Recycling cans into art…

I love the creativeness of people and wonder why I didn’t think of that. Spotted these ‘canned’ fish at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts in Minnetonka, MN.

Don’t you wonder how many cans and how long it took to make it?

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

• Inspirational decorating with thrifty finds
• Repurposing floral frogs
• Affordable watercolor art and frames
• Classic black and white purses
• 10 Chalkboard paint ideas
• Five Free Cell Phone Features
• Organizing with jars – Part I
• Organizing with jars – Part II
• Organizing with jars – Part III
• Dishes add color and whimsy to the garden
• Wallpaper Art
• Transforming a Goodwill table
• Repurposing flashcards
• Top 10 ideas for recycling greeting cards
• Hoops and fabric equal art
• Decorating with drop cloth curtains
• 10 uses for orphan sheets
• Organizing with Gladware
• Round robin clothing exchange and more

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Talented friends Part II…

Enjoying sunny Florida and watching my friend Sue, the artist paint. I am mesmerized by the paint wheel. It remind me of the color wheel I have for quilting. If you didn’t see my post a few days ago about Sue click here.

 

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

• Inspirational decorating with thrifty finds
• Repurposing floral frogs
• Affordable watercolor art and frames
• Classic black and white purses
• 10 Chalkboard paint ideas
• Five Free Cell Phone Features
• Organizing with jars – Part I
• Organizing with jars – Part II
• Organizing with jars – Part III
• Dishes add color and whimsy to the garden
• Wallpaper Art
• Transforming a Goodwill table
• Repurposing flashcards
• Top 10 ideas for recycling greeting cards
• Hoops and fabric equal art
• Decorating with drop cloth curtains
• 10 uses for orphan sheets
• Organizing with Gladware
• Round robin clothing exchange and more

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Talented friends…

Off to spend time in sunny Florida with my friend Sue, who is an incredibly talented artist. Check out her gallery. Can’t wait…one of my favorite pieces in my house was done by her…the sunflower watercolor that sits at the base of my stairs (see below…it was difficult to get a photo without a glare or reflection of other items interfering). I am so envious…I wish I had an ounce of that talent.

Sue add gauze for texture.

PJ over at Seens from the back of my eyelids is hosting a giveaway. Just for stalking her and leaving a post before midnight on Friday 11/6/09 you will be entered for a chance to win a $75 Amazon e-gift certificate. Click on the picture below to jump over to PJ’s blog. She has one of my favorite headers.

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

• Inspirational decorating with thrifty finds
• Repurposing floral frogs
• Affordable watercolor art and frames
• Classic black and white purses
• 10 Chalkboard paint ideas
• Five Free Cell Phone Features
• Organizing with jars – Part I
• Organizing with jars – Part II
• Organizing with jars – Part III
• Dishes add color and whimsy to the garden
• Wallpaper Art
• Transforming a Goodwill table
• Repurposing flashcards
• Top 10 ideas for recycling greeting cards
• Hoops and fabric equal art
• Decorating with drop cloth curtains
• 10 uses for orphan sheets
• Organizing with Gladware
• Round robin clothing exchange and more

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Wordless Wednesday…

I am participating in Wordless Wednesday. Click here or on the photo above to visit French Lique and see what others are sharing.

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Recent Thrifty Shopping articles.

• Transforming a Goodwill table
• Repurposing flashcards
• Top 10 ideas for recycling greeting cards
• Hoops and fabric equal art
• Decorating with drop cloth curtains
• 10 uses for orphan sheets
• Organizing with Gladware

What is it about watercolors that I am so drawn to them...

I found this watercolor in a shop somewhere in the Long Beach, Washington area. The blue and pops of green along with how much I enjoy coloring outside the lines captured my attention. Looks like it was painted in 1969. Put it in a frame I already had and didn’t bother to pay to mat it and like it just they way it is.


Thanks for stopping by…
Renee @ Cottage Lifestyle

Pink Frames...

In yesterday's post I mentioned that I had purchased three pink frames for $3 at a garage sale and shared what I put in one frame. Here are the paintings I put in the other two frames. They were painted by Helen Downing Hunter. I had the good fortune to visit Helen's art studio in her home and noticed these two sailboat paintings. Helen was kind enough to sell them to me. I love boats and water, and watercolors.

Changing subjects...I was over viiting Design Ties' blog and watched a hilarious clip from the Ellen show। I highly recommend watching it.

Thanks for stopping by...
Renee @ Cottage Lifestyle

Heads Up...

