KATE'S CORNER

Norman Rockwell Exhibit

2012-01-28T10:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning a friend and I went to the Dayton Art Institute to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit. They wouldn't allow any photos, even without flash, so I don't have much to show you, but I can tell you this; if it comes to your town, make plans to see it.

I was admiring the amazing texture on one of the paintings and without thinking I reached out and touched it, showing V what I was talking about. I thought these were all under glass, but no! Well, the art police swooped in and I thought they were going to throw me out. He kept repeating excitedly and very sternly, "Do not touch the art! Do not touch the art! The oil from you hands can damage the art! Do NOT touch the art!" Of course I knew this and I was instantly mortified by my action. I apologized profusely but after that I felt I was being closely watched from room to room.

The art itself was totally amazing. In his paintings of home life there was texture on the plaster walls of homes and in the carpets. Interior doors showed planes and gave the illusion of carved and real wood. His portraits of John Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon showed much detail in their faces. Tiny ridges and wrinkles lined their faces and the corners of their eyes and you could see the small hairs on the backs of their necks near their collars. This man noticed every intricate detail of life and missed nothing in his paintings.

In his 28 years with the Saturday Evening Post he painted 323 covers. He spoke of the difficulty of creating art on demand and trying to meet deadlines. His ability to see bits and scraps of everyday life and to paint a picture that tells a story was pure genious.

His career began early in his teens and twenties painting for Boy's Life, the magazine for Boy Scouts of America, then he found work with the Staturday Evening Post. In 1963 he began working for Look magazine and this is where he began his paintings depicting the Civil Rights Movement.

At the end of the exhibit was a gift shop of tokens and books of the life and career of this amazing man. I could have stayed all day completely immersed and absorbed in studying his work.

Animal Wednesday

2012-01-25T08:37:00.004-05:00

World's largest cat spotted in Ohio

Weighing in at 23 pounds, the world's largest cat was recently spotted in a small town near Dayton, Ohio. This Maine Coon Cat , who goes by the name Rascal, apparently spends most of his time eating, sleeping and bird/squirrel watching at his perch by the back door, and has broken records for the fattest domestic cat known to man. "There's just not much to do around here in winter," says his owner, Kate. "His playmate, Stella, is even less active, although she has been able to keep her weight under control a little better. I think she does not snack between meals and watches her portions better. I try to get this one to run with me on the treadmill but so far that hasn't worked out too well." Who knows how much farther this can go? Maybe Jenny Craig has a program for overweight pets.

"Hello, Jenny?"

Wait A Minute!

2012-01-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

Our weather has been all over the map this year! The first week we had rain, rain, rain, then we had snow and wind and Arctic temperatures. Then we had ice on top of the snow last week. Yesterday it warmed up enough to start the ice melting and we had fog so thick you could barely see the car in front of you, - some people didn't, I saw on the news, and today it's sunny. It's already up to 54 degrees today and it feels like March outside! I'm not complaining. I hate being housebound. My yard is sopping wet so we must have had hard rains again last night. I remember hearing possible threats of tornadoes on the weather forecast so we should be on alert this week.

Like the saying goes, "If you don't like the weather in Ohio, wait a minute."

2012-01-21T09:19:00.002-05:00

I'm not normally a person who likes the "country" look when decorating, but while out shopping yesterday I fell for this cute metal watering can and these artificial sunflowers. Still inspired by the porch in the previous post, I thought these might look good this spring on a table there.

I always have the most difficult time with backgrounds in my still lifes. They never come out the way I wish they would. I love the excitement elicited in the backgrounds of Lin's paintings and I need to keep working on mine more. Lin, I hope you don't mind if I study under you.

Also, I see now that I should have made the sunflowers a little taller and bigger and painted more of them. I tried to go back in and add a few more but I don't think it looks so good. Lesson learned about creating a good painting instead of painting what you see. These sunflowers were quickly stuck into the pitcher and not arranged well. Think ahead!

Cold here today. We were supposed to get a lot of ice and freezing rain, up to maybe 1/4" to 1/2". Luckily, here at my house we only got a dusting of snow that froze over, nothing sticking to the trees, thank you.

Enjoy your weekend, wherever you are!

