Fall Blue and White Inspiration

Welcome. I am so glad that you stopped by. We are having a beautiful fall day in Southern California- cool nights and warm days in the high 60's near the ocean. Just perfect weather for you to join me and Bentley, my helpful Studio Assistant, in the garden for a cup of hot tea while we look for Blue and White Fall inspirations.

My neighbors' Maple tree is just starting to turn fall colors.




It is cool enough for me to grab a jacket to wear. Off we go . . . . . . . .

Bentley is already to go. One of my customers' saw a Welcome Sunflower door sign on my website http://thepaintedgarden.net/ and asked me to paint her a sign with sunflowers in a blue and white bucket. She collects blue and white china and wanted something that would welcome guests to her home that would represent her love for all things blue and white.

Finding Inspiration . . . . .

Here . . . . .

I also collect blue and white china and did not have any problem finding blue and white china for inspiration. I store extra pieces in my old blue cubbard .

There . . . .

Everywhere . . . . .

Looks like Bentley found some Sunflower inspiration.

Now that we found our blue and white and sunflower inspirations, Bentley is ready to show you the finished Welcome sing.

The sign can be hung on a front gate, picket fence of front door.

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate that you have taken time to visit, leave me a comment and follow my blog. If you would like to see me paint something special, please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

Let's Take A Fall Garden Tour

Fall "Nesting"

Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. We are having beautiful cool Fall weather in Southern California - cold nights and sunny days (we call it cold if it gets down into the 50's at night). Not quite cold enough to offer you hot chocolate, but just right to offer you a cup of hot tea. Please join me for a Fall stroll through beautiful Roger's Gardens and Home Shop.

I just love my new yellow tea cups with blue birds - I found them at Anthropologie - one of my very favorite fun shops (they were on the sale shelf) and just right for your nice cup of hot tea.


Let's get started - off we go. Bentley is not going with us as he is at the "Dog Wash" today.

Roger's Gardens is located on 7 fabulous acres in Newport Beach, California and has been called "America's Most Beautiful Home and Garden Center".

The have a fabulous new Floral Studio.

Beautiful Fall arrangements.

Lovely Garden Rooms

The fountain is changed every season and one never knows what you will find displayed in the fountains.

Pretty Fall flowers

Fall berries

Beautiful orange Poppies

Lovely Pansies in bright fall colors

Fall Colors Everywhere

Pumpkins in every variety.

Fall pots beautifully planted.

More pumpkins arranged in a fountain.

I am so glad that you stopped by and hope you enjoyed your little Fall Garden and Home Shop tour. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate that you take time to leave me a comment and follow my blog. I will be back in my studio painting next week and if you would like to see my paint somethings special please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

In Memory of Amy

Amy's "Magical Pink Bicycle"


Welcome. It is with much sorrow and joy that I am posting about a very special young lady named Amy. I am so happy that you stopped by my post in celebration and memory of an incredible Angel named Amy Ragan who's brave fight with cancer touched my heart. I read about Amy on Laurie's blog http://barganhuntingwithlaurie.blogspot.com/. Laurie asked her readers to pray for Amy and send her a card. At the time Amy was home from the hospital and fighting for her life. I read about Amy's courage and her faith in God and how her spirits uplifted others even though she was in incredible pain. I read about her beautiful smiles and love for her family and friends. I saw pictures of a beautiful young lady - smiling and rejoicing in her faith in God - all the time smiling.



I am a blessed eight year breast cancer survivor and committed to using my art to bring joy to others who have cancer, and decided to paint a pink bicycle with pink roses in the basket to send to Amy instead of a card.




I received an e-mail from Amy's mother, Debbie, who said that Amy was also an artist and that she loved her "magic" pink bicycle. She said that she and Amy took wonderful imaginary trips every day on her pink bicycle and loved seeing photos of Bentley on my blog. Even though Amy's health was rapidly deteriorating, dear Amy was an inspiration to everyone . . she always had a smile on her face and believed that Jesus was with her through her painful journey fighting cancer.



On Saturday morning I received an e-mail from Amy's mother telling me that Amy Dawn went home to be with the Lord Friday night 10-23-09.




I feel so honored and privileged that I got to know Amy . Even though I knew her for such a short time, she touched my life beyond imagination. For this brave Angel taught me that there is joy in art - that art stimulates one's imagination and even though Amy was in pain - she was able to get away from her pain for a few short minutes to take an imaginary trip on her magic pink bicycle.





In memory and honor of Amy, I am looking into getting a group of artists and crafters together who would donate their art to people who have cancer to bring joy to their lives. The group would be called "Joy In Amy's Art" and the art can be anything from watercolor cards, fabric art, art on canvas, mixed media, etc. As an example, my sister, Leslie, sews and makes soft pink pillows for ladies diagnosed with breast cancer and sends them to total strangers.




If anyone is interested in such an endeavor, I would love to talk to you. Please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail to: erinsart@ca.rr.com.



Please keep Amy's family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. You can leave her family a comment on Debbie's blog:
http://debbie-jeremiah3017.blogspot.com



In celebration of Amy's joy in art and beauty I am sharing photographs of some of my art featuring pink roses.

Good by my young friend - your short life inspired so many around the world and we will not forget you. Love, Erin and Bentley

Angel Amy
Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate that you have taken time to leave me a comment and 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

First Anniversary Winners

Welcome. I am so glad that you stopped by for the announcement of my First Anniversary Blog Winners. . . . and . .. the . . . . winners . . . . . are . . . . .

