Monday May 26, 2014

Happy Memorial Day!  I can't believe the three day weekend is coming to a close.  We hosted a backyard barbecue right after the parade and ceremony today. So, today was fun, mixed with family and  great food. 
Despite the preparations for the party, I think I got a lot done this weekend, though not as much as I would have liked to.  And not necessarily art.  I did get the design pretty much done on the corn hole games which seem to be a project of potholes.  You know, should be easier, but if there is something that could go wrong, IS.  My mothers words are ringing in my ears, that maybe its not what I didn't get done, but more that the list was too long and unachievable to complete. 

Now I have to clear coat several times and make the corn bags.

I planted 5 flats of flowers in the yard.  Planted all the graves with flowers for Memorial Day.  Readied the house for the party, and painted these.  We went to a bonfire at friends and did the shopping.  Hung and folded laundry, as Hubs actually put the stuff in the washer and dryer for me, (thank you Hunny!) Doesn't sound like three days worth though.  OK. Long weekends are supposed to be restful too, right?  Its my story and I'm sticking with it!

Stay tuned!

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Its a beautiful evening and I just finished a project, so thought I would sit on the deck and update the ol' blogg.
Last episode updates like this...   I had just gotten the naked oar from the Lake Association that is having a silent auction.  That is what I am waiting for to dry so I can put the last piece of the puzzle on it.

 

The last piece to this puzzle is rope around the handle.  Then its off to the LA it goes. 

Its been raining the last few days, so sadly, the corn hole games haven't been done.  Too bad, as the long holiday weekend is almost here.  Its supposed to be a brilliant weekend though sohopefuly we will try to get something done on them.  Should have worked on them tonight but we had dark clouds earlier. Passed without a drop. Figures.

The rainy evenings have given me some time to do some sketching:

 

It's supposed to be Ol' Abe, in case ya didn't know!  I guess he isn't exactly like the pic I was working from so I thought I would just put that out there.  

I was able to go to the greenhouse last night and picked up a few flowers.  Not going as crazy as I usually do.  Its just late in the season and the iris is up and the lilacs are blooming already, so there is already color in my yard.

I guess that sums it up for now. Stay tuned!

Monday May 19, 2014

I didn't realize its been almost a week since I blogged!  Where does the time go?

The weather was nasty for a couple days, but the weekend was nice, especially since my boys were both home.  Sunday was a beautiful day and the boys were able to keep the family tradition to go out to our 4 cemeteries in our township and put flags on all the veterans graves.  Its something my father-in -law did since he came home from the Korean war, and Hubs helped him, and when we had boys, they were invited along.  My father-in-law passed away in 2006 and Hubs and the boys keep doing it in his footsteps.  Its tradition.


Anyway, in my effort to keep my New Years Rez of using up the things I have around here, I have finished and sold this:

 

Made from from a piece of bead board in the garage.  It measures about 20x32 and if I can find another piece of that, I want to make another.  For me. 

Our First Fridays committee has had a contest to design a flag for businesses to hang out when they have an artist displaying.  So anyone walking downtown knows right where the art is.  It was to portray the art, music, performing arts, and the Maple City, of which the town is nicknamed.

 However, I got the deadline mixed up and it was LAST week.  Dang.  So did it for naught. Oh well.

Then a friend of ours asked if we could make a set of corn hole boards.  For those of you who don't know the game, its like horseshoes, but with beanbags and you shoot for the hole in the board:

Then it must be painted in the colors of choice.  Usually with your favorite college or pro teams on it. And the bean bags must be made to match.   So, Hubs built them to the online instructions that we found and the worst part about the whole thing is making the corn bags.  I paint.  I don't sew. At this writing the boards are primer-ed, and I will be painting as weather allows this week.

Then one of the local Lake Associations has a first Annual Art Festival coming up.  They are selling these oars to artists to paint and donate back for a silent auction to get this festival going. Here is my naked oar.  I hope I can do it justice.

So, plenty to keep busy with,  you'll just have to stay tuned!!

Tuesday May 13, 2014

Rainy evening, Hubs is gone to his bowling banquet, and the dogs and I are hanging out and chillin'.  Now that the weather is getting better, they LOVE being out, and the intermittent showers gives them 'recess' tonight.  They must think treats grow on trees, because I think they just go out, to come in, because they get a treat. Sheesk!  Kids!

There is a meatloaf in the oven making the house smell wonderful, and a baseball game is about to come on TV.  I have to whip my sons room into shape as he'll be home in two days.  We painted the hallway about a month ago, and everything got shoved in his room.  Nothing like rushing into things.

