And the winner is...

Congratulations to the winner, Playful Kitten! You'll win a free print and first dibs at the original painting. For the rest of you, your pictures were gorgeous and I wish I could paint all of them! Keep posting your pictures in my group, and we'll have another contest next month!


Here is one of the paintings I've been working on. It's Lake Murray, with Martin Island in the distance. Every summer thousands of Martins come there to roost, providing a fine evening spectacle every night for boaters.

Vote now in the new poll!!

Finally I think I've caught up enough to start a new poll. I've got several paintings that are ALMOST done that I will share soon. Until then, vote in the poll, and invite your friends to do so as well! The winning photo will be painted by me and the owner will get a free print, with first dibs at the original. If you want to enter my next photo contest, put your photos on my facebook group here.

Good luck everyone!!!

What should Rachel Paint Next?

• Foal
  
• Maine Coon
  
• Siamese on Chair
  
• Hound
  
• Tabby in the Sun
  
• Two Siamese
  
• Lab
  
• Siamese on Floor
  
• German Shepherd
  
• Dog in Surf
  
• Playful Kitten
  

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Sweet little Siamese watercolor painting

I just finished another little watercolor painting of three siamese cats. The prints and original are available here and here.

More painting ideas...

Thinking of maybe doing some watercolor paintings of flowers. I just took these pictures of a flower I found while out walking...

The makings of a painting...

I want to do a painting of Lake Murray, so I was rummaging through my pictures last night. Nothing seemed to work, so the final image I'll work with is the blend of 5 pictures you see here...


This is Lake Murray in South Carolina at Bomb Island. In the summer, thousands of Martins come to roost here at night. As the sun goes down, it's quite the spectacle; the birds circle the island in ever descending circles until they finally settle in. It's like a hurricane of birds and is beautiful to behold.

Siamese Cat watercolor "Habib"

Just finished this one...

Click here to bid!

Another winner of the random drawing...

Congratulations Jane C! You won a free goody for wishlisting me on Trazzler. It's not too late for more people to wishlist me, just click on this link and wishlist my story, "Lolling on the Yulong", and I'll be doing another random drawing in a couple days : )

And the winner is...

Carolyn in TN - post a comment here and let me know your addy so I can send you your goody! If you didn't win tonight, don't despair, there's another drawing Friday night! Read below to see how to enter! And remember, if you find 5 people to vote for me, I'll send you a print of your choice from http://stores.ebay.com/rachels-studio

Thanks to you all, I'm number 9. Let's go for #1!!!

First you go here...
http://www.trazzler.com/signin

You can sign in with Facebook or create a Trazzler account. Once you do that, go here...
http://www.trazzler.com/trips/yangshuo-in-guilin-guangxi-cn

Under the picture click on the green button that says "add to wishlist"

Once you wishlist me, you'll automatically be added to the random drawing I do every 3 nights for a free goody.

Win prizes and help me win a trip to NYC!!!!

Help me and win goodies!
Way #1 - Wishlist my trip on trazzler and get your name entered in the random drawing every 3 nights to get a goody
Way #2 - Get 5 of your friends to wishlist my trip. For every set of 5 friends, I'll send you a free print. Got 20 friends? That would be 4 free prints!! See below for details...

I was nominated as a semifinalist on trazzler for a story I wrote about one of the places I went to on my honeymoon. (Before my life as an artist, I wanted to be a travel writer). If you wishlist me, I'll put your name in a drawing, and every three days I'll draw a name and send that person a goody in the mail. The list of prizes include an original painting, cards with envelopes, and prints. If you win, you are welcome to choose what kind of picture you like. I don't want to send a cat to a dog lover. At the very end of the contest, September 14th after 8 pm, I'll put ALL the names in for a drawing of an original painting.

Sound like fun? Let's get me a $10,0000 trip to NYC!!! If I win, I'll send EVERYONE a goody! So go to www.trazzler.com/trips/yangshuo-in-guilin-guangxi-cn and click on the green wishlist button under the picture of the Yulong River. You'll have to sign up for Trazzler first, but if you have a Facebook account, you can directly connect and be a member automatically, so it's very easy! The first drawing for a goody will be tomorrow night. After you're all signed up, go to my trip and wishlist me! It will show who has wishlisted me, so it is from that list that I will draw names for the free goody. If you have five friends wishlist me, and they tell me they are your friend, I'll send you a free print of your choice. For every set of five friends, I'll send you a free print.

