Skip to content

Author: Kathy

Oh Good Morning!

Posted in Reference Photos

Look who was hanging out on the deck yesterday morning when I opened the blinds:

Mourning Doves

They are so pretty in all their grey softness.   The peeling deck railings, ah……. not so much. They don't seem to care too much.

Mourning Dove Bathing

Wouldn't it be cool to back able to turn your head like that!  I like seeing all the feathers separated out so you can see the shape and the coloring. The dotted feathers are interesting.  And the red feet are surprising considering how soft the colors are on the rest of the bird.

Mourning Dove at SibStudio dot com

My favorite part of the dove is the metallic pink and blue feathers around the head. I wasn't able to get close enough to catch the metallic sheen.  When I think of the colors of nature, metallic is not one that I think of, but that's what you find on the head of a mourning dove.  This little guy has finished his bath and has fluffed out his feathers to soak in the morning sunlight.  I haven't painted  mourning doves, but these guys had me ready to grab my paint brushes. They were a wonderful morning surprise.
 

A Patch of Cone Flowers

Posted in Art Work

There is a house nearby that has the most beautiful patch of cone flowers.  They grow  on a raised mound, surrounding her mailbox. Her mailbox is next to a stop sign, so you get a just few seconds to admired all those lovely flowers.

What is fun about this patch of flowers, if you are in the passenger seat of the car, you look right into the patch of flowers instead looking down at them.  So for a few seconds at the stop sign, you get  a child like view point into the sea of flowers.  You could touch them as well if the windows are down. That is the image I had in mind for this painting – a few seconds glimpse into the cone flower patch.

SibStudio dot com cone flowers

You can find this small painting, matted and ready to go at my Etsy shop.
 

I Spy Daffodils

Posted in Reference Photos

The first daffodils in my yard have bloomed. It's officially Spring at this house.  🙂 

  Daffodils   SibStudio

 These guys are a lemony yellow. The deeper yellow as well as the pink and orange varieties bloom later in the spring. I enjoy painting and drawing daffodils, so I try to get photos showing the flowers from all sides like this photo.  Hope you are having the warm, sunny weather that is already there in Pennsylvania this morning!

A New Project

Posted in Sewing: Finished Bags & Pouches

I am in the process of opening a second shop at Etsy: SibStudio Sewing. I will continue to paint and add new artwork to my SibStudio art shop. I wanted to separate out the fabric work from the painted work in my shop.   This new shop showcase my designs, and my twist on a sewn project. I've been sewing for years and have been incorporating painting into my sewn creations. I'll be giving you all a peak into what's coming  over the few weeks, as I work towards the grand opening. : )

I needed to create labels for my items.  The first label I wanted is for  wall hangings that I am working on.  I used a sheet of photo fabric  – cotton fabric attached to paper for feeding through a printer. By using the mail label template in Word, it was a snap to print out a sheet of labels.

SibStudio Sewing labels for SibStudio don com

One of the last steps is to run the label under water. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the ink held up well and there was no smearing or fading. I'm not sure the labels will hold up in the washer, but for a wall hanging, they work well.

SibStudio Sewing labels for SibStudio don com

I kept the initial label simple for now. But you could add a logo or small artwork to the labels as well. Stay tuned for more updates, more paintings, and more peeks behind my easel.

 

New Drawing

Posted in Art Work

Here is my newest drawing:

Graphite Chrysanthemums by Kathy Sibley

I used one of my  reference photos of a bouquet of flowers. These three mums were nestled together basking in a ray of sunlight. Mums are such a blast to draw. The petals are so varied with dark shadows and bright highlights. I used 2B and 4B graphite pencils for this drawing. It is matted in black and can be found in my Etsy shop