Sunday March 29, 2015 Palm Sunday

Good Sunday morning to you!

Many things come to mind this morning...

One:  Fifty years ago on Palm Sunday (which actually happened on April 11, 2015 that year) three tornadoes came close to here and devastated some surrounding communities.  I was young, but remember a scary night and lots of talk of the devastation for days.  It wasn't until a few years ago, when I picked up a book written by a (now) friend, about the timeline of that night, that I can understand how really devastating it was.  Fifty years later, my heart is going out to those families affected.  I am also aware of the people who have made things so much better now, with early warnings and alarm systems, that make life better for us now.  Bless them.

Two: Easter is next week.  It was a special day in The Hubs' family, with a big Easter dinner after church.  We will bring out Grandma's special plates and invite family over for a feast.  Yum!

Three:  I am touched by a fellow artist who did a very beautiful thing for me yesterday.  I am sure she earned another feather in her wings.  Thank you Mary.  I can't actually tell you here what she did but I am very thankful for her generosity today.

Four:  Monthly challenge accepted and conquered.  My comfort level with painting cars and horses was tested this week by a request by a friend to put a car on a freshly and beautifully made roller skating box for his grandson.  This man is an artist with his woodworking and he asked me, (gulp) to paint on his art to complete the birthday gift to his grandson.  So, one wrong move and the gift is ruined.  He picked it up today and was thrilled with it. So, I was out of the comfort zone this week, and I am quickly getting back in it now, thankyouverymuch.   Here is the finished product;

He says he has two more grandkids he is making these boxes for, and asked me to paint on those too.  As long as they aren't cars or horses, I am good with it.  I know my limits.

Five:  The summer schedule is starting to fill in and I am getting excited about some of the upcoming things I am hearing about.  Now if the weather would just shape up!

Six: Habitat for Humanity is asking for artists to paint doors out of their Restore shop to auction off for a fundraiser.  I have my request in for the voucher to get my door.  Stay tuned!

March 22, 2015

Happy Spring!

I am reminded, recently, just how 'fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants' I am, and how others may or may not be.  I heard once that people are either planners, or they aren't.  I never have been.  I like going on vacation and seeing where we end up.  I don't want to have to BE somewhere at a certain time, and not be able to stop and take a picture or check out a new place we have found.  Explore! After all, vacation is supposed to be deviating from the schedule, right?

Yes, sometimes that does come back to bite you.  Not often, and weighed against the fun you had getting there, not always a big bite, but have we wanted to stop for the night, and not found a place?  Yes.  Twice.
Twice out of the many miles we have put under our wheels.

Have we tried planning ahead and had a snafu when we have gotten to the hotel and had to take whatever they had.  Yes. Probably twice.  And we probably drove like mad to get there!!

My point is, we can lay out the best plans and they can be thwarted at the last minute.  Or you can go with the flow, and come out with the same result, with a lot less stress.  My friend said its stressful for her NOT to have a plan.  I understand. 

I have also heard that there are people who are good at the overall scope of things and there are detail people.  I tend to be the Overall type, I guess, because I let others usually handle the details.  And thank goodness there ARE people that do DETAILS.  I tend to skip over those sometimes because I am looking at other facets of the scope.

And yet, the oxymoron is, that my art to this point tends to be more realistic. More detail-ish, though I enjoy seeing someone elses good impressionistic painting, and especially if it has a story.  My art lacks the looseness and the story, so I am heading off in that direction for awhile to see what that brings.  No goal in mind, but will stop along the way and enjoy the journey.   Journey with a Story.   Guess thats why there is need for a blog!

Stay tuned!

March 17. 2015

 

 HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Andy McGee, a very talented guitar player, (check him out on You Tube) made a great point today:

"You could have someone tweet you that they drove 42 miles in the rain for a show and it was the best concert they've been to in years while at the same time having someone post on your wall that you have no melodies and your music is completely unlistenable. And both went to the same show!
If you're in the arts, you've got to let what's inside out. It won't resonate with everyone and if you achieve some measure of success, you will become a target for others resentment and frustration.
But on the other hand, your work will mean something to some people. Maybe many, maybe few. And if you can affect even one person in a positive way with your creations, then you have succeeded as an artist."

I haven't done much 'art' but have been in a crafty mood lately.  I am making coasters and painting the rocking horse yet.  Have to.  Until I get it done, there is no way I can do much else in there. 

We went over to check out the new craft store.  Its nice, and I picked up a new sketch book, a 5x7 art journal that I swear I am going to try to use more often.  In fact, I have done one, and left room for the other art journal prompts I have already missed.

 I put together a Pie Day for Pi Day (3.1415.....) at work and raised a bunch for Underwearness for the homeless children in our county.  It went great!

Today I was asked to add some creativity to an event we have had in this community and seems to have needed a shot in the arm.  I have until Thursday to decide. 

The weather has started to get warmer, and there is plenty to do outside.  I think I need the hiatus. 

Hope you had a great St. Pattys Day!  Stay tuned.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Oh, my, its been awhile!  I won't bore you with where I have been but will take a quick run-through just in case you care:

We went to an Artist Garage sale where hundreds of artists who do all the shows sell their leftovers to make room for new stuff for the upcoming season.  Bought a few little things.

Had a terrible cold for the last 5 days and hoping I am now coming out of it.

The weather has warmed up 50 degrees!  It's a whole whopping 30 degrees C today!!!  Spring is definitely looking our way!

At work, there was a huge layoff last Thursday.  It was unannounced and it was a very nerve wracking day.  The rest of us who were not let go, (which, thank you God! I am left this time)(as opposed to the last job I had where I was let go, in very much the same way) are busy trying to take up the slack and fill in and squeeze more work into our schedules. Hard times means hard measures. Just thankful that I am gainfully employed!

Painted this:

It was really a different challenge for me and shortly after I posted it to show my friends, one of them wanted to buy it for a friend of hers that just had brain surgery.  I couldn't think of a better place for it.   I was trying new collage-y backgrounds and for some reason, while I was painting something else, I looked over at it and swirled the angel on it. My friend who is buying it said she thinks its just perfect as the colors used in it were her friends favorites!  I consider that destiny.

I have had some ideas, creatively, but the art room is a mess and will need to be cleaned and organized before I can go do anything. That's just enough of a deterrent.  But I suppose I shall.  Work before play, and all that!

Stay tuned!

Sunday February 22, 2015

Last fall, a local policeman died in an accident.  Last night, a Police vs Firemen Basketball game was played to raise funds for a scholarship fund in the Policeman's name.  There is a brotherhood amongst the Firemen and Police.  They do for their own.  We have both in our family and the communities supported the event WELL.

In addition to the game last night, there was a silent auction, 50/50 raffles, and a local car dealer put up a two year free lease on a car.

I think I told you about the large painting that my hubby wanted me to do recently. (Jan.18th blog). I know Hubs liked it because he posted on his page and showed his friend whose backyard it was. When the subject came up about what to donate to the silent auction, he asked if I would mind if that's what he did with it.  I said lets frame it first, and run it past the backyard owner, and we did.

The person who won the bid got a deal, I know it got a good home, and it went to a great cause.  Makes my day. Win, win, win!

Remember a while back, I stopped at a garage sale and bought a small wooden rocking horse and a metal sun?  I re-painted the metal sun ages ago and sent it to my friend Terri.  The wooden horse, that I originally stopped for in the first place has never gotten past the initial strip down, prime and paint.  SO, instead of one more thing in my art room taking up space, I am painting that now.  Going with kind of a carousel - type idea.  It'll be fancy!

My agenda is getting the horse done and organizing the art room, (every time I go in there to do it, I start doing something fun instead of putting things back that need to be organized!  'SQUIRREL!').  I don't believe I am in any swaps at this time, or have any kind of artsy deadline, or have signed up for anything!  Free free free!


Stay tuned!

Saturday, Valentines Day, 2015

Its a very cold, make that DANGEROUSLY cold, snowy, blowy Saturday.  (Wind Chills to -30F) My poor hubby is delivering flowers for the flower shop today.  I just sent him out the door with hot coffee and a kiss to keep him warm.

I haven't got any new art this week.  I was working all week on a bake sale at work.  The only creative thing about that is, is that I wrapped my small sized loaves of banana, poppy seed, and applesauce spice breads in these that I found on Pinterest.

They were fun, quick and easy to do.   Credit given to Shakentogethers blogspot.  I punched holes and threaded ribbon through, all around, to keep it together though.  But I love the tags on hers!  I just made address labels on the computer for mine.  I didn't take the time to make a pattern or cut.  I just envisioned the bottom of the small pan on the flat of the plate, folded all sides up, pinched the corners in and hole punched through the side and the pinched corner, and even if I was a little off, there was enough give to allow the pan  to drop down in the wrap.  Easy peasy and seat-of-my-pants quick.

In the DLP 52 Art Journal group I am in, I got into the Just One Word swap.  If you follow this blog you know what the Just One Word is all about.  Methinks I lucked out, as my swap partners word is FAITH.  A dozen things run through my mind and today is the perfect day to get-er-dun!  I also have gotten into a Pay It Forward for 5 people on FB and need to get those finished and out.

And secretly, I did another 'Pay-It-Forward' by hanging this at work..

 I found it online, printed it off, cut on the lines and hung it up in the breakroom before everyone came to work.  By lunch there were several missing already!  Who doesn't need compliments!

Everyone needs to learn something new everyday.   Yesterday, I learned what all the talk was about dark chocolate dipped strawberries and red wine.  Oh my, how yummy! So THATS why you see it in the movies!!  Decadence is not usually in my ho-hum vocabulary.  I think I liked it, as the song goes.

So, that is what I have been up to this week.  I wish you all a very Happy Valentines Day! Hug those you love, because there are no guarantees in life.  Call 'em if you haven't talked lately.  Make a date to get together with those you miss.  JUST. DO. IT.

Stay warm and stay tuned!

Saturday February 7th, 2015

My son's birthday gift.  I'm not happy with the way the Jeep turned out, and I could tell he was looking at it funny, but a painting is a depiction, not a photograph.  It paints over if he doesn't like it, I guess.

This weekend is a busy one, and I have things to do, so I will leave it here for now, and post again later.

Stay tuned!