Delight and Domestic Happiness

You might wonder what  today's post title has to do with my watercolor painting of yellow roses for Paint Party Friday. I must tell you  yellow roses reminds me of my husband. While I was working my dear husband would send me yellow roses for special occasions. Did you know that "yellow" roses mean delight, joy, gladness, familiar love and domestic happiness? Isn't that a beautiful sentiment from a spouse?  One Valentine's Day, I did ask my husband why he sent yellow and not red. He said he wanted them to stand out and not to get lost in a sea of red roses. LOL. So, yellow roses will always be special to me.

Hope someone will make you feel special this week.
sincerely, gerri

"A basket of yellow roses"

"Rosey details"

Pretty Little Sea Shells

Just a quick little post for Paint Party Friday today. Come visit the site and see what everyone is painting these days. I'm showing a watercolor painting I did earlier this year; it's one of my favorite subjects, sea shells. They were placed on a wild patterned brown batik tablecloth. Not sure I like how it came out when I first painted it, but it has grown on me.....so I decided to finally share it with you.

Hope you will get to see some pretty things this week.
take care, gerri

"Pretty Little Sea Shells"

It's pretty to me

Haven't shown any paintings for awhile so I thought I'd link up to Paint Party Friday today. Come on over and join Kristin and Eva our hosts. You can  see what everyone is painting these days! Oh course, I'm showing a floral arrangement, since those are my favorite subjects. The arrangements are always unique and the flower colors and shapes are always a challenge. This one my dear husband didn't really care for,  but I say it's pretty to me. I do know why he feels that way, cause he really doesn't like the color orange. LOL!

Hope you can enjoy something you think is pretty this week.
yours truly, gerri

"It's pretty to me"

"Pretty details"

Pretty Pink Bouquet of Ruffly Roses

Went to the Studio to paint this week, so I have something for Paint Party Friday. It was pouring rain which means, I couldn't get anything from the garden. It was just too wet and muddy. When will this rain ever stop? It's seems like it's been flooding forever here in New Jersey. I stopped by the grocery store instead and they had these gorgeous pink roses on clearance. They called me to paint their picture. I painted using watercolors in my new  large scale  format 22"x30", I am so loving the large size. Please forgive me for the blurry photos, just couldn't get enough light on this gloomy day.There's a photo of the rose inspiration and where they sit in our living room.

Hope you'll see something pretty this week.
take care, gerri

"Pretty Pink Roses"

Go big or go home

Go big or go home seems to be the catch phase for  today. There is a really big storm coming to the east coast this weekend. It could be the worse for New Jersey since 1940's. Oh, no... They even stopped taking tolls on the parkway, so people could evacuate quicker! Now that is a rarity. If you are in the path of the storm, I hope you do keep safe.

Well for Paint Party Friday, I am showing another big watercolor painting of flowers from our yard that I did at the art studio. The blue and yellow cloth is a vintage table cloth that I found hunting for treasures at yard sales. I am really lovin going big and think this is the only way I will paint!

Hope you do something big this week!
sincerely, gerri

"Garden Bouquet"

"Bouquet Details"

South Carolina Sea Shells

Well, I am officailly back from our vacation. I want you all to know, I did miss blogging and  talking to all of you! We had such a wonderful time in South Carolina. Our lovely cottage on the river was delightful. Due to a big storm, there was no internet and no tv at all. It really was so relaxing and fun. We swam, went to the beach, ate too much BBQ, read books and visited historic sites.

For my Paint Party Friday, I'm showing a watercolor painting I did at an earlier time. It is of my favorite subjects, sea shells and flowers and reminds me of our vacation. I am working on another giant flower painting in class, but just didn't finish it. You'll have to wait till next week.

Hope you will find a relaxing spot this week.
take care, gerri

"South Carolina Sea Shells"

"Sea Shell Details"

Same Painting Different Day

Just a quick post today for Paint Party Friday. As we are on vacation in a sleepy little cottage in the lowcountry of South Carolina. So, here are two watercolors that hang in our front hall. They are both of colorful foliage in a lovely handmade grey and blue pot made by a friend. I love plants and it was fun to paint mainly leaves instead of flowers.  I love how we can paint the same subject and how it comes  out differently. 

Hope you will see something different this week.

artfully yours, gerri

He promised her a summer time farm market bouquet

Today for Paint Party Friday, I am posting my very first large watercolor. I forgot my pad at art class and had to borrow a piece of paper from a fellow student. This artist makes large colorful amazing abstract type paintings, so the paper he gave me was huge ....22"x 30". I decided just to go with and and boy, was I surprised. It did take me about 2.5 hrs, so I didn't eat lunch in between painting and drawing, but it was well worth it. The flower bouquet of golden sunflowers, fuchsia cockscomb and lime zinnias are a
the perfect summertime farm market bouquet. My daughter and I bought them the day before solely for the purpose for me to paint. After class, I put the bouquet in our living room with a little turq and jade tea set my daughter made when she was a little girl, so I thought I'd share a photo of that too.