Garden Dreaming

2012-01-16T09:27:00.000-05:00

Garden Dreaming

While the snow flies and the wind blows I stay indoors dreamily planning a new summer garden. I love thumbing through old issues of Country Garden and Garden Gate magazines and the seed catalogs that are beginning to arrive. This house came with lots of greenery; shrubs, hostas, boxwoods, trees, etc. but not many blooming flowers. This winter I'm thinking about things I want to move around and new things I want to add, making new gardens where none were before.

I came across this photo of an old farm house and it remimded me of mine. I can so see my front porch dressed up with some cheery colors and lots of blooming flowers. I already have boxwoods growing along the front. I think I'll tuck in some yellow daylilies and a few bright red geraniums. Maybe even some blue myosotis here and there. I already know that at the far end of the porch, along the privacy fence, I want to plant a jasmine vine. I lived in a house once where jasmine grew wild in the wooded area to the back. The fragrance carried on the breezes was so sweet and wonderful that I simply have to have one here. How fun it is to have a blank slate on which to plan whatever my heart desires, and to have these winter months to dream it.

Something New

2012-01-12T14:40:00.000-05:00

It's a gray, overcast day today with snow predicted for tonight and I was feeling bore this afternoon. I have hardly any experince working with colored pencils so thought I'd give them a try. I'm not sure how I liked them. I used a photograph from an old calendar for my subject and loosely worked from that.

Watercolor seems so much easier and more effortless. In any case, here is my finished picture. Thinking about spring. Thinking about flowers. Thinking about sunlight.

Storm Damage

2012-01-09T09:44:00.004-05:00

In case you are not able to enlarge and read the text above, I lost a limb from my biggest, oldest tree on New Year's Eve. We had had strong winds the evening before and this is what I saw upon awakening. Because it was a holiday weekend I decided to put off trying to have it taken care of until later in the week.

Out of the blue that afternoon some fellows showed up and offered to cut that limb and another that was hanging over the drive into firewood size for a very reasonable price! My neighbor heats her house with wood in winter so I gave her all this.

A few days later the temperature reached the lower sisties and I decided it was a perfect day for cleaning up the debris. The aftermath left me with lots of twigs and bark chips which I raked into a pile, set up my camp chair with my lunch and my bucket of water, and enjoyed a mini bonfire!

Thanks to all of you who tried to help me with my Blogger problem. I still haven't worked out the kinks but I can still post and maintain my blog. Eventually I will figure out how to fix the problem but for now I'm not worrying with it.

Help Wanted

2012-01-07T12:35:00.000-05:00

Does anyone know how to delete albums in Picassa? It seems I have used up my "available storage space" in Picassa and I don't want to purchase more space ($). I only want to create more space by deleting old folders. There doesn't seem to be a simple way to do this, as they say that deleting photos takes them out of the hard drive permanently. I won't mind. If anyone knows how to do this, please help me out.
Thanks, Kate

Artist Gathering

2012-01-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

Last night I attended my first gathering of the Dayton Society of Painters and Sculptors. This orgainzation was founded in 1938. The group meets in this beautiful, historic home in downtown Dayton. I wasn't sure what to expect so I went without art supplies. I guess I thought this evening was to be more like an open studio event, where you meet the artists and discuss their art.

There are four rooms on the main floor (plus a tiny kitchen) that are used as gallery space for Society members to exhibit their art. There are four large bedrooms upstairs which are used as studio space for working artists. No one was in residence that evening but it was exciting to see some of the finished works. I got there early and was given the full tour.

Around 6PM the member artists and model arrived and the drawing began. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there would be actual drawing happening and I was pleased that I could remain and observe. Since I have never done portrait art I found it so interesting to see how the different artists interpreted what they saw from their perspective.

I haven't decided whether I want to join or not but I had a wonderful time and learned a lot.

Thank you, Dayton Society of Painters and Sculptors, for sharing your talents with me.

2012-01-05T10:02:00.000-05:00

I've sort of been circling in a holding pattern since the holidays. Resting, I suppose. That's what winter is about; resting, rejuvinating, hibernating. I feel like I've been busy. My days are full, just with things other than artmaking. I'm still working with the seniors on Wednesdays and hiking when the weather permits. Tomorrow I am attending my first meeting with the Dayton Society of Painters, a group of artists I've joined who meet every other Thursday for a brown bag lunch and monthly on Fridays to share our work, ideas and friendship. I'll let you know how that goes next week.

