Dragons' Box

This is a 3 drawer chest that I have handpainted for my daughter....her "handle" is dragynsfyre and this is the first female

dragon I have seen to paint. The design was in a past issue of SDP magazine.

What a learning experience. Many new techiques, new paints, (irridescent) and mediums one of which is texture paste whichis used in several different ways to provide a dimensional look.

I lined the drawers with adhesive felt so the surface will be "glass friendly", added protective gold colored edges on the very bottom so they won't get scuffed up, and am in hopes she will find a use for it in her studio.

Twilight Saga Handpainted Jeans

I have been taking custom orders for handpainted Twilight Saga pieces. These are the jeans that I just finished of the 4 book covers. I have 2 more pairs on their way, one of which will be

"Edward Theme Jeans"... Painting on denim is easier than I expected it to be and much easier

larger....vs the tennis shoes that I did.

I used the Matisse paints and their fabric fixative which is great. It doesn't dry stiff like some of the mediums do..

ARTISTIC LICENSE...........Definition

Today in an artistic forum newsletter that I get the following definition was provided. I found it
quite interesting as about a year ago a "fellow artist" found it in her heart to tear apart one of my published designs on her blog. How did I know it was one of my designs? She very kindly identified me by name, the magazine, month of issue and design/page.

This artistic license pretty much describes how I feel about how I paint and why. Sometimes
people become too wrapped up in "educated learning", history, etc. as is stated below and loose
some of the "fun" that can be had in individuality and freedom rather than structure and photographic art....... or just plain "ARTISTIC LICENSE".

"Quite simply, artistic license is doing whatever you wish in a painting, without regard to artistic conventions, art critics, art theory, art history or what reality looks like. Artistic license is when you, for example, leave out things in a landscape painting if you don't want it there or move a tree to another position. when you use bright greens or purples in a portrait painting rather than skin tones. When you eliminate detail and create abstractions; when you invent, imagine, and elaborate. Artistic license is painting however and whatever you desire, simply because you want it that way".

Also attached within the newsletter was an Artistic License Diploma which I filled in, printed out and have it hanging on the wall in my studio to remind myself that it is OK to paint my way despite what anyone has to say, or imply.

Large Wooden Clip

I have a good start on projects this New Year which is exciting. This is the large 9" wooden clothes pin which I have painted with roses to hold photographs when I am using them as a reference in my painting.

Freezing Fog Photos

All of my photograpy is under copyright.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... I LOVE these icy days when the fog rolls in and takes the shape of all it hits....we had a double dose with two days in a row so it was a true winter wonderland and just

magical for me. My paint brushes were working overtime.

FREEZING FOG TAKES ON A DIFFERENT LOOK WITH EACH LIVING ELEMENT IT TOUCHES AND ACCENTUATES THE FORM. WE COULD SEE IT LITERALLY "ROLLING IN" LAST NIGHT AND KNEW TODAY WAS GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL...........

Dueling Deer

Today I was able to "catch" two of our frequent deer visitors in the field next to our home playing/ dueling.... the poor little guy on the left only has antlers on the right side of his head....the real underdog as the other one is an 8 point. I love watching them and getting photos doing what they do....just delightful.

Happy Holidays

I LOVE pointsietta's and love those that seem to be different from the regular red ones. This one really caught my eye so I am using a photo of a portion of it to wish all my cyber friends the happiest of holiday seasons.

Twilight / New Moon Tennis Shoes

My daughter asked me to paint a pair of black high top sneakers for my Granddaughter (17) for Christmas based on the books Twilight and New Moon...

I purchased 2 pair of sneakers and these are the "test design pair". Both sides of the left and right sneaker have been painted with a design.... Now I have to do

the "real ones" for Meghan now that I have seen how these turned out.

I used Matisse paints and the Matisse Fabric Fixative which is GREAT. The sneaker canvas is the same soft texture as when purchased without the painted areas. Great product.

These were time consuming but I know that she is going to love them.

Info On Liquitex Acrylic Paints

Liquitex was originally called Liquid Texture/Liquitex and was the first acrylic paint made....1955 by Henry Levison.

It is an acrylic polymer resin emulsified with water.

Retains crisp brush strokes and knife marks to thin watercolor and everything in between.

Increased open time.

High pigmentation.

Goes from thick to thin and adheres to everything. Canvas, wood, plastic, paper, etc..

On the Liquitex site you will find downloadable information in "The Acrylic Book" or as a computer based information center.

With over 50 years "on the market" I would consider it a reliable product with a
good track record base.

There are many mediums available and the product itself comes in Liquitex Basic
for beginners, Full Body and Soft Body paints.

Liquitex Full and Soft bodied paints are available on line and I am able to purchase at Michaels.

