Handmade watercolor dragonfly card – elegant writer & watercolor on Arches 140# coldpress
It’s been one week and two days living in a our new house. We got all of our worldly possessions a few days ago. Much sooner than we expected and now it looks like a tractor trailer from goodwill exploded in our living room. I’m sure we have some “vintage” items but mostly it’s “crap”. Every time I open a box I think “we moved this?” And for some reason I have a lot of cleaning products. A lot. You would think we lived in an operating theater. We don’t.
Rhonda had an excellent idea. Put all the boxes in a closet and if they are still there in a year, just get rid of them. Good advice Rhonda.
I was reading an article about living a “curated” life. What does that even mean? One collects special crap? I don’t know. Maybe the people that live a curated life, also buy artisanal, premium, handcrafted firewood.
I missed the super blood moon. It was raining and cloudy here so there was nothing to see. Instead I watched this “literal” video of “total eclipse of the heart. It is hilarious.
The above card was done using the elegant writer pen. I sketched the dragonfly out in pencil. Then I outlined most of it using the elegant writer calligraphy pen. I used a lighter touch when I went back with clean water per Leslie White’s instructions. Leslie is one of the queens of using the elegant writer with watercolors. I’m not sure if this painting counts for inktober. If not, I’ll have to do something just in ink. Maybe a drawing of boxes and boxes stacked on top of one another.
Carol King: drawing, painting, complaining 
34 comments
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October 2, 2015 at 6:03 pm
kk2n777
I remember that video! I laughed and laughed and sent it to all my friends…
Glad that all your belongings have arrived at your new place. My advise is to throw things away NOW if you don’t see yourselves using it in your new home. I had all intentions to follow the 1-year rule about throwing stuff away but got too lazy to open those boxes after 1 year so they just sit in the closet….
October 2, 2015 at 6:12 pm
Carol King
I was one of the people you sent the total eclipse video to. I laughed and laughed too.
Excellent advice. Once I start unpacking I will make a pile of “donate” and “toss” stuff. Since I’m STILL sick, I haven’t unpacked too much stuff. Which leads me to believe I probably don’t need it. xoxo
October 2, 2015 at 6:38 pm
Jodi
That dragonfly card is BEEEEAUTIFUL! Happy Settling in Carol!
October 2, 2015 at 6:49 pm
Carol King
High praise coming from you, Jodi. Thanks!
October 2, 2015 at 7:14 pm
padmaja
Your card is very unique Carol, so glad you found time for this amidst settling down.
Well, I have thrown stuff that I haven’t used for 6 months and believe me, it is so freeing!
October 2, 2015 at 9:56 pm
Carol King
I threw out a lot of stuff before we moved and it felt great. Now I guess I should do it again. Glad you like the card Padmaja.
October 2, 2015 at 7:29 pm
Laura (Createarteveryday)
This painting is freaking amazing, Carol, love it!!!
October 2, 2015 at 9:57 pm
Carol King
Thanks Laura!
October 2, 2015 at 8:29 pm
tomsimard
Love the dragonfly. (And here’s a request for what it’s worth – keep your eyes out for a field with fireflies.)
Funny video.
October 2, 2015 at 9:59 pm
Carol King
I saw a segment on, I think, Sunday Morning about fireflies. I will look for them. I think the big field is in Tennessee. BTW, I can’t believe I’m stressed out by moving a few states south when you are moving back to the states after 25 years! Good Luck to you.
October 3, 2015 at 4:16 pm
tomsimard
Amazing creatures and when in legions, a sight to behold.
Thanks. Things have changed a little since 1988…..
October 2, 2015 at 8:59 pm
Sand Salt Moon
You are so funny Carol. I must catch up with your blog more often. I am moving soon so totally can relate. Cleaning supplies to clean up paint? Love your dragonfly…
October 2, 2015 at 10:01 pm
Carol King
Cleaning supplies for everything. And now I’m discovering I have so much kitchen stuff you would think I was a gourmet chef and I barely cook!
Good luck with your move. Florida, right? Whereabouts? Thanks for your comment on the dragonfly.
October 3, 2015 at 7:44 am
Sand Salt Moon
Bradenton. LOL about all the cooking stuff. My mom used to have so many serving dishes and fancy serving ware that you’d think she entertained at a palace!
October 2, 2015 at 9:19 pm
jotsfromasmallapt
You continue to inspire!
October 2, 2015 at 10:01 pm
Carol King
Hey Faye, I hope you’re inspired to do another blog post. It’s been a while. Yes, I’m watching. 🙂
October 2, 2015 at 9:33 pm
joantav
Lovely sketch of the dragonfly…super colors. I saw one the other day with a bright red body. Don’t you just love the effect you get with the Elegant Writer? Another person who does wonderful work with it is Karlyn Holman. Check her out.