In the meantime I'm still working in my visual journal. Here is my first page using that wonderful tissue paper I found and Christmas. Not very creative yet, but I'm woking on that.

The passage in the lower left corner reads, "When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge."

by Tuli Kupferberg.

I'm listening for voices to tell me which direction to follow this new year.

Winter Has Arrived

2012-01-02T19:48:00.001-05:00

After that gorgeous sunset last night it turned cold and wintery here today. The temperature dropped to 21 degrees with a wind chill of 5. Snow swirled around everywhere but no accumulation is expected. Black ice caused many backups on I-75 going to and from Cincinnati and Kentucky, some lasting for hours. I'm glad I'm snug in my home, watching it all from the windows.

There is a hike posted for tomorrow, but not for me, thank you very much!

They say it will get to 53 by Friday? Go figure.

Sky Painting

2012-01-01T18:23:00.000-05:00

I don't often post twice in one day but I just couldn't wait to share this lovely sunset we had this evening. It had been dark and cloudy all day until around five o'clock when the sun burst out and painted the sky with fire.

Lovely end to the very first day of the brand new year.

A Brand New Year

2012-01-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

This is my wish for the new year. I know lots of people everywhere wish for this and maybe, just maybe one day we will get it right and learn to live together. Maybe this will be the year.

Have a Great New Year's Eve

2011-12-29T08:35:00.001-05:00

But don't get carried away!

I'm planning a nice quiet New Year's Eve. I'm actually going out tonight to celebrate, thus staying off the roads on the Big Night. I mentioned to someone a few days ago that I cannot remember when I last stayed up late enough to see the ball drop! I'm getting old.

In fact, I'm planning on spending the weekend painting my kitchen ceiling.

Now, that's really getting old.

Good Things Come In Really Small Packages!

2011-12-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

After hesitantly venturing out my front door in hopes that the Christmas Crunch had settled down some I decided it might be safe to see if the retailers had anything good left. I was in desperate need of stocking up on some new books for the cold months ahead and a trip to my local Barnes and Noble Booksellers produced something much more exciting. I couldn't believe my eyes when I discovered this outstanding tissue paper in the mark-down bin! I immediately pounced right on it. There were only two packages left and I felt certain that Santa had meant for me to have one, he just overlooked it.

I wish there was a way for me to somehow use a whole page in an art project but I will most likely tear it into sections and use it in some smaller works. At least I have five sheets of it. Won't this make wonderful background print for my new 2012 journal pages? You can expect to see this yummy paper to turn up in lots of future projects in the new year.

Thank you, Santa!

SILENT NIGHT

2011-12-22T08:59:00.000-05:00

Here's wishing you a safe and peaceful holiday however you choose to celebrate.

The Art of Giving

2011-12-19T09:09:00.000-05:00

Christmas trees come in all shapes and sizes just like people.

I stopped putting up a tree indoors eight years ago when the two cats arrived from Santa. I don't miss it because I have a small one outside on my porch with white lights on it.

What I really enjoy are cards. I love to send them and I love to get them. I usually tuck a note inside, just a little something personal catching the recepient up on events of the past year. Often the senders will slip a current photo of their kids inside. I save my favorites from year to year and I like to spread them out on my mantle along with the new ones and enjoy them again. They are like getting a little present from the people who are dear to me. I know a lot of people don't send cards anymore and I wonder why? I know that Ecards are becoming popular now, and they are cute and funny, but somehow not the same. Have our lives become so rushed that we can't find time to jot a quick note and stick a stamp on an envelope?

There's just something special about receiving a handmade card or and old fashioned one with sparkles and glitter that makes the holiday special.

Do I sound like Andy Rooney?

Christmas Fun

2011-12-17T09:23:00.001-05:00

Now that we've had our annual Christmas dinner and have exchanged our gifts I can show you what I got my dearest friend "M" this year. I have had one of these pots for many years and M has always admired it. I decided this year she should have her own. The artist is Toni Macri-Reiner and she makes all sorts of fountains and Turban Ladies. So fun!

This is mine and she holds my kitchen spoons. (It appears she may even have a cooking smudge on her face.) For a long time I had a small potted asparagus fern in her turban so it looked like hair sprouting out everywhere. I love her and although she is an "older model" and a bit smaller she still has a special place in my heart.

