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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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August 18, 2012

Talking Shop with…Red Bird Cottage Art!

Today we are shining the spotlight on a talented artist and a long time sponsor of At The Picket Fence! Dawn of Red Bird Cottage Art! 
Dawn has a passion for recreating nature on canvas  in watercolor and sharing with us glimpses into the world around us.  She paints with a loose, expressive style and lots of color and brings a sense of life and movement to her art.  

Here is just a sample of Dawn’s gorgeous work!


Can you tell we’re ready for Fall! This beautiful print just shouts Autumn and Harvest to us.

Sunflower and Pumpkins Watercolor Painting



In our family we have a fascination with old barns, this one reminds us so much of our grandparent’s in Michigan.  What a great gift for someone who grew up on a farm!


Barn and Wildflowers Original Watercolor Painting


Peaches are ripe for the picking right now, but this peach will never be out of season!


Peach Watercolor Original Still Life



Owl’s are so popular right now and you can own a whole collection of them! Dawn has beautifully done sets of watercolor cards so you can share her work with others, or you could frame and keep them all to yourself! Wouldn’t they be gorgeous over a buffet or as a gallery set? 

Owl Art Greeting Cards Set of 6 Watercolor Art Print Blank Cards 5 x 7

Dawn has recently opened a gorgeous new website where you can purchase originals and prints of her beautiful watercolors! 
dawn-derman.artistwebsites.com
We asked Dawn to share a little about herself and  how she started Red Bird Cottage.

1. What led to your decision to start your own small business?

I began creating textile art about 6 years ago.  My  first experience exhibiting and selling  my art was with a gallery in Appleton, WI.  where we lived at the time.  I also opened my first etsy shop selling primitive hooked rugs.  About two years ago I took some watercolor classes and have focused all of my creative energy on watercolor since then.  I am now exhibiting and selling my watercolors online and in a gallery here in Illinois. 

2. From where do you draw inspiration for your products?

I love the process of painting. . .and I am constantly amazed when my paintings begin to take on a life of their own. I’m never quite sure what the end result will be. . .and of course, I’m not always pleased. But I do always enjoy the process.   Much of my work is inspired by the beauty of the natural world.   

3. What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment as a small business owner?
I am so thrilled to be able to exhibit my artwork and am delighted when someone enjoys my paintings enough to want to own them and enjoy them in their own space.

4.  What is one of the challenges you face as a small business owner?

For me, selling and exhibiting is also the hardest part of this venture.  I am by nature,  rather introverted and private.  If it were up to me, I’d sit in my studio and paint all day and forget about the rest of it! I  That being said,  if you are interested in my work, I sell original paintings at www.Redbirdcottageart.etsy.com

  and I have prints of my work available on my new website www.dawn-derman.
artistwebsites.com .


5. What advice would you give to someone interested in starting their own business?

I think the best advice I can give is to realize that a new venture takes time to learn and develop. Most of us don’t just wake up knowing how to be successful, but there are alot of resources available and if you are persistent, you can probably learn what you need to know.  I feel so blessed to be able to follow my passion, with the help and  support of my family.   Thank you for your interest in my art.



THANK YOU DAWN for brightening up the world with your beautiful work and bringing a little bit of nature into our homes! Also, for being such a lovely friend!

If you would like to own one of Dawn’s gorgeous original prints you can visit her at her new website  dawn-derman.
artistwebsites.com and 
enter code: HEMREA at checkout for 25% off! 
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Comments

  1. Our Little Orphanage C says

    August 18, 2012 at 1:56 PM

    I’ve tried water colour and must admit I comment the person that can get it right and that is what Dawn has done. Very beautiful!! I especially love the owls:) Congratulations and wishing you much success.

    Reply
  2. Shelia says

    August 18, 2012 at 4:16 PM

    Thank you, Dear Ones, for featuring Dawn’s artwork. She is very talented and I love her sweet style! 🙂 My mother used to collect owls and every time I see something with an owl on it I think “I need to get that for my mother”! 🙂
    Have a great weekend.
    be a sweetie,
    Shelia 🙂

    Reply
  3. Ruby Jean says

    August 18, 2012 at 4:46 PM

    I think Art was my Favorite subject in school, matter of fact I know it was because it was the ONLY class I actually got an “A+” in… Painting with water colors is truly a wonderful talent. Your work is Beautiful, Dawn.
    Blessings
    Angelina

    Reply
  4. Honey at 2805 says

    August 18, 2012 at 8:08 PM

    Dawn’s artwork is so pretty! Thanks for the interview!

    Reply
  5. Red Rose Alley says

    August 18, 2012 at 10:01 PM

    Hello Girls!
    I am so ready for Fall too. This artwork is beautiful. I can never have too many pumpkins in my house, and I love the owls. I am off to check out her blog now. Thank you for sharing.
    ~Sheri at Red Rose Alley

    Reply
  6. Ann from On Sutton Place says

    August 19, 2012 at 12:09 AM

    I bought one of Dawn’s original water colors for my mom for Christmas. It is of a little red bird in the snow. My mom has dementia but still knows me and can still enjoy life. She loved it. It hangs in her room where she spends most of her time. It was the perfect gift. Thank you for sharing about this talented artist.

    Reply
  7. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    August 19, 2012 at 12:22 PM

    Dawn, your watercolors are magnificent…I just love the combination of the pumpkins and sunflowers…Will definitely be paying you a visit to see more of your beautiful art!

    Thanks Heather and Vanessa for this spotlight on Dawn. She is so extremely talented. I loved the interview and so happy that she was able to follow her passion with so much support from her family….

    Reply
  8. Vicki Shead says

    August 20, 2012 at 3:56 PM

    Dawn is a fabulous artist! Painting with watercolors is more challenging than it looks… so beautiful! Love her etsy shop, I’ll have to check out her website!

    Reply
  9. Billig Bredbånd says

    September 4, 2012 at 10:06 AM

    Nice lovely arts shared and more interesting also the greatest and wonderful image shared so that can be know that and useable post shared the good and lovely and greatest post shared so that can amazing and wonderful post shared.

    Reply

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?

It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
What if you could do something at the beginning of What if you could do something at the beginning of your day that would be a gift to yourself later on? That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Tip Tuesday! #tiptuesday
The sun decided to make another appearance today! The sun decided to make another appearance today! It’s been such a lovely Sunday. Chocolate croissants for breakfast followed by church then naps/football/reading/etc and soon we’ll be heading out to dinner with friends. These are my favorite kind of weekends. Hope yours has been lovely too! 🌿
Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshi Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshine is breaking through the fog and my house just seems happier. We definitely needed to see that light streaming in through the windows and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted.

And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
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The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now). 

And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
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“He has made everything beautiful in its time. H “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

Here’s to beginnings. Happy new year friends! May you experience the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord in 2023 like never before! ✨
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