdered sugar tickle my nose, and hear the sounds and music of the street, and feel my little one give me a powdery kiss on the cheek from pure joy... *sigh*

Florence - New Art Doll!

Here are some images of Florence, my second art doll! I'll be putting her up for sale soon in my Etsy shop!
I'm so very excited about her, and so please at the revised pattern. The muslin looks great as well. I'd love any and all feedback!
She measures 10.5" tall, made from muslin and some new, found material (I'm assuming cotton, but don't hold me to it!) She's stuffed with poly-fill and her face and hair have been painted in professional acrylic paints.

Second Art Doll Attempt!

Here's art doll atemmpt number two! ...minus face, of course.
I'm so pleased with how the revised pattern came out that I had to share! I'm hoping to be able to paint her face this weekend. So excited!

Monterey

Here's a picture I took in Monterey off the coast of California a few months ago. Monterey has incredible tide pools! I love watching the little crabs scuttling around in them and fighting over larger shells.

Sense & Sensibility - Chapters 17 through 19 - Edward's Heart

So Edward tries to start out with a coldness to the Dashwood ladies that he's never shown before. But his obvious affection overcomes this fairly quickly. It's wonderful to see him and Elinor and Marianne banter back & forth. But his depression and coldness return time and again. It must be utter pain to Elinor.
We ache for Elinor. Especially when she sees the ring with the lock of hair in it, thinking it's her own. Why does he wear it when he no longer loves the true owner of the hair? Is it to remond himself that he is not free to love Elinor as he wishes? And then his remark to Mrs. Dahswood when she asks him about his future sons, that "They will be brought up...to be unlike myself as possible." is a true tell that he is disgusted with himself.

Opinions needed! First art doll attempt!

Well, I decided to have a go at a mock-up of my first art doll. This is what I came up with! It's by no means polished up; I'm sure I need a lot of tweaking before I get it right! And I didn't even have the muslin I needed for her skin, so I just used an inferior fabric that didn't take the paint as I'd like. I'd love any and all (yes, even bad!) opinions on this little lady before I attempt another.

Hoyden Designs Blog Giveaway!!!

***This contest is over! I'll be posting the name of the winner soon! Thank you to everyone who entered!***

You can win this lovely little Halloween inspired glass pendant, an image of one of my original watercolor paintings called 'Jack's Visitor' that has been carefully attached to the back of a smooth piece of glass and with a sturdy bail!

I am so excited to be having this contest! And it's so simple! Just go to my Etsy shop, pick out your favorite item, then come back here and leave a comment with the link of the item you like. And don't forget to leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win! Click here for a direct link to my Etsy shop!
The contest will end October 5th at 9pm EST. I'll be pulling a name out of a hat and posting the winner here on my blog on October 6th.
And if you put a link to this contest on your own blog you'll have an extra chance to win! Just leave an additional comment with the link posted here.
International contestants welcome! And don't forget to fill out the poll on the right hand side of the blog!
Affectionately yours!
Christina

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 16 - Dealing with Marianne

After Willoughby leaves, Mrs. Dashwood does much more harm than good by not insisting on asking Marianne if she and Willoughby are engaged. Elinor is right in every way to insist on it.
And then Edward shows up, and he's so cold. It takes a strong person (as only Elinor could be) to hide her hurt and treat him the same as she always did.

Sketchbook Finds - 9/22/08

The sketch that eventually became "Sweet Abandon". Knowing that she was in a pile of autumn leaves, I wound up giving her slightly warmer clothes in the final product! You can see the painting here!

Louisiana and Spanish Moss

Almost a year ago we were able to visit family in Houston, and they took us on an amazing road trip through Louisiana to New Orleans. I had never been there but had always wanted to go. I was able to take some fun pics while there and thought I'd share them with you every now and then. Here's the first of many. While we were driving through Louisiana we went to this incredible bayou, where they have little roads for you to drive on. The trees were covered in Spanish moss, which is something you never see here in California! Here's one of the pics of the beautiful trees that we saw.