Hope you can experience a beautiful colorful summer time day, this week.
artfully yours, gerri

"Summer-time farm market bouquet"

"The Inspiration Bouquet"

Warm Summer Floral Days

Sorry for the late post my dears, but my daughter and I were working on sprucing up my blog and were up way too late. We just tweaked a few things and are not done yet but you can see our progress so far...

So for todays Paint Party Friday, here's a painting done a class in the studio. Flowers of course, one of my favorite themes. Most are from our graden but the Cornflowers and the Queen Annes Lace are not. Those weeds my dear friends were obtained on the side of the road on the way to class. People driving by thought I was crazy, but I just smile and wave. lol. They say a weed is just a flower that grows where you don't want it to. To add to floral theme, I am also including some colorful plates I obtained at a yard sale. They are such pretty colors I might have to paint them too!

Hope you have a color filled week.
yours truly, gerri

"Summer Roadside Bouquet"

"Floral Details"

"Pretty Floral Plates"

Beautiful Blue

For today's Paint Party Friday, I'm posting a little painting I did awhile back of the hydrangeas from our garden. I find the color blue so peaceful and serene and that's why our bedroom is painted that color too! If you get a chance, you should check out PPF and see all the fabulous art from all the wonderful artists.

Wishing you peace and serenity.
artfully yours, gerri

"Beautiful Blue Hydrangeas"

Dragonfly Wings of Inspiration

For Paint Party Friday I am showing another water color painting of a flower bouquet picked from our garden. Its easy in the spring and summer to find inspiration outside our windows. There are many wonderful insects, including big fat bumblebees on our lavender to dragonflies skimming across our pool. So today, I am also sharing some garden photos with you too.

Hope you will find inspiration this week on dragonfly wings.

yours truly, gerri

"Dragonfly Bouquet"

"Inspiration"

Thank You for Pretty Packages

Not too much running around for art class this week. Just used the fabric from last week, but the reverse side, a pot with a birds nest and greenery and a simple bottle from the studio. I can hardly believe it's been a year and a half that Ive been painting at the studio. So here's my painting for Paint Party Friday. This is a wonderful site where you  can see so many artists  with different styles and subject matter. Go on over and join in the fun.




This weeks Painting



It's been a wonderful week for mail with lots of pretty packages arriving. I just had to share them with you. From  dearest Donna, a generous and amazing gift of gorgeous ribbons and glitter from sunny Mexico. There was also a beautiful tag too. You can tell she really knows my  love for all things glittery.  From sweet Lisa, my tea sister, a beautiful hand made tea house complete with hand packaged teas from around the world.  She too sent a pretty  card with a butterfly. From  lovely Lynne, some shimmering ribbons, a gorgeous card and stunning canvas with Bathing Belles. The ocean is  my favorite theme and I will cherish these always. Finally, my Bookmark swap from Gingersnap Creations yahoo Group. Bring a big reader, you know I will use them and when not being used will be up on my inspiration-swap board. Oohh...It's been a wonderful week for postal packages!

So I hope you receive wonderful gifts of every kind this week.

yours truly , gerri





From darling Donna

From sweet Lynne



From Gingersnap Creations Yahoo Group Swap



  

From lovely Lisa

These are For You

Gathering a subject for this week's painting class was easy, all I had to do was look out our patio door! Yes, oh course I did go out in my pajamas, but I picked them in a leisurely way not my usual hectic running about. When I completed this painting,  my teacher remarked that I made a break through. I do hope so.... With that in mind, I am submitting it to Paint Party Friday. I have also included a picture of our dining room where this bouquet now resides. There is a close up of the little snail salt and pepper shakers my hubby gave me, because we both adore all things garden related.

Hope you will get a chance to enjoy some colorful flowers this week.
sincerely , gerri

"These are for you."

"Bouquet Closeup"

"Our Dining Room"

"Our Snails"

A special friend's blooming garden

A dear friend had me over to paint in her garden. It was a wonderful day, the birds were chirping, the bees were buzzing and the sun was shining. I know this sounds like an early Disney animated movie, LOL, but it really was that kind of special day. So here's a tiny painting of a quick impression of her beautiful garden with pretty pink peonies, yellow  and purple iris and blue stokesia. I'm putting this up for Painting Party Friday, come joint the fun and check out all the amazing talent at this party.

Hope you'll get to live in a Disney movie tis week, even if only for a few minutes.
take care, gerri



"A special friend's blooming garden."

"A tiny visitor in our garden."

A day in our blooming garden

For today's Painting Party Friday, here are two small watercolors straight from our garden. Yes, I did run around outside in my pajamas cutting flowers like a crazy person before class, but it's worth it. LOL. I love painting our garden's colorful blooms.The first is of our rose bushes next to the shed and the second, is our magnificent blue hydrangeas. This week, I tried something different and just painted and did no sketching at all. I'm trying to be much more fluid in my painting. I included some photos of our garden shots so you could enjoy them too.

Hope you can visit a blooming garden this week.

yours truly, gerri

"Our Roses"

"Hydrangea and roses"