Welcome, Bienvenidos!

Red Glass Mosaic Mural Progress

Can't wait to see this on the wall, sparkling with it's rich jewel toned colors!

Almost ready to grout, and the optional water bubble circles will be left out of the mural.

With the heavy moisture in the air, installation will be moved another week so the adhesive will have time to cure. The adhesive will continue to cure for about a month, but a week will be good for installation.

The grout will be a neutral gray in a middle tone, maybe 2 shades. Fast forward a couple of years in the intense Tucson desert climate  and it will fade to a shade lighter, as all exterior things do.
Except glass, ceramic, stone, some metals!




Red Glass Mosaic Mural


6'x2.5' stained glass mosaic *** Almost Finished! *** Yay!

Just the tip to go. Then going back to add in bubbles (circles), accents, adjustments etc. If I get the glow tiles in time, I'll use them for some of the bubbles in the blue areas. Using iridescent glass now.

Will use dark grey grout as it will fade in a few years to light grey in the intense sun. Maybe black in the red areas.

Black marks in the center are where the mosaic halves join. Blue stickers are where the bolts go to install. Sanded calk will finish the edges when installed.

Fabricated with glass from local Expressions Art Glass and my stash of glass :)
To be installed at exterior pool area. Stay tuned for installation news.






Red Abstract Glass Mosaic

A peek at the progress of this lovely glass mosaic.
Each glass piece is carefully matched in color, hand cut, shaped. Hundreds of pieces go into a mosaic.  It's further along now and I'll take new pics to share soon.












St. Anthony and the Silver Hoops


A small, strange magical story that happened last week.

Have you ever heard of of the little prayer to St. Anthony regarding lost objects?




I've always used it with good results - don't ask. I'm not an organized religion follower, yet I enjoy some of the Catholic saints.  I'm known for my St. Francis artwork and enjoy painting them because of the love and relationship he had with nature and animals.

St. Anthony is another person who has had a positive effect.
My little magic story:

I wore a pair of silver hoops shopping one day and discovered one missing when I got back into my hot car after shopping . I went back into the store and asked if anyone had turned it in - of course not.

I was bummed. So even though the earring had been lost at the store, I repeated the little prayer several times when I got home, then gave up. This was three weeks ago.

The other day, I got a back pack out I hadn't used -  since May. When I reached into the front pocket, there was the other silver hoop earring...
Honestly, I was astonished and in wonder - but refrained from the usual questions. Focused on Gratitude instead :)
Yes, magic Does exist, especially when we least expect it.


Coral Reef Mosaic Design

A custom mosaic design of the rich, colorful, vibrant life in a coral reef for a dear friend and mosaic artist Mermaids Sea Jewels.
Mermaids Sea Jewels specializes in beautiful medical alert jewelry and will fabricate the mosaic in her bathroom renovation. I can't wait to see her progress and am very excited for her.

Coral Reef Mosaic Custom Design,  by Sue Betanzos for Mermaids Sea Jewels

It's a large, ambitious undertaking that will be a creative journey she will document as it goes.
The mosaic will be fabricated in tile.  There are three panels surrounding the bathtub. The square in the center panel is the shower niche. The left panel will have the shower fixtures.

The floor of the bathroom was a custom design of playful, colorful blue swirls of iridescent blue tiles surrounded by sandy colored matt tiles - magical.

The concept was to use the line art and color key similar to a coloring book. This allows for artistic interpretation to serve as a creative spring board when fabricating - putting her own spin on it to make it her style.
The color illustration was done in colored pencil as a guide she will use when choosing tile. There is a scaled line art drawing (before coloring) that she has already printed, enlarged to full bathroom size on a banner printer at Kinko's to serve as a blueprint guide to mosaic from.



My Library Journey

A small peek at my process this summer.

After I upgraded my Mac, I lost my old version of Photoshop and MS Word.
This has me going to the library to use their software, tables - and enjoy their very cold A/C.

 ❤️ I'm a big supporter of libraries, bookstores, books, reading. Like all book lovers, I also have my own collection of dear books, like old friends.

I Love Books!


The library has always been a "home away from home" for me and this summer it has been another little studio for my drawing and digital work. I've known everyone there since 2000 or so. Seen it renovated, and just got new carpet.

Editing with public software and computers: While I'm not fond of PC's, it's good to have them available to use. Also the scanner on the copier is very good and large enough for works up to 11x17" and at up to 600 dpi scans.
The software GIMP is similar to Photoshop... bare bones version.

