In my sketchbook – looking back

A quick post today sharing a few simple pieces that I sketched a while back.

This is a quick illustrative sketch of a flower box I had on my porch last year. It takes me right back to my beautiful flowers from last year.

I went to the same flower shop a few weeks ago and purchased another one just like it. 😊

This garden bouquet makes me smile. It’s light and joyful. I can’t believe this was from five years ago.

I’ve been needing some inspiration lately and now I want to jump back into these fun little sketches.

I sketched this vase a number of years ago during Inktober. I think the doodle pattern on the vase gives the piece energy.

I hope you are inspired to create art and do something that brings you joy.

Until next time, sprinkle kindness everywhere. We all need more of that.

Happy Painting!
Patty Anne ♡

Step-by-Step: Painting My Long Path Home in Watercolor

I sketched out a landscape as a guide for a watercolor painting. As I began working on my first painting I had the idea for a project.

What would happen if I painted the same sketch multiple times? My hope was to build on each painting, learning and improving with more experience.

It started with this sketch.

A simple path, some hills, big sky, and simple foreground.

Long path home – version 1

A nice first attempt with good depth.
Improvements desired: larger sky area, darker colors in foreground, better path.

Long path home – version 2

Success with improved sky and nice clouds. Hills in the distance created nice depth.
Improvements desired: Path needs more work, needs to be grounded (need to figure that out). Foreground needs more work.

Long path home – version 3 in progress photo

Loving the distant hills and colors. Very nice sky and the path has nice shape and potential.

Long path home – version 3 final

In this final version of the last painting, I finished up the path and boosted the color. Really happy with the path and how the painting turned out. I like how I was able to learn and build on my experience from one painting to the next. 😊

I hope you enjoyed this walk through of my painting project. Have you been working on any fun projects lately?

Until next time, share a smile and do something you love.

Happy Painting!
Patty Anne 🩵

Sweet Purple Flowers

Hello friends,
It’s been a while. I’m coming back to you today with a recent watercolor painting of some pretty flowers. It’s mighty cold where I am and a little painting of happy flowers was what I needed. I hope they bring you a bit of sunshine too.

Layer one:
I started out with just painting blooms and petals first. The color mix was ultramarine blue with quinacridone rose. Playing with these two colors results in a wide range of pinky lavenders to bluish purples.

Tip: Add more water for lighter shades of any color mix.

Final touches:
After adding stems and leaves, I used an ink brush pen to liven up the painting. Some outlining and additional leaves here and there.

An update, I finished up last year with another surgery and am doing well. I hope to be painting more this year. My children gifted me some charcoal art classes for Christmas and so you may be seeing some of my charcoal sketches this year.

Until next time, share a smile and shine on. 😊

Happy Painting!

Patty Anne 💜

Ink Sketching – October 2025

Today I have a few of my favorite ink sketches to share from October.

Here we go…

A quick flower sketch. Flowers always come to mind when I’m sitting in front of a blank page in my sketchbook.
I really like the buds and spent flowers mixed throughout this sketch.

Line art – leaves with design.

I was just playing around with this one and when I finished I was surprised how much loved this sketch. Another reminder of how important it is to just play and not worry about the results. Something good just might happen!

Boat house at the lake

This one was inspired by a neighbor’s boat house.

Rocky Beach

A nice landscape practice with the addition of some people.

And another landscape practice with pine trees.

This sketch was in my little watercolor sketchbook. I lost a pen in the process. The tooth on the paper ate up the pen tip. oh well! 😊

I decided to add some watercolor to the sketch and found that it really brought it to life. yay!

My #inktober2025 sketching was a lot of fun and I hope to continue on.
Until next time, share a smile and shine on!

-Patty Anne ♡

Sketchbook figure painting

A quick post today with a few recent watercolor paintings from my sketchbook.

I really enjoy figure painting.

Family out on a crisp afternoon walk.

