Winter White Garden

Welcome.  I am so  happy that you stopped by. My garden gate is always open for you to come in and sit and relax with a cup of tea while I share with you the inspirations for my art.  I like to plant a few pots of Paper white bulbs each week starting in early November so I will have some blooms throughout January until my garden flowers start waking up. In spite of the unusually cold weather and frost we have had in Southern California - my white Iceberg roses are still blooming (they will be cut back in January and seem to want  one last bloom before they are cut back).

Let's join Bentley, my helpful Studio Assistant, in the garden and we will share our Winter White inspirations with you.

"A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance."  Proverbs 15:13

Wishing you and your family Peace, Joy, and Happiness in the New Year.

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and everyone for your visits, comments,

e-mails and to my loyal and special followers. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special. 

Blessings, Erin

Cottage Christmas

Welcome.  I am so happy that you stopped by. My garden gate is always open for you to come in and sit and relax with a cup of tea while I share with you the inspiration for my art.  This year  Bentley, My Study Assistant, was the inspiration for my Christmas card.

Let's take a little tour of my Christmas Cottage and garden and I will show you the inspiration for my  card.

"And the angel said to them. "Do not be afraid  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people."  Luke 2

Wishing you and your family all the joy, the hope, and the wonder of Christmas.

Blessings, Erin

Legend of Christmas Poinsettia

Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. My garden gate is always open for you to come in and sit and relax with a hot drink. We are having unusually cold weather in Southern California and today I made you hot chocolate to warm you up while I share with y0u a beautiful experience that I had yesterday involving Poinsettias. First let's join Bentley, my Studio Assistant, in the garden and he will show you our Poinsettias.

I volunteer at my church to take care of the flowers that people leave at the little stone grotto with a statue of Mary( the Mother of Jesus) outside our Catholic church. I arrange and straighten up flowers that are left. It is a simple and joyful task. Yesterday, December 8th, was a special day honoring Mary . I previously read a little notice on the church bulletin board that suggested ways to celebrate Advent - such as helping the poor and decorating your home with lights and Poinsettia. It said that legend has it that a poor child in Mexico having nothing to give the Christ Child on his birthday gathered some weeds into a lovely bouquet, the only gift she had to offer. When she brought her gift to the manger the simple weeds were transformed into a brilliant red bloom - the Poinsettia - now known as "The Flower of the Holy Night".

I loved the legend and decided to take Poinsettia's to decorate the grotto to go along side of the flowers that others had placed there. As I was placing my Poinsettias, a woman came up carrying a branch of pine greenery. She appeared to be very poor and said that she had never seen the grotto look so beautiful as it did with the red Poinsettias . She said that she had no money to buy beautiful flowers and felt that her pine branch was not worthy to be placed by the beautiful flowers. I assured her that the pine branch was lovely and would be the perfect compliment to the red flowers. I asked her if I could arrange the branches for her and she reluctantly gave me the branch and stood in the background. I broke off the green pine from the branch and placed the greenery among the Poinsettias along with pine cones that another person left. It was amazing how much beauty the greenery added to the flowers. I looked at the lady and she was smiling - we both hugged each other and I said - "look at how beautiful the flowers look with the addition of your pine branch" and she said "yes - together we made something beautiful". I could not help but thinking about the Legend of the Poinsettia .

"They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share." Timothy 6:18

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, e-mails, comments and those of you who follow my blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special.
Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

Let's Paint A Gingerbread Man Stocking

Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. M garden gate is always open for you to come in and sit and relax with a cup of hot tea while I share with y0u the inspirations for my art. This time of year I receive lots of requests from beginning artists on how to paint a very simple little Christmas painting. We painted Snow men and Snow ladies the past two Christmas seasons and you can visit my December posts in 2010 and 2011 if y0u want to see how to paint one of them. This year we are going to paint a stocking with Gingerbread men.

My cookies have been baked and the cookie jar filled.

Let's join Bentley, My Studio Assistant, in the garden to

Finding inspiration . . . . .

Here . . .

There . . . .
Everywhere . . . .
I wanted to use burlap in some of my Christmas decorations this year and thought the Gingerbread men with brown lettering would be nice. You are welcome to copy my simple drawing. I paint on a cotton canvas board and varnish with 3 coats of matt acryic to protect my sign from the weather. You can paint on a wooden board, slate or whatever material you choose. Once you have your drawing done simply paint the colors of y0ur choice. I painted my stocking red. Do not be afraid to get started - painting is as simple as coloring in a coloring book - only you use a brush and acrylic paint.
I added some greenry and the Welcome sign is ready to hang on a picket fence, gate or front door. Have fun.

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, e-mails, comments and those of you who follow my blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special.

Have a lovely day. Blessings, Erin

Thanksgiving Blessings

Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. My garden gate is always open for you to come in and sit and relax with a cup of tea during this busy week before Thanksgiving. I like to get a head start and bake pumpkin bread and freeze it. When unexpected guests stop by I just slice the frozen pumpkin bread and pop it in the toaster and serve with a cup of hot spiced tea. . . easy and yummy.

"There is harmony in Autumn, and a lustre in the sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been." Shelley

Let's join Bentley, My Studio Assistant in the garden to enjoy the Autumn harvest and relax for a few minutes before the Thanksgiving Holiday rush.

"Thanks be to God for his incredible gift." Corinthians 9:15

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, e-mails, comments and those of you who follow my blog. I will be back after Thanksgiving and we will paint a Christmas "door greeter"stocking filled with Gingerbread Men suitable to hang on your front door.

Wishing you and your family a Happy and Joyful Thanksgiving.

I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to our Servicemen and Women who have given up so much to protect our freedoms both here and abroad and are away from their families during the holiday season.

Thanksgiving Blessings, Erin