Coprinus comatus - Shaggy Mane

Shaggy Mane 4" x 6" graphite on hemp paper

With the rain comes magical things.

: :  Bree  : :

Is Someone Looking Back?

The lovely folks at the Seaview Manor have once again invited me to create the poster for this years'  holiday Bazaar. This unique event features about 30 local artisans offering handmade wares. There will be everything from clay buttons and body products to jewelry and handmade baskets. I will also be there, with my paintings available as framed art, greeting cards, and very possibly a calendar!

It can often be chilly here in October, so this little guy has pulled on a spider-silk cap and long-sleeved shirt dyed with elderberries. Red alder leaves curl up into a perfect boat shape as they drop to the ground in autumn. They come in handy for short trips out to gather bull kelp fronds. While out harvesting some of this seaweed one early evening, imagine his surprise to see someone looking back!

: : Bree : :

A page from my sketchbook

A flicker feather

 . . . a thing of splendor.

Crescent Moon Man



Crescent Moon Man watercolor 2.5" x 2.5"



-Bree

Mushroom . . .




Mushroom ~ watercolor 1" x 2"



-Bree

Barn Swallow



Barn Swallow  watercolor 2.75" x 2.75"



-Bree

Making Wishes . . .



Making Wishes (watercolor 9" x 11")

. . . for sweet sunny summer days . . . for crisp cool evenings by the fire . . . for long lazy hours listening to the sea . . . with good food and good friends all around . . .

The wonderful folks who host the Seaview Manor Bazaar asked me to paint the poster for their event this year. Every fall they invite a small number of talented artists and craftspeople to sell their wares at a beautiful beachside home in Seaside, Oregon. A generous percentage of profits are donated to the local Women's Resource Center. In October, I will make my way to Seaside to be a part of this event for a third time.

-Bree

Snow Cabin



Snow Cabin 2.75" x 4.25" graphite on board



The last drawing of winter.

-Bree

Spring

watercolor  1.5" x 1"

-Bree

Walnut Ink Miniatures . . .

1" x 1"  walnut ink

1 1/2" x 1"  walnut ink

Some time ago I made some ink from walnuts and painted a picture with it. You can read about how I did it here. Both of the miniature paintings above have been made exclusively from this beautiful ink.

-Bree

My Grandmother's Window

My dear grandmother once lived on a beautiful farm. I stayed there with her for a time in my youth. I found it to be a wondrous place, filled with innumerable birds, a gloriously productive garden, wide blue sky, and flowing fields of alfalfa.

She lives now in what they call an Assisted Living facility. Until recently her room had no windows and the plant-filled courtyard of the home is far away and difficult for her to get to.

So I have painted her a window. She can once again look upon a gently flowing stream . . . yellow flowers in the grass . . . a hill nearby with a grand old tree . . . and a cheerful visitor in the branches above.  

I began with a bit of cotton muslin about the size of a door and a basket full of acrylic paints.

And with a little help from my friend . . .

It wasn't long before we had this.

Soon after I sent this mural to my grandmother, she was moved into a new room - one with a view onto the courtyard filled with a myriad of plants, with birds busily fluttering about. But even at night, when all the other birds have settled in for the evening, she will always have her Cedar Waxwing there, keeping watch in the branches above.

-Bree

Pathfinder Beaded Bag

 My latest beading project is the Pathfinder bag.

I sewed glass beads onto wool I dyed with tea and iron in my own pattern. I gifted it to a friend who is searching for a new path.

-Bree

Letters D and E . . .

- Bree

A, B, and C . . .

  One day these letters will be a part of my Alphabet Book.

Each one is 5" x 7" and painted with watercolors.

-Bree

The Reading Tree

Reading Tree watercolor and graphite
Please click on images for a larger view

With warm woolen stockings

and no one knocking . . .

Curled up to read

what more do you need?

-Bree

The Time of Trilliums

The Time of Trilliums has come and nearly gone, with the last few blooms shining deep in the shadows of the forest.

Soon the only ones that will remain are the two I have embroidered in glass beads. The beads are sewn onto a dark wool fabric I dyed in a tea and vinegar solution.

-Bree

Flowers for Spring and An Alphabet Ring

Trillium

The age-old cycle of Spring has come and the world feels new again.

Our Pear Tree

Flowering Quince (a local favorite of hummingbirds)



How fitting it is, then, that I find myself practicing an art form that is new to me, yet very old. Sewing tiny glass beads onto leather or wool in my own designs.

A brief historical note: the glass beads are considered modern, but the art itself is ancient. Before they had glass beads, the people of North America used dyed porcupine quills and sometimes shells sewn onto leather. So far I have made a small bag, flowers, feathers, and medallions.

Today I can begin to share a project I have been working on for some time . . . an alphabet book!

Each watercolor is 5" x 7"

This seemed a natural progression after making my own font several years ago. There is still much to be done, but I can promise there will be Imps and Ogres, Rhymes and Stories, Adventure and Fun, and a Surprise or Two!

-Bree