Figure Painting tips:
– When painting a figure I start with the body and then add legs.
– I add the head last leaving some white space between the head and body.
– The head should be rather small and not round.
– Try to use fewer brush strokes, it usually looks better in the end.

View of some folks walking about town.

Here I painted one of the figures walking toward the viewer. I think it worked well and love how her shape and coat turned out.

I hope you are inspired to create art and have fun.
Until next time, share a smile and shine on.

Happy Painting!
Patty Anne ♡

Chasing Love

Some paintings grow in the sweetest ways. This one started out as a simple tree. I imagined two pups chasing each other across the scene adding life and movement. Finally a mom and young son in the distance became the pups happy destination.

My initial watercolor and ink tree sketch.

The sweet pups on the run were added next. Then I pulled out some shadows around the tree using purple and gray colors. The shadows nicely ground the tree.

After filling in the tree with color I added mom and son next. ♡ This was the point where the painting felt complete and full of love.

I like how the pups pull you into the painting guiding you toward the sweet family ahead.

I hope you are inspired to create art and do something you love. Take good care of yourself and spread kindness everywhere. A smile makes everyone feel good.

Happy Painting!
Patty Anne 😊

From Garden to Sketchbook

I’m always happy strolling around my garden and tending to my flowers. I like to snap a few photos throughout the season to look back on.

A few of these summer flowers found their way into my sketchbook recently. I hope you enjoy seeing them.

Pretty cosmos flowers on the left. They are so cheerful.

A quick sketch of my cosmos flowers.

I was gifted a beautiful pot of gerbera daisies from my son and daughter in law on Mother’s day. I can see them from my kitchen window and they make me smile everyday.

A favorite flower in the garden and in my sketchbook.

I like having these memories tucked away in my sketchbook to look back on. I hope you are enjoying the summer season and have some happy flowers around you as well. What are your favorite summer flowers?

Until next time, share a smile and shine on!

Patty Anne ♡

Lost and Found Paintings 2

I’m continuing my lost and found series today with a few landscape paintings.

This first painting was fall inspired. That time of year when the leaves are changing colors and the air is crisp. Cozy sweater weather.

I like the view of the lake in the distance and I’m pleased with the texture and weathered look of the fence. The painting has nice depth to it. It was good practice all around. 😊

We have a different mood here with a misty lake.

The lily pads and cattails at the waters edge make me smile. This painting has me thinking about early mornings at the lake…my happy place.

I hope you are enjoying these look back posts as much as I am. Painting and creating have always been a source of happiness in my life. I hope you have a creative outlet you enjoy as well.

Until next time, share a smile and take good care of yourself.

Happy Painting!
-Patty Anne ♡

Lost and Found Paintings

You know those paintings that get tucked away and forgotten – sometimes in a sketchbook or drawer? I’ve recently been thinking about that and thought it would be fun to pull a few out and take a look back.

Some make me smile and wonder why I waited so long to share them here.

I remember painting this summer tree while trying to stay loose and free. I like how I varied the the colors and shapes of the leaves. A little smooshing of the wet brush on paper helped create that lovely foliage.

A joyful floral has it’s day.

While the star of the show is the black-eyed susans, the delicate pink and yellow flowers are my favorite part of the painting. I’m looking forward to all the blooming inspiration in the garden this summer season.

I think it’s helpful to step back and revisit older work from time to time. It helps you recognize and appreciate your progress. You might even find a hidden gem.

Until next time, share a smile and spread kindness everywhere.

Happy Painting!

-Patty Anne 💜

Join me on Instagram at pattyanneart

Just painting a flower

Splashing around some watercolor with a large brush is so much fun!

I painted this flower with a carefree loose style. Pushing around paint and letting colors mix and mingle from the center of the flower out was the first step.

A very simple stem and leaves added next were a nice contrast to the splashy flower.

The last step was to outline the petals and leaves with ink. A few simple details without any fuss brings it all together.

It feels good to let go of all the things and just paint. That makes me happy.

I hope you enjoy seeing my art and are inspired to create and do something you love.

Happy Painting!
Patty Anne 💜