February 18, 2017

This morning, as I wake up and drink my coffee, thinking of the two watercolors I have to have done for next weeks class, (I haven't been slacking, I just don't like what I have done yet.) and the other things I would like to do, like get online and get some of my work copied for the upcoming art sale I have signed up for, and get some stuff framed up, etc. (The frames have been in my living room for a month or more) I am reminded by the hockey goalie helmet that stands in my way.  Although there is nothing I want to do more, than make a special kid I know happy by painting it up his way, my thoughts have to go with this project FIRST. 

First of all, you have to please everyone.  The right colors, the right design, and you need it by WHEN?

Second of all, to get a good adherence on something that will take some wear and abuse, you need enamel paint.  I used to do signs, so I have some... but even when I did signs, I didn't have the warm place to do it for the winter.  Those paints don't dry/cure well in the cold.  They have an odor and are flammable.  They need solvents with odors and are also flammable.  Not something you want to have circulating in your house for weeks/months, and breathing.  Needless to say, its an outdoor thing.  In Michigan, without a warm place garage or something, that cuts out the cold winter months. Luckily, we have a break in our February with a weekend of 55-60 degree weather.  It just might work!

Thirdly, enamels need days to dry and cure.  Then to do it right, it should be clear coated, with a nice hard protective cover. I have a friend with a body shop that can clear it for me, if he has some extra clear in his gun someday.  Again, then you have to give that time to cure.

Apparently there is a tournament we are hoping to have a nice cool hockey helmet for.... I seriously can't wait to see him in it! 



I have signed up for the Annual Art Walk the first weekend in May.  I am getting braver about selling, but its more out of necessity than actual wanting to.  Looking for a business manager:  Cheap.  Someone that can put it all together and get it out of my art room and sell it so I can keep up my habit. lol.  I have heard of people that have had to quit their day jobs to sell their art.  There is so much to it!  Taxes, and shipping, and festivals, and framing!  When you work 40 hours a week, and still have chores to do at home, its almost impossible.  Even to keep up a shop online!  ( Maybe hire someone to do the housework so I can do the fun stuff??)

For some reason, I feel the need to head to the ReStore and get a flat hollow bedroom door.  I want to paint it for a kids bedroom.  Both sides.  Don't ask me why... its just something I have been thinking about for a while and must DO.

There's always something!  .... Stay tuned...

Wednesday Feb 1, 2017

I am taking a watercolor class.  I wanted to try it.  Watercolor is a whole different animal and I think I need to be more water and less pigment because I am painting like an acrylic artist, not the pretty watery colors that are watercolors.  See for yourself:

Not to mention those little tubes of paint won't last long the way I am going.  Oh well.  Tomorrow night is critique and we'll see if they are as hard on me as I am on myself.

Happy Chinese New Year, by the way.  Did you know its the year of the Rooster? I have done a couple of roosters, (see this blog for pics) for other people of course, but when I tried to do one for myself...

I got one pissed off chicken!  I wanted to do one of those cool multi colored, free flowing birds, like what these artists did:

 I didn't want to copy them, so I did them by memory.  Granted its been MONTHS since I saw these, so I winged it. (no pun intended) lol...  you would even think I might have been in a bad mood that day, eh? Nope.

So, a work-in-progress... or I will gesso it over.

The artist reception went well.  We had a small but nice exhibition and crowd.
Well, stay tuned.  

Saturday 1/14/17

Winter keeps us indoors and gives us more chance for art!  Should spend it on housecleaning, but that is just no fun at all.

A friend of mine has a new pup, for about a year now, and she is just sooo cute, I had to try to capture that face! Meet Charley:

 Then, this old sap barn from a few years ago was still in my sketchbook... since it didn't do anything for me before, I played with it again today.... still not impressed.  :/

 And I had to do this today... don't know why but it had to be done....

I am not saying I am done with any of these, but trying to keep the creative juices going.

The Art Center in town has asked if I would like to join in and put one piece in their non-member exhibition until the end of February.  I said sure.  Since I didn't know what to put in, I let Hubs pick:

It was one I did for the Human Form exhibition and stuck back in the back of my art room.  So for now, thats all thats arty from here.

Stay tuned!

