Merry Christmas 2012

Ooo I almost forgot to show you what I did on Christmas Eve. 

 Merry Christmas, Dear Followers!  And Happy New Year!

December 30, 2012

Yes, I think my word is SUNSHINE!  Yes, SUNSHINE is my word for 2013!
Where I live, I don't get enough of it this time of year, and I need more of it.
Sunshine makes me feel good.  Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy!
I've got Sunshine on a cloudy day, because YOU are my Sunshine.
Sunshine lollipops and rainbows!
I have been tossing this word around for a week or so, and you can't imagine how many times I have come across the word SUNSHINE this week.  Almost as if the universe was telling me that I needed to use it.
I have a Sunny piece of art going in the art room right now, and I will post it when its done, but for now, I will post one of my past pieces of art that I did on the neighbors barn a few years back.

This took me all of about 2 hours, once the blue was done. The barn has since been torn down, and the blue part was lovingly dismantled, and displayed at our County Fairgrounds for about 3 years.  A friend of mine then displayed it on her barn!  So its been around awhile.

But doesn't that just make you feel good?  It does me! So, my fellow Flyers, Sunshines the word!

December 19, 2012

I am invited to participate in Fly Tribes Word Hop.  Thanks to my friend Shells, I think I am going to try it.  I have got to think on it a bit, and I am going to see what comes to mind.  The blog spot is here:

http://fly-tribe.blogspot.com


I am still seeing if the word I have in mind is what I want to go with, but I am leaning heavily on it, so unless something just sweeps me off my feet in the next few days, I'm going with it.

May anyone and everyone who reads this have a wonderful Christmas and I'll see you next week.  Same Bat place. Same Bat blog. 
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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!

December 18, 2012

I have been watching someone (I won't divulge her name until I get permission, but it starts with a J) who has been doing an art piece once a week for almost a year now.  Then she will sell them as a fundraiser for her school.  I think about how busy I am, and she is even busier, and yet every week she is producing a piece of art.  I am simply in awe.  If I am motivated and have the creative 'bug', then a piece of artwork a week doesn't seem daunting at all.
But then comes DECEMBER. or at least THIS December.  I have no creative juices flowing at all right now.  WWJD?  I ask?   Not sure how she keeps the juices flowing.  Her head probably is filled with just as much Christmas stuff, and work stuff as mine. Where does it come from??
Does decorating the tree count?  (same tree, same orns, probably not!)
How about wrapping the presents? (Use the same paper and no ribbon, so probably doesn't count!)
I HAVE made a few presents, but it was on my computer, and not painted.  (1/2 point there!)
Well, I am going to have to challenge myself this year.  Maybe that should be my resolution.  I can hear my friend Shells, laughing now... we have tried this before, and I fell by the wayside long before she did.  I am sure when the holidays are over that I will embark on a wonderful new inspiration in the art room.
Until then, I will kick my feet up and try to enjoy some of the holidays with my family and dream of dancing paint tubes in my head for the coming new year.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

December 11, 2012

I haven't done any painting or art lately, but I have been crafty.  The holidays always make me want to make gifts for people.  I wondered if putting my art on a calendar (via my little computer graphics program) would be a little simple gift that really didn't say GIFT, but would be something to give those that supported me this year...

You see, this year, I was finally able to show my art.  I took a great big breath and hung it out there for all to see.  (Kinda like streaking in front of the hometown crowd) Yeah, pretty big in my eyes.  And you know what?  I got a lot of good comments!  Some people asked if they could buy!  BUY??  You want to BUY it?
Wowsa.  Caught me off guard there.  Talk about good for my head!  

I struggle with letting my originals go, but I have made some prints to sell of some of the more popular ones.  Those originals are eating up precious floor space in the art room, and I must get over the thought that I shouldn't do any more art because "what would I do with it?".  Dang, I am way too practical.   To put floor space in front of my creativity!  What has gotten into me?

