Blogtober 31, 2014

Congrats to my fellow Blogtober-ers!  We made it through yet another Blogtoberfest Challenge!  I know I kind of got a late start but I tried to catch up and stick with it.

Its 930 pm on Halloween, and the day has been a full one.  At work we scaled back a little, but still had a great time having our Pajama party!

The Village's first annual Halloween Parade went off with about 15 floats that survived the wind, rain, snow and sleet.  It was not fit for man nor beast out there tonight, and the winning float went away with $1000.oo in their pockets!

Tomorrow, I am going to a small church fall craft show to see my friend Maureen who is showing her pottery.  She does beautiful work!

So this concludes another year of this thirty day challenge.  Thank you again if you have been reading.  Returning to my un-regularly scheduled posts.

Stay  tuned!

Blogtober 30 2014

Well, just about 32 years ago as I write this, I was preparing to walk down the aisle.   Fast forward, thirty two years and he is teaching a class tonight, and I am holding down the fort doing the laundry, the clean up after dinner, and preparing for a costume day at work tomorrow! 

Our department is Halloweening as a Pajama party!  How much fun could THAT be?  Going to work in my JAMMIES???  I haven't done that since the Unemployment Days.  In fact, back then, I might have been in those jammies for DAYS!  Ok, lets not go there...

Anyway, I will have to take pics tomorrow.  Then its home to hundreds, and I MEAN hundreds of trick or treaters, then the first ever Halloween Parade in our small community.   Followed by a Family Costume judging and a Zombie contest.  And our first born will be home for the weekend.

Presently, a Charlie Brown program is on about the election.  I am not really paying much attention, but when the little Woodstock birdie speaks, our dog barks.  Its kind of funny, really. 

I sold the painting that I finished last night to my cousin, but it is actually from a picture of her vacation anyway. I only charged her materials.  I didn't feel right asking for any more, as it was her pic to begin with.  She didn't ask if I could do it, but I asked her if she minded if I put it on my to-do list. She had no idea a week later that it would be done.  But she loved it.  She's one of my biggest fans.

Well, until tomorrow.  LATE tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

Blogtober 29 2014

"Everything I ever needed to learn, I learned in Kindergarden!"  So here is my Show-N-Tell...

 Here are the 2x4 blocks that I did for Halloween....

 This is Peggy's Landing.  From a picture from my cousin and her hubby who just visited Nova Scotia.  I'm not sure I did it justice.

I received these in the Mail from a lady named Lorraine Cline from a swap for Art Journalling from DLP 52.  Thank you Lorraine, they are beautiful.  I need to keep up on this journalling thing.
I am lucky to do this Blog for Blogtober!   And there are just two more of those. 
Stay tuned!

Blogtober 28 2014

 TRICK OR TREAT!!

 AND THIS^^ SQUIRREL REMINDED ME OF THIS vv SQUIRREL

Enjoy your day!
Stay tuned!

Blogtober 27, 2014

Today I was introduced to KINDNESS ELVES.  These are like the Elf on a Shelf but they teach kindness instead of 'entitlement' lessons or creep some kids out who don't want Elfie to watch them while they sleep. 

The idea was mentioned by Anna at the Imagination Tree:  http://theimaginationtree.com/2013/11/alternative-elf-on-shelf-tradition-kindness-elf.html

 
 Quoting Anna's blog:
  
"We haven’t yet started obviously, but this is the general outline of what we will be doing with them:

• They will arrive in our home and have been sent to share some love and magic at Christmas time
• They will only be sharing kind ideas and noticing things that are lovely. There will be no focus on negativity, but they will still be lots of fun and silliness too!
• They will be moved somewhere different each morning, sometimes in funny situations and positions, often next to an item that we need for that day’s kindness activity e.g. inside a mixing bowl ready to bake some cookies as a gift
• They will be holding little suggestions for acts of kindness, love or helpfulness that we can do together that day for e.g. “Let’s collect some of your toys and give them away to the children’s hospital”, “let’s make some cookies for the neighbors”, “shall we visit an elderly friend/ relative?” etc
• When they see the children doing kind and lovely things, they will leave a little note for them to find in the morning e.g. “Oh I loved it when I saw you sharing your new book with your little sister” or “you were very kind to help your Mummy load the dishwasher!” etc
• Some mornings they may wake up to find the elves have lined up their shoes, tidied their coats, got the breakfast things ready or fixed a broken toy etc. Modelling direct ways to be kind and helpful as a prompt for the children in the day."

 Don't get me wrong, both kinds of elves help keep the wonderment in the kids eyes during the season.  Have you seen where some parents have had more fun with the Shelf Sitters than the kids actually did!? 

But, I love the lesson that Christmas is giving, and I think these are just adorable!

Do ya think it might be too late for my 25 and 27 year old to play this game?  Probably.  Dangit.

Stay tuned!