Who wants a contest???

I've been thinking of having a blog contest...anyone interested???
Keep a watch out for a possible contest here starting early next week!

New Life

Here's the finished piece, "New Life"! Yippee! 3 months in the making!
I'm so pleased with her. The colors came out a little darker on my scan than in the painting itself. It measures 9x11, and is painted in watercolors on 140lb. watercolor paper.
New up, I'm feeling the itch for acrylics! Hoping to get some vibrant backgounds done this weekend. :)

Work in Progress - September 19th

"New Life" is just about completed! Here are a few pics to show her in the process of being finished. The top picture shows her with skin and dress complete, and with a pale brown wash over her hair. In the second pic you can see her hair halfway through completion. In the last pic is me adding strands to the hair. This can be a very time consuming process. I add each strand on a piece at a time in layers. I can sometimes go over the hair up to 5 times with different strengths and hues of paint. This is why I love watercolors so much; I just don't have this control with acrylics. After I finish adding strands, I'll go back and add shadows where they're needed. Later today I'll post the completed piece!

Sense & Sensibility - Chapters 14 & 15 - Argh! Willoughby!!!

(Seriously, this man is taking WAY too much of my time!)
Willoughby truly loved Marianne and her family. But why does his heart, which seems in such accord with Marianne's, wind up being so changeable and fickle?
He's so selfish. Elinor, ever the cool and rational one, can see through the surface and is suspicious of what's underneath. Unlike her mother, who is so like Marianne, and fits the excuses to the actions to ease her emotions. It's amazing how trusting Mrs. Dashwood is, how blind she is, how much leeway she gives this man who has caused her beloved daughter so much pain.

Work in Progress - September 18th

Here's the piece I'm working on, now no longer just a sketch! I've almost completed the branches here. Just a little shadow to the leaves is left, and then I can start on the girl. I love yellow, so I think her dress will have to be yellow. It just signifies so many wonderful, optimistic emotions to me. I've decided on calling this one "New Life".

Sunflower garden

Here are some images from my little sunflower garden when it was at the height of it's bloom this past summer. Now that the sunflowers are gone and the pumkins have been picked from their vines, it's nice to look back on it as it was.

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 13 - Willoughby's possible knowledge?

Does Willoughby know that Colonel Brandon's charge is the woman he seduced and abandoned? Has he known all along? Is this the reason for his obvious and vocal dislike of Colonel Brandon?

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 12 - Conquest or wife?

Willoughby is rash and unthinking. As I get older I see his and Marianne's actions in a new light. He gives Marianne a horse...a horse! How can he not see that they don't have the money to keep a horse?
I've always wondered if at first Willoughby had meant to make Marianne another conquest. I'm convinced that he does wind up loving her and was planning to marry her, but were his original intentions less than honorable?

New Hand-Painted Pendants!

Here's a picture of the new batch of hand-painted polymer clay pendants I've recently finished! I'll be posting them soon to my Etsy store. If you see one you'd love to have but I haven't posted it yet, please feel free to contact me at hoydendesigns@gmail.com and I'll post it right away for you!
I added a couple birds into the mix this time, which is new for me. I also did some larger profiles in addition to my smaller front view cameos. Each pendant is hand-formed, baked and sanded, and then is hand-painted by myself in acrylic paints. I finish off each with 2 coats of varnish for protection. I don't get to work on these often, so I'm really excited about them!

Sketchbook Finds - 9/17/08

Some ideas for layouts I was playing with. The middle 2 I wound up painting as a set.

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 11 - The preservation of youthful thoughts

While many of us are of Elinor's opinion that the prejudices and passions of youth had better be gotten over by experience, Colonel Brandon's opinion that "romantic refinements" are best kept as long as possible in the young is so bittersweet and unselfish. For, when we really think about it here, who really wants a young mind scarred by the experiences and grief of the world?

