Time To Grow

Holiday Lights .... let your love light shine

Cottage in The Canyons of Malibu

This photo was taken on a walk

 before a painting class in Latigo Canyon in Malibu California

The Blue Wall

This picture was taken in Santa Barbara many years ago.... whenever I look at it, it grabs me.

A lovely home

A little photography ... a little painting.... there is so much beauty in the world and so many ways to express it.

Coffee Shop People

Time to start sketching more people ... off to Koffi... 

Would you like to win this painting?

If you would like a chance to win this painting please go to my other blog Inspiration by Design
and see and check out how.

Run - Wedding Dress - Sex and the City

Was Carrie running to the wedding or away from mariage? See the movie Sex and The City to find out.
This painting was done on canvas with gold acrylic paint as the background - then everything else was painted in oil. I let the gold show thru which created a wonderful effect.  

20" x  10"

$225

Congratulations to President Obama

I can breathe again 

Sunset in Santa Barbara

Sometimes you just keep shooting and shooting pictures of a few moments in time and one picture is not enough to express the moment... this was one of those times.... I hope  you enjoy it.
These pictures were taken on a Leica D-Lux Camera

At the Door

Another moment in time captured by a dress... 

is she coming into the light and leaving a dreary past.... 

or is she just now seeing the light and running towards a brighter future?  

Has she found love?  Love of herself or love of another human being ? 

Whatever it is the dress is playing center stage again...  

 To all the people who view my blog I am thinking of combining this blog with Inspiration by Design  my other blog.  It is very difficult to keep 3 blogs going and still create artwork, which is what I love the most.  So combining them may be the best answer since Inspiration by Design is all the things that inspire me - including other wonderful artists. My goal with Inspiration by Design is to spotlight those who deserve exposure, talented people who are creating wonderful works of art in art, photography, products, books, cars, movies... whatever their creative outlet is ... and in turn they inspire all of us... so start visiting Inspiration by Design and if you are creative let me know and I will try to feature your work...Cheers, Diane

Ghost of Memory

This watercolor painting was done on watercolor board-- there are layers and layers of color.

The painting is 8" x 10" and very romantic due to the dramatic colors. 

Purchase price $200  Email Diane Bronstein at StopandSmile@mac.com

or to see other works go to DianeBronstein.com

The Dress- wedding dress -party dress - how does it feel?

The dress seems to be the highlight of the event - be it the wedding or the first party dress.  It is always there from the time we are a little girl -- but it is not really the dress - it is the feelings that the dress evokes

 It was quite difficult to get the feel I wanted... and painted several times - which is very unlike me... 

4 feet  x 3 feet 

$2100  

To purchase this painting email Diane Bronstein at 

lifestylesdefined@mac.com

Santa Barbara Sunset- Palm Trees and Ocean, Oil Painting

Santa Barbara Sunset with the light of the sun coming thru the palm trees. Santa Barbara and Malibu are the only places on the California coast line that run east and west rather than North and South - therefore you have both a wonderful sunrise and an amazing sunset.

8" x 10 "  

Sold

Hike in Santa Barbara

Love Blooms

Flowers are so dramatic and romantic.  This photo shows both the delicate balance between the dark and contrast of the light and the soft flower and the hard background... it make me feel lovely.

For a copy of this  please contact me at stopandsmile@mac.com

Ah Love #2

Blossoms from a plant are meant to be cherished for that is how a plant shows love --over the next few days I am going to concentrate on flowers...

Ah Love!

A flower is a plants expression of love.  I love photography because you can capture a moment of time that will never happen again.....

This photo is available in several sizes .... email Diane Bronstein at stopandsmile@mac.com

Latigo Canyon

My husband and I just got back from a wonderful vacation thanks to the generosity of our friends and family.  Arlene and Dennis gave us there wonderful home in Santa Monica on Ocean Ave. for 2 weeks... every day was wonderful.  And our Michelle and Joe (cuz) gave us 2 weeks at there great home in Malibu on Latigo Canyon-- I actualy learned to handle the drive up that mountain.

This trip ended with a mini family reunion of  with  cousins from back home in Chicago (they now live in LA and New Jersey).  They  rented a wonderful home in Santa Barbara where we played with our little cousins Max, Julia, Ryan and Lily and their parents -- and of course my kids.. it was wonderful.

Thank you everyone... it was wonderful... love to all of you.

The painting above is a watercolor I did from my cousins backyard in Malibu one morning. Nice view....every moment of everyday the views were wonderful.

Ocean's Unrest - Watercolor Painting of storm over the ocean

I am going to the ocean for the next few weeks starting Thursday.

