Merry Christmas

 I've nearly missed the season, but here's my holiday image for the year. 

I'm not sure how many cards I made using little prints of this painting -- I used up all my blank cards, so that ended the card's run at the start of the week. 

I hope the recipients enjoy their cards -- I don't bake or do much decorating for Christmas anymore, so this activity has become my holiday treat.

Best wishes to you and yours!

Midwinter Series 2

This is the second of my barn images for my Christmas cards this year. This scene doesn't feel as cohesive for me as the first one, but I tell myself they are just little cards...it's hard to get details and the like set up correctly on this scale, or at least it's difficult for me.

I wonder how miniature painters do it....particularly those who work with watercolor.

Both scenes are on 140# Arches cold press.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Midwinter Series

I did a series of cards several years ago that I first called the "Snowy Barns," and then, when I had them professionally printed, they turned into the "Midwinter Series." That first set of four images perfectly fit selected lines from Christina Rossetti's "In the Bleak Midwinter."

By now, the Snowy Barns (can't help but still call them that) have become my annual Christmas card subjects. I really procrastinated on setting up this year's cards, and finally had to resort to taking them to work to get them finished (I have a small dead period at the end of the night, and that half hour for a couple of nights did the trick).

So, here is the first of the barns for this year. This is my favorite of the two. My husband prefers the second, which I'll post soon.