CALIFORNIA INSPIRATION

The past few days found us in San Diego visiting my most wonderful son Jonathan.  While we were there we crammed as many things in as we could...mostly seeing my son...but he took us to the beach and other spots...here are my visual memories I am happy to share with you!  As usual, if you see anything you want to paint here, please feel free...the only thing I ask is to see what you came up with!  ENJOY!

This first photo was one of the birds standing on the rocks waiting for the waves to crash in...I call it "Waiting for the surf"! HA...that can be interpreted in many ways...cuz they eat what comes in...so this could have been surf and turf! HA!

First and foremost was seeing my beautiful son!  He is a joy to my heart!  Love this man!!

My son works at the resort we stayed at...we had a beautiful bungalow on the beach...this was my sunrise!!  Gotta love San Diego!

golf was fun!  My boys!

We did lots of beach on our trip.  I love the sound of the waves!  These are crashing on the rocks on Coronodo Beach.

I love LOVE my boys!

yep...happy us!

seagulls EVERYWHERE!!

and ducks...:)

what spells beach other than poles wound with rope!

Bamboo all over!

I think for flowers, hibiscus is the most beautiful one in Cali.  This pink was right outside our door...Note the color against the green...how it pops in a special way...close to opposite on the color wheel...now see it with white

still beautiful, but just a different look.  These are great exercises to understand color theory when planning backgrounds!!

 can't do California without a palm or two!!

see the bird in the tree...here we have chickadees...there it's whatever these guys are!  FUN!

One of our sites was at Cabrillo National Monument.  In 1542 Juan Cabrillo landed in San Diego, establishing the west coast...(well, something like that)...anyway, this lighthouse is at the top.  On this point you can see ocean on three sides...it was AWESOME!!

one thing up there that fascinated me were these trees...WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THEY???  INTERESTING, that is!!

white hibiscus

bird of paradise

yellow hibiscus

chasin dinner

outside one of the seafood restaurants in San Diego was this GIANT statue of the famous Kiss from VJ day in 1945.  It is SO awesome in person!

SO, it was a fast three days, but all in all was wonderful...MOST OF ALL, I MISS THIS FACE ALREADY!!  Love you Jonathan!!

Hope this inspires!

HAPPY CREATING!

"IMAGINE" ORIGINAL ABSTRACT 4X4" OIL FOR MY ETSY SHOP © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

EVER EXPLORING, EVER EXPANDING...ABSTRACT IS A GATEWAY UNTO ITSELF OR TO MORE CREATIVE EXPRESSION!  

saundra lane galloway

"Imagine"

4x4" oil on textured panel

$30

Available in my ETSY shop 

 Imagine that you had this wonderful little painting for your very own! Imagine that it is inspiring to you. Imagine what the daily reminder might do for you or for that perfect person as a gift!! "Imagine" is full of all things, all in one 4x4" package! "Imagine" is painted in oil on a 4x4" slightly textured panel. It is perfect as is to sit on an easel or frame in your favorite 4x4" frame. (Remember 1/2" is taken on all sides when framing). OR, for just .50 more I can mount it on a 5x5" black backer board so you can frame it in your 5x5" frame. The frame shown is merely a suggestion, but you can find this frame at Michaels. "Imagine" will be ready to ship on August 30, 2014 when it is dry. 

frame suggestion

By now we are on our way home, back to our mountain and work.  I am missing my wonderful son already!

HAPPY CREATING!

"BELIEVE AND EXPLORE" ORIGINAL ABSTRACT 4X4" FOR MY ETSY SHOP © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

EVER EXPLORING, EVER EXPANDING...ABSTRACT IS A GATEWAY UNTO ITSELF OR TO MORE CREATIVE EXPRESSION!  

saundra lane galloway

"Believe and Explore"

4x4" oil on slightly textured 1/8" panel

SOLD 

This small but powerful abstract appeals to the poet or optimist in all of us! "Believe and Explore" is a perfect reminder that we need only to believe in ourselves and then explore the world we live in! A perfect statement for a gift or for yourself! "Believe and Explore" is painted in oil on a slightly textured 4"x4" panel. Perfect as is to set on an easel or frame in your favorite 4x4" frame. (remember 1/2" is taken on the sides for framing), OR, for .50 more I can mount it on a 5x5" black backer board so you can frame it in your favorite 5x5" frame and all the sides will show! The frame shown is not included; but a suggestion. You can find this frame at Michaels. "Believe and Explore" will be ready to ship on August 30, 2014. 

framed suggestion

As you read this I am HAPPY TO REPORT that I am enjoying a couple of days in sunny San Diego with my hubby and wonderful son!  However, I am ever happy to explore some more and bring new fun things to the world!