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 10 - The dent in the polished surface

We are disturbed, as is Elinor, to see Willoughby so mean-spirited about Colonel Brandon. By seeing into Elinor's thoughts, and seeing her set Willoughby and Marianne down for their horrible comments about the Colonel, I begin to feel real affection for Colonel Brandon and begin to distrust my first impressions of Willoughby. He is fascinating, but the cruelty he shows is a spot on his character that glares more brightly than the good in his personality.

Work in Progress - September 16th

Here's the latest watercolor painting I'll be working on. I'm not sure what to call it yet, so any suggestions are welcome!
I've been wanting to paint this since I first came up with the idea back in June. Still trying to come up with the color scheme, though.

Good Morning!

I'm feeling optimistic this morning after a tough week, so I thought I'd share this picture with you. This is a photo of my very favorite tree in my backyard. It is so beautiful, with branches that reach out and cover half of my yard.

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 9 - Willoughby...Need I say more?

Willoughby...*sigh* Why is it that Jane Austen's bad boys are so...tempting? She really knew how to write them well. I wonder if she knew any? Hmmmmm...
Perhaps she wanted us to sympathize more with her heroines by giving us such deliciously wicked men to dream of.

Renaissance Faire - Huzzah! (Part 2)

Here are the rest of my Ren Faire pics. Enjoy!

Renaissance Faire - Huzzah! (Part 1)

I was able to take so many wonderful pics at the Ren Faire this last weekend that I'll have to post them in 2 parts! They had so many incredible hand made goods. I couldn't get enough! Everywhere I turned was eye candy.

Sense & Sensibility - Chapters 7 & 8 - Old and Infirm...at 35?!

Ah, youth! At 17 years of age, a person in their 30's seems quite old. But Marianne has Colonel Brandon almost at death's door! She respects and admires him, but because he is the "wrong side of five and thirth", she also makes allowances for his lack of ecstasies. It cracks me up (being almost at that age myself...!) that she is so ready to "make every allowance for the Colonel's advanced state of life." Hahaha!
Well do I remember the opinionated mind of youth, how everthing in a young person's mind is set in stone. And with Marianne, just as in life, it is only through time and maturity and experience that those opinions will alter.

Sketchbook Finds - 9/13/08

I don't typically post much on the weekends (today we're going to the Renaissance Faire...Huzzah!), so I thought today's sketchbook doodle would be a sneak peek of some new hand-painted pendants I've created. Half of them have already gone to a wonderful vintage store in Berkeley called Brownie's Vintage! The other half I'll be posting soon to my store on Etsy...so keep a look-out!

The Dancer - Complete!

I finally completed "The Dancer" last night! Not sure if I like the title of this painting; any suggestions are welcome!
I decided to keep the color palette in autumn tones and am really pleased with how she turned out. Size is 11"x14" on 140 lb. watercolor paper. I so love the warm colors of autumn. As soon as this season starts to show I begin dreaming of cozy burgundies, oranges, browns and yellow ochres.
Oh! Just came up with another idea! Off to find my sketchbook...

Sketchbook Finds - 9/12/08

Another doodle from my sketchbook that has yet to make it into a painting. My brain works faster than my brushes can, so I have quite a few layouts patiently waiting for me to get to them.

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 6 - The Middletons

I like Jane Austen's visible opinion of Lord & Lady Middleton. Though he is pushy and forward, he is preferred to Lady Middleton's well-bred coldness because everything he does is done with warmth and a friendly heart.

Sketchbook Finds - 9/11/08 (part 2!)

Here's a more Regency inspired doodle from my sketchbook.

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 5 - The ever selfish John Dashwood

In this chapter, as John Dashwood's step-mother and half-sisters announce that they have found a new home and will be leaving Norland, he feels surprise and concern. However, our slight hope for him is dashed when we see the only reason he feels this way is because the distance that the ladies will be moving to prevents him from performing the one (and very slight at that) service for them by helping them move their possessions. Hard to believe that Elinor and Marianne are ever remotely related to him!

Sketchbook Finds - 9/11/08

A strange little doodle from my sketchbook that has yet to make it into a painting. I'm kind of fond of her, though!