Anyway, a friend urged me to show my art at her place during the April First Friday event, and I have done it every month since, except one.  I have probably made less than 100 dollars on copies and greeting cards, and some friends and family have come to support me more than once.  My hubby has been helpful in loading it all and unloading it all and loading it all and unloading it all, and promoting my art, too.  I appreciate everyone that has come in to see, if they have done it once or a few times.  My brother and sister have come to cheer me on just about every month.  Thank you!  Its great to have groupies.

My mom always said that I was born with a pencil in my hand, (I always joked that that must have been hard on her, lol) because I drew a lot when I was a kid.  In 9th grade, my art teacher and I didn't see eye to eye.  I couldn't do anything right by her, and I ended up sitting in class, taking the E.  After that, I didn't do much art, but took photography to settle my creative mind.  It wasn't until 15 years later, that my hubby convinced me that I need to do more with my 'doodling.'  I  tried my hand at sign painting, something that could make a few bucks, which I liked, but needed more space, and wasn't wild about toxic stuff around the kids.  I took a commercial printing course that I hoped would show me more about art. A little but not what I really wanted to do.  I drove an hour each way, for about 6 months of Saturdays to take an airbrush class that I love, but don't do as often as I'd like. And back in the day of country home decorating, I took a local class where housewives painted a project every week around a table in someones basement.  Still use some of those techniques!

 The county I live in is kind of a dry county for art, but it is changing and I am excited to see the butterfly develop out of the cocoon.  I kind of feel that way too.  I am doing something with a gift that was almost squashed because of someones opinion long ago.  I am now coming out of my cocoon.

I don't know how many First Fridays I will do in the future.  I don't know how long my friends and family can stand to run and support.  And if I am not selling, (which that has never been my focus anyway), its just for the head rush of having someone like what I do.  I do my art to settle a need within me, or for therapy when I need it, so its for me anyway. 

I may need a month or two off.  January is a nice long cold month with nothing to do.  I will probably pull out the paints then.  Then, I probably will be excited again and want to show what I did.   Who knows? 
Stay tuned....

December 2, 2012

I haven't really been doing any art the last few weeks, with the holidays upon us and also the cold season, I just haven't had the extra brain cells to be creative. 
I am in the process of selling my moms house.  She passed 4 years ago and the house has been on the market for 3.  It is finally selling at less than half of what it was worth when she passed, but, it needs to be loved and cared for and its time to close that door.
My mom passed in December on her 84th birthday.  Every year I used to buy her an Amaryllis bulb and one for me, and we would grow them for the holiday season.  For claiming not to have a green thumb, hers always did better than mine and hers usually bloomed first.
In light of this, I am going to post one of my first ever canvasses.  Its an amaryllis bloom.  Happy Birthday in heaven Mom. I am still trying to coax my bulb to open this year.  Maybe I could use some help?

(Its easier to paint them, I think)

November 4, 2010

I love barns.  Wooden barns. 
These days, they are a dying part of Americana. They are falling down and rotting away.  To maintain one in good condition takes money and time.  I love to pen and ink them and sometimes add some colored pencil.   If they need replacing its cheaper these days to put up a pole barn: one of metal.  To me, the metal ones just don't have the personality, or character of the old ones.
Today, I did a barn from a photograph of a Michigan barn that was photographed by Will Wallgren who was keeping the store at an art gallery I visited over the summer.  He is of the same mind as I am about barns, and as we were talking over the photograph, he told me that this particular barn has met its demise and stands no longer.  To THAT,  I replied, "Nooooooooooooo!"  I bought a greeting card of his photo and I asked him if he would mind if I pen and inked it.  He was gracious and said not at all.
So for my part to keep barns remembered, I will do all the ones I can with no apologies.  The Barn Of The Week:

November 1, 2012

HAPPY HISTORICAL BRIDGE AWARENESS MONTH!
I didn't know it was Historical Bridge Awareness Month when I did this, but its a happy coincidence!  I finished this last night, and framing it up tonight to be able to display it in our First Friday event downtown tomorrow night.