Liquitex Artist Grade Tube Acrylics (Full Body)

I have tried several brands of paint and I seem to really be settling in with the Liquitex Artist Grade, Full Body tube acrylics after using the Americana Decoart Acrylics for a number of years.

The Liquitex is a fuller bodied paint that enables you to get a good deal of texture comparable to oils and yet they are creamy and smooth and give a nice, smooth, ridgeless painting as well so it is like having the best of 2 worlds which is great. I love painting scenery and landscapes so these paints allow me to create some marvelous texture and yet with a still life, portrait, etc. I get a flawless finish.

The colors are vibrant so you use less to get the coverage desired, the finish is between a semigloss and a matte so it is just perfect...

I painted the same design, using the same colors in each brand and found the finished project to be quite different in each brand and confirmed; to myself, that with the Liquitex I have found what I have been looking for. I have a recipe book that I use to help me when I am "stuck" which helps me in mixing colors and I have found the Liquitex to run "true" with the book and has helped me to learn so much about "colors" with ease of learning through "doing". It is great to have such a reference tool at ones' disposal.

Will I continue to use Americana, and Matisse? You bet, but my first choice will continue to be the Liquitex, especially when I paint to sell.

There has been so much "talk" about the Traditions paints by Americana as well as the High Density Folk Art paints. I bought a few colors in each of these
two lines and worked with them in a couple of different designs and techniques and although they were "nice" they definately lacked what I was looking for in a paint.

I feel as if I have taken a step up and hopefully the change will be reflected in my finished pieces.

I am working on a couple of new designs and have a new excitement just as I did when I was first learning to paint. The experimentation is awesome, and the mediums I so love work great with the Liquitex also and I am obtaining the effects I am after easier, quicker, and with much less frustration.

FM Dynasty Collapsible Brush (Series 206-

In the February 2010 issue of PaintWorks magazine (which I just recieved) there is a "Great Gift Ideas" section in which FM Dynasty Brush Co. has announced its' collapsible brush. The top section pops off and it slides into the hollow barrel of the bottom of the brush for compact carrying and for protection of the brush hairs.... ANOTHER wonderful FM Product.

This new item can be orderd by going to: http://www.artisticbrushstrokes.com

Winter is here.........

This AM we awoke to a beautiful overnight snowstorm.....and it is just gorgeous outside. I was zooming my camera in and out (which is normal for me) and this piece of snow and ice looked like a frozen fu man chu ghost. But I could be the only one who "sees" it.

Ahhhhhhhhh, this begins the official start of winter for us and many more gorgeous days of snow, fog, ice. etc. LOVE IT...........

Christmas Boutique

I did my first Oregon Christmas boutique this weekend. This photo shows 2 of the 11 rows that ran lengthwise of the Fairgrounds ' , 3 Sisters' Center in Redmond, CA. It was a LOT of fun and such a group of great vendors.

The candle jar I am showing was from the vendor next to me. He is a craftsman, his wife is an artist and these are their joint venture. Above the chimney of the "cabin" is another open area which lights up when a candle jar is inside. They had several designs, in several colors and were out of Sisters, OR.

First Waterfall

I am finding that I love the sizes of the many different barrel staves that can be purchased. I like the curve of the wood and the ability to achieve different looks vertically and horizonally.

This is the first waterfall design I have painted and it is one by Donna Bell out of a vintage design book that I just added to my collection and just one of the many designs I will be painting on these delightful staves.

This one is on its way to my sisters store in PA.....

Chair Art

I saw someone do a piece of art on a barrel stave for a chair in a recent painting magazine and decided to try my hand at doing some for the art boutique in November.

The rose one is my design and the barn one; which sold before even getting to the boutique, is by another artist.

I like that they are something unique and different.

Rooster's Delight

Today I helped my hubby down back pick up pine cones as he raked pine needles and piled to get ready to burn when our "no burn" ban is lifted in our rural little wooded community.

To my delight; to make the day worthwhile "artistically" for me, I got some neat photos. Dan, our neighbor in back of us recently got some baby chicks and they are getting "grown". He has several different species and colors but this little guy is just learning how to crow and provided me a lot of laughter. His neck stretches out like a giraffe and he sounds like an adolescent boy whose voice is changing when he crows....and he was doing a lot of practicing today...

This little guy is just going to HAVE to get painted.

There is also an all white chicken with black neck feathers that is gorgeous who will be portrait #2. I need to get some more good photos of him before I do him.

Click on the pictures to enlarge but beware as they do get quite large.....LOL........

Santa Claus Dominoe Necklace Kit Available

I just received my Dec 2009 issue of Painting magazine today 10/03 so I have uploaded the beading / instruction kit onto my Etsy site for easy, quick purchase. The kit will include the 3 jewelry dominoes needed for painting the Santa as well as all of the beading components. ie: delicas, red snow millifori's, magnet clasp, etc.

If you choose not to use Etsy you can send payment directly to me at:
Diana Putnam

59988 Navajo Road

Bend, OR 97702

The kit is US/Canada $21.40 (includes postage)

OVERSEAS $22.40 (includes postage)

Postage for each additional kit is: $ .75 US CA and Overseas

Thank you for supporting my art.

**Additional dominoes are also available for purchase separately as well as other handpainted jewelry kits.**

Artists "Gentle Fingers" Brush Basin

I am getting ready for a show in November so since I am putting together Artists' acrylic and watercolor brush basins I thought I would list some on my Etsy site.

http://www.artisticrenderings.etsy.com

FREE SHIPPING TO US AND CANADA and everywhere else shipping will be $7.00.

New Photography 9/09

Many "wetland" areas will have moss growing on the trees and tree limbs. At Big Lava Lake the moss is kinky and a very light,pale, celery green. In many areas it hangs "from" the tree limbs and is the texture of the cornsilk from corn on the cob...and is quite long in many instances. It provides a very eiry quality to the woodland.

The cattails in the second photo were gorgeous along the lakefront and the colors couldn't be more fall like. Each of the many lakes around Mt. Batchelor and throughout OR provide a different type of scenery....

Handpainted Jewelry Dominoes Copyright 09/09

I love painting resin jewelry dominoes for necklace, bracelets and pins. It is neat to "combine" art forms for a mixed media piece.

The one focal has been made into a necklace and I am working on the other 2.

Mixed Media Blogsite

Check out my new blogsite at http://www.queenanneslaceplace.blogspot.com for my venture into the realm of mixed media.

Cupboard Doors / Dragyns Den

I just finished doing these cupboard doors for my daughters' lampwork studio.... Unlike her mother she is NOT afraid of color.

(Click on photo to enlarge)

She is AKA Dragynsfyre so I guess this would be the "dragyns den"... ?

Michelle gave me an idea of what she wanted and picked the colors so it was just up to me to do the hard part....

Her studio is done in Burgendy, Teal and Harvest Gold with plenty of Silver accessories....

Clear Lake, OR

I have seen blue water before but this lake was absolutely gorgeous. Such an intense shade of turquoise blue, that I did nothing to "retouch". Boats with no motor only, fishing, and gorgeous mountainy campsites...

Seasonal Paint Colors

BACKGROUNDS
Summer: Bittersweet Chocolate
Bittersweet Chocolate/Dark Hauser Green Mix
Fall: Bittersweet Chocolate/Raw Sienna Mix
Winter: Khaki Tan/White Mix


SUMMER:
Hauser Dark tipped with Yellow Light/White
Lavender tipped with White
Royal Fuschia/White



FALL:
Brilliant Red tipped with Yellow Light
Raw Sienna "
Hauser Dark Green "
Raw Sienna tipped with True Ochre


WINTER:
Khaki Tan tipped with White
Paynes Grey tipped with White
Winter Blue

Lookin' Up

Sometimes when just "roving" your camera "up" you see a good shot. I love this one.... Taken at East Lake 8/09. Quite an array

of different pine tree shapes,sizes, growths, etc.

After icy fog I would have to say waterfalls are my next favorite

nature experience I NEVER tire of seeing and photographing. This is one of my newest and a favorite with the big "ball" of moss hanging from the tree limb on the left. The smell here is musty, the air is cool and there are cold spots that are so wonderfully refreshing, and the views are breathtakingly gorgeous. This set of falls is outside of Sisters, OR and my favorites. In the fall the array of mushrooms are a

sight in themselves but I learned last year not only do mushrooms like to hide but underneath one also finds SNAKES.........I can still feel that scared weak feeling in my stomach and legs....

Enjoy the view.

Santa Dominoe Necklace

I just received notification from Irene Mueller that my Santa dominoe necklace is scheduled to appear in the December 2009 issue of Painting.

I will have kits for sale which will include everything you need but the pliers to paint one for yourself. The painting instructions will be in the magazine and the beading instructions will be included in the kit and are super easy. (Beginner level)

Guess I had better start getting the kits together.

Hummingbird

Needless to say, it took me a while of sitting and many clicks before I got this shot. Doggone these little "buggers" are FAST...and when their wings are fluttering at 210 mph you just get a blur.

Finally this one stopped to rest just long enough for me to get in focus and snap this ever so perfect shot....although I wish it were a bit lighter so I could distinguish colors...but the "tweek" of their bill is what I found interesting ...I never knew it was shaped down and up.... hmmmmmmmmm.

