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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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The month of June is coming to a close and it has The month of June is coming to a close and it has been JAM packed! The highlight by far though was my son's graduation from high school. When I started blogging, he was only 6 years old and some of you have been apart of my community here for that entire time. Now, he's 19 and there is a reason parents are told not to blink because the years truly do go faster than I ever could have imagined. He has become such an incredible young man we are so excited to see how God is going to unfold the next chapter of his life. We celebrated with parties galore (SO many open houses to attend!) and made memories we'll forever cherish. My mama heart was filled to bursting with the joy of it all! Now we're taking some time to just enjoy these warm, summer days making even more memories because, when you’re at this stage of parenting, you know all too well how much you need to grasp every opportunity to spend time together.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
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Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
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I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
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I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

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What’s the weather like where you are?
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