Blogtober 26 2014

A few more fun signs...

Blogtober 25, 2014

Next week, I will be married to The Hubs for 32 years.  Quite a feat for these-a-days.  Our anniversary has other things on the calendar, and the weekend after is filled with Trick or Treaters and a wedding of a friend. So we will probably find time to dress up a little and pick a restaurant that won't ask if we want fries with that.

I don't know that we have been doing it subconsciously, but we have been bringing up memories a lot  lately.

You know your marriage is strong when you can go through MAJOR home improvement. We have ripped down walls, and built on, and spent Christmases (notice- more than one) with nothing but plywood floors and dry wall on the walls.  Our 100+ year old house was in need of a LOT of TLC when we bought it when we were first married, and we have lived in it ever since.  We have never had the money to hire work done, although we did have someone build the stick portion of the new addition -we finished it off.  Because you do the work yourself, we learned that doing the 40 hours a week thing to be able to pay for the new addition, you have to do the work at night and on the weekends, and therefore, is probably not done as fast as you would like, but there is a sense of pride for a home you built yourself. Our photo albums are full of before and afters, and our kids at different ages with hammers in their hands.

I worked for Hubs for 4 years at his job. Not many marriages could deal with that. That's 24/7.  Lots of give and take and boundaries and compromise.  Not only are you dealing with opinions at home, but he is your boss too.  You want to come home and gripe about the day at work, (or the boss or the employee) and you can't.  Then the big boss decided to let me go, and Hubs had to give me the news.  That was fun. (NOT!)

Once we had the house pretty much done, it was almost time for the kids to go to college.  Big house for the two of us!  This is when the test STARTS... can you rattle around in a house with just the two of you? Man, you'd better LIKE that other person, because now there is no buffer.

We have grown and adapted.  He "gets" me now.  Something he had to learn, and I am not sure that lesson isn't much more than just learning toleration.  I think spouses of artists need a few  more kudos.  I know my mind goes a thousand directions at once, and I will take tangents in my conversation and head off in another direction, and completely lose the point in the whole thing.  He will ask, and I will say, TRY TO KEEP UP, WILL YA?

Two great kids, community, family and countless jobs, ups, downs, laughs and tears, birth, death, sickness, health, rich and poor, we have weathered it ok.  Those lines in the wedding vows are true tests, and are taken for granted at the start of a couples journey.  Now I say, Whew!

At this point, I don't think I have the oomph in me to start training another one.  And this one makes me laugh, usually when I don't want to.  Or shouldn't.  Good feature to have in a life partner. Guess I'll keep him.

So when we get to raise our glasses at that special meal we are using to celebrate with, I will hope the rest of the journey is an easy one, and there are many more.

Happy Anniversary!  Stay tuned!

Blogtober 24, 2014

You know how I said last week that I love a fun sign?  I found my collection of signs in a folder that I put away... here are a few:

 

Hope they made you smile today.  Stay tuned!

Blogtober 23, 2014

My sympathies to Canada today.  It seems no where is safe.  No one is immune. Blessings for peace and understanding for all of us.

Tomorrow will be a better day than yesterday.
Stay tuned.

Blogtober 22 2014

<< Decorating the front steps.

Can you name all the colors?>>

<<Behind every dark cloud there is ALWAYS sunshine.

 He tells us that the winter will start out a little harsh, and be very cold, although not as long as last, according to some Old Wives.  >>

 << True!

And one last Ha-Ha for the Ta-Ta's - Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

Blogtober 21, 2014

I've been BOO'd!  

This morning I got to work and there was a little bag of candy with a poem on my desk from an anonymous person that read:

"The Treat is for you, I hope you enjoy
The idea is simple, one I hope you employ
You pass "BOO" along to two other cubicle neighbors
Along with any kind of Halloween favors
If we all do our part and spread the good cheer,
By Halloween night it will all be clear,
We're a friendly bunch, we like to share fun
So please do your part to keep BOO on the run!"

So tonight I am putting together boo bags to leave tomorrow.  Shhh... don't tell anyone at work! I don't know who left it, so they may get one back!

I had a sticky note on my calendar to start this on my own, but someone beat me to it.

 Kind of like a May Basket.  Without the chasing.

We'll those bags aren't going to put themselves together.  Stay tuned!

Blogtober 20, 2014

 This was my weekend project for work. The Elves deliver Secret Santa gifts for a small donation to charity from now until Christmas. Not bad, considering I didn't have a pattern and just started cutting on the posterboard.

 

The venue this weekend.

Personal note: Rest In Peace Officer Greg Hunt.

Stay tuned!

Blogtober 19, 2014

Well last evening was a success!  There were a lot of people and art! 
I am humbled that they let me in.   My little piece of art got lost in all the awesomeness that was there.  I am not sure if my confidence is better or worse for the experience.  I guess time will tell. I really haven't had any art classes, I have learned by the seat of my pants, and when I put it up against others, it shows.  I have to remind myself that I do art for me.  Not others.  As long as I am happy with it, that is all that matters.