I hate unpacking!!! I think it is easier to throw everything away and start over. Guaranteed if you put some of the boxes in the closet they will remain unopened…it happened to me and 10 years later I still have a few of them.
October 2, 2015 at 10:10 pm
Carol King
Hi Joan, I love playing with the elegant writer. I first saw Karlyn Holman’s video and that’s how I found out about the pen. So fun.
I have some friends down here who work for some charities. Things are soon going to get packed up and moved from the house.
Glad you like the dragonfly. It was so fun to do.
Say hi to NYC for me.
October 2, 2015 at 11:42 pm
suzannelorge
That video is absolutely hysterical!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
October 2, 2015 at 11:49 pm
Cuzzin Dayle
Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, moving, blah, blah, boxes — but that video! OMG! We laughed our a**e* off! Thanks for sharing. (And don’t go for that “in one year you can throw it out” idea. Doesn’t work.)
October 3, 2015 at 3:50 am
Rebecca
The dragonfly is beautiful. Thank you so much also for sharing the videos – I haven’t laughed so hard in ages! You’ve really brightened up my Saturday. :):)
October 3, 2015 at 6:41 am
derrickjknight
Wonderful dragonfly
October 3, 2015 at 7:22 am
memadtwo
My daughter and I cleaned out boxes this summer that we haven’t opened from our first of 2 moves 7 years ago…and the funny thing, there are still things we thought we moved that we haven’t yet found. Yes, donate it before you have second thoughts…and beautiful dragonfly! (K.)
October 3, 2015 at 7:38 am
designsweet
Moving can be liberating – getting rid of stuff that silts up the house. A change of circumstance means that I am visiting the charity shops with loads of stuff… and must put more up for sale. And then I must get back to painting!
Love the dragonfly – and enjoy the new home.
October 3, 2015 at 10:47 am
Jim
Ultra Organizers is ruthless when it comes to getting rid of stuff. Our motto- “Without Order, There Can be No Happiness-” leads to a total japanization of one’s home. Think about a room housing nothing but a table and an elegant vase. Period. No boxes; no cleaning materials. Love the dragonfly! Can’t wait to see what you do with Asheville architecture!!
October 3, 2015 at 11:03 am
RHCarpenter
Um, yes, this counts – you are so good at this and have a good, light touch with the Elegant Writer pens. Yep, just put that stuff in the closet – you probably won’t miss most of it! ha ha I cannot imagine moving all this crap we have accumulated (and we have boxes still in closets and I have no idea what is in them!!!). I remember a long time ago having a moving company move my crap to Wales and on the boxes when they arrived, the moving men had written Whales. I thought, wow, those are some pretty small whales we moved over – and what are we going to do with all those whales now that they are here?!?? Sometimes the little things are what crack you up all the time 🙂
October 3, 2015 at 6:13 pm
Charlie O'Shields (doodlewash)
That is one awesome dragonfly!! Nice!! And I think if things stay in boxes, they’re very likely crap. But that doesn’t stop me from collecting “crap boxes!” Hehe
October 3, 2015 at 6:32 pm
Sharon Mann
Carol, your writing today really made me laugh. I have 10 boxes of books in my garage that have not been opened in 2O years. I guess it’s time to get rid of them, lol.
I love your dragon fly and your art process.
October 4, 2015 at 1:27 pm
lesliepaints
I love your dragonfly! All loose and splattered is good! Thank you for mentioning my blog, Carol. I’m just getting used to this pen, myself. I couldn’t see the eclipse either. It is almost a given, here, that the skies are overcast for all special events in the skies….. Happy unpacking!
October 4, 2015 at 3:14 pm
Susan Feniak
I love the dragonfly!! After just moving to a new house myself and asking the same question, “we moved this?” I would say if you are asking its time to cull. I culled before the move and again after. Some things were put away and if they are still there in a year there will be even more culling.
October 5, 2015 at 1:00 pm
ruthsartwork
What a pretty little dragonfly. The elegant write is fun, isn’t it. I know about the moving the crap thing. We moved out of our house of 21 years to a smaller condo for 3 years while we built another house out in the country. We got rid of a lot of stuff the first time around and left a lot boxed because we didn’t have the room at the time. When we moved into the new house I had fun shopping in my own stuff that I hadn’t seen in a while. Another purge ensued.
October 9, 2015 at 4:44 am
June Malone
Oh I just love this lovely, soft and delicate little piece! Whoever receives this will adore it. You should make some to sell – which is what I’ve been working on recently and will blog eventually.
Umm, good luck with the unpacking – there is no easy way.
October 11, 2015 at 12:10 pm
napabelle
This one makes me smile… 🙂
November 2, 2015 at 12:11 pm
elenacaravela
A beautiful dragonfly! Now I’d like to see some bears;)