Monday after Christmas 2016

Good morning!  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Last week my friend Ashley and I took a mandala class.  For those of you that don't know what a mandala is, the word means CIRCLE, but its used as a spiritual focus, a meditation.  In this class, we were given a blank canvas and were allowed to choose paint and where we wanted to go with it.  The canvas had circles and one square.  That canvas was pretty intimidating to say the least.  Where to go, where to go???

 It was explained that the middle was the core of us within the universe.  We asked our angels to guide us.  And seriously, I had no plan, but it came very easily.  I felt good about it when I was done.  I like it.

From my last couple posts, my friend gave the portrait of her hubby, father in law and son to her son for Christmas, and it was a hit! YEA!!

Other than that, I am just enjoying the season.  I am helping Hubs construct some presents for next week, but will show those at a later date.

Happy holidays!  Stay tuned!

Monday December 19 2016

The holidays are upon us, and like Santa's elves who have procrastinated a little too long, we are busy busy busy. 

We have finished a project we started mid-fall.  I think I told you about the keyboard?  Well, here it is...

 For being a recycled kind of project, and the keyboard was free, we paid about 70 for the beautiful walnut wood, about 16 for the recycled legs, 50 for the piece of glass, and then the incidentals: the base board, the bottom 'box' that hold the legs, the stain, the paint, the hardware... we can't just give it away.... and had a lot of interest until we named our price.  **crickets**
Oh, well.  We'll either sell it or not.


Then comes this pup...

done for a friend for her son for Christmas.  The first was too dark, and really didn't look like her.  So I did it on white and widened the face... And I am not sure it captures her personality yet, but she is going to take it.  I told her I didn't want her to pay for something that didn't look like his dog, but the first was a 5x7 and the second one an 11x14, so the price went up which probably didn't thrill her.  We should probably have discussed it first.

A little photography this season...   

 I am taking a watercolor class and a mandala class and just going to enjoy the season. 

Merry Christmas to you all.

Stay tuned.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

The house is quiet, except for the hockey game on, and I am feeling accomplished, like I met a challenge.  A friend asked me to paint a special picture for her son for Christmas.  It is a picture of him as a child, with his dad and grandpa on a hunting day.   I don't do portraits, but this lady is a very neat person, and to tell the truth, I wondered to myself if I was up to the challenge.  I told her I would try it, with no commitments.  She didn't have to take it if she didn't like it.  Deal made.

She sent me the photo, that is turning yellow with age, and my daunting task was at hand.  You know that craft show that is this weekend?  And next week is college grad?  Didn't seem to matter!  Had that little creative imp in my head telling me, do it, do it, do it, like a friend at the bar wanting me to chug my beer.  I couldn't wait to get done with the dinner dishes to get to it each night.

So the last few nights I worked on it.  Tonight, as I was struggling with the faces, (because, you know, those will make or break it) that damn imp started with the 'What Ifs'.  What if she doesn't like it?  What if she is like that other lady that wanted you to paint her dog and then told you everything that was wrong with it?  What if she says why did you do that that way?   Seriously.  This lady would throw it away before she would say any of that to me, but that damn imp didn't give a darn.

SO, I messaged her on facebook and asked if she would tell me whether to quit or keep going.  Besides, it saves the face when she sees it in front of me.  Its easier for her to make 'that' face when she first sees it on facebook.  Easier for her.  Easier on me.

Well, she just loved it.  She's talking frames and how she can't wait to give it to him, and its so special.  I went back in my art room and finished the faces just fine.  It's done.  The faces aren't perfect, but pretty close, I think.  It's signed.  It will dry for a few days and will get a clear coat.

I think I can show it here, because I doubt they will see it.   I feel better about it now, and like I said, Challenge Done!

Sunday November13, 2016

In an effort to ignore the world, I have been hard at work trying to get ready for the upcoming Craft Show.  I have decided, (pretty much anyway) that I will take crafts and not art.  This is not a really artsy community, although I did sell some art last year.  So MAYBE!  I dunno.

Remember my lion?  I have decided that its a gift for a special someone, (who is also a Leo) and I have had it professionally framed:

I absolutely love how the moddled green mat brings out the yellow green of the eyes. 

Then I continued to paint some of the cupboard doors that I have in the artroom, just to get them out of the way:

I have a couple more that are in the early stages in the artroom right now.  But first, I have housework to attend to.  Long overdue and needing to be done.  Its at the point where it bothers me, so I know its time to put down the paint and glue and geterdun!

Stay tuned!