Blue and white bash-Scored!!

Today I am linking up with the Pink Pagoda's Blue and White Bash. Head on over to see loads of inspiration.

I love to score great goodies in thrift stores but my local pickings are slim. I browse, get discouraged, and quit for a while. Then I have some sort of mission, like the ORC, and I hop right back in the saddle.

I found the vase and shallow bowl above several weeks ago and bought them for my TV room.
A pair of beaker vases from The Pink Pagoda was on my mantel but their way back to the table by the front door.

 I needed some blue and white for the ORC and I am keeping the budget small because I never know when she will just stash everything in a closet. I went to every thrift and consignment store in my area at least twice a week.

Nuthin! I mean nuthin!

Just as I was about to throw in the towel when a bridge closure and detour took me past a consignment store that I had forgotten about.

They had oodles. Some was unmarked and I asked for a price. Mind you, I was trying to contain my excitement so as not hear an inflated price. Instead she cut the price in half on the marked ones and gave me the ginger jar for $10. I loved saying, "I'll take them all."

Some of these I am keeping for myself and some will be a part of the ORC for a certain budding watercolor artist.

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More blue and white coming soon

Today I am linking up to the Blue and white bash over at The Pink Pagoda.

I have been painting away at the blue and white watercolors. I have decided to add a new style, one where the details are less important and the mood comes first. I am so enjoying the colors bleeding into one and other and inching ever so slightly towards my love of abstraction.

Since buying the Waterlogue app, I have been obsessed with seeing less.

It was fun for me to paint a few of my Waterlogued images but I have moved on to "unseeing" my own pieces and layering the colors and and letting the background and the object have less defined boundaries.
It has been suggested that I simply remove my glasses and paint. Funny!

Here are a few that Jennifer of The Pink Pagoda will be offering in March.

There will still be more of the first style that was offered and plenty in this new style.
Speaking of that first style, my four year-old daughter actually asked for a hydrangea watercolor for her bedroom. I bought a tube of Opera Pink over the weekend and thought she would be the perfect guinea pig for the new color.

Which style do you prefer? Or do you have another blue and white idea that you would like to see?

What's in your blue and white?

Hi!  Today I am linking up with Jennifer at The Pink Pagoda for her Blue and White Bash.

You don't want to miss the other links either...lots of inspiration!

Today I am showing you how I use my blue and white porcelain in everyday life.

I love the dragons on my bumbershoot stand. It holds a few antique walking sticks, umbrellas and a cane.

Across the entryway is a table with a collection of blue and white porcelain and I like to keep a magnifying glass handy here. It may house my husband's car keys, receipts and glasses from time to time too.

Speaking of car keys, I throw mine into a different antique bowl by the back door.

Just below that, I plop my purse on the garden seat.

The Foo dogs use their derriere's to hold a few books in place.

I have opted to use blue and white tea towels in my kitchen ever since I had my own and a tiny blue and white bowl of Kosher salt is always handy in my kitchen.

Last Mother's day I got these fab blue willow canisters to house my kitchen staples.

Oh and of course, flowers!

What's in your blue and white?

New work

"Lemonade envy" 12x 12 oil on canvas

Last week I was immersed in creating not just watercolor paintings but also canvases for Jennifer of The Pink Pagoda's new shop.

Each of these is created with her look in mind and they should be available later this week.

"If you dance" oil and charcoal on 18 x 18 canvas

I also completed a floral abstract that is headed to Anne Neilson Gallery in Charlotte, N.C.

"Palace garden" 24 x 48 oil on canvas

Some paintings come together so quickly its like they painted themselves. This was not one of those. I tweaked and layered and glazed for what felt like too long but the resultant layers are what I strive for with all of my paintings.

The other two that are headed to Anne Neilson are "Penny Mac" and "Watery"

"Penny Mac" 24 x 48 oil on canvas

"Watery" 24 x 30 oil on canvas

New blue and white

I have been playing with watercolors again but this time with a purpose.

I am painting these exclusively for the new Pink Pagoda shop that will be launching any day now.

These are simple flower paintings on 9 x 12 watercolor paper. I am keeping the style loose and not too literal.

Jennifer will also be offering original art from several artists and I am busy creating a few abstracts expressly for her.

"Brazil" 20 x 20 oil on canvas by Kerry Steele

This is the first of those.

I am linking this with The Pink Pagoda Blue and White bash today so hop on over to see tons of blue and white goodies.

Blue and white wishlist

1 / 2 / 3  / 4 / 5 / 6

Yesterday I received a gorgeous planter from The Pink Pagoda's shop.

I am nuts about her blue and white porcelain accessories. You would think that the Staffordshire dogs, a pair of beaker vases and this planter would satisfy my desire but it just made me long for more starting with the wishlist.
Here is my styling so far. I need more don't you think?

 

I am really inspired by this image and seeing the blue and white with more modern elements.

I think I will be expanding my collection!

Woof!

I was thrilled to see a large box on my doorstep yesterday because I knew what was inside.

I won these Staffordshire dogs on the Pink Pagoda giveaway. It was a funny coincidence that Jennifer was posting the winner and a few of my blue and white paintings on linen the same day. 

So these fab pooches are currently guarding my front door where they are in the company of plenty of other blue and white pieces.

Thanks Jennifer!