Yesterday, the company I work for, took us all to the ballgame.  What fun!  Its the first time I actually didn't feel like a second rate citizen.  Before this year, I had worked in temp services, and you just don't get to go to such things. (or golf outings, or Christmas parties) One job I had, once I was done working there, allowed my friends there to invite me to those things as a friend, but as long as I worked there, it was forbidden.  If you aren't one of the big dogs, you have to stay on the porch.

Anyway, we had a great time.  There was a rain delay and enough sun to get sunburned, and our team won!  Today it was catch up time on the workload and tonight I am beat!   Art will have to wait.  I have to throw all the family picture frames back up on the wall upstairs and that will be my creative endeavor for the evening.

I'll leave you with this for now.  Stay tuned!

Saturday May 10, 2014

Don't you just love this?^^

This week I gave the Poppy painting to my American Legion Auxiliary to auction off for their Poppy days for Memorial Days.  It seemed the thing to do.  I am always asked for a donation so, hopefully this will bring more than I might have given monetarily anyways.

The Boys in Da Band has been delivered to the silent auction for my friends nephew.

And  this, "Blue Skies and Seas"

has been donated to Circle of Art for the silent auction for local foodbanks. 
http://www.circle-of-art.net/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=2027 

I sometimes get flamed for giving my art away.  But if I give it to something that does something good for someone else, isn't that a good thing?  If it might be able to 'up the ante' to the monetary donation that I felt I could give, isn't THAT a good thing?  God gave me a gift.  I am using it for good.  I think God and I are good wid dat.

You know that human form challenge I previously mentioned?  I have had a million ideas shooting around in my head.  Finally decided on a background, so I did that.  Then subject matter, so plotted that out, now, how to paint the subject matter.. (did you hear brakes screetching?)  As I am using an ad I saw in a magazine for inspiration, the form is close, but must make it my own. (Not MY form, hell no!)  but make the painting unrecognizable.  (well, not ABSTRACT, but you know what I mean).

Huge canvas can be intimidating, but exciting at the same time.

I told you about the round robin art project I am doing.  I received the first pages!  (They are a beautiful background that reminds me of water.)  I have absolutely no training on art journaling, so I really hope these ladies don't think I mess things up.  But that's how I have learned art, by the seat of my pants, jump in with both feet without knowing if its right or wrong.  I just hope I am not inflicting it on others.  It will be a good experiment.  I have added my additions and it goes out to the next person today.  

Well, its Mothers Day weekend.  I miss my Mom.  And my boys won't be home til next weekend, so off to the Wine Fest with the girls!  (Hubs is helping the flower shop deliver flowers for Mother's Day!)  There is also an art exhibit some friends are in that I need to get to today.  Then tomorrow, (this weekend is probably the first weekend halfway decent weather-wise) we are putting together the new grill and I have a few big projects that need to be done OUTSIDE, so maybe can get to one or more of those.

Stay tuned!

 

Saturday May 3, 2014

Saturday, sweet Saturday.  My May schedule is booking in except for this weekend, so I finished the BAND painting, did a Poppy painting, ( I started last year, doing a poppy painting each year for Memorial Day) ( ok, so I'm early!)

 and worked on a round robin art project.  There are a group of four of us, myself here in Michigan, and three others from Maine, Iowa and California.  We all start a Art Journal page, then send it on, add to the next one and send it on until it gets back to us.  Sounds like fun. So here is my background that I am sharing on to the others....

 Ok ok, it doesn't look like much now, but wait til you see what the ladies do to it.  I only hope I can keep up my part of the bargain. I'll report back when I get it back. Should be fun. :)

So, the Artist Lounge group has asked if anyone wants to do an exhibition on the human form.  My wheels are turning and I think I might be coming out of the slump... I even had to go buy a big canvas, because I have rather big ideas on what I want to do with that challenge.
Stay tuned!

Friday, May 2, 2014

My bff since high school has a nephew who is 19 and fighting cancer.  He was diagnosed just about the time a college signed him last year to play football.  Here is this big strapping football player taking 9 rounds of chemo... the kind you sit for 8 hrs a day for a week at a time, then time off.  His dad is in the service, his mom works, but where they have to give him this chemo, the family moves to a nearby hotel. Between the loss of work (income) and the travel, etc, they are having a bowling fundraiser with a silent auction.  I have decided to use my art for good, not evil.  So, here it is...

I love art that can be more impressionistic... and I am trying to loosen up a little, but its hard to back off the details.  Oh well... I will have to practice this technique a little more, methinks.

Stay tuned!

Thursday May 1, 2014

 My Unselfie of the day.   This little guy is a post at my Chiropractors Office.   Saw him, went in, turned around, grabbed the camera to take this pic, and smiled right back.  One of life's little surprises!  The world is full of them if you keep your eyes open.  And it helps to keep a camera handy!