Water Paper Paint

This weekend I spent some time exploring

Water Paper Paint.

It's a charming book written by the artist

Heather Smith Jones.

cover artwork by Heather Smith Jones

I actually came across her blog a while ago and got a sneak peek at the book while it was in the works.  I'm always looking for creative ways to play with paint and Water Paper Paint is full of wonderful ideas!

photo by Rachel Saldana for Water Paper Paint

It's written for all creative types, whether your background is mixed-media, textile art, journaling, or papercraft.  It's a grown-up book full of inspiration and each exercise is written and beautifully photographed entirely from the artist's perspective.

This botanical by the author is what caught my eye.  I love botanicals but I've never tried to paint one.  Until now!

artwork by Heather Smith Jones

My garden is full of bulbs that gave quite a show earlier this spring and now have laid down to rest.  So I thought I'd give it a try.

photo Lisa Porter

I went to the back of the garden and pulled up an assortment. 

photo Lisa Porter

I'll admit that up until now, I had never really thought of bulbs & roots covered in dirt as being all that interesting.

Ahemmmm...Helllloooooo...

photo Lisa Porter

I started photographing them and suddenly Mother Nature had my full attention.  Here's one of many examples that I'll choose from to paint. 

photo Lisa Porter

In the meantime, If you're the creative type, and I know you are, stop by the blog Heather Smith Jones and say hello to the artist & author of Water Paper Paint.

 

The other project in the garden this weekend was to create a place near the potting bench to clean up!

 

photo Lisa Porter

We've had an old galvanized feed bin for years and Gracie has always loved it full of cool water for jumping into on hot summer days. I used the water at the end of the day for cleaning up garden tools & muddy boots.

photo Lisa Porter

Gracie's not so fond of jumping in & out of it anymore and I'm not so fond of bending over and cleaning up anything at the end of the day so using old fieldstone that Collier & I gathered, we built a base to raise it up. We added a spigot & now we have a garden sink!

photo Lisa Porter

photo Lisa Porter

She'll be sure and let you know when she gets a new pool.

photo Lisa Porter

And I'll be sure and let you know how the botanical turns out!

School is out & it's officially summer, painting & blogging time!

I've missed you all,

Your day...

Your day. 

I hope it was special.

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Whether you were taking care of her,
 

photo Sara Field

or she was taking care of you.

I hope it was special.

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Maybe it was a day like any other.

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Or maybe it was a day you'll never forget.

I hope it was special.



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Maybe it was a day full of memories of the way it used to be.

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Was your day all about being pampered?

 I hope it was special.

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Maybe it was a day with no schedule.

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Or a day to try something new.

I hope it was special.

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Maybe you added something extra to the old routine.

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 Maybe you decided to show them what you've got!

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Maybe it was a day that just couldn't come soon enough.

via Cheering Up Charlie

via A Cup Of Jo

Maybe today made you remember just how hard it can be.

230 MP Company

Was today one of those days when you forget all the rules?

photo Rachael Devine

photo Kayce Hughes

Was it a day when everyone comes together?

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Or was it a day for just the two of you?

I hope it was special.

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I hope that today you were able to have a change of pace.

via The Edge of Love

And I hope you were with someone that you love.

photo Debi Treloar

Because you are special.

They know it & so do I!

photo Vanessa Gavalaya

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day.

A good hair day.

A woman's hair has for centuries been called her "crowning glory."

golden silence

But every woman I know speaks of her hair as a nightmare!

 tobias rocks

 Hair is a powerful, living, force to be reckoned with,



social survival

but it simply cannot be controlled!

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Think of all the money, time, and emotion we invest in our hair.  

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Yet most of the time it insists on expressing itself.

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We have all been brainwashed into believing that if we get the right shampoo, conditioner, cut, and color, our hair will finally behave! 

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If we had a professional hairstylist on call we could look presentable every day, or at least whenever we appear in the carpool line or Town & Country.

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But that's not my life. I bet it's not yours either.

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Whether it's thick or thin, straight or curly, is getting gray, or insists on parting down the middle, our hair humbles us, and we need to make peace with it.

haley stumble

Yes, we have days when we want to pull it all out and scream,

"I've got to do something with my hair!"

the always gentleman

Well let me tell you, that's NOT the time to do something with it!

 

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How many of you cut all your hair off after having your first child?

Then you spend more time on their hair than you do your own!

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Many of us have learned the hard way, and I reminded my daughter of this just yesterday.

carly hildebrandt 

The hair that you know is easier to deal with than the hair that you don't!

everything fab

And if the worst happens, after you dry your tears, remember it's only hair. 

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It will grow back and you will have become all the wiser!

shi0ri

Mom knows...