I was interviewed at Izzy-It.blogspot.com!

I was very excited to have been interviewed by Sue at Izzy-It.blogspot.com this week! She has a great shop at Etsy called tackyhandmade, and is a super sweet person as well! You can read the interview here!

Work in Progress - September 10th

I wound up fixing the background of this painting by adding an orange wash to it, and I'm really pleased with how it came out! I also added shading to the dress, as well as flesh tones and shading to her skin. Now my biggest question is if I should make the vines on her dress a washed out olive green, or if I should keep closer to the autumn palette of colors and make it a reddish brown or muted red...

Sketchbook Finds 2

Another doodle from my sketchbook!

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 4 - Elinor's Cool Head

Though I have no doubt at all that Elinor deeply loves Edward by chapter 4, She certainly doesn't see the world through rose-colored glasses. She knows, and admits without bitterness, that there are obstacles to her and Edward marrying and she accepts them with no questions asked. She is also so intuned to him, that she can see he cares for her and yet has moments of lowness (which we later find out the reason for) that gives her slight doubts. Her only mistake in her feelings is being too warm about them in front of Marianne.

My Palette

When I first started watercolors I didn't have a proper palette (and truthfully, was too lazy to go out and buy one!). I had this old ceramic plate from a dish set I no longer had, so I took it out, dusted it off, and presto! I have a fantastic palette that works wonders! I love it so much; it really shows the colors off well. It's now my permanent palette!

Sketchbook Finds

A quick peek at a doodle in my ever present sketchbook! The larger sketch became my "Isabella" painting.

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 3 - Mrs.Dashwood, not so silly!

I have to say, Mrs.Dashwood is not as silly as you would at first think. Yes, she is over emotional, holding on to her grief and feeding it. She even encourages Marianne in her over abundance of emotion, which nearly leads to her death (is this too much of a spoiler...?).
However, she shows great insight into knowing what is just right for Elinor. Yes, everyone who gets to know Fanny's brother Edward Ferrars comes to see he is good in heart and has incredible worth as a human being. But she also sees clearly his and Elinor's quickly growing and deep attachment to one another. And while Marianne is vocal to her mother about her opinion that because Edward shows very little if any outward passion that he is not right for her sister, Mrs.Dashwood is strong in her conviction that he and Elinor would make each other happy. And more than anything, she also sees the impediments to Elinor and Edward marrying (namely her lack of fortune and that his fortune is tied to his selfish mother's goodwill). DESPITE his fortune and these impediments, she wants to see them happily settled.

Work in Progress - September 8th

Here's my latest work in progress, and as usual I have yet to name it! Right now I refer to her as "the Dancer". Not quite sure if I like the background yet; comments and suggestions are welcome!

Great Grandma's Chair

Passed down through our family members is this little chair, belonging to my great grandmother on my mother's side of the family. When it finally came to us, it was pretty beat up. One of the support spindles under the chair is broken, and the wood has had paint dripped on it, has been dinged and scratched, and is just not in the best shape. But the worst part of the chair was the seat. The fabric was completely worn away, past the upholstry, past the padding, to the wood underneath. After hiding it in a corner under a blanket for several years, my husband and I finally got up the courage to re-cover it. This is the fruits of our labor! I've had this wonderful Parisian tapestry fabric for years and finally found a place to use it. We don't want to touch the rest of the chair just yet, as each scratch and chip reminds us that this chair has seen 80 years of family joys and sorrows; 8 decades of wonderful lives that we're connected to.

Sense & Sensibility - Chapter 2 - The Pliable John Dashwood

I originally wanted to vent my frustration at the very selfish Fanny Dashwood, but insread I want to talk about her husband, Elinor and Marianne's half-brother, John Dashwood.
With a nicer, more compassionate wife, he could have been a better man. He is certainly like a great unformed ball of clay, and Fanny knows all too well how to mold him to her will. She manipulates him quite expertly into making sure he gives nothing at all to his stepmother and half-sisters. He briefly earns some esteeem from the reader by being ready and willing to help them out. But he shows, with Fanny's help, that he really has no desire at all to help the newly homeless women. It's almost a relief to him to be unburdened of any care of them. In the end, he is of a like-minded opinion as his wife that the destitute women ripped from their home are more likely to give them something!

