There really is no place like Home!

Last weeks post “There’s no place like home” got me to thinking that there’s really no place better… and this is mine!  One of the reasons I enjoy doing home sketches for my clients is the warm feelings and memories that go with their special places.  My husband and I have been building beautiful memories here for the last five years. 

I sketched this not long after we moved in and I couldn’t help but notice how the landscaping has changed and matured in such a short time and so has my sketching! 

Yard art that says "there's no place like home!"

Did you ever wish you could click your heels together and make a wish?  
I'd wish for these 100+ degree days in Texas to go away!  

But, here we are so let's make the best of it with some yard art!  

I painted this wheelbarrow as an auction item for the Habitat for Humanity Gala 2014... with the Wizard of Oz theme of "There's no place like Home!"  It was filled with a couple of dozen bottles of wine too!  So if this colorful wheelbarrow doesn't make it more fun to do the yard work, then at least you have a good party!!

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Marlow UK

I love old churches, and when they are historic and charming, well... that's an added bonus!  So, when I was asked to sketch St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Marlow, U.K.  I was thrilled.  To make it even more special, it will be the setting for my clients wedding this fall and my sketch was to be used for their Save The Date!  

This small gothic church, located on the River Thames, about 35 miles west of London, was built in 1845.   

Ahhhh, if walls could talk!!

No wedding crashers, please!!!

The history of St. Peter's Parish, Marlow and it's two Churches (old and new) mirrors the story of the revival of Catholicism in England between the first half of the nineteenth century and the present time.  To read more visit their website at:  www.st-peters-marlow.org.uk

The Grand Canyon

Earlier this month my daughter Sarah and I set off for a mother/daughter adventure!  Three days and 100 miles of rafting with Western River Expeditions on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.  We experienced whitewater and waterfalls, sleeping under the stars, and  majestic scenery.  I have a love / hate relationship with watercolor, but was inspired to have another go at it… although it doesn’t come close to catching the depth and richness of the colors in these mountains it was fun to paint. 

For more photos and my “thoughts and observations” about my Grand Canyon trip visit www.mythirdact.com

East Shore in The Woodlands

This is one of my favorites from East Shore in The Woodlands and was a gift for my clients parents. 

  I love the classic architecture I find in this neighborhood.  From Charleston style to Italian to Contemporary and more ....all done with such attention to detail.  This classic Southern Colonial with its metal roof, hinged shutters and gas lanterns, it warms my heart.

Grand Teton National Park

The Chapel of the Transfiguration

This sketch is from one of my favorite places on earth… Grand Teton National Park near Jackson Wyoming.  

This little log church was built in 1925 and I have been fortunate to attend services there in the summer while visiting family.  Inside this small chapel there are log pews and a large picture window with an amazing view of the “The Cathedral Group” of the Tetons.  

No sermon is needed when God’s handiwork says it all!

New York sisters

Home Sweet Home in New York

It is especially fun for me to sketch homes in other areas of the country where the architecture is different than Texas.  And it's fun to do a sketch for a Christmas surprise as these were in 2011 for my sister-in-laws.   Both of these homes are in New York, the top one in Bayville on Long Island and the other in Katonah.