Duluth Rose Garden

This past weekend my husband and I took a day trip to Duluth. I had never been there before, but my husband was sure I would love it. I did a little research and learned that they had a rose garden, so I definitely wanted to check that out. It was gorgeous! Because of my love of flowers, it felt like heaven on earth... I could have stayed there forever. These are a few photos I took:

 

I could easily have spent hours there taking pictures. I think I'm absolutely going to make a trip there every summer to take pictures. You can never have too many! I'm feeling very inspired to paint after visiting such a beautiful place, so hopefully I can do that pretty soon.

 

I hope you're having a great week! God bless!



Photo Baby Quilt

 I've been working on this photo baby quilt for the past week. It's a gift for a young boy who recently lost his mother. The quilt has also been made with her clothing. I hope this is something that this boy will treasure for a very long time.

 

No matter how many of these photo quilts I do, I still think they're wonderful and unique. 

Custom Memory Rag Quilt With Photos

I've been working hard on this custom rag quilt with photos and it's finally finished. I made one using my own photos and I think it turned out really well!

I have created a listing on Etsy for a custom quilt with photos, and I think it would make such a wonderful gift! I think it would be great for students going off to college, moms, grandparents, and pet lovers. I also think they would be a neat way to remember a special occasion such as a wedding, birthday or vacation.

Creating a quilt like this is a very lengthy process but the end result is worth it. This quilt is just an absolute treasure. :)

Have a nice evening!

Creativity Boot Camp Day 8

"Ornament" 5 by 7 Pastel Painting

"Ornament" is my painting for day 8 of Creativity Bootcamp (only 5 left!). With the word prompt of the day being "ornament," I wanted to think outside the box and not do a Christmas ornament. I've been wanting to paint this vase for such a long time and this was the perfect opportunity. The colors of this bottle are so beautiful! I had a wonderful time doing this painting, even though it took nearly all day! :)

The original photograph was taken by an incredible photographer, Kate Young. She has graciously allowed me to use her photos as references for paintings. I didn't realize it until today, but this is the 4th photo of hers that I've used for this bootcamp! You have to check out her blog, she's wonderful!

Day 15

Today's photograph is one that I took last weekend. I bought these lilies from a local florist and tried propping them against different things to get some interesting photos. I've never seen lilies this big before! They're so bright and fun.

I decided that I'm going to stop this "painting challenge" for now. I have just been posting photographs, which is fun, but wasn't my original intent. I am just too super busy at the moment to paint. I started a painting today, but I don't know when I'll have another opportunity to work on it. I'm going to be participating in "Creativity Bootcamp" in a couple weeks, and it's 2 weeks long. During this "training" I will be painting everyday for 2 weeks and it will wrap up this challenge perfectly. It begins June 6th, and I'm very excited about it.

Today's Quote: "The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions." Alfred Lord Tennyson

Day 13 - Painting Challenge

It's a photograph today. I love this picture. The colors of the Dahlia petals are just stunning. I think it would make a great pastel painting.. hmmm... All I need is more ideas! :)

I received an order of art supplies yesterday so I'm excited to break them in and try some new things. I mentioned botany artist Billy Showell the other day. I've been wanting to try some realism in watercolor (inspired by her), because I have more of a loose style, but I didn't have any hotpress paper. I've never even seen hotpress paper before, so I was quite surprised at the type of surface it is. I generally enjoy painting on rough watercolor paper, so this is very different. Now my only problem is finding the time. I'm expecting some company next week, and I've been busy getting the house ready. So, I will continue posting what I can, when I can. :)

Today's Quote: "I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers." - Claude Monet

Have a great weekend!!!

Day 9 - Painting Challenge

I definitely could not have picked a worse time to do this painting challenge. I have been busier in the past few weeks than I have been in a long time, and there is no end in sight. I have various appointments lined up. I'm also expecting some company in a couple of weeks. So, I'm not going to worry about posting everyday, if I'm unable to. If I paint something, I will definitely share it with you (if it's worth sharing :) ) and I may post other things as well.

Today I have a little homework to finish, and I think I'm going to head to the greenhouse and pick out some annuals to plant. It's 75 and sunny today! Perfect day to be outside! Enjoy your Sunday!!

Today's Quote: "There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love."
Bryant H. McGill

Day 3 - Painting Challenge

Well as you can probably tell this is not a painting. I decided to substitute for a photograph today. Sunday's are usually pretty relaxed for me, and I decided to go and take some more pictures today. This tulip is one of my favorites. We ended up taking our dogs to the park today and as soon as we got there I noticed all of these beautiful flowers. I had to rush home and get my camera before the sun fell. I got some great shots, and we had fun too! :)

Happy Mother's Day to all of you Moms! I don't have children, but I feel like my two dogs are my kids! And I certainly love them as if they were :). I hope you all had a great weekend.

Today's Quote: "Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever." ~Author Unknown

Greenhouse Flowers

This morning I made a special trip to my favorite greenhouse. I make an effort to go at least once a year to take a lot of pictures. In my opinion you can never have too many pictures of flowers! :) Last year I was disappointed that I didn't get that many close ups, so today I made sure to get very close to the flowers. I got some great photos and I'm feeling so inspired to paint! I like to use my own photos as much as possible, when I'm using them as references for paintings. I hope to put these photos to good use, soon! Enjoy!

All images © Angela Bishop