Tag Archives: Vicki Achard/Pressed Floral & Watercolor Artist

“Painting Revised”

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I am happy with the revision of “Helleborus”, or as some know this flower as “Spring Rose”. I changed the background, lightened up the leaves and some of the flowers, and added more flowers to the table cloth. I have a few more paintings I did in my early days of painting I want to revise and will share those with you now and then. What do you think of the revision, (the painting below the first one)?

Watercolor drawing of vase with Helleborus (Spring Rose) flowers with pale orange background
Helleborus I – design #161

My first painting of “Helleborus”, painted 2016, one year after I first started painting in watercolor. Check out my revision of this painting, done May, 2023, below this one.

Watercolor drawing of vase with Helleborus (Spring Rose) flowers with deep purple background
Helleborus II – design #334

“Helleborus”, REVISED!! May, 2023. I love it now. Don’t give up on painting!

Painting can be a challenge, but we all learn along the way. I have such a love of color, nature, paper, and design and love to create beautiful art for all to enjoy. I love to share God’s beauty and share that with others, one painting at a time.

Happy Creating,

Vicki

“Spring into Spring with Art and Cards!”

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Need new art for your walls? Now adding three new beautifully matted prints of my pressed floral work listed on the SALE Shop of our website. Spring is when I like to change things up a bit in my home and new art can bring in some cheer and bring nature indoors.

“Meadow Fantasy” – Dragon flies are such a wonder to me. I created this thinking of days while walking through the Nature Center feeling so delighted.

Pressed Floral print of dragonfly with leaves and flowers - oval matted brown sugar outer mat and off-white inner mat - edition 98 of 205
“Meadow Fantasy” – print by Pressed Floral Artist, Vicki Achard. Mat colors are Brown Sugar, outer and Grey Beige inner. Ready for your 11 x 14″ frame.

“Treasured Memories” – Beautiful roses and a butterfly was handcrafted to create this composition with movement and beauty.

Pressed Floral print of 3 rose designs and butterfly - oval matted white outer mat and yellow inner mat - edition 59 of 187
“Treasured Memories” – Print by Pressed Floral Artist, Vicki Achard. Mat colors are White Elephant outer and Biscotti inner. Ready for your 11 x 14 frame.

“Bountiful Wreath” – What a delight this was to create. Delphinium and pansies are among various flowers and foliage – so bountiful!

Pressed Floral print of flowers formed into a wreath - matted white outer mat and rose inner mat - edition 15 of 20
“Bountiful Wreath” by Pressed Floral Artist, Vicki Achard. Mat colors are White Elephant outer and Heather Mist, inner. Ready for your 8 x 10 frame.

This beautiful collection of Spring cards can be yours to share a note of caring; someone’s birthday, anniversary, thank you or for any occasion. Envelopes included. To purchase this Spring Collection of greeting cards, go to our SHOP page.

Five watercolor cards of flowers, bunny, and bowl of pears on dark board
From left to right, top row: “Bowl of Pears”, “Purple Iris”, “Friendly Visitor”, Bottom row: “Purple Pansies in my Garden”, “Daffodils with Dew Drops”. All are reproductions of original watercolor designs by Watercolor Artist, Vicki Achard. Greeting Cards are 5 x 7″. Envelopes included.

Hope everyone is enjoying this last bit of winter. It’s been o.k. for me, the fallen snow is always so beautiful. I’m always happy when we can get that Spring fresh air though, when we start to see all the beautiful Spring flowers that bloom and bunnies running around – those friendly visitors.

All the best to you,

Vicki

Valentine Art & Cards / 2023

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Beautifully matted Pressed Floral Art prints ready for framing. Two are being offered in our “Sales Items” Shop on our website.

I loved creating “Warm Heart”. Brilliant orange, yellow, red, and blue flowers easily warmed up my heart.

“Warm Heart” print. Design by Pressed Floral Artist Vicki Achard. Triple Matted – Cabernet outer mat, tusk middle, and biscotti inner. Ready for your 16 x 20″ frame.

“Heartfelt Happiness” was created with special friends in mind. Using lamb’s – ear to create the border makes this design so special.

“Heartfelt Happiness” print. Design by Pressed Floral Artist Vicki Achard. Garnet outer mat, tempest (grey) inner mat. Ready for your 16 x 20″ frame.

Also available are my Valentine Day cards.

All are 5 x 7 prints, reproductions of my original watercolors. You can find them on my shop on my website.

Valentine’s Day cards in print. Design by Vicki Achard / Watercolor Artist. Loved creating these Valentine’s Day cards. These 5 x 7 greeting cards are blank inside for your message.

Expressions of love at a time as this is so inspiring, so meaningful.

From Sketch to Finished Painting / Gourds

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I found these gourds on a recent trip to Colorado. I share a love of gourds with I’m sure many, aren’t they so interesting to include in your decor at Fall time?! I love the different colored small looking pumpkin ones, the unusual shapes and colors of some, and those pretty white ones.

Making a sketch of them and painting is just what makes my heart at this beautiful time of year!

