SUMMER FUN

6"x6"  oil painting just finished today! I have a couple of commissions to paint and this is one. This little guy is cooling off in the surf, labs love the water don't they? So cute! This will go out as soon as it is dry. I want to get back to my hearts but first things first! Tomorrow starting the next painting and maybe squeeze in a bit of time for a heart!!

SAIL AWAY HOME

8"x8" pique assiette heart."Sail Away Home" Embellished with blue and white vintage shards and imagery.

ROSE

8"x8" pique assiette Heart. Newest scalloped heart this morning.  Made on my handmade clay base.Embellished with vintage shards and glass any my hand made pieces and imagery. I love using the vintage white shards. Sealed with a water proof sealer.

Egg Separator

I do other things besides hearts and painting altho lately it doesn't seem that way!  Today is my brother in law's birthday and I made him a cake. He is a special guy and he loves white cake with  fudge frosting. Who doesn't?? Egg whites are asked for and to do that I used my beloved egg separator. My daughter, Amber, as a child many years ago, gave me this egg separator for my birthday. I did alot of baking when I had my little family and made alot of cakes. I have used it over and over again thru the years. It has broken and been repaired with Elmers glue several times. Today making this cake I am reminded of my children,family, the many cakes I've made and  my sweet daughter Amber.  Mmmmm the house is cozy with memories and a cake in the oven.

COTTAGE

8"x8" pique assiette heart. SOLD!

FAMILY

8"x8" pique assiette heart. Glass , handmade,imagery, porcelain,pottery and vintage shards for this one. For the love of family!   SOLD!!

DELLA ROBBIA

8"x8" heart, pique assiette. Hand made, original design embellished with vintage pottery and hand made porcelain clay and earthen ware clay tiles and my hand painted imagery.
I must paint today!! These hearts are addictive! I love making them and this green so fun! I finally found some green pottery and between my sister, my mom and friends and a nice little second hand shop here I was able to complete this one!! This heart is SOLD!!

WILLOW

8"x8" heart  piqueassiette.
Newest heart just finished this morning. More fun!! Made on my clay fired base. Scalloped and embellished with hand made painted pieces and shards. Grouted with  a fine linen colored grout and sealed with a water proof sealer. I was given a wonderful piece to use for shards in blue and white (thanks Lynn) and found some gorgeous blue at a sale! Now I'm on the hunt for green!! Any body?? Seem's I'm always looking for GREEN!!
You can find this and other hearts at my etsy store.   http://susanjenkinsart.etsy.com/  SOLD!

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART LIVES

8"x8" pique assiette heart. Mosaiced heart all hand made and embellished with vintage shards and glass and my hand made and hand painted pieces. I love all things to do with the love of home and garden and it gives me such pleasure to make these hearts . SOLD!!

BLUE BIRD GARDEN

8"x8"  Heart . Pique assiette, hand painted embellishments, decorated with vintage shards.I love the combination of  birds and flowers and garden.  Home is always on my mind and a garden is part of a home. This new heart was just finished and grouted this morning. Sealed with a water proof sealer. It can be hung out side .Available in my etsy shop. http://susanjenkinsart.etsy.com/    SOLD!

BERRY PIE

8"x8" New Piqueassiette Heart. Cut and shaped vintage shards from glass and pottery. Hand made and hand painted pieces. Just finished this morning grouted and sealed with water proof sealer.
I HEART pie, cake too, may make a cake heart!!

COTTAGE GARDEN

8"x8" piqueassiette heart. New this morning! I am absolutely surrounded by shards! They are everywhere in my studio! One half of my studio is for painting and I am finding it difficult to leave that area free of  "stuff"! Some real organization is needed here and soon, maybe today...........maybe not, hmmmm.  Greens with greens, pinks with pinks, red with red and a separation of roses and other flowers. Well, it will get done, right after I find that tiny piece of yellow! SOLD!

HEART and HOME

8"x8" piqueassiette heart. Hand made clay heart embellished with vintage clipped plates, pottery shards and little hand made pieces. Sealed with a water proof sealer.I have been on a pink and green love trip and I think maybe it is time to venture in to some blues!Well we never know about these things we start out one way and end up another!It's all fun! What are your favorite color combinations? I would love your in put, do pink and green send you? Or is it blue and white or the very French blue and yellow?? Or maybe some other lovely combination!  I'm going shard shopping again soon....the hunt continues!!! SOLD!!
http://susanjenkinsart.etsy.com/

SHARD COLLECTION

well, part of my collection anyway! I have new shards that are so lovely to work with.These are waiting to be clipped and nibbled and fit into place. I haunt all sorts of sales, have dear friends and my wonderful sister who drop a treasure bag by to keep me satiated in my endless quest for just the perfect pottery, plate and vintage piece. If you are near my house or in the neighborhood drop me a bag!! Any size will be welcome and loved!! I am forever grateful to all of you!! xo