Eventually I'll purchase new software. For now, going to the library forces me into a new, comfortable, familiar environment and out of the isolation of the studio (part of the reason I continue teaching).






Rich Red Abstract Mosaic

Went glass shopping at Expressions Glass and I am working on this vibrant colored stained glass mosaic. It's large 6' x 2.5' for an exterior pool area. I will be posting stages in the creation of this mosaic from design to completion and installation.

Had to clear out and reorganize the studio, which was a good thing.
In fact, I'll be having a small online studio sale to find loving homes for a few pieces of art in a variety of media :)

Hand colored full size cartoon, ready to use



Coloring the bulk/Wht banner print out for color matching and because I like to color!
Used an old set of pastels to color the 6' x 2.5' print out.



Original art proposed for pool site. Changed to current curves.



It will be mosaics of stained glass in rich colors inspired by Georgia O' Keefe.
Also, working another mosaic that I am designing for a friend. She will be fabricating it in tile. It's super cool, I love it and will do a separate post for it.





St. Francis Love

St. Francis pet portrait paintings always get a lot of love. Whimsical, cheerful, full of details and color.  St. Francis pet portraits are very personal keepsakes of happy memories with our beloved furry companions.

Visit my Art Of Sue Etsy shop HERE  for St. Francis commissions and prints.

St. Francis and Kitties has been featured in Etsy's Catholic art collection Polyvore religious art, Pinterest, Facebook and more.  Here is this week's featured St. Francis pet portrait image: (sorry about the big watermark.)

St. Francis and Kitties pet portrait. Art Of Sue for commissions and prints.

Butterfly Roses

Having fun painting watercolor roses in a new style. It's out of my comfort zone, a nice challenge.  The style is very loose, interpretive and colorful.  A great excuse to buy fresh paints and brushes!

Butterfly Roses. 5x6" mini watercolor. Canson watercolor paper, Winsor and Newton watercolor 
Letting the watercolors flow, playing with the differentness of the medium. Even so, I just had to add the dog faced butterfly with tighter rendering :)

Arizona Songbirds Coloring Book Art

This is the second design I chose to play with from the previous coloring book.  The fanciful birds were painted to represent songbirds native or migrant to Arizona.
Birds painted included: Yellow Warbler, Western Tanager, American Goldfinch, Vermillion Flycatcher, Red Faced Warbler and Painted Redstart.
I resisted the temptation to add more birdies such as Verdin and Hummingbirds!

Arizona Spring. Adapted from Eleri Fowler's charming coloring book Joyous Blooms to Color.

It was a simple, no thinking painting that was relaxing.  I enjoyed puttering through my bird books to pick my bird colors. Warm brights for the birds and flowers, cool blues, greens for the leaves.
The painting is embellished with lots of gold, just on the leaves as I played with the metallics. It looks pretty, shimmering in the light. Watercolors on watercolor paper.





Bee Flower Wreath Coloring Book Art

Sometimes, when I have a lot going on or just freeze, I go to a super simple project to kickstart myself.
Last year a friend gave me a coloring book that I had admired and I finally took a couple of the designs to color, adding more line work.  Art without much planning, just doing.  I tucked in more flowers and embellished the painting with gold and silver (wings, seed heads).
 I loved getting lost in painting the extra flowers, playing with metallics, using my vintage flower book from my days in the UK.  Watercolor painting on Strathmore Vellum Bristol paper. Image was copied onto heavier paper.

Bee Wreath watercolor. Adapted from Eleri Fowler's charming Joyous Blooms to Color
When I think back, I can still smell the sweet pea flowers I added along with colorful poppies, leaves.




St. Francis Of Assisi, The Original Environmentalist

Happy Earth Day!

St. Francis of Assisi was speaking of the love and importance of the natural world long before the word Environmentalist.

May the love of the natural world bring harmony and peace to all in the spirit of St. Francis. A person who acknowledged the importance of every twig, bird, life, the wind and this beautiful place we call Earth!

St. Francis and Friends. Prints of St. Francis at Art Of Sue
In case you haven't read this lovely poem prayer, here you go, The Prayer of St. Francis.
(no religious message intentions, just some good old fashioned advice on kindness, which this world could use right about now).

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal live.

As most of of you know, I work in two different styles; realistic and whimsical. The St. Francis collection is my whimsical side and prints of these are found in my Etsy shop. Cheerful, happy, colorful art to brighten any animal and dog lover's space.