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kmontes.bsky.social
Lone Star Blue 💙
@kmontes.bsky.social
3.1K followers 1.1K following 540 posts
💙 in Texas. Love cooking, travel, books, walking, art, camping, exploration & public spaces. Stay curious and make every day an adventure.

This is a place to learn something new, enjoy creativity, spark curiosity and escape the chaos.
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kmontes.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 4: Ruins of a Distant Future

I love ancient cities & ruins. This scene shows a crumbling hilltop fortress & cave dwellings in an imaginary world.

I love painting with watercolors & good paper makes a difference!

#ArtYear #watercolor #ink
This scene shows a crumbling hilltop fortress & cave dwellings in an imaginary world. The landscape is a mix of yellow ochre and orange mountains and a blue geological formation under a yellow and purple sky with 2 suns or moons. I imagined that this was another planet in the distant future.
December 5, 2025 at 1:49 AM
kmontes.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 3: Arboretum Trails

Tried out Caran D’Ache Neocolor II #crayons & drew some impressions from recent walks. I loved the feel, bright colors, and mix of marks & watercolor.

The one on the upper right is done with #watercolor & #pencil & the rest are Neocolor.

#ArtYear
A grid of 6 sketches done with Caran D’Ache Neocolor II aquarelle crayons of impressions from recent walks. There’s a crape Myrtle with beautiful twisted roots; a footpath with a bridge; golden autumn plants standing tall; a bamboo arch in a Japanese garden; purple pink berries; and plants with bright red flowers.
December 3, 2025 at 2:53 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 2: Diary Madrid
A visual diary or artist’s journal is a good way to observe, record thoughts, experiences & memories, use watercolor, pencil & ink, and do some urban sketching. Fun & meaningful.

#ArtYear #watercolor #ink #journal
Visual diary page with watercolor and ink drawings of yellow Portuguese custard tarts (called pasteís de nata) and coffee with a heart in the milk foam. Also included are handwritten notes about a cafe in Madrid where the pastries are made.
December 3, 2025 at 12:16 AM
kmontes.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 1: “Early Morning Rain”

This is inspired by a beautiful morning when the sun was shining and rain showers looked like shimmering crystals.

I’m enjoying the beauty in my feed - so many different works from talented artists. It’s good to be back.

#watercolor #ArtYear
Watercolor painting with blue, yellow, pink and green streaks. This is inspired by a beautiful morning several weeks ago when the sun was shining and rain showers looked like shimmering crystals.
December 1, 2025 at 9:51 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
Artists & art lovers - are you ready? It’s time for the best Bluesky tradition - Art Advent Calendar! December 1-24. Post original work, discover new artists, celebrate every day, flood your feed with joy.

#ArtAdventCalendar Hosted by @jayispainting.earthskyart.ca

#art #artsky
jayispainting.earthskyart.ca JayIsPainting 🍁 @jayispainting.earthskyart.ca · 18d
Artists & Art lovers!

Time to get geared up for the biggest art event of the year on Bluesky!

Last year we had close to 1500 artists from 25 countries posting original work daily from December 1-24
#ArtAdventCalendar
In its 11th year, #artadventcalendar participants post an original piece of art from Dec 1-24. Paintings, drawings, sculpture, textiles, beading, photography. If it’s art and it beautifies th…
earthskyart.ca
November 17, 2025 at 12:24 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
“Our Land, Once Big and Beautiful”

While we’re being distracted by Epstein files, MAHA Coke & racist team names, our public lands are being destroyed in the name of Energy Dominance. Nothing beautiful about it.
More in alt text 👇

#ArtYear #mixedmedia #watercolor #ink #contecrayon #coloredpencil
Mixed media piece depicting a landscape with jagged lines in front of. This is a personal response to the sadness I felt when reading about some of the “victories” described on the Department of Interior website. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” includes changes to promote expansion of oil and gas production, coal mining, and more logging (20 million more board feet annually). Our public lands were intended for preservation, not destruction. What is done cannot be undone.
July 24, 2025 at 5:33 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
I could paint imaginary cities every day.

Look closely & see the textures of ancient walls, stone archway, roofs, wooden doors, balconies & windows.

I love this lesson from “Creative Abstract Watercolor” by @essoldodesign.bsky.social.

#watercolor #ink #creativeabstreactwatercolor
Watercolor painting of an imaginary city, with buildings in light tan, blues, terra cotta and burnt sienna. The buildings have different shapes, and lots of tiny details drawn in white and black ink. The sky overhead is a stormy indigo color.
July 21, 2025 at 7:49 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
A summery watercolor painting for a friend who lives by the water. Inspired by a lesson in “Creative Abstract Watercolor” by Kate Rebecca Leach at @essoldodesign.bsky.social

#watercolor #nature #artyear
Abstract watercolor painting with waves over colored pebbles.
July 19, 2025 at 8:06 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
Hand-painted watercolor fairy house for a special friend.

