Watercolor Flower

I have been spending a lot of time with family and friends lately. My sewing/crafting had to take a back seat for a few days, but I remembered that I haven't shared this painting that I have done, on my blog.

Ever since I was little I was always drawing. My favorite tool is simply pencil or colored pencils. I tried oil painting in high school and didn't like it much, I think it's the texture that I didn't care for. I like acrylic paint, leather paint is great to paint my shoes with. I have been wanting to get back in to more drawing and decided to try watercolor.

I Love how I can mix colors and water on my palette.

I love how colors move and bleed into each other on the paper and create unexpected beauty.

The transparency and delicateness is something I adore very much.

I think I found a medium I love other than colored pencils!

I just started to learn to paint with watercolor and experimenting with it. My goal is to be good at it so I can draw something beautiful to hang in our home.

A Chinese proverb says:

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere

I think learning something new can be intimidating, but fun. Whatever we learn: whether knowledge or skill it becomes part of us. Who knows, if I keep drawing I might get better at it and be able to draw something really pretty for my wall!

I will start posting pictures of my watercolor here and there. I feel like I gained one more thing I can enjoy in the cold winter days at home... I just need a cup of hot chocolate as company. :)

Shoe Makeovers Overload

I have been in the mood for Spring cleaning lately. I went through cubbies, drawers and closets to down size and organize. It is surprising to know how much you can accumulate over the years. I was doing pretty well and making progress thoughout the house, then, as I was cleaning my closet I hit road blocks. Can you guess what they were??

My Shoes. I mean several of them.

Those are the shoes that I no longer wear; they are still in good condition but with scuff marks and such. I thought about putting them all into the "Donate" bag, then one of my shoulder angels (I don't know if it was the good one or the bad one) whispered "paint them, it will be so fun". Grr... yes, I agree, it will be SO fun. That's what I have ended up doing. Here are the Before pictures of them.

See the potential? So let's see the before & after...

*Before* (black mary jane with kitty heel)

*After* (I loved the shape of these shoes, I just wanted to give a facelift with a subtle unusual color.)

*Before* (Brown square toe Shoes with belt) --- I have sentimental attachment to these shoes. This was the very first "heel" I bought after I got my prosthetic leg with an adjustment ability in the ankle. The highest heels I can wear are about 1 1/2".

*After* (The tip of the shoes were pretty scuffed up. I decided to paint the whole thing except the belt. I love the two tone look)

*Before* (Dark brown flat with gathered front and ankle strap)

*After* (I love everything about these shoes except I wanted to paint them with more of an unusual color)

and the final shoes... these is my most favorite and I had the most fun painting them. So, here they are:

*Before* (Red mary jane with kitty heel)

*After* (Coming up with a floral design is so much fun!)

I have several ideas for painting shoes in my sketch book. I think it will be fun to do something more modern and non flowery next time. what do you think?? If you have shoes in your closet you no longer wear, painting them might be the way to get you a customized new pair of shoes without spending a fortune. :)