Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Saturday night, Grace herself, (that's me!) rolled her ankle and fell down the front steps... yeah, I am sure my neighbors think the entertainment at our house is too good to move. I'm fine, its swollen, but not different colors, and it makes me walk like Festus.  If you don't know who that is, go ask your mom.

So, Life is telling me to slow down, (besides to elevate and ice) and although its more uncomfortable than painful, it'll be awhile before I am back to stride.

Several postcards were made this weekend, and I found and received permission to paint a nest of barnswallows from a picture from Jill Rueger Flinn.  No, have never met her before, just saw her pic on FB on a Barn site, but she seemed pleased that I would do it. 

She was the first to see it, and she loves it. 

Now what? 

Well, the summer is half gone, still have a lot of things to do outside before the cold wind blows.  No more canvasses indoors from here on out.  

Yep. Uh huh.  Sure.  Stay tuned.

Friday, July 18, 2014

To go to the Ann Arbor Art Fair is an awesome experience!  I have learned over the years, a few things to make it more enjoyable:
1. One friend and me.  Period.  With the crowds, and the miles of booths, it can be frustrating to have more than two opinions on which way to go, what to see, when and what to do for lunch, etc.
2. No weenies.  If you don't like art more than you worry about the weather, (the heat for example, is a given for a July outdoor festival), or not on board with the on-the-asphalt-for-miles-and-miles of walking, you probably wouldn't enjoy the experience. Its the Triathalon of Art Booths.  Getcher walkin' shoes on! And suck it up Buttercup!
3. If you only want to see art that you can afford or only art you would put in your house, this is a wasted day for you.  Go to a craft show.  This is art of every flavor and taste.  Some pieces are lotsabucks. Some are larger than my ceilings.  Go for the eye candy, go for the experience of just seeing it, go for the variety, or don't go at all. Not all of it will be something you like, but you have to have an open mind.

This all may sound harsh, but really, it shows you just how important it is to get just the right someone to go with.  I went years ago EVERY YEAR, but haven't been for awhile.  Until this year again.  My friend, Maureen asked me if I'd like to go.  AND WE BOTH AGREED that everything I just wrote is correct. We're a good match for this one.  We had a great time!

Although most artists do not allow you to take pics of their booths, this street performer showed us his Transformer bit and didn't mind at all.

Last night I went to my friend Lisa's photography exhibition opening.  She does a wonderful job with families and pets, but her up-close-and-personal florals are beautiful.  The restaurant that hosted the display is very good about promoting local artists, and has a revolving exhibition every three to four weeks.  In fact, this is what is in the parking lot outside the main door:

Great promoting!

Well the vintage car (I keep calling it that because I don't know if its Model A or a Model T or something else altogether) is matted and framed, but the pics I took of it doesn't do it justice.  I'll try to get some better ones this weekend.

I have signed up for a postcard swap with my Art Journalling friends, Michelle Reynolds and Terri LaRue and the DLP crew... Thats for September, I think.  I am going to start now, because I struggle with the collage type things, and this group are so darn good at it, that I am surprised they ask me to participate at all.... but they keep sending me beautiful things to use for it, so I am going to try to throw some cards together and make them proud. Wish me luck. 

Well I will leave you with the sign I found and had to hang on my art room door.  Stay tuned!

Sunday July, 2014

This week went quick!

I went to get the matte picked out for the Vintage car.  Seems the one I liked is one of the only ones they DON'T carry.  Figures! So, we had to order it, and it will be here in two weeks. Found the frame, too. It will be pretty when its done.  Hope it brings good $$ for the Alzheimers Walk. 

I found a perfect frame on a clearance rack for the Bonsai that I finished for the exhibition in Sept!!

And once we got home from a family reunion yesterday we both crashed.  I took my sketchpad out on the deck and did this before the sun went down, from a pic on the web that was making the rounds on Facebook.  I did try to see who I should ask about it, but if anyone knows, please let me know.  It was just tooo cute!

I did request, and was granted permission, to use a photo of some barn swallows in this lady's barn.  I had to buy a special canvas today to accomodate it.  That's probably next.  Stay tuned!

Monday July 7, 2014

The fundraiser piece, pretty much done.  I may have to work on the wheel shadows a bit, if I think I can make them better.  I used sepia pens and filled in with black walnut ink.  (Now I know why I had to buy that walnut ink!) 

I will have it matted in a chocolate brown with a red inside matte and find the right frame for it.  I hope it does well.

Stay tuned.

Saturday, July 5th, 2014

My life centers around paint.  Which is fine.  This weekend is about paint, but not the fun kind.  We have to re-stain the decks and porches.  The big one on the front of the house was done today.  Whew.  Helps to have The Hubs doing the outside while I did the inside...

I have almost finished my Bonsai painting, and started the one for the Alzheimers fundraiser.  Stay tuned for something more exciting than porch spindles.