Mary from Across The Pond . . . .http://devondesigns-mary.blogspot.com/ . . . Mary won the $100.00 Gift Certificate to Anthropologie . . and the Blue Flower Welcome Sign.

Rhondi from Rose Colored Glasses . . . .http://rhondisrosecoloredglasses.blogspot.com/. .won the $50.00 Gift Certificate from Anthropologie and The Sunflowers Welcome Sign . . . .

Congratulations Mary and Rhondi.

I only wish everyone could have won. Thank you to everyone who joined in my Celebration Giveaway and thank you for your lovely comments and e-mails. I loved meeting so many new bloggers and will visit each and every one of you who have blogs. Thank you to everyone who does not have a blog for visiting and sending me emails.

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

First Anniversary Celebration/Give-Away

Welcome to my First Anniversary Celebration/Giveaway. I am so glad that you stopped by.

Please join me and Bentley, my very helpful Studio Assistant, for a cup of tea in my Fall garden for a giveaway to THANK all of YOU for your support of my new blog. Words can't begin to describe how much fun it has been getting to know so many of you in Blog Land, and how appreciative I am of each and every one of you who visited my blog, left comments and are following me on my journey "looking for inspiration for my art - here - there - and everywhere.

I am also honored and would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have mentioned my blog on your blog and have shown The Painted Garden under your favorites.

One day I received a phone call from Barbara Jacksier, http://barbarajacksier.blogspot.com of the Book Blog and author of the fabulous book, Waterside Cottages, asking permission to show my art on one of her blog post. We had a delightful chat and she said something that sums blogging up for me - she said "my husband equates blogging to having lots of fabulous pen pals all over the world".

Bentley





I poured you a nice cup of hot tea.

The garden is all dressed up for Fall in your honor.

The pumpkins and scarecrows are all in place.

The garden is all decked out for Fall and ready to celebrate all of YOU.

Bentley is anxious for us to get to your Thank you giveaway.

Bentley has a good eye for finding inspiration in my little garden!

I wanted to show you this cute idea for displaying seasonal flowers in an old sap bucket by hanging it on the back of an Adirondack garden chair.

Now that you have relaxed with a cup of tea, it is time for your THANK YOU Give-Away. The first prize is a $100.00 Gift Certificate to Anthropology. If you do not live near one of their fabulous stores, you can visit their on line store to pick out your gift. The second prize is a $50.00 Gift Certificate to Anthropology.


AND

To celebrate the opening of my new website http://thepaintedgarden.net

In addition to the first and second prizes from Anthropology - Your choice of one of my original paintings, on the $50 Gift Gallery, on my new website where you will find a variety of art ranging from my popular Red Bicycle Welcome signs, suitable to hang in your garden or on your front door, tea pots and tea cups filled with roses and pansies, garden chairs, Flower Shopp, etc. Each painting is an original painted on fine linen canvas - the sides are painted and they are all suitable to display unframed and with the exception of the Welcome signs (which come with a ribbon for hanging). Each painting comes with a display easel.

Simply go to http://thepaintedgarden.net- go the the $50.00 Gifts Gallery and pick out the painting you would like to win.

All you need to do to enter is leave me a comment or send me an email at http://erinsart@ca.rr.com and let me know which painting you would like to win. If you do not have a blog you can send me an e-mail. The winner of the first and second prizes will be announced on October 24, 2009.

First Prize - $100.00 Gift Certificate and your choice of a painting under the Gifts Gallery on my new website.

Second Prize - $50.00 Gift Certificate and your choice of a painting under the Gifts Gallery on my new website.

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your comments and those of you who are following my journey on my blog. I will see you on October 24th and will announce the First and Second place winners of my Giveaway.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

Pumpkins and a Celebration

Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. I am taking a blog break this week - getting ready to celebrate :

All of YOU and My First Blog Anniversary and Launch my New Website.

You are all cordially invited to attend the celebration and

give-away next week on October 17, 2009

In the meantime, enjoy the Autumn pumpkins as we launch into the glorious fall season.

"Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns". George Eliot

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower". Albert Camus

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, comments and followers. If you have any questions, or would like to see me paint something special, please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail.

Don't forget to stop by on October 17Th for a celebration and fabulous GIVE-AWAY thanking ALL of you on my First Blog Anniversary.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

Looking for Fall Inspiration

Welcome, I am so glad that you stopped by. One of my clients asked me to paint a smaller version of a Garden Shop I painted last year. She wants a little red bird house with lots of Sunflowers and reds to hang in her Cottage style sun room. I would love for you to join me and my studio assistant, Bentley, on a trip to our Farmers Market on this lovely cool Fall morning . Let's look for the perfect painterly bouquet of Sunflowers and see what else we can find.

Looks like Bentley is ready to go!



I love shopping at our Farmers Market - everything is so fresh - prices are great -and best of all - I am supporting our local farmers.

Finding Inspiration . . . . . .

The orange variety of Sunflowers is a new one.

Lovely Mums

There. . . .

Everywhere . . . . . .

A new variety of "Cone" flowers


Everywhere . . . .
So many varieties to choose from. I really love the Sunflowers with a red tinge around the petals.

The original painting had yellow sunflowers, blue hydrangeas and red geraniums and my client wants me to duplicate the look only on a much smaller canvas. Since my blue hydrangeas are not in bloom, I used a photograph that I took last year .

I bought a bunch of the traditional Sunflowers to use in the painting.

Added a little red birdhouse.

Here is the completed painting.

Thank you for stopping by. I love to hear from you and sincerely appreciate your comments and that you have taken time to follow my blog. If you have any questions or would like to see my paint something special, please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin