Danielle Calabro

I love some good coffee, I even splurge on a more expensive brand at the grocery store. I like my coffee to taste good and be strong (just like my man),  if I forget it at home, I am not a nice person for a couple of hours. On occasion I will stop at a popular coffee shop and pick up a coffee on my way home from work for my and my hubby, usually after payday, have to watch those pennies. Here is the latest idea for our soon to be coffee station. A little more then a sketch but definitely not a finished product. I wanted to play with color and see what I liked and didn't like. I used Ph Martin inks and watercolors. I think I will be changing the color of the bottom cup and making the table a little lighter and the cups a bit bigger. Other then that I am very happy with the way it came out. The lettering was added once I scanned the painting into the computer. There were a few changes I would have loved to make after I had it in the computer, but I don't have one of those...

It takes some time to find the right idea, then it takes some time to get it just the way you want it. This is a little look at me coming up with some ideas and sketching them out in pen, a few I did with pencil first. I like to do a lot of my doodles in pen, that way if I make a mistake I have to find a way to work with it or around it.

With the new house right around the corner we have decided to setup a coffee station to save counter space. With that in mind I have started to create some artwork for the area. This will be the first of four, drawn out and painted in gouache. The font was added on the computer, still have a lot more to learn on lettering.  I have seen a few coffee station/bars on Pintrest that I like, but I would love to hear other ideas too. I will be going to garage sales and thrift stores to see if I can find a small piece of furniture and refurbish it. Learning to be a little thriftier and why pay a big company when I can make it just the way I want, right? Here's to all my coffee lovers

I have never been a big reader, I hated reading until I picked up one book in particular. I had a friend tell me about a book that had been out for about 8 months at the time, "Fifty Shades of Grey." Yes I was one of those women that read them all, and I love Ellie Goulding song, "Love Me Like You Do," her newest album is great too. I will admit, I was not impressed by the movie, of course most book to movies rarely are as good as the book. So in one of my moments where I was having a block I played with some lettering and tangling, here is the finished result: I wanted to add a little color so I used watercolor pencils to add color to the word bubbles. I am very happy with the end results. I still find it amazing, you can finish one project and think it's just ok then go back to it a few days later and love it. 

Usually the reason for me having problems creating is becuase I have artist block or just too busy, well now I have a new problem. Mr. Jasper has found a new napping place. This creates a big problem on so many levels: He is in my way As you can see, he is very hairy and has a lot of hair balls which he has no issues getting rid of wherever he would like. Again, very hairy and he sheds, on everything including the painting I was working on. (good thing I was not happy with the painting). He will push off anything in his way Along with my art desk he has found a few other places, our computer desk, in front of the satellite receiver, the bathtub and the bin where I keep my art towels.  Along with is odd sleeping area he now has fleas. I will not say where he got these from but I do know the source. Now its off to the pet store to find a product to put on him because giving this cat a bath is a death sentence for anyone that attempts it. We have never had a flea proble...

I have been experimenting with Ph Martin inks lately, I like them.  They are pretty much like watercolors but seem to have a bit more pigment in them. The background on this was done with the inks, the clouds and the foreground was done using black and white gouache.  I feel like I am the middle tree, my dreams are on one side of me growing larger and larger, while my regular 9 to 5 is on the other getting smaller. I am reaching for the dream but I still have the 9 to 5 pulling at me. One day it will only be the two trees and I intend on it being the larger one. Dream big and don't give up, through all the fog there is a bright future.

Starting off the new year with a new post. I have been so caught up with the holidays that most, if not all of my art lately has been holiday related. Last week  I made time to work on something different. I found some insperation and wanted to try it out, though the one I did is not as elegant as I would have liked, I do like the way it came out in the end.  This has a watercolor background, measured out Mandalas done in gold paint pens. I have 2 New Years resolutions, first, take my art to the next level, post more, get my stuff out there and stop being afraid to try new things. Second is to be more positive. I need to make sure I am not beating myself up over every little thing that goes wrong and try to find a solution to problems that may occure in the new year. Here's to getting what we need, working hard for what we want and making 2016 a year of new beginnings. HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2016