#watercolor #painting #creativity #imagination #artyear
Watercolor painting of a tiny mushroom fairy cottage in warm browns, green, yellow and blue. The house has rounded windows, one with a window box filled with tiny red flowers. Steps lead up to a wooden door. Flowers and mushrooms surround the cottage, and a clothesline tied to a twig has a little white cloth and butterfly fairy wings hanging on it.
July 19, 2025 at 7:45 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
“When you are lost, choose beauty.”

This really spoke to me this morning.

Gina is finding a way through, one stitch at a time. Beautiful work.
gsew.bsky.social Gina Kellogg @gsew.bsky.social · Jul 10
Day 4: A week of quilted mandalas.

When you are lost, choose beauty.

Making a beautiful life and world are antidotes to sorrow and hopelessness.

KelloggSisters.com/Wayfinding

#fiberart #womensart
#artyear #artquilt
#quiltsky #fiberartist #beauty#artsky#wayfinding #impact #mandala
A mandala about beauty. Purple background, parrots, hands, leaves, flowers. The message is that the opportunity to make beauty is everywhere. Making a beautiful piece of art, making food, growing things, making connections with other people are always ways to make beauty. Making a beautiful life and world are antidotes to sorrow and hopelessness.
July 10, 2025 at 12:34 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
Street art by abstract_avila in Galveston, Texas.

#streetart #urbanart #galveston #texas
Street art in vivid aqua, purple and yellow. Pictured is a young woman under the water with a scuba más and light on top of her head.
July 4, 2025 at 3:39 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
I just called my Representative using 5calls and spoke to a staffer about H.R.1. CALL NOW & let your voice be heard!

Thank you @5calls.org!

And thank you @repfletcher.bsky.social for being accessible to your constituents & opposing this monstrous bill.

#biguglybill
5calls.org 5 Calls @5calls.org · Jul 2
It's not just Medicaid, H.R. 1 will devastate the entire health care system...

ACA marketplace premiums will SKYROCKET.
Medicare will get cut by $500 BILLION.
Nursing homes will CLOSE.
Rural hospitals will CLOSE.
Clinics will CLOSE.

*EVERYONE* will be affected by this.

5calls.org/issue/hr1-on...
Oppose H.R. 1: the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" - PASSED SENATE - SENT BACK TO HOUSE (UPDATED 7/1) ⭑ 5 Calls
Updates July 1, 2025: The Senate has passed H.R. 1 by a vote of 50-51, with J.D. Vance providing the tie-break YES vote. Republican Senators Paul …
5calls.org
July 2, 2025 at 9:36 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
Every time I start a journal, I get tired of my introspective drivel, stick the diary in a drawer, find it years later & shred the pages.

But stories are different. Moments are like little movies. So I write them down & sketch what I see. Enjoying this more.

#ArtYear #journaling #storytelling
A page from a journal shows a woman with long dark curly hair looking out the window of a bus at a church. She tells us that the church is dedicated to her “santo” - St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of lost causes. She says she thinks this is appropriate, with a sad, sarcastic chuckle. We get the feeling that she is in a hopeless situation.
May 31, 2025 at 8:20 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
Since we’re on the cusp of hurricane season down here near the gulf coast… It’s helpful to know the difference between a watch & a warning. The Fort Bend County library system explained it perfectly. Using a language we all understand.

#taco #hurricaneseason
Graphic from the Fort Bend County library system using tacos to explain the difference between a (storm) watch and a warning. This photo shows the ingredients of a taco laid out and says “Taco Watch - We have the ingredients to make a taco.” Graphic from the Fort Bend County library system using tacos to explain the difference between a (storm) watch and a warning. This photo shows the ingredients of a taco laid out and says “Taco Warning - We are having tacos. RIGHT NOW.”
May 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
Mindful & meditative art inspired by A.A. Murakami’s Floating World immersive exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Materials: Faber-Castell aquarelle pencils, ruler, circle template, aqua brush with water.

#ArtYear #watercolor #mindfulart #color
Small abstract piece with colorful lines radiating out and forming wavy patterns, and colored circles floating like bubbles.
May 23, 2025 at 10:45 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
A visual diary or artist’s journal is a good way to observe, record thoughts, experiences & memories, use watercolor, pencil & ink, and do some urban sketching. It’s fun & meaningful - can’t wait to do more!

#ArtYear #drawing #sketching #watercolor #ink #journaling #urbansketching
Page from an artist’s journal with an ink and watercolor sketch of a plate of pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts) and a cappuccino. There is also handwritten text describing a visit to Manteigaria, a cafe and pastry shop in Madrid, Spain.
May 22, 2025 at 9:47 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
I was so pleased to find Thomas Dambo’s “Malin’s Fountain” (#127) in Austin, Texas.

Malin's Fountain symbolizes the community's strength & ability to come together as one.