I love giving gifts!

Art Wednesday

2011-12-15T08:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at the senior center we made Origami Christmas Trees that they could keep in their rooms. This is a photo of the sample one I made.

I try to select projects that I think are simple to make yet sophisticated enough for grown-ups to do. Mostly they follow my instructions very well but this may have been a little over the top for them. Sometimes Origami instructions are confusing no matter how you explain them. I did a lot of circling the table, mostly folding all eight trees myself, but they do try. After we finished folding came the fun part. Using tubes of glitter glue we all decorated our trees with "holiday lights". This is where the imagination sparks and some went so far as to add streamers and garlands! I love it! Everyone was pleased to have a little tree of their own making to put in their rooms.

And here is the finished nativity that we started painting last month. It sits on the counter in the kitchen between their dining room and resting area. I think it turned out really well and the nurses tell me that they are all so proud of it and stop by to admire it all the time. The table here in the kitchen is where we do our projects. It's cozy to work in the kitchen, don't you think? We can make a mess and then it's easy to clean up. Often we have the comforting humm of the diswasher running. This table only seats six comfortably and we are growing in numbers each week. We may need to add another soon.

Animal Wednesday

2011-12-14T09:10:00.000-05:00

While on my way to a hiking destination I spotted this strange animal made of wood.

Interesting.

Joyful Hiking

2011-12-12T09:08:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I hiked at Winton Woods, a familiar old park in Cincinnati that I always love visiting. There is a large man made lake in the middle of the park which offers paddleboats for rent in summer and has a bait shop for fishing and has a pretty good snack bar that was closed yesterday. We've had some extensive flooding in our area which was evident as we hiked closer to the edge of the water; lots of tree branches down and mud and leaves were strewn along the banks. Several of the park benches surrounding the lake were submerged except for their backs barely sticking out of the water.

I stopped briefly for a photo op. I didn't take many photos on this hike. We moved at a pretty good clip and there is not so much to see now that everything has turned brown.

It was a beautiful day for hiking. The morning started out at 17 degrees but warmed up to 40 by the time we got here. We were all wanting to take our coats off by this point! Hiking can warm the soul. Here we had left the trail and had moved out to a narrow road that goes through the park. Each time a car came by we all had to jump the curb and hike in the grass. I'm not sure how many miles we hiked because we left the hiking trail here for a while but we walked for an hour and a half.

And here's a little Peppermint Joy for you!

Who's Ready For Christmas?

2011-12-10T08:31:00.000-05:00

I AM!

Yep, I've done all my shopping and everything's wrapped up and ready. Are you ready?

I saw this in a little town I passed through while out driving this week.

Christmas In My Town

2011-12-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

Last weekend my town had its annual Christmas Walk. The weather was nice on Saturday and I decided to walk down and see what it was all about. All the stores were spilling their bounty out onto the sidewalks. Because my town consists mainly of antique stores many old time holiday items can be found. I saw lots of dollies of all sizes, wagons and train sets. I saw old fashioned glass ball tree ornaments still holding on to their glitter even after all these years. I even saw some of those old white and silver tinsel Christmas trees that sit behind an electric rainbow of color rotating on the floor. Remember when those were the rage? We always had live trees when I was growing up. My dad belonged to the Junior Chamber of Commerce then and each year they sold trees on a vacant corner lot in the town where I lived. I remember going with him to help sell the trees on Saturdays and at the end of one evening we would pick out our tree and hoist it up to the top of the car and haul it home. In all the years since I've been married I've had an artificial tree. They are okay, less messy, and easier to pack up at new year's, but I miss the smell of pine permeating the house.

This fence was all gussied up for the season.

Here's just one of the pretty little shops along the street.

And here is another. Can't you just imagine how cute this town must have been when it was still just residences? Each and every house is different from the one next door.

This is a view from the inside of one shop looking out. So many treasures. They all take me back to the Christmases of my youth. I so prefer to shop this way for the holidays. Sure, you won't find any iPhone 4's, or iPads, or Nooks, but we do have actual books and plenty of board games that the whole family can participate in. I guess I'm just old fashioned when it comes to Christmas. Save the electronics for some other time of the year.

I imagine that the residents of this house have gone South for the winter. Seems like a good idea as we are getting some flurries today.