HAPPY CREATING!

"BEAR VISIT" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA ON STRETCHED CANVAS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Bear Visit"

18"x18" mixed media on stretched canvas

$500

Available through my website

Living in the mountains affords me a wonderful opportunity to capture some of the wildlife that comes to visit from time to time.  This young bear is one of our visitors.  "Bear Visit" is painted in mixed media on a stretched canvas.  The background is largely acrylic with the trees painted in acrylic over paper.  The paper is very thin, but it seems to give a bit more depth.  There is acid free paper added to the background as well. The bear and some detail is painted in oil.  Bear Visit will be ready to ship on September 10, 2014 when the oil parts are dry.  "Bear Visit" comes ready to frame in your favorite 18x18" frame.

detail

As I said, this was painted to go in my own house...but, as with most paintings in my life, this one is for sale too...so I will enjoy it while I have it.

Here is the frame that it will live in while it is with me...I'm lovin the turquoise this year!!  HOWEVER, when the painting sells, this frame stays with me...I have an idea for an abstract that may live in it later...BUT, for now..."Bear Visit" lives here!

 I'm enjoying the last of our sunflowers for this year...the deer have chopped off leaves on some of them down low...but that is life on the mountain!

HAPPY CREATING!

ANNOUNCING THE ADDITION OF MY BITTY CANVAS BASKETS IN MY ETSY SHOP © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

BITTY CANVAS BASKETS

3 1/2" wide, 2" tall, 2" deep

Available in my ETSY shop!

$7.50+

I FINALLY got all my p's and q's together and figured shipping and packaging for these first Canvas Basket offerings to be added to my ETSY shop!  I SO enjoy making these baskets!  I am also working on a pencil/eyeglass/brush/etc. holders that I will be adding to my ETSY shop very soon!  These little guys are so great for little gift baskets, for those little items that you may want to have out for convenience, or for pretty display!  I even offer an option to put a bit of pea gravel in the bottom if you

choose to weight it down!  The only basket I put gravel in that is pictured is the cell phone one.  As you can see there are so many things that these little guys can hold!  FUN DOINS!  Take a look at what is offered THUS FAR!

I love to take walks up here on the mountain, and am always looking for something inspirational...the other day we passed by a big ole bush with these big ole leaves and I had to take one home to see what kind of stamp it would make.  I loved the end result!  

FUN DOINS!

We've had a good amount of sunflowers spring up this year from the sunflower seeds that we feed our birds.  Hubby dear was working with them and a little bud fell off...well, we don't like to waste...so I stuck it in a tiny vase and it even bloomed!  Gotta love that!

All our baby birds have come out to feed on those seeds...I tried like crazy to catch a photo, but to no avail!  Those little guys are FAST!  HOWEVER, I did catch a photo of our little "chippy" as we call him...taking advantage of the spill over of seeds!

Gotta love his ingenuity!

AND, I'm just about finished with an aspen painting that I did specifically for our house...this one houses one of the black bears that have visited us in recent times!  Posting soon!  until then...

HAPPY CREATING!

"3 CHERRIES" ORIGINAL 4X4" OIL ON PANEL IN MY ETSY SHOP © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY and HAPPY 3RD BD PAXTON

"3 Cherries"

4x4" oil on textured panel

$30

Available in my ETSY shop

A yummy memory of those happy summer days with all those juicy cherries out there to enjoy! A perfect splash of color for any little spot in your home! "3 Cherries" is oil on slightly textured panel. You can frame them as is in your favorite 4x4" frame (keep in mind that 1/2" is taken on all sides), OR I can mount "3 Cherries" on a 5x5" black or off white backer matt board so you can frame it in your favorite 5x5" frame with all sides showing! The frames shown are not included, but you can find the black one at Michaels, and the off white at Rustic and Refined Design on ETSY. "3 Cherries" will be ready to ship on August 18, 2014 when it is dry.

 

 Today is my wonderful grandson, Paxton's 3rd BD! YAY!  I can't express how much life has changed since he came into it!  I know all you grandparents out there understand how I feel!  He is truly light and life and joy in our lives and his Nana just HAD to share!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEETIE PIE!!  NANA LOVES YOU!

HAPPY CREATING!