Preserving Leaves (HOW TO)

I hate to think about summer leaving and fall arriving but I love winter also so I am always in a win win situation unless the temperature rises above my comfort level of 80.

But anyway. I love preserving the gorgeous fall leaves to use in my art be it painting, or some other "form".

Here is how I preserve the leaves so that they remain colorful, soft and supple.

1 part glycerine / 2 parts water. Place the mixture in a flat pan and totally submerge the leaves in a single layer in the liquid. You will need to "weight down" the leaves to keep them submerged. This year I am going to try some screen to see how that works rather than something heavy. If you use a heavy item
I would suggest after a couple of days to turn your leaf over then weight again for the remainder of the time. This way both sides of the leaf will get "treatment". I remove mine in about 4 days but no longer than 6. If at 6 days they are not supple enough I would suggest increasing your glycerine to equal parts. . If they soak too long they will absorb too much of the glycerine and weep. Depending on where you live you may find temperature etc. plays a part in the soaking time so you may need to experiment with "time" as well as "solution strength".

After they have soaked I gently press between 2 sheets of absorbant paper towel and put into a telephone book to press them flat... Make sure that they are straight, no edges folded under, etc. I only use one leaf per page and about 15 pages between leaves and leave mine for about a day or so .. or until I want to "use" them. However; you can paint on them immediately if you so desired.

Glycerine can be purchased in the "drug store section" of most stores like Wal Mart, Target, etc. and is relatively inexpensive.

Hope yours turn out as beautiful as mine have in past years.

Prim Pin / Altered Art

I am hooked on designing altered art jewelry pieces. It is a nice change from painting, gets me over little slumps we all seem to encounter, I get to think "outside the box" which is fantastic and I am liking the finished product which is good for the ego.

This pin was made for a very dear friend of mine in Ca. She received it today and was delighted, so that was a "pump" also. She is the queen of Prim in her designs so to have her be excited makes me feel I am on the right track.

With the "hook" that I use for the items; one can easily purchase or make additional components and change out the beads, bottle cap photos etc. which make the pieces even more desireable.

Tonight I shall be creating some additional pieces to sell now that I have a thumbs up from my friend Nat.

None of your Beeswax

Two products for decorative painters are beeswax products which can be seen/purchased at http://www.chaphams.com/

One product is a furniture polish and the other is a wooden salad bowl finish.

I love to use wax on my wooden pieces that I stain first and then paint my design "ontop" of . I apply several coats and buff good between each. Really makes an heirloom type piece to be proud of.

Steampunk Brass jeweled Filligree Ring

I just love the "base" for this ring and the oblong watch movement in brass instead of the usual silver.

This is my favorite piece and is for sale at: http://www.jewelryjeans.etsy.com/ If it doesn't sell it will go to the consignment store in PA where I ship my pieces.

COOL OFF 7.23.09

It is sooooooooooo hot here today..more to come..and days past. WHEW....the heat is early this year and lasting much longer.... SO.........enjoy this picture and let's take a dip.... The water is coming down from the mountains so I don't need to tell you how cold it is.........just looking at this seems to make it cooler...

ENJOY......and check out how blue...no enhancements have been done.

MARBELIZING WITH SMOKE

Several years ago Nancy Dale Kinney provided her technique directions for marbelizing with smoke on one of the Yahoo lists I was a member of. I love this effect.

SUPPLIES: 1" candle, candle holder, Tablespoon

DIRECTIONS:
The surface to be smoked must have already been prepped with the background color and dried. To smoke light a candle in a holder and allow to burn a few minutes until you have a good tall flame. Hold the scooped side of the tablespoon over the flame until you get a black carbon build up on the spoon. Practice moving the spoon around over the flame until you see a steady stream of black carbon or smoke rising above the spoon. I have found that the spoon must be almost perpendicular to the candle. If the candle has burned a few min. you will have a better flame. You must use the standard 1" diameter candle. This stream of smoke is what adheres to the project piece. Hold your piece over the stream of carbon, moving the piece around so that the carbon will adhere to various places. Be careful not to let the spoon touch the surface. When you get the desired result, immediately spray with the Krylon Matte 1311 or the Liberty Spray. You can always go back and smoke again if you want more smoke even if you have sprayed. What ever spray sealer that you end up using just be sure that you can paint with acrylic on top if that is the medium you are using. On larger pieces smoke sections, spray, allow to dry and then smoke other sections. Spray to avoid smudging. To give the marbelized porject a more interesting effect, I wash in touches of color where there is no smoke. Wipe excess paint from brush and blend into the smoked areas a little. Allow to dry.