Sketch of fall gourds found in a recent trip to Colorado. Nature’s Best Art / Vicki Achard
My finished painting! I love all the fall colors. Vicki Achard / Nature’s Best Artist

“My First Necklaces and Earrings!”

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I loved working with both my paper scraps I call my decorative art collection and polymer clay; making beads, pendants and my first pair of earrings. My swirly paper beads are embossed to give them a pretty shine. I cut paper from my watercolor and pressed floral decorative art collection and wrapped them around a knitting needle first then glued them at the end. I have also learned so much about polymer clay. It’s so fun to think of all the design ideas I have for future necklaces and earrings!

My first ever pair of earrings made from polymer clay. Vicki Achard/Artist and lover of clay, paper, art made of watercolor paints and pressed flowers.

Necklace made from my watercolor designs and polymer clay. Creating this was so much fun! Vicki Achard / Nature’s Best Art

The very first necklace I have made. I made swirly beads from my pressed floral art work and also beads from polymer clay. I had so much fun. Vicki Achard / Nature’s Best Art
Making beads from my watercolor art work and making beads from polymer clay is amazing. I love matching the colors of both and I’m so pleased and excited at how the designs of both media turn out after I roll the paper and make swirly beads and how blending a few colors of polymer clay turn out! Vicki Achard / Nature’s Best Art

I look forward to sharing my jewelry making journey.

Happy Creating,

Vicki

“Peony Love”

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Peony flowers are my son’s fiancée’s favorite flower and I wanted to create an original watercolor design which I knew I would use when printed for a tag for their soap favors at their wedding shower. Tom also printed thank you cards for them with the same design.

I love the color of this peony and I am so pleased at how this design turned out.

“Peony Love” – 11 x 14 original watercolor by Vicki Achard

Hope you can enjoy beautiful flowers found in beautiful gardens.

Happy Creating,

Vicki

“Who Knew Making Soap Could Be This Much Fun?”

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I had so much fun making these soaps for my son and fiancée’s wedding shower. That was my first time making these soaps. I loved all the different ways you can create soap, the colors, and also the fragrance you can add! I made them for favors and bagged them, first putting plastic wrap on them, then putting them in a plastic bag with fill, and finally adding a tag I made.

Peach, musk fragrant, shea butter soaps made by Vicki Achard for wedding shower favors.

I love having special soaps in a dish. These shea butter soaps feel so nice for the hands.

Happy Creating,

Vicki

“He Is Risen” Painted Cross in Watercolor

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It’s been awhile since I posted anything on my blog. I had a wedding shower in my backyard in July for my son and daughter-in-law. We planted new grass since May, which was 1/3 of our yard, worked on our garden, and I made many things for the shower. The weather was wonderful. So happy I was able to have that for them. My daughters Leah and Susan helped so much planning and doing so much to make it happen. Now I have some time to get back to Nature’s Best stuff!

“He is Risen” Design by Vicki Achard / Watercolor Artist

Loved painting this cross. The gladiolus flower in the middle of the cross was from my photo library. My son and daughter-in-law grow beautiful flowers.

Hope you are having a wonderful Summer. Stay cool!

Happy Creating,

Vicki

“Creating New Christmas Cards for 2022″

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In a few days I will complete painting two new Christmas cards for 2022, I’m so very excited! I hope you can follow along my painting journey with me on my Artist Blog or my Business Facebook page – Facebook.com/NaturesBestArtist – please subscribe. I will reveal my newest Christmas cards in late Fall.

Can you guess what the entire design is of the one showing the ivy leaf and berries? How about the snowy pine trees – what do you think is in the entire design?

Creating to me is like playing in a sandbox when I was a child, or like playing school when I was a child, or coloring in my super large coloring books when I was a child. I love being inspired with the world around me and God’s wonderful nature and blessings.

Nature’s Best Art/Vicki Achard Watercolor Artist – New 2022 Christmas card – Can you guess what this entire design is?
Nature’s Best Art/Vicki Achard Watercolor Artist – New 2022 Christmas card – Can you guess what other subjects are going to be in this design besides the snowy pine trees?

Hope you are all having a warm and cozy winter if you live in the cold areas of the country and having peaceful days keeping healthy.

I will try to post every Tuesday.

Vicki Achard

“Night by the Stream, Rochester, MI”

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Hello Everyone, Rochester Park in Michigan is one of my favorite places to visit. With it’s streams, trees, rocks, ducks, people walking on the paths, it’s so peaceful and always so inspiring.

“Night by the Stream” Rochester, MI / watercolor work in progress

I took my children there many times when they were growing up. They would play in the stream, walk all over the park and play on the playground equipment. For many years we participated in the Art & Apples Art show that drew so many art enthusiasts, it was so much fun to talk to others who love art, to get to know other Artists, and see beautiful work. A happy memory was when we took our daughter and her kids there and our grandson flew his kite we gave him on a windy day. It’s so fun to make happy memories. Hope you too have happy memories of beautiful places that are near you.

Happy Creating,

Vicki