Piqueassiette Hearts

8"x8"    hearts. Made of clay and kiln fired. Embellished with vintage pottery and plate pieces all hand cut. Hand made porcelain clay, individual pieces painted and fired. One heart is scalloped in design.
I have been working on new hearts for the past week. What fun! I LOVE the new shards and my new hand made pieces. These hearts are grouted and sealed so they can be hung out side  or they can adorn your home in any room. They have two holes to hang by.
These pieces and others are going to my etsy store. More tomorrow I can't wait! These hearts are SOLD!!

Piqueassiette Hearts

8"x8" earthenware hearts with piqueassiette and hand built embellishments. I just finished these new pieces and it was fun to get back to clipping and chipping plates! These hearts are different with the scalloped edge. Very pale blue bird blue grout. These Hearts are SOLD!!

THE BED

36" x 48" This is the huge canvas that I talked about waiting for me back at the studio yesterday. This is Tonal ism. Muted color, soft tones and values. I love Tonal ism. For someone who loves lots of color it isn't easy to achieve a soft toned painting using earth colors. I keep working at it because I find it restful and comfortable to look at. It's a movement that in it's earliest days came out of the Barbizon school in France 1880-1910

LEFFINGWELL LANDING

What a beautiful morning! I just got back from Leffingwell. It's nice to go down there and just sit and think on "things". There is a large canvas on my easel right now , I have a plan for it, making some sketches and did a bit of research this morning. Getting away,to a calm place and out of the studio is just what was needed. I'm so fortunate to have all this beauty right down the way.

It's not a seascape I'll be doing but again a quiet calm place was needed to sort "things" out. Actually a few more "things" than painting got cleared away too . A nice morning!

Do you have a place you like to go to mull??

Now to my studio to get this painting started!!!

BEETS Tote Bag

Newest Tote Bag just completed!! 17"x21" vintage fabrics, pale green hand tatted lace,original "beets"oil painting , little sheep wooden button. Pocket on front cut from a pair of faded jeans. Inside pocket too and fully lined! I LOVED designing and making this bag. When I use a little of this and a bit of that using vintage fabrics and embellishments it makes it all the more fun. This bag has pale green and white checked lining with pocket and the back is complimentary fabric pieces. Handles are made from jeans.

A perfect market or all purpose carry all!

Please email me for more pictures and more info! susanjenkinsart@msn.com

LEMON and STRAWBERRY

I was reading this morning on Katherine Glover's blog that she set up her painting of" Pool Balls" on a piece of aluminum foil! I was so impressed with it and inspired that I had to give it a try! I thought I will just set it up on the foil and do a quick sketch in paint. Oh man was I surprised to see ALL those reflections, it was really a mind bender!Her idea was to paint all the reflected color and it was beautiful! You will have to see her painting, go to her blog on the right of my blog here on the blog roll.
So there I was, with my lemon and strawberry and foil thinking this will be fun and quick! It was fun, but not quick!! A real experience! Thank's Katherine for a great stretch!!!xx
6"x6" oil on board

LITTLE CROSS

New this morning, little crosses for the Chambers Gallery , I'm making a bunch

more, these are just a sampeling.

My sister Julie gave me a pile of beautiful Chintz plates and do you recognize one of her lady bugs on one of the crosses? A broken piece of one of her beautiful pottery pieces. These little crosses measure 2"x3".

Beautiful Gardens

This last weekend I was privileged to attend to the Murrieta Home and Garden Show. Gorgeous gardens and lovely homes.
My girl friends are from high school and we meet once a year,from many different places, attend the show and get inspired by the beauty of the gardens and each other!

I was excited to see the lily ponds and took many pictures of those because not only do I love them but I love to paint them too! Talk about inspiration! Oh and the beautiful roses!

I just loved the potting shed at one of the homes and just had to share all of this with you!!

WHITE DRESS

18x24 original oil on canvas.

This little painting is for the workshop in Washington in June. I love the cool of the "white dress" against the warm of the background. The play of warm and cool.

I also love white dresses!!

EASTER SUNDAY

My grand daughters Elizabeth and Amanda are modeling beautiful silk rose Easter bonnets made by my daughter Heather.I love this picture it was taken on Easter a long time ago, the girls are now in there 20's and Elizabeth has a little one of her own now, Natalie, who is three!

I hope all of you have a Blessed, beautiful Easter Sunday!

WATER COLOR DOODLES

Small water color doodles this morning. Warming up to paint. I'm going to work in oils however, not water color. This gets me going though. Really fun to play in water color with no real intention to be super serious! No pressure!