Thomas Dambo is a Danish recycling artist & his mission is to 'Waste no more'.

#thomasdambo #artsky #art #sustainable #austin
Thomas Dambo’s “Malin’s Fountain” (#127) in Austin, Texas. This large troll is seated in a wooded section of a park, and is constructed of salvaged wood, branches and stones. The troll ((Malin) is holding a large basin that serves as a fountain. Malin's Fountain symbolizes the community's strength and ability to come together as one. This is a poem written by Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo, and carved into a boulder: Sometimes, the summer times are dry Sometimes, the sky will cry Sometimes, the fountains full of rain Sometimes, an empty drain Sometimes are good for summer birds Sometimes are cursed with thirst So it always makes a difference when You fill the fountain up again Metal plaque that says “No. 127, Malin’s Fountain, Thomas Dambo”
May 21, 2025 at 10:40 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
It’s serious, y’all. 105 degrees in May.
evilmopacatx.bsky.social Evil MoPac @evilmopacatx.bsky.social · May 13
Record Texas Heat Meme™
May 16, 2025 at 1:03 AM
kmontes.bsky.social
“View of Sepúlveda”

This is a view of the medieval town of Sepúlveda, Spain, with its stone walls, Romanesque church & old buildings, and narrow winding streets.

I’m back to 3x3 watercolor & ink and enjoying focusing on all the details.

#watercolor #ink #artsky #ArtYear
View of the green countryside and the medieval walled town of Sepúlveda, Spain. At the top of the hill is a Romanesque church and winding roads lead through old buildings and plazas.
May 15, 2025 at 10:52 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
Pay attention, but remember there’s beauty in the world.

See the comments for a healthy dose of Vincent Van Gogh.
rabihalameddine.bsky.social Rabih Alameddine @rabihalameddine.bsky.social · May 15
If you're not freaking out about the state of the world, you're not paying attention.
However, you can still calm yourself a teeny bit with a few of Vincent's trees.
May 15, 2025 at 4:31 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
So beautiful, and pulsating with life energy. Thank you @wonderloststudio.bsky.social for sharing your work, process & inspiration.
wonderloststudio.bsky.social Wonderlost Studio | Sarah DeWitt Brooks @wonderloststudio.bsky.social · May 15
Now I use bold color palettes in large scale paintings to draw attention to the tiny details in nature the and abstraction that I love. P.8 #bskyart #artist #contemporaryart #abstractart #abstractartist #tinythings #nature #livingthings #biology #sciart #art #artist #inspiration #abstract
May 15, 2025 at 4:19 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
Street Messages

“No Estress” (no stress) & “No Te Compares” (don’t compare yourself). Interesting what you notice & what speaks to you.

Seen in the streets of Madrid, Spain.

#graffiti #streetart
Graffiti scrawled on a white wall in Madrid that says “No Estress” (no stress). This photo shows a large round grey stone on a brick sidewalk, with the coat of arms of Madrid - a shield with a crown, a bear, and a tree. Purple graffiti that says “No Te Compares” (don’t compare yourself) is scrawled under the insignia.
May 15, 2025 at 2:54 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
“Make Art, Not War”

Collage art by @prospektcol.lazzaph (IG) on a wall in the Lavapies neighborhood of Madrid

More details in alt text 👇
Collage art by a digital creator seen on a textured terracotta colored wall in the Lavapies neighborhood of Madrid, Spain. Top left is a torn leaf shape on paper printed with space, stars, nebulae and planets. Next is a photo of Michelangelo’s David with a paste up of DaVinci’s eye - a speech bubble says “never mind!” A neon red orange sticker says “MAKE ART NOT WAR” and features a bike made of cork circles that says “La vie in bike.” The bottom sticker is a piece called “Universal Love,” and shows a silhouette of two figures, facing each other, made of a print of a universe of stars and planets. The artist’s work can be found on Instagram @prospektcol.lazzaph
May 14, 2025 at 9:56 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
The last few weeks have been about exploring and gathering ideas & inspiration. This is a quick watercolor sketch of a street in Pedraza, a walled medieval town in Spain. It was good to just get the pens & paint out & make some marks.

#watercolor #ink #ArtYear
This is a quick ink and watercolor sketch of a few abstract figures walking down a street in the medieval town of Pedraza, Spain.
May 13, 2025 at 10:45 PM
kmontes.bsky.social
On April 28, 2025, a major power blackout occurred across Spain, Portugal & southern France. Everything came to a halt & shops, hotels, metro stations & restaurants closed. ATMs out of order. Cash only. Some waited it out at bars with friends. Cheers in the streets when the lights went back on.
Red and white church candles glow on a wooden table in a dark room. The window is open and we can see a dark building with candle light in the windows. This photo was taken in Madrid, Spain on April 28, 2025, the day a massive power blackout occurred across Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France.
May 13, 2025 at 4:28 PM