New Watercolor Paintings - Siamese Cat and Horse plus low carb cake : )

Friend me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rachelsstudiodotcom for more of my art adventures!

Here is the parrot painting I've been working on, or is it a Macaw? Someone on Facebook mentioned it looked like a Macaw.

I just started working on this new horse portrait tonight.

Hopefully I'll be done with this siamese cat painting by the middle of next week and it can go to its new home!

Today was my mom's birthday so I didn't get much painting done. But I did make this cake...

My mom and I are both hypoglycemic, so this is a low carb cake made with soy protein, egg protein and stevia for sweetener (and other stuff). The frosting is sugar free, made with butter, cream cheese and stevia. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! Happy Birthday Momba!

New art - tabby cat watercolor painting "Basket Case"

Aaaaaaaah, feels so good to get a painting done. This is from a photo contest winner. Congrats Charlotte!! This signed, limited edition print is available right here on my blog ---------->

I'll have the original posted soon, but the owner of the photo gets first dibs. Be sure to enter your photo for the next contest on my Yahoo group or my Facebook group.

Your chance for a free print...

Here's your chance to get a free print I did of an applehead siamese cat. I listed it on a new, fun website called Listia. I always like to use my art and painting to support great new ideas, so I thought I'd share the site with my readers : ) Just click here or on the cat!

Here's progress on the parrot painting, (a recent winner of my photo art contest)

I'm also reading a great book on the artist de Kooning right now. It won the Pulitzer Prize. Click on this text to see it on Amazon...

Do I look intelligent?

Wow, maybe this should be my new medium...

Go to the following page and click on the image to start the video - it's 3d computer drawing!
http://om.ly/?Djas

Winner of the Poll

It seems like eons since I've had a poll winner and I miss it - I love the interaction with new people I meet on the net, and I love the pictures I find through the poll!!! So this will be my next painting. Congratulations to Tanya D, her picture won the poll!!! I just love the colors in this beautiful parrot - I can't wait to get started.

If you want to enter my next photo contest, upload your photos to my Yahoo group or my Facebook group.

I'm back!!!

I'm SO sorry I haven't posted anything here. I was planning to blog from China, but I think Blogger is blocked in China because I couldn't get on any of my blogs there. I posted a lot of things to my facebook profile at www.facebook.com/rachelparkergao Here's onepicture...

This picture is in Yangshuo near Guilin. We spent 3 glorious days here. This picture was taken from the grounds of Yangshuo Mountain Retreat where we stayed. Those hills are called karsts.

I got blogged about

I participated in a charity, PAWS for Charity, to raise money for breast cancer, and they just posted a writeup about me on their blog. Click here to read more!

Planning My China Trip and New Paintings

Hi all! Just thought I'd give you an update. Most of my time is dedicated to planning my wedding, but I have finished a commission...

This is a work in progress. 30k was won on this race- I'd want a painting too!
...

Most of my time has been going to planning my honeymoon. I was never one to daydream about my future wedding, but I've always dreamed of my honeymoon, and that hasn't changed. So I'm obsessed...

Part of the trip will be 4 days in beautiful Guilin/Yangshuo near the Li River. Ronald from Yangshuo Mountain Retreat took this beautiful picture close to where we'll be staying...

We're also planning on hiking in Huashan. You may have seen some of the pictures of this spectacular place from this amazing story. (Don't worry, we're not going to do the dangerous part!!!)

Huashan



This is the part we will NOT be attempting!

More our style : )

Funny Video and new painting

The best medicine when you're stressed is a good laugh...this should do it!

Although my stress is a good kind of stress (lots of commissions to finish, getting ready for wedding, a laugh sure feels good! Here is a commission I just finished...

I'm going to be a bit MIA!!!

It's the final count down to my wedding in June so I'm going to be a bit MIA until July 14th when I get back from my honeymoon. I'll hopefully be posting updates, but I don't promise anything! I did just make a reservation at the Intercontinental in Hong Kong, and I'm so excited about it...I'll be soaking up the view from this vantage point...

This is the pool on the top of the Intercontinental looking over Victoria Harbour. Gorgeous!