I won't be bringing a scanner but I will try to post the paintings by photographing them...

The first 12 days will be in Santa Monica and the second 12 days in Malibu. I am so very lucky between great friends and great relatives I have wonderful places to stay!

I posted this painting a long time ago, one year ago to be exact.  But I thought I would post it again before my ocean visit.

I can't get enough of the ocean-it doesn't matter what mood it is in. Working in watercolor lets the movement of the ocean come thru in painting. Ocean's Unrest is 8" x 5" and is on watercolor board which is a wonderful hard surface that is ideal for painting on location.  The price is

$125  please contact me at stopandsmile@mac.com

Laguna Beach Koi Farm

After this picture was taken I realized that the Koi were actually  transparent.  Many times when you are taken a photograph the real beauty of it is discovered after it is processed.

This photo was taken at a wonderful Koi farm in Laguna California. Laguna Koi Ponds - Koi Health & Pond Filtration Design Experts Most of the paintings I have done of koi are from photos I have taken at this farm or my friend Mary's home in Lake Forest Illinois. 

Copies of this photo are available. 

The Most Romantic Night of Your Life

This beautiful pension/hotel is one of my favorite places to photograph.  This winter I gave a little art show here and met some fascinating people including musicians and photographers.  You never know who you are going to run into at korakia pensione

Room At Lotusland Garden created by Ganna Walska

My darling daughter took my husband and I to Lotusland  Welcome to Lotusland

 in Montecito for a wonderful day....  that is where I took this photo.

The gardens were stunning as was the surrounding buildings, ponds, etc.  If you ever have the time you should go... Lovely

Cosmos Flowers from the yard

This watercolor was done from my old garden when I lived in Chicago

Golden Umbrellas - Those lazy days of summer

As I've said before I love photography as much as painting.  This photo was taken on a wonderfully sunny day at the beach in Laguna Beach California. The wonderfully lazy days of summer

Family Outing Laguna Beach

This photo was taken at Laguna Beach of a lovely family outing.  This print is available in several sizes. Email Diane Bronstein stopandsmile@mac.com

Beach Time-What Summer is All About

I love photography as much as painting and of course I love my kids more than anything.  This is a photo from the good old days---my kids were young and we use to summer in Michianna shore.  It is the real meaning of Daily Art.

SAFE At HOME-Architectural Painting by Diane Bronstein

The dark, threatening  storm surrounding this home with its many compartments  tells us that Home is a safety zone.

This was the study- 11" x 14" was created in pastels on pastel board for the large oil version featured on this blog.    -- I love layers upon layers of color to get that rich dark background.  To purchase email Diane Bronstein at Stopandsmile@mac.com  for $450

Contemporary Crystal and Antique Beads

I thought I'd take this opportunity to show you my jewelry art site.  I create one of a kind jewelry pieces. They combine both new components and antique and contemporary beads.  Just click this link       Jewelry Art          and enjoy - I try to post new pieces several times a week and you can purchase directly thru stopandsmile@mac.com. If you have a store or a web site and you would like to sell these please contact Diane Bronstein at StopandSmile@mac.com.

How quickly the years go by - Child's portrait

Cara Growing Up

We all know how fast time flies so I tried to catch this one of my daughter when she was little.

I did this watercolor on watercolor board- it is of my daughter when she was young.

The painting is on watercolor board and is 7" x 10"    NOT FOR SALE

Paris Balcony-2- Illustration by Diane Bronstein

Paris represents romance, music, art, and everything wonderful... it just has to be painted and painted often.  I painting this balcony originally very loosely and this version was done later just to give it a more illustration look.

This watercolor painting - with pen and ink- is a tighter version of the original Paris Balcony.

To purchase contact Diane Bronstein at StopandSmile@mac.com for $125

Open Window by Diane Bronstein

To sit on this window seat experience a peaceful moment-that is heaven on earth.

Open Window was created in  watercolor on watercolor paper.

These scenes are always lovely to paint and leave me with a very relaxed feeling.

Purchase price  $125     size:  7 1/2" x 8"

Email Diane Bronstein at StopandSmile@mac.com

Paris Balcony by Diane Bronstein

This watercolor was done on a rainy day in Paris -- I was waiting in a room across the street for my children to get ready.  The painting is 8"x10" 

Purchase price is $200 

Email me at LifeStylesDefined@mac.com

Wedding Dress by Diane Bronstein

This is a watercolor of the back of a wedding dress-- I think it would be a great idea to use this as the Thank You Note for Weddings-- that way the bride could show her lovely dress one more time.  If you would like a painting done of your wedding dress email Diane Bronstein at StopandSmile@mac.com