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!

Sunday November 6, 2016

This week I am in the middle of many projects, so I will show pieces:

 This table is in the HUBBY stages... I have designed it around the piano keyboard and we found legs at a resale shop and some beautiful walnut wood from the ReStore that will be used.  This is just the bones.  We have to work on it and get it done soon, the snow will soon fly!


I am getting into the community arts and crafts day again this year and one of my goals is to use all the cupboard doors I have accumulated:

 .

 I am trying not to do all of them holiday style, though:

Stay tuned!

Wednesday November 2, 2016

Have I ever said how much I love the ReStore?  This is a Habitat for Humanity store, where you can take extra building supplies, to donate, or buy someone elses.  They have all kinds of fun things for DIYers and people who have a little imagination...  And money spent there, helps fund homes for people who need a roof over their heads.  WIN-WIN!

I picked up a sturdy, but 'looks like it had seen better days' stool the other day when I went in there...

Wasn't looking for a stool, but it looked promising and needed some TLC.  Didn't know what I was going to do with it, but, once home, found an old tote bag that had a hole in it, so I cut the emblem out of it, and recycled it !  I wondered what I kept that old torn tote for!  Now I know!

  

TA-DA!!

And just a little of God's artwork... cameras just don't do it justice.

You have just experience it yourself.  Drink it in! 

Fall colors are fleetng, you might want to gulp! 

 

Stay tuned!

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Happy Halloween Eve!

This week I tried to do some inktobers to finish out the month.  There is no way I did 31 this month, but I might have done 10! 

 A covered bridge just visited, and I wanted to do...

This Lion is a special gift...

This dog is a pound puppy that is looking for adoption, these two dogs are white ink on black paper, with a little colored pencil to highlight.

This dog is a rescue, and has just been diagnosed and doesn't have a good future.


This weekend, I have found a 160 year old barn that I'd like to pen and ink and I have a bunch more that are on my to-do's.  We'll see!

Stay tuned!

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Its been a couple weeks and I have to say, I had to give up the Inktober challenge to a certain extent.  I just couldn't work an 8 hr day, come home to cook dinner and do an Inktober drawing every night.  I wasn't getting anything else done!   I have done a couple of inktobers however.  And I promised a pic of Mr. Pirate Scarecrow.
 I just painted the face.. the rest of the team dressed him.

My Other Inktober pieces....

and, some other colored pencil play while I wind down at night.

I am building something in the garage, hopefully will finish before the snow flies.  I have several potential projects, out there that I would like to do before winter, and The Hubs would love to free up some space!


Well, thats what I have been up to.  Just a glimpse inside my head... scary enough to be Halloween!
Stay tuned!

Wednesday October 5th 2016

Well, Day four of Inktober.   Did you know 10-4 is National Taco Day?  I love tacos!  So I threw a Fiesta with my colored inks!  Just for fun.

Because I was working on this guy, who will become a scarecrow in a contest at work.  I just had to paint the face.  No famous pirates should be insulted nor called out on this one.... lol.  Hopefully, I'll get a shot of him when he's dressed.


Anyway heading to a new Art Walk and Gallery exhibition this weekend.  Stay tuned!

Monday October 3 2016

Hello! 

For the last couple years, I have participated in "Blogtoberfest" on this very blog.As I was considering doing that again, I saw someone posted about Inktoberfest.  Where you ink something every day in October. 

Well. Theres a new challenge!

And there is so much I have stockpiled that I have been wanting to do...

Here is Day One thru Day Three.  I will try to keep up with the blogging as well.

One:
From my head...

Day Two:  Our grand dog Rosco

Day three:  A friends dog (Cedric) who was on sentry duty all night the night before...




















Stay tuned!

Thursday Sept. 29, 2016

An old friend asked me if I could paint something for her again.  Last year, I think I blogged here that I painted an old oar that her hubby had with a fish as a gift for him for Christmas.  I did, and he loved it.  Here is what it looked like:

 

This year, she asked me if I could paint a window that came out of his childhood home, that would look like a bird on a branch outside of the window.  A cardinal, please.  Sure.  I don't think its a gift, but a request.  Something sentimental for the gentleman, please.

When I got it from her, there was  a crack across the top pane and she said not to worry about that. Doesn't need to be painted.  OK.  So I did.  Here is how it turned out...
Close up

 whole view>>

I have heard some say that when a cardinal is near so are your loved ones from heaven. 

I hope this hangs in their home for many years to come.













Stay tuned!

Sunday September 25, 2016

 This was such a nice weekend!  I took Friday off and we went to Art Prize in Grand Rapids MI.  Artists from all over display works of art that are 2D, 3D, Video, etc.   Although there is no way you could do the whole thing, it was evident that there weren't as many entries as past years, and there were less "WOW's".  The public votes on the displays and the winner in each category wins big money. In fact there might be a 2nd and 3rd in each category also.    My very favorite painting was not even in the competition, but was displayed in a foyer:

 This Lion was my favorite.

 This art of the Chicago Bean is all from duct tape!

 She is fired ceramic.  Well done!

 Paper collage.

 Bed springs.

 And a tree made from wires with lights that change color!

I found other things very impressive too, but wanted to show the diversity of the art.






Well as promised my last blog, here is what I came up with for the kids chairs from the ReStore.

I LOVE the ReStore!  Its official name is the Habitat for Humanity's ReStore.   Everything in there is donated and when you buy from the donated items there, the money goes toward Habitat for Humanity and the fixing up of homes for low income folks. Win! Win!   Stay tuned!

Sunday September 19, 2016

This week:



 I fell in love with this painting by Frank Giovingo so I bought a print from him. 

 I found ten of these kid sized old metal folding chairs at the ReStore.  Can you figure out what I am going to do with them with the one I have base coated?  Next post!
Here is a keyboard of an old piano that a friends Dad found in a house he is refurbishing.  He was just going to throw it away, but you know me... 

Kinda pretty once you clean it all up.  Took me better part of a day just to clean every key and the pin board it went on.
Stay tuned on this too.

A cupboard door here,

A cupboard door there....

I was supposed to be in a small, close-to-the-art-festival-but-not-quite yesterday.  It poured.  I cancelled in the morning when I heard that we were possibly getting thundershowers.  I feel bad, but on the other hand, I don't have a whole lot that can get wet, and I wasn't the only one that cancelled.

Remember last year when we had the Bonsai display?  It was today.  I started a piece, and the due date snuck up on me and I didn't get it finished.  I just didn't get it done in time.  But I went to the Artist Reception today anyway.

So, stay tuned.  New things coming!