Decided it was time to change the header. By the way, do any of you Blogger/Blogspot folks know how to get it to fit in the blog header frame? Even when I select 'shrink to fit' in the upload process it still overlaps the frame. I am thinking of changing the header monthly. This photo is a picture of a very small (3" x 5") oil painting that I purchased for $3 (Canadian) on the Sunshine Coast in Gibsons Landing, British Columbia.

Below is the painting in its frame. I bought three pink picture frames for $3 at a garage sale a few years back and bought mats at JoAnn Fabrics. I had to use Gorilla Glue to hold the oil paining in place on the mat. You will have to wait until tomorow to find out what I put in the other two frames. When I bought the pink frames I planned to paint them...but love the softness and warmth of the pink.

If you are new to my blog the picture below is what my blog header looked liked from late December until today. For those that have asked...yes, this is my house in the photo. However, it is now a dark grey (see sidebar picture) with white shutters, which looks much richer. I kept the door red.

The picture below is the view from my friend Jayne's deck in Hopkins Landing on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. This was my original blog header and may be the header again some day.

Thanks for stopping by...
Renee @ Cottage Lifestyle

Little pics...

My friend Kate spotted these pictures when we were at a garage sale...and knew I would love them because of the colors. I can't remember exactly what I paid but I think it was $1 for both. I keep them by sewing machine...but haven't hung them. How does someone draw/paint in such a tiny scale?

Thanks for stopping by...

Renee @ Cottage Lifestyle

Sitting around the camp fire...

It's Monday so that means it is time for me to share something that makes me smile. Bought this picture at a garage sale years ago and have yet to change out the mat, paint the frame or figure out where I am going to hang it. I think I will paint the frame black and then I will decide on the mat color.

I love watercolors and this picture reminded me of my childhood in Northern Minnesota...fishing, camping, camp fires and s'mores.

I wish I could draw and paint...I am so envious of those that can.

Grandma's oil painting...

My grandmother Edna (my father's mother) painted this oil painting for my father in February 1981 and titled it Valley Fog. When I moved back to Minnesota (from California) in 1997 my father gave me this painting as a house warming gift. It is special for many reasons, especially given that my grandmother passed away in 1982. I am very fortunate to have this painting. I knew my grandmother was talented, as I had experienced her fabulous cooking and baking over the years, and watched her use a woodburning pen to draw a beautiful holiday card on birch bark -- which she actually mailed to me. In all my visits I don't ever remember seeing her painting with oils. Not sure where she found the time, she had 12 children and 36 grandchildren and who knows how many great-grandchildren. She was such a joy to be around.

I have 2 oil paintings in my house and grandma Edna's is one of them. It hangs with several of my watercolors. Technically it doesn't fit my color scheme (white and blue with pops of red)...but yet it fits my home, because I love it and that is what counts. Somewhere along the line I got over worrying about matching colors...which is good because there isn't any way I am going to get rid of the turquoise table below. It stands out because of the turquoise color. I have thought about painting it but I love the turquoise and wish I had more of it, and after all turquoise is a shade of blue. The detailing on this table is spectacular.

My Taste is Changing...

Do you ever think back to what your home looked like when you were in your 20s, 30s, 40s, etc.? Did you even have a specific style you liked or incorporated when you were in your 20s??? I actually think I had some form of style in my 20s, but it wasn't until I hit 30 that my true style came to light. Along the way it has continued to evolve especially in the color category.

The one thing that has remained a constant is my love for watercolors. I am not so great at photographing art so I hope you can get a good idea of the colors in the following paintings. The following 3 pictures were painted by a family friend over 50 years ago. They were in the home I grew up in and I always admired them. About 25 years ago they made their way to my home. I think what I love about these paintings is that the artist didn't color inside the lines.

The tulip watercolor below was in my bedroom until last May when I fell in love with another watercolor. I tried to sell the tulip but haven't had any luck, so now I am trying to find 'her' a new home in my home.

While I was on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia I visited the studio of one of my favorite artists, Anita Lindblom of Blue Dot Art Studio and bought the following watercolor...so the tulip picture was out. Anita is a very talented painter and potter. Her studio is in a building on the same land as her home over looking the water (Pacific Ocean). I love the colors in the watercolor Anita painted as they are also in one of the quilts that is on my bed.

Creativity and talent...

I just had to share...the Hirshorn Modern Art Gallery in DC held a contest and the artist could use only one sheet of paper. If you like the pics here check out the rest of the entries. http://vanmalsen.smugmug.com/gallery/4254990#P-1-20