I also hope to be out bridge hunting this weekend.  I have always loved covered bridges and The Hubs and I had planned on going gallivanting this weekend to find some to do just this^^.  I did this from a print from a photograph, and I am really pleased with the way it turned out!

So, after work today, I went in to a local art shop, gave them the dimensions for a mat to be cut, only to get home to find out it was cut too big.  There is no time to run back to get a new one cut before tomorrow night, as I load up the car on Thursday night (tonight) to make sure I make it to the event on time after work on Friday. So, I am fudging it for now.  It is held between the glass and an uncut mat until I can do it better.  It will work for tomorrow night, and I am nothing if not flexible!  I am excited about this piece and I want to show it!

I have not shown my work before this year, and just displaying it once a month is so much fun.  I have sold some note cards and a couple prints, but I'm working up to selling the real thing.  They feel like children. I know I can't keep them all, though.  If anyone knows a secret to letting them go, let me know.

Well got to get my stuff around for tomorrow night!  Wish me luck!

October 27,2012

I think part of being an artist is the ability to see the beauty of something and feeling a connection with it.   I do that a lot with God's green earth and there is just things in nature that you just can't reproduce, I don't care how good of an artist you are! 
Like the sky on the way home from work the other night was very colorful. The remnants of the rainy fall day left just enough clouds to pick up the color of the setting sun.  The leaves had turned and the sun was casting long shadows across the farmers field, illuminating the colors of the trees to "BAM! Kick them up a notch"!  I tried to take a photo, but it just didn't record on digital like the breathtaking scene I was seeing.  I thought maybe I could paint it and put those colors back in, but then I realized I would be trying to copy work of the Master.  And I knew I would fall short.
Living life being able to "smell the roses" sure doesn't get you to places on time, and I have been known to stop the car, get out and just say, "Ahhhh.  Thank you for this beauty."  I hope that my husband, and kids, and people I have been around, that have had to stop WITH me, have maybe learned to see what I am seeing rather than worry about where we were supposed to be and at what time.
I marvel at the patterns of pinecones, and plants, and the perfect geometry of everyday living things: acorns, butterflies and leaves, and it wasn't man-made with a protractor or ruler, but with nature!  A dragonfly's wings, the pattern of color on a Mallard duck.  (Have you really LOOKED at the color PURPLE there? and if you haven't checked out the markings on a live pheasant, you should.) The way a fall tree can be green, yellow, gold, orange, red, fuchsia, and violet all in the same tree?  Sometimes I will sit and watch the sunset and try to name all the colors.  I can't!  I think there are some that don't have names!
I once saw a ditch on a country road full of purple thistles as big as softballs.  I had to pull over a snap a pic. As deadly as those would be if you were to pick them, the beauty of them were awesome!
 I also tend to be a cloud watcher.  Not necessarily big white, fluffy, friendly ones either.  There is beauty in the dark, nasty ones too.
I will bow to the Master, as His work will always outshine everyone elses, and try as I might, I concede to never be as good, but am grateful that He gave me the gift that I have and the eyes to see His work and all its glory

OH, AND BY THE WAY... you know how just the other day I was bragging about the new computer?  Well, its actually a new one to me but refurbished from my dear son who we will call the System Administrator.  He is a whiz at these things, but he only comes home on the weekends.  This isn't allowing me to download the pics I want, but promise I will download when possible.  Until then, have a Happy Halloween!

October 14, 2012

New computer, new printer, new PhotoShop abilities. (All the PhotoShop abilities are new to me but I can start learning NOW!)
Back when I was into Photography, I did my own black and white darkroom work.  I used to think that even though you could be creative with your camera, your creativity could be kicked up a level in the darkroom.  Double exposures, lights and darks, and special effects could do so much more for your plain pictures.
SO, the new darkroom part is PhotoShop.  I have not worked on this before, but I have done a lot of Print Artist, and the like before, which are graphics programs to let you do flyers, cards, stickers, iron ons, etc and I have had a blast doing certificates, tee-shirts, countless flyers, countless cards and the like for YEARS!  So this new door opening where I have heard could do so much more for me is intriging.  I understand that there are layers, (I use layers when I draw in Auto Cad. so can draw on that experience.)