Lovely Jane...

"Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way." ~Jane Austen, 'Emma'


(The painting pictured here is a close-up of the very first Jane Austen inspired painting I ever completed)

Sense and Sensibility

First on my reading list is Sense & Sensibility! You can find the text online if you don't have a copy of the book by clicking here!
This is the only Austen novel with 2 heriones, who are also sisters. One, Elinor, is "sense". She is the cool head in the family, the one that silently tried to rein in the overabundance of emotion in the others. However, Austen makes sure to point out that "She had an excellent heart; her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong: but she knew how to govern them."
The other, Marianne, is "sensibility". She lives for the moment and her emotions. She has incredible passion and isn't afraid to show it, often to her detriment. Austen states, "her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation."
Each sister has to learn the balance between the 2 to find happiness.

I love Elinor! She takes everything thrown at her and manages to hold it together and show civility to everyone, even her despised sister-in-law Fanny. As early as the first chapter we see her holding in her grief over her father's passing and having to see her half-brother and sister-in-law come into her home as rightful owners, while she and her mother and sisters are made as visitors. I could not have been so good under the circumstances!

Early morning honey bee haven!

Last summer I had a fabulous garden; it seems everything I planted grew! In the mornings I would go out to see how everything was doing and give it a watering if it needed it. One morning, just as the sun was coming up, I came across this wonderful image. It seems 2 honey bees had taken shelter in one of my pumpkin flowers and fallen asleep! I couldn't help snapping a shot.

Janeites Unite!

As many of you know, one of my main passions in life is Jane Austen (pictured here as the original watercolor Jane's sister Cassandra painted of her, now in the National Portrait Gallery in London, which we visited in 2000). I love her novels, facts about her life, her letters, the movies based on her novels...you name it and I'm pretty much obssessed with it!
Now, I am no literary genius. I love Jane Austen's novels simply for the pleasure they bring. As a new feature to my blog, I'll be reading her books (some for the 4th and 5th reads!) and commenting on them as I progress. Please feel free to leave comments, if you agree or don't. There's nothing that I like better than a good Jane Austen discussion! I'll also be posting wonderful Jane Austen quotes and factoids. Now...Janeites Unite!

Autumn Shelter - Original Watercolor

I am so ready for autumn right now, and this little painting proves it. Just as the first bit of crispness hits the air, just as the leaves begin to turn, this mother rabbit and her sweet baby find a cozy shelter in a small hollowed out hill. "Autumn Shelter" is 7"x9.5" on 140 lb watercolor paper, a lovely little greeting for the new season!

Welcome to my world!

I thought I'd give you a peek at the space I call my own at home! We have a lovely 1915 cottage style house with original cherry wood panelling in the living room. The previous owners put in a wonderful skylight, which really brightens up what could be a drab place. There's a large window on one side of the room, and that's where I paint!
The top 2 pictures show more storage space than anything. I have my grandma's antique sewing desk that I use to display my latest painting as I'm working on it and to hold the things I need to make my pendants. Against the wall I've stacked some vintage suitcases, a great garage sale find, that I store some of my supplies in. On the wooden ledge you can see one of my paintings, as well as a sketch for a future watercolor, and a custom painting done for me by vusova.etsy.com!
The bottom 2 pictures showcase my little round table that I paint at. I have it tucked into the corner, and at night I curl up in the cozy chair to the left and paint. When the sun is out I sit on my little vintage folding chair near the window to take advantage of the light that pours in. You can see some of my acrylic paintings on the ledge above, as well as over the window. *sigh!* My little piece of heaven. And the great part of it is it's right in the middle of the busiest part of the house, so I still be with my family when I'm working on a painting!