Category Archives: Trees

Day Eleven And A Snowy Drive

Day 11, FEB C.G., 8 x 8, watercolor on Arches cold-pressed 140 lb. paper. © 2020 Sheila Delgado.

We got snow! Overnight, so I didn’t get to see it falling. I woke up at 6 am, looked outside. It was a winter wonderland. So nice!

I had to go out at about 11 am. The roads were clear thank goodness. On the way, I took photos of all the snow-covered trees. There was no one on the road in our subdivision. My creative for yesterday could technically be all the photo editing I did. It took most of the afternoon and evening. But you know me. I want my collage to have 30 pieces. So I will catch up.

While in Phoenix this weekend, I saw a couple of cacti fences. I love them. I just think they are practical, as well as pretty. Sculpture. Sometimes they are in planters next to a building. Sometimes they act as an actual fence.

This painting was inspired by what I saw. I had fun with this. Building the layers. It looked sort of flat, and I realized I needed to add shadows. But I think I may have botched that. I used a Pitt pen with a brush tip. Thought it was a grey, but OOPS! It was black. I was able to soften it a bit with a damp brush.

“Kindness is like snow—it beautifies everything it covers.”
Kahlil Gibran

So that was Tuesday morning. By 2 pm most of the fields were gold again. The roads were dry and the sky was clear. Perfect.

I tried to capture the snow falling from the tree in our front yard. No such luck. The large pine (Oh, Christmas tree) has a blur in the center, that was falling snow. If you should feel inspired to paint one of these snowy trees, feel free. 🙂

Snow And Mo’

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Luck was on our side. Roads were clear, and my brother and his wife were able to spend Thanksgiving with us. The snow started early on Friday, and by noon, it was sunny and calm. Perfect weather for a snowball fight before they headed back to Phoenix. I watched it from inside the warm!

We had about 4 inches, Prescott had double that.

These hills are almost back to green now. I love how the snow reveals hidden details. Mingus is still covered. The roads are dry, and the yard is half melted. It doesn’t last long, usually. My kind of snow!

Now for the Mo’

I am having a fabulous kick-off to December! I was featured in last week’s ALL ABOUT YOU. Janine Vangool’s weekly newsletter. It is always chock full of creative inspiration. Color me happy. 🙂 Click on the link if you would like to sign up. She has open calls for submissions.
Share YOUR art! Thank you, Janine, for all that you do to support artists!

Friday I opened an awesome surprise email. My good friend Chandra Lynn honored me with a feature on her blog, Pics And Posts. Along with my piece of art, she shared her own, and also one by my good friend Christine Brooks! Tres Amigas! Chandra’s posts are always heartwarming, inspirational and often gorgeous. I have learned so much from her and sometimes find myself in tears. The GOOD kind. Thank you, Chandra, for sharing your JOY!

#25. 4 x 6 in. watercolor/pen on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2018 Sheila Delgado. — #25. 4 x 6 in. watercolor/pen on Arches 140 lb. cold-pressed paper. © 2018 Sheila Delgado.

Last week I took part in Louise Gale’s “heART Exchange“. I sent out three handmade postcards and will receive 3 in return. I was having so much fun, I made a couple of extras for friends.

Thankful Desert Postcard. 6 x 4, watercolor, pen on Arches 140 lb. cold-pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

I am so in love with these colors right now. I kept playing, and a have a handful in the works. Haha. I also spent a couple of days on a small tree. Just some creative late-night play. I am almost out of Green Gold. Haha.

Look Out. 4 x 4, watercolor, pen on Arches 140 lb. cold-pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

Vista. 4 x 4, watercolor, pen on Arches 140 lb. cold-pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

Tree, 4 x 4, watercolor, pen on Arches 140 lb. cold-pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

Wishing you a delightful, delectable December!

Joy is not a season, it’s a way of living.

Kalley Heiligenthal

January Semi-Self Challenge

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4 x 6 in. watercolor & pen on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

Made myself a challenge, knowing full well January might be busy. Not bad, managed to get thirteen paintings done for the month. The first two here, I painted for the Love Notes postcard swap. I forgot to scan the first card. So hey, that makes fourteen paintings! More I am sure, than I would have completed had I not tried for 30.

The table above, scanned much more red than the earth, clay tone that it actually is. I was unable to tweak it in Photoshop.

I apologize for the horrible photo below. This was a fun attempt at being loose after watching a video by Angela Fehr. I embellished with watercolor pencil and splatter.

4 x 6 in. watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

#9, 4 x 4 Watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

Sunset Light, 4 x 4 Watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

#8, 4 x 4 Watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

#7, 4 x 4 Watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

The four pieces below are much too tight, and over worked. I tried again, with better results. (See the four above.) I learned that with Quinacridone Gold and Gold Green you have to take care so they do not become dirty and dark. Lesson #1.

Lesson #2 – for either of those colors to be rich and not neon, you must layer at least three washes. Think that qualifies as a conundrum. For me anyhow. Fun in the learning though 😉

I am holding myself to a 30 piece challenge this month as well. It may be several days of painting a series of pieces and not daily painting. I have two gifts to paint. Something different on the way. 😉

If I were to choose favorites, they would be #7 and #8.