Eating Chocolate, Drawing Chocolate

Today I am looking for joy and lightness of spirit. The weekend and current election climate and the high level of negativity and pain are weighing heavily on me.
I could stay buried under the covers eating chocolate all day, but not sure how much that would accomplish. 

Instead I am up, painting and preparing to sketch and paint chocolate! Which will bring me longer lasting happiness, and no guilt!

And hopefully shift my overall mood. It also serves to ease me into a productive day. What will you do today to bring joy?

It is all very well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in one's memory. That is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/transformation.html

You can view my more of my work in my Etsy shop Erin Go Paint. Or take a peek at my recent 100 Day Project on Instagram

Halfway to 100 Days - of watercolor illustrations

I was enamored with the idea of the 100 Days Project after seeing a friend, and fellow artist, Brooklyn Blue Day posting daily on Instagram.
So I made a decision to create a watercolor illustration for 100 days in a row... The process has had a tremendous impact on my art - and my life, and I will be sharing what I have learned soon.

                           Day 50 - Fresh Juicy Watermelon

Yesterday I celebrated the 50 Day mark!  It went SO fast and yet there were days that I struggled to make the time - or find the inspiration. But each day I persevered, and am looking forward to what comes up over the next 50 days.

Here are some of the crowd favorites from the first fifty....

 You can follow my daily progress on instagram at Erin Go Paint
And you can view my online portfolio at ErinRogersPickering.com

Kitchen Nook illustration

A cozy kitchen breakfast nook, accented with red!
I was not finding the room templates I wanted to show my paintings and prints on the wall of a room... so I am creating my own.  Sketching and designing rooms that I love.

Red Hot Kitchen - Red Hot Peppers

"Red Peppers, Balanced Diet", watercolor & ink on paper, 8x10, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering

I love painting peppers!  They are so sculptural, curvy, and yes - sensual!  Quite often resembling a body stretching, bending or relaxing. And, absolutely vibrating with color!  They almost glow in the sunlight... and that is natural antioxidant color.

Gorgeous, crisp and refreshing.

This illustration was bouncing around in my head for a while before I gave it the opportunity to be born on paper. (not sure why I hold them in so long sometimes).  But, once it burst to life on paper it made me want a red kitchen.

I put together this fun collection as I dreamed of what my crimson kitchen might look like...

              

'Red Hot Kitchen' by  eringopaint

Vintage Red Apron with White... CoffeeKlatch $18.00	vintage Dutch canister set, ... AtticAntics $85.00	Red Pink Vintage Handmade Wo... PearlsVintageG... $22.00
Vintage Tomato Slicer dovetailvintag... $9.00	Food Buy It With Thought Vin... 3LambsIllustra... $26.50	Star Home Decor / Whimsical... CarriageOakCot... $25.00
Heirloom Tomatoes Art print ... TheJoyofColor $21.00	Red blue nuno felted blouse,... jezek $112.00	Organic Jam Gift Basket of F... Northernlodge $25.00
CIJ SALE Crochet Strawberry ... FrejaToys $4.25	Red and Brown Floral Oven Mi... madebyemily $22.00	Vintage Metal TV Tray Marchi... TwoStoryVintag... $28.00
Red Apple Sugar Cookies guiltyconfecti... $21.00	CIJ SALE. Linen table runner... JBworld $18.99	food photography tomato &quo... sixthandmain $14.00
2 Small Pyrex Milk Glass Des... FoxandHoundsto... $8.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house