But today, as blustery as it was, I must have heard the wind in my sleep, because I just had to get busy and paint this today:  I think I like it.

I actually have about 3 or 4 other things running around in my head, but this was last in and first out. I really don't know how that works.
Well, until another day! 

October 10, 2012

So here are the other glasses I did for the auction.  I wanted to do famous cartoon dogs and cats on them, and ended up not doing that because I worried about copyrights, even though I got them on the website that said they were bought to be put on public domain.  I just don't know enough about that not to get myself in trouble.  Its not like I was mass producing it, and I donated my paint and time on them.  But I took the safe way and did these this way. 
My next project, I believe, will probably be one of two barns.  Or my sisters new dog, who just has a beautiful face!  She is a boxer mix that was a rescue.  She cowarded away from everyone and had no idea what toys were, so its safe to assume she had been mistreated.  She is learning to be loved by my sister and her hubby now, and if I can get a good photo of her sometime soon, I have to do her sweet face.

Tomorrow will be 10.11.12!   For some reason that just makes me go, "hmmmm."

Stay tuned!

October 7, 2012

I find I have a lot of opinions and thoughts to put on this page until I actually sit down to do it.  Then, miraculously, like the tests I had in school, all information is gone, until, of course, I hear the few notes of the computer shutting down.  Then it all floods back. Things I could have said posted.

I haven't been able to do much of my own art lately as I had been asked to do some charity auction items: These are some wine glasses that I have done and just finished up with some martini glasses that I just finished last night and will post when I get the pics uploaded.  These are for the Humane Societies Howl-O-Ween ball, so I did this set in FALL colors and the others in paw prints.  I hope they sell.

This week, at work, we are having a Homecoming event, complete with every department doing a 'float' (childrens wagon sized) and we will be electing a King and Queen and tailgating in the parking lot.  I have to make things for the float this weekend too, so attention will be heading that way.  Will post pics for that too, hopefully.
Well, tiz the weekend, and as I said, I have to get moving on this stuff, as there is always laundry and cooking and cleaning and shopping to be done also on the weekends! Ta-ta for now!

Sunday September 30, 2012

Today, I took my Aussie friend to the airport.  This week went by so fast.  We had a good time, I enjoyed meeting her face to face and treasure her friendship.  It will be a long trip back for her: her flight took off at 4pm today, (Sunday) and she won't arrive home until 5am Tues morning our time.  (5pm Tuesday hers) 

While Shells was here, we went to Hidden Lake Gardens, (A nature conservatory of sorts near here) Cabelas, (no, she isn't into hunting and fishing but found two tops she bought and loved the uniqueness of the place) Artilicious, (the most local art festival) Hobby Lobby, Crafts 2000, (both good art supply places) ArtPrize, (HUGE Art display in Grand Rapids Michigan) Grand Haven, (a beautiful spot on Lake Michigan), Hillsdale County Fair ( to give her a taste of Farm Country since she has to balance her visit to New York City) and Clinton Fall Festival. (more crafts than arts, but loved the entertainment!)  Oh yeah, throw in a visit to the apple orchard, because its fall here and in Australia, it is starting to be Spring!

a few pics from ArtPrize:

This guy was just handing out info

Thousands of these clipped to a piece with inspirations

Ain't it tho?

Make a wish!

These ladies just make me feel friendship and warmth.

Remember paper chains in Kindergarden?  This is them to the umpth degree!

I will post more in the days to come, as I am sure life will now become boring.  Well, maybe one more before I split this place for today...

Last nights sunset.

Goodbye Shells, have a safe trip home.  Goodbye September, you have been beautiful.  Hello October!

First Post. September 29, 2010

Hi! Sitting here with my friend Shells, who is teaching me how to set up a blog.

While she is here we are showing her the full extent of living in Michigan.