I spent the early morning cleaning a straightening up my studio, cobwebs, I haven't been in there in so long! Well it seems like it anyway.

I've put my sewing machine and fabrics away for now, sadly and out I go to get paintings ready for my work shop in Washington in June.I know I will see many of you there and I'm so looking forward to it.

It's such a beautiful day, maybe I'll go water the flowers instead!

BIRD and ROSE Tote Bag

17"x21" Original design. Rose oil painting applied to vintage quilted rose fabric with vintage satin ribbon. Original painted bird on canvas, cut out and applied. This bag is completely lined in soft yellow cotton. Matching handles with a 9" drop. A little pouch comes with. This bag was a special joy to make! I love the quilted fabric and the colors. Adding the painted bird is just fun! I have enough to make another bag and will be designing it soon. You can find my bags on Face Book at Susan Jenkins Art Salon. Soon to be on Etsy. Please send your inquiries to me at susanjenkinsart@msn.com .

TEA POT Tote Bag

19.5"x15.5" New Bag!! Original oil painting on canvas front and back painted, email me for more pictures and details at susanjenkinsart@msn.com . Double stitched and completely lined.

Includes a little pouch for your cell phone or any little extras you want to carry with you. Black leather handles!

BIRD NEST tote bag

16"x21.5" Hand made tote bag. Original oil painting with painted bird applied.Vintage materials, stamping on fabric. Leather handles and a beautiful peach lining. I LOVED making and creating this bag! Adding more embellishments and really having fun! The fabrics are so pretty, some are vintage incorporated with new, it's fun to combine the colors and textures.

BIRDS and FLOWERS TOTE BAG

17"x22" Vintage fabric tote bag with original oil painting of flowers and a bird

This newest bag is completely lined with a pocket. Leather handles. Very fun to make with new ideas with the addition of the bird.

ABSTRACT FIGURE

36"x36" oil on canvas Well this was very fun! I decided to go to my studio and paint! No more excuses! An abstract was on my mind and I was inspired to paint it using the figure as my subject. A pastel palette was important too . Weather beautiful, being out side in my studio was so pleasant. Really a fun day!!

LILY DOODLE

Yes, another doodle! It is so cold in my studio, damp. It's outside and really the elements have been rough on it. I did get the roof fixed , thank heavens, before all the rains but it is still very damp! Yes, I do have a heater but it is going to take some time to warm it up. So I sat here in the dining room at the table and just doodled today....again......I must get to work, have paintings to paint for a work shop coming up!! Maybe tomorrow, that will be two days of sun! My sister Julie just sent over a bunch of beautiful fabric for my bags too! Now, that's something I can do tomorrow and not go to the studio!! HA!

WATER LILY TOTE BAG

New Tote Bag! 15.5" x 18.5" My original oil painting stitched on to off white cotton quilted fabric.

This is a smaller bag. It's a nice size. Lined with a lavender fabric(same is on handles) with pocket and pink button.
I couldn't wait to start sewing! This tote was fun to make , I love the quilted fabric and matching handles!

ALL ABOUT SEWING

I am so excited! The book I ordered came today!
This book was published in 1949 and is just full of wonderful lessons and ideas.

When I was a little girl my mother made me a pinafore and so many other wonderful outfits. It seemed to me that she was always at her sewing machine making me a new outfit and a dress for my little sister. One year we had matching dresses for Easter.

My granddaughter Mandy was given a copy from a friend who found it in a thrift shop. She sews and was so pleased. When I saw it I knew I had to find one too. Where in the world would I find one? I did, on Amazon! I'm so excited. If you love to sew, you will just love this book. Page after page of wonderful illustrations and photographs of the time, even a lesson on making slip covers and draperies!!Talk about vintage!!

I'm back home after teaching a workshop and next week I start sewing!

CUP DOODLE

I can't stop!! I really must do some serious work but I leave at the end of the week to do a workshop and every thing I want to start requires a longer attention span than I have right now!!
In between the doodles I'm running here and there and packing and just can't concentrate. I know you can totally understand this. Sooooooo in the meantime I will continue to doodle and start new work next week when hopefully I will be over my love affair( temporarily) with the water color crayons! Have you tried them yet? My favorites are the Caran d' Ache. The white is just wonderful, softens colors.
Ok now what else to doodle???

DOODLES

Yep! More "doodles"! Small little crayon paintings. The largest is 5"x5". I am having fun with these. I already said that didn't I?

SEASCAPE DOODLES

All small little sketches with water color crayons. Very relaxing and fun. Experiment with them, you have a bit more control when you are using the crayons too. Just have fun!