There was a horse drawn trolley that you could ride from one end of the street to the other and I smelled Kettle Corn drifting from the kiosk not too far from me. In one area there was a local band playing Christmas carols and it appeared that we were all enjoying ourselves on this fine morning.

I put a cheery wreath on my own front door.

And later that afternoon I did a quick sketch of the shoppers I saw. I've been meaning to try this sketching on newspaper and thought this would make the perfect attempt. I had actually glued two pieces of newspaper together weeks ago for another project and since I had some left over I used it for this. The double thickness worked out very well.

As long as I stay away from the malls and the traffic I can enjoy the slower pace of Christmas right here in my own little town.

Happy Holidays?

2011-12-04T12:18:00.002-05:00

I must be getting in the holiday spirit. I'm trying, anyway. On Friday I went to the mall area looking for some hiking boots and OMG, the parking lots were full and the traffic was in gridlock already! It's only the beginning of December! Maybe people are trying to get an early start on their shopping or maybe the economy really is improving and we can look forward to 21 more days of this. All I know is that I found some suitable boots and I hightailed it out of there as fast as I could. I have my holiday shopping done now (I buy throughout the year) and I will try not to need anything more than groceries from now until New Year's. Do you like shopping in crowds and do you enjoy the bustle of the holidays, or are you like me and hide out until all this passes? Do you shop more online these days or are you old fashioned like me and try to shop in person but get it done early?

I like the holidays, I really do. But I can do without all the "1 Day Sales" and "Buy 3 And Get The Fourth One For Half Price".

I must be getting old.

Grant Park Hike

2011-12-02T08:50:00.002-05:00

Grant Park is another beautiful 188 acre metro park situated smack in the middle of city life. I am thrilled to be discovering all these beautiful parks only a short drive from my house. Yesterday's hike was crisp and brisk. We'd had a hard frost the night before and here you can see some residual snow/ice still remaining at the water's edge. We started out around 11AM and the sun was just beginning to burn off the frost.

These wonderful old chimneys are the only things left standing on the original site of the Grant home and picnic cabin. The Grants owned and lived on this property from 1927 until 1963. It was known as Normandy Farms and several historical buildings are still located on the property including a church.

There were several nice bridges to cross

and steps to climb! Good workout!

Most of the hiking trails were mud and standing water. We are still being "blessed" with way too much rain. We have broken the all time record rainfall totals for our area this year so most of the hike was stomping through sucking mud! I don't have any proper hiking boots yet and I stupidly wore my nice, shiny white tennis shoes. At many points through the hike the mud almost sucked the shoes right off my feet! Just before starting out on this hike I decided to take my hiking stick with me. I'm glad I did as I slipped several times and would have landed on my can if not for the stick. We hiked for a good two hours and by then end my white shoes were brown as well as my pantlegs.

I think I'll be getting some proper hiking gear from Santa this year.

The group posed for a photo (minus the gal taking the photograph) and didn't seem to mind being published. Of course, that's me in the tennis shoes.

These hikes are a great way to get out and enjoy nature, meet new people and get some exercise.

I love it.

Just Something Else

2011-12-01T09:39:00.002-05:00

I feel like my poor blog has fallen into a rut of hikes and updates from the senior center. Just so you know, I have been busy with other things, such as making window coverings for my bedroom. I had never tried making fabric blinds before so I thought I would give it a try. These were rather simple in design, just a rectangle of lined drapery fabric which I accordian folded and tied with matching ribbon ties. I worked without a pattern, just taking the measurements from the window. I topped them off with a matching lined valance and added purchased curtains from JCP. I have three windows in my bedroom and I am really happy with how these turned out. I painted the walls to coordinate with the curtains and my bedspread.

See, there's more to me than hiking and making art!

Okay, gotta go. I'm off on another hike this morning!

Art Wednesday

2011-11-30T08:33:00.001-05:00

I promised you that I would show you how the nativity set is coming along at the senior center so here is what we did last Wednesday. Actually, they did much better than I thought they might. They do require some supervision and often will wait patiently for me to tell them what color to use next and where to put it but mostly they work very well on their own. As you can see, one sweet lady bravely forged her own path and decided the camel's head should be pink, so there you have it. I like a person with some imagination.

The incredible thing is that no one got any paint on themselves, which worried me some as I don't have enough aprons for everyone.

