Apples and 2 new ACEOs ~ When the apple tree is so loaded with blossoms in spring, it can only mean one thing...

Lots and lots of apples...Apple pie, anyone? The last two evenings, right at dusk, I've been bravely going back to the jungle at the back of the yard to pick bags and bags of apples from the two apple trees. During the day, the trees are guarded by yellow hornets the size of B-52 bombers, which also love the apples! But thankfully, I haven't encountered any bees if I wait till dusk for the apple picking. These three bags are going to my Mom-in-law's house tomorrow so she can make some homemade apple butter and pies, yummm!!
It seems the deer are enjoying the apples too because I saw one running along the fence back there the other day!

Moon Sparkle I & II, yep I'm using the sparkly crystal glitter again. I just finished these two aceos last night and I'm having an urge to paint some sparkly snow ones now!

Another Bridge, NFAC entry and a red-headed visitor ~ Here's another aceo painting of the New River Gorge Bridge...I've been on a roll with these and this is my fourth one painted from our trip to West Virginia last month. The technical illustration class I took waay back in college sure came in handy when I did this one.

The theme for this month's ebay nibblefest contest is 'rivers and trees'. One of my favorite themes! I painted this one and called it The Peek-a-Boo Tree. It's 5 x 7 inches, acrylics and charcoal pencil on watercolor paper.

Wow, my husband took a picture of this red-headed visitor early this morning. We have these huge woodpeckers which like to visit the two pine trees in our front yard and it looks like he was resting before his climb up the tree.

A couple of ACEOs and a poplar tree leaf mandala ~ I had already finished these two aceos with the purple tress (or so I had thought) but they were lacking something...some pumpkins! These are titled 'Purple Night Pumpkin Patch I & II. I think naming art is a big part of the fun and creativity for me. Look what I found out in the backyard today. These poplar tree leaves were on the ground and had a mixture of the prettiest colors so I couldn't resist picking them up. I arranged them into a poplar leaf mandala on the stone bench and added some fossil rocks and a passion flower. One of the rocks reminded me of an alien's head, especially with those eyes. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

I'm really getting in the mood for...

FALL and pumpkins and spooky stuff and the leavess turning on the trees and cool crisp nights! ~ Here's some aceo/atc's I've done in the past and I'm getting in the pumpkin painting mood again. I've been working on some paintings of the New River Bridge but nothing worth sharing yet...stay tuned!

Beauty after 4 o'clock and a new ACEO ~ My dear friend Babs of Off the Wall Art (thanks Babs!) sent me some flower seeds last year and - oh boy did they turn into some gorgeous flowers this summer! They are called 4 o'clock flowers and they bloom late in the evening...night owl flowers which suit me just fine. The fragrance is heavenly and they are such a hot pink lovely color!

The New River Gorge Bridge ACEO/ATC ~ I am on a kick of painting from photos I took in West Virginia on our trip. I just finished this one yesterday and it was fairly tricky to get the perspective and hazy distance in a painting so small.

Clouds, rain, sun, clouds, rain, sun, clouds, rain, sun, clouds, rain, sun...then a rainbow right at sunset ~ This is the weather we've had today here in central Virginia. I see others posting skywatch friday photos and I have some good ones to share this week. I hope youall have a great weekend!

These are the two aceos that I painted from our trip to West Virginia. I had these prints in a frame to give to my daughter and her boyfriend, who went on the trip with us. I was so excited...a lady whose husband helped participate in building this bridge back in the 1970's is the one who bought the original painting of the gorge! A very nice lady, she's been telling me some of the details of when the bridge was originally built...exciting stuff and I'm in the process of painting an aceo of the bridge now!

Yet more photos from our trip this month to West Virginia ~ I wish I had a new painting to share but I am working on one tonight, yep I am. I hope everyone has a fun and creative weekend!

Catching the Light ~ This is 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches acrylics on watercolor paper.


I did this little painting from a photo I took last weekend at the New River Gorge.

Ahhh it feels good to paint again! ~ The two paintings above are aceo/atc size and painted in acrylics. The top one is titled 'River Wilderness' and the second one is 'Chasing the Light'. I may enter these up for bid in the upcoming nfac art contests in ebay. The one below is 'Fishy Mutants' and it's 6 x 6 inches on a stretched canvas. This is one I just reworked some more but I'm still not sure I'm happy with the way it turned out.

From our trip last weekend ~ If you are wondering what it looks like to drive over the New River Gorge bridge, this is a photo I snapped as we were going across!

We went down countless steps (my legs were sore for days) to get these views of the bridge. Can you see the vehicles going across the top?

I've never been afraid of heights before, but I've changed my mind after seeing my husband and daughter standing on this rock last weekend! I refused to get on that last rock but did manage to lean over a little to get a picture of the huge dropoff right in front of where they were standing. My hands still sweat just looking at these pictures and seeing how close they were standing next to that edge!

Playful Otters...
A scene at Virginia Beach...a sparkly blue dolphin statue...

Oh boy, I knew sharks were fearsome creatures but to see one swimming so close through the glass, yikes!!

A big old sea turtle...

A restored mid 1800s West Virginia farm at Twin Falls State Park in West Virginia. A park ranger lives here. We stayed in one of the cabins for two nights.

Another picture of the old farmhouse. I read that the inside is fully modernized for the people living there.

I loved that old dinner bell!

Tire swing fun at the family reunion...see where I get inspiration for my paintings!

You can tell that lots of kids have enjoyed that swing!

Lucky number 13, this is the cabin that we stayed at for 2 nights at the Twin Falls State Park in WV. Saturday night we actually saw what we think was a small bear walking across the front of the cabin next door!

White water rafting at the New River in WV

Green West Virginia countryside

eek, what a drop! This is next to the New River Gorge Bridge.

This bridge is almost 800 feet above the river and it's famous for people bungee jumping and parachuting. They have a 'bridge day' every year and close the four lane bridge to traffic for the brave jumpers. No way, not in a million years would I bungee jump off that bridge, it's so high!

The New River in West Virginia...what a stunning view through the overlook window at the park!

From the ocean to the mountains, what an amazing and busy week! ~ Last weekend we drove to Virginia Beach to see the Virginia aquarium and science center, then this weekend we drove all the way to the mountains in West Virginia for Rob's family reunion. Lots of driving and traveling and we were so glad to get home last night! The Virginia aquarium and science center was definitely worth the drive, although it was so packed with people. We saw seals, otters, sharks, native birds and all kinds of critters native to Virginia. It was educational and we had so much fun! But, I have to say that the most awe-inspiring sight of all was when we drove to the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia on our way back home from the family reunion. This bridge is most definitely not for those afraid of heights and it's famous for the bungee jumpers (eek, no way would I try that)! We drove across the bridge, which is almost 800 feet above the New River, then we drove all the way to the bottom, going though many, many hairpin turns with sheer dropoffs which would take your breath away! I've taken so many photos from these two trips, I had a heck of a hard time choosing which ones to post in my blog so I'll just put a buch of 'em in here. I haven't had a chance to paint anything this week but I'm sure feeling inspired after all the sights we saw this week.