I read an article once upon a time, about how a creative brain is always going a gazillion miles per hour.  Its the reason some kids daydream in class and can't stay focused.  Some kids who have been given medication to help them focus, end up dulling their creativity too.  I would be fibbing if I told you I was a good student back in school.   

I have recently discovered this artist named Rodney White who does really awesome stuff like this:

Love his work and bought the calendar!  Not only do I like his painting, this particular one speaks to me.  The best pieces I have done have been from the heart, not the mind.  Which is why I have a problem letting them go.  But I can.  And I will.  It gets closer every day.
Stay tuned.

Blogtober 18, 2014

Tonights the night of the Human Form exhibition!  I can't wait!  Will hopefully be able to take pics and post them tomorrow. 

As long as I am showing it tonight, I probably can show you now what my piece in the exhibition is:

These exhibitions get me out of my norm and make me try things I probably wouldn't normally try.  The bonsai display from last month,and this one, have challenged me to step up and do something new.  Although I usually hate "assignments" there's a difference in 'challenge'.  And of course, its not a 'gotta', its a 'want-to'. 

A local winery is donating wine for the evening,  a local cheese store is also donating.

The venue is a historical building basement, with its half brick, half slapped-on plaster walls,with uneven floors.  A cool place for an 'underground' display which, yes, will have some nudity.

One of the displays was in ArtPrize.  I saw it there and now ArtPrize is over and it will be there tonight.

I hope we have a crowd!  It would be great to see you! 
Stay tuned!

Blogtober 17, 2014

The artwork is dropped off for the exhibition tomorrow night.   The theme is The Human Condition and the Human Form, and is not for the prissy.  But the art I saw tonight when I was there, was very tastefully done.  It should be a good exhibition.  One night only.

I have become very interested in fire houses.  Maybe because I have been married to a fireman/EMT for the last 32 years.  He will be on the local department for 38 years this year.  During our trip to ArtPrize we were noticing all the old neighborhood fire houses that have now been re-purposed into other things.  I love old buildings that have been refurbished, but if you've been reading this blog a while, I guess you know that. 

During ArtPrize they allowed people to go into an old grand hotel that has been abandoned for decades, and misused but is now under new ownership and will be made into something wonderful again.  Here are just a couple of shots from within...

ANYWAY... I digress...

Firehouses.  That's what I was starting to say.  SO, when I find them, I am going to pen and ink them. I have one done from near ArtPrize...

And I did this one of the old fire house in my hometown, a few years back:

Love the character in those old buildings.  What stories they could tell!!

The day is waning and I've had a long day.  Going to call this blog done and hit the hay.  Good night, and as always, stay tuned!

Blogtober16, 2014

Well, Blogtober is over halfway through already!  Where does the time fly? 

I spent an hour today taking pics of my artwork in a professional studio with a much nicer camera than any I own and got some pics that I will be able to reproduce and sell some work.  I have been a sissy about selling my work and this is me getting braver.  I didn't get all my work in there, but hopefully I will be able to spend another hour sometime soon.

Here is a barn I loved so much I had to do it not only in colored pencil:

 But in acrylic paint too, with a little variance.

I have a couple orders already for some prints... I really need to get an order in for some reprints so I can get them matted and cello'd. Or framed.

One more ArtPrize entry...

A dragonhead trophy and the sword that brought him down.  And it was in a brewery where it was a perfect place for it!

Well the sandman says been a long day.  Have a wonderful day tomorrow, and stay tuned!

Blogtober 15, 2014

Ok I have a little bit of time, so I am going to throw you a couple more Art Prize pieces that I thought were awesome..

 This mural on linen is in a hair salon.  It is about 25 feet long and are life-sized paintings of animals that are on the endangered species list and at risk of becoming extinct.  The animals are all as if falling, one assumes, to their demise.   This piece was so big, I couldn't get a good pic anywhere.  We were able to talk to the artist, as she was still working on it, and she just wanted to bring the extinction of these beautiful animals to the forefront of everyone's mind.  She was telling us that there is a desert mouse whose numbers have dwindled to only four to carry on the species.  Her art made you think.  And it was beautifully well done.

 This clown was just a piece of a much bigger display, but as you can see, was the best part of the display. 

Tomorrow night I am renting studio space to copy a lot of my paintings.  The night after, setting up the exhibition.  And Saturday night is the exhibition.
Lots of fun coming up!  Stay tuned!

Blogtober 14, 2014

Aren't these ladies adorable?  They were at ArtPrize.  I just thought they were the cats pajamas!

 

And isn't this fun?  A mural on a building of a racetrack with an ice cream truck.  

Made me smile, hope it did you too!  I am going to be posting some more photos from Art Prize, so you'll want to stay tuned!