Today we will work on some more pieces. We still have Mary, Joseph, the Baby and manger, and the shelter. Maybe some more shepherds and angels will show up, too. Lots to do. We were missing a few members because of the holiday last week so today we should be able to finish the whole thing.

All in all, I think they did a wonderful job and they seemed very pleased with themselves.

A Thankful Weekend

2011-11-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a weekend of gratitude. I was grateful for beautiful morning skies that turned into beautiful days.

On Thanksgiving Day I went hiking and I gave thanks for long open roads ahead, the quiet serenity aournd me and the beauty of nature.

We've had a lot of rain this year and our creeks and rivers are full but the sound of the rushing water was very peaceful. We seem to be blessed with many crows in this area and the sound of their calls filled the air.

I love the old barns I saw and stopped for some photos.

On Friday I had dinner with my sister and her family.

Jay was grateful for the carrots we gave him.

The television seems to be about nothing now but where and how best to spend your money this season, and frankly, I am sick of it already. Christmas for me is not about what you give or how much it cost, but in sharing love and appreciating each other.

I did a little shopping in town yesterday and came across this Christmas tree. It is simply decorated with colored lights, bows and clear plastic picnic plates painted with colorful designs by children.

Simply Beautiful.

2011-11-23T08:06:00.001-05:00

Saturday Hike

2011-11-21T07:36:00.001-05:00

On Saturday I joined my hiking club for a jaunt through Eden Park in downtown Cincinnati. This is a lovely city park that winds up and down the hills of Mt. Adams, a trendy, upscale neighborhood of urban professionals. We gathered at Krohn Conservatory to begin our hike. That's me in the middle with the purple vest. I sometimes see people I've met from other hikes but mostly it is a new crowd every time we meet. We only know each other on a first name basis as this particular club has over 3,000 members.

Winding around behind the Conservatory is the Ohio River. This is looking over to the Kentucky side, of course. The day started out gray and overcast but cleared up a little bit later on.

Did I mention that there were steps? Lots and lots of steps.

We were a pretty good sized group, numbering around 60 or so. 136 people signed up but I guess the weather scared a lot of them off. We got some stares and comments from outsiders that we passed. Most people wondered who we were and where we were going and why so many of us.

I guess we do look a little peculiar.

I know it looks like we mostly climbed steps and that's because we did! Eden Park is one of the hilliest parks in Cincinnati. Good workout. We hiked for about an hour or so.

Then we gathered at Mirror Lake in the park for a "Balloominaria" at dusk. There were already several people there setting up fancy cameras for the event. By dark the park was full of friendly people sipping hot beverages and munching on soft pretzels from the nearby vendors. The temperature on Saturday reached nearly 60 but at dusk the breeze kicked up and it began to get chilly.

It was fun watching these giants spring up from the ground. The sound of their breathing could be heard everywhere. One by one they grew, some reaching the tops of the trees behind them.

And then they turned on their lights!

At the periodic sound of a bullhorn they simultaniously puffed helium into their balloons lighting the banks of the lake like a Christmas tree. They kept thier baskets on the ground, just giving us this spectacular light show.

Such a beautiful display and a perfect ending to a very fun day.

It's A Puzzle

2011-11-19T08:12:00.000-05:00

I may have mentioned before that I like to work puzzles. Not too hard ones, but not too easy either. This one is 1,000 pieces and once I got all the pieces out of the box I was pressed for room on the table to begin. I find this relaxing and I can have the TV on while I work. Hours pass as I am absorbed in the business of sorting out this mess.

I guess I work puzzles differently than a lot of people. I like to start somewhere in the middle and work my way to the outer edges. I find that focusing on a main subject makes it seem easier. Ninety minutes later I had this much done.

Okay, I give. This one is hard! Here it is, a week later, and this is as far as I've gotten. The main subject was the easy part. Trying to figure out all these little pieces of flowers and grass and sky and water that all look the same is not as easy as I thought. Still, I will keep with it until I have it done. I like the problem solving aspect of doing puzzles and it keeps my mind busy.

We are in for another beautiful fall day here and I have another hike planned for later this afternoon. I checked the message board for this hike and 130 people have signed on so far!

By the time I get back I will be ready to jump into this picture again.

Happy Saturday!

Art Wednesday

2011-11-16T15:44:00.000-05:00

Today is Wednesday, and this is the day I work with the folks from the senior center. Today's project was making this watercolor bookmark. I rubber stamped the rose onto precut watercolor paper last week and let them paint their backgrounds on the paper today. Most did a good job by themselves and some needed a little assistance. When the paint was dry we glued precut strips of scrapbook paper along the sides.

Next we glued precut scrapbook paper to the reverse side and threaded fuzzy yarn and a ribbon through a punched hole. Voila, a pretty, colorful bookmark.

We had a pretty good turnout for this week's project. The trouble I have is that I never know from one week to the next how many people might attend, so I'm always afraid I won't bring enough supplies. For now I'm providing my own supplies but if the interest in these types of projects continues the activities director said they would provide supplies for me.

I also had to change the title of this blog post from "Wednesdays With The Ladies" to 'Art Wednesday" because as you can see, we now have attracted the attention of some men.

I'm having so much fun doing this and when I ask if they enjoy themselves they say they do. The activities director wanted to know if I thought they could paint a ceramic nativity set next week. This ought to be a real experience. We may end up with blue camels and an orange Mary, but we can always try. I think I may need to pull out my summer clothes to wear here as the temperature in the building is somewhere near 80.

Sunday Sketching

2011-11-13T08:41:00.000-05:00

I've been busy with many things lately and one of them is hiking. I joined a hiking group that visits state and metroparks all over southwest Ohio and on Friday I discovered this wonderful park less than ten minutes from my house! I will certainly be re-visiting this one frequently.

Here's a bit of advice for life that I learned from my visit:

If a tree falls across your path, saw through it and keep on going!

I loved this area of the park. This is called the Osage Orange Tunnel. Originally this land was a farm and in the late 1800s before barbed wire was available these Osage Orange trees were planted to create a fence. Now they make a wonderful canopy that I'm betting is breathtaking in the spring and summer.

Up a lazy river...

I found a little color still dotting the landscape.

There were a couple places where it was possible to cross the creek to reach another hiking trail on the other side but I lacked the courage to attempt this without a handrail of some sort. I'm kind of chicken when it comet to heights so I waited at the top for the group to come back for me. Looks fun though.

What comes down must go up. Isn't that how the saying goes? It does when you are referring to hiking.

A reforestation project is in progress in this area. The blue plastic tubes are surrounding newly planted trees so the deer will not eat them. I saw this in several areas throughout the park. It was a lovely day, I had a chance to meet some kindred spirits and had a whole bunch of fun. I'll be back!

Skywatch Friday

2011-11-11T07:25:00.000-05:00

Gray

Although our days have been starting out a little on the dark side, the sun usually finds its way out of the gray and gives us some rays.

I don't mind the cooler, gray weather. In fact, I have joined a hiking group and today I'm going to explore a park I've never visited before. I much prefer weather with a snap in the air to huffing and puffing in high heat and humidity. I'll stop and take some photos on my walk and share them with you later.

Hike on!

Wednesdays With The Ladies

2011-11-09T15:03:00.000-05:00

Today I worked with the Ladies from the senior center and we had a lot of fun. We made our little origami boxes with the lotus flower on top and they all did really well. We actually started out with five with a sixth just watching, and all but three got away before I remembered to take a photo. I think they were pretty pleased with their project.

Our weather is turning winterish. Today is rainy and windy and all the rest of the leaves have fallen off my trees leaving me with huge heaps to rake. Sigh. We have flurries forcasted for the next two days. I guess old man winter is coming.

2011-11-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

The time has changed, the days are shorter.

Here's a little paper quilt for you to snuggle under while sitting by the fire.

Wednesdays With The Ladies

2011-11-04T11:20:00.003-04:00

I have begun volunteering at the local senior center, reading books aloud and offering to help with craft projects. I have been internet searching ideas for simple projects and I came across this little Origami box with a lotus flower on top. It measurse 4.25" x 2" and I thought the ladies could keep little treasures or candy inside. It is made with scrapbook paper, printed on one side only, that you can buy in pads at the hobby shops. The directions for making this box and lots of other things can be found here if any of you might be interested in making one yourself. I can't remember where I found the directions for making the lotus flower but it may pop up on that same website.

I think this will be a fun adventure for all of us. One of the ladies knits tiny caps and booties of the softest yarn for the preemie babies at Children's Hospital. Another lady used to be a third grade teacher and she has lots of ideas for projects. I subscribe to Cloth Paper Scissors and they have all kinds of little projects such as painted bookmarks, a foldout envelope, holiday ornaments, etc. that I have lined up.

Stay tuned for more.

This and That

2011-11-02T08:55:00.001-04:00

I wanted to show you this wonderful gift I received from a friend this week. It was quite unexpected and I was so surprised to find the postal box on my doorstep. Included inside was a lovely little story about a field cat that wandered away from the Sunflower Cottage but then missed it so much that he decided to return and stay forever. The enclosed business card told me that the sculpture was handmade by artist Joel Johnston from Georgia. Click here to view more of his exciting art. You won't be sorry.

Many thanks go to my good friend. You know who you are!

This is an idea that has been floating around in my mind since I moved in here. I have a door off my kitchen that goes into the mud/laundry room. The view into this room is not a pretty one as this room catches everything coming and going to the garage, clean and dirty laundry and just the general flotsam and jetsom of daily life. The previous owners had a lace curtain stretched over this window and I was not pleased with that. I'm not really a lacey kind of person.

I've seen these plastic films that look like stained glass at the hardware store and have considered trying one on the window. I'm glad I did. I know this is kind of cheating because I know how to do stained glass but arthritis has stiffened my fingers over the years so doing that kind of work is not as enjoyable as it used to be and I've pretty much abandoned that art form. I guess I can take a few shortcuts at this point in my life.

Now I need to paint the door. One thing leads to another.

Distant Rain

2011-10-30T08:19:00.000-04:00

The leaves are beginning to fall off the trees here, finally. I saw Christmas decorations in the stores yesterday when I went shopping for puzzles and books. I see that snow is hitting several areas of the country already, so it won't be long, I'm betting. I like to work jigsaw and word puzzles in the winter while the snow swirls outside so I'm stockpiling now. Boy, this year went by fast.

We are having a sunny but cool day here today. I guess I'll mow leaves.

2011-10-27T13:22:00.000-04:00

Autumn Jewels

Our jewels are almost gone here. I think this may be the last weekend for color. So many of our trees are staying green late. I suppose this is the result of our record breaking rainfall for this year. We've already had a couple of frosts and the days are gray and rainy. I still love this transitional time.

I made pumpkin spice cookies today and the house smells yummy.

My Studio

2011-10-25T11:26:00.002-04:00

We all enjoy peeking into each other's studios from time to time and I thought I would show you where I work now.

I don't use my dining room for eating. I use it as my indoor studio/office. My big table is from Ikea and has a laminate top, making it ideal for painting on. I can spread out my papers, big paint pallette and brushes and not worry about water or paint stains. Paint wipes right off, as does glue and other fixatives.

I have several of these plastic roll around storage drawers which work perfectly for holding all kinds of ephemera for collage work. In summer I can roll them right out to the outdoor workshop and pick up where I left off.

As this room also serves as my office, with my computer on one of the walls, I realized I needed some kind of storage unit for all the miscellaneous office items like pens, envelopes, rubber bands, copy paper, etc. I found this lovely old buffet in an antique store nearby and it has worked out wonderfully. On the top I keep my paper cutter, a self healing cutting board, my brushes (inappropriately stored upright, I know, but that's how I like them, I only work in watercolor, anyway, so there's not much damage done), and an old picnic basket full of notepaper and greeting cards.

On the adjacent wall is a rolling kitchen work station with butcher block top that I found at Target or Walmart or Meijer, I can't remember where, but it also has a scrubable top and is a perfect place to work in my daily visual journal and is where I do my Sunday Sketches. I have a small, portable paint palette that works beautifully here, as well. This is where I keep my Elegant Writer pens, some markers and my favorite photo of my hubby.

Right around the corner, in the next room, is a great built in china cabinet that I use for holding all my instructional art books, and you can see I have many. On the top shelf to the left are many years (seventeen so far) worth of daily journals that I treasure. These are my autobiography. I'm hoping if I ever end up in a nursing home with memory loss these will help me remember the moments of my life. :)

I enjoy my work space a lot. The room has three large windows that let in lots of daylight and provide peaceful views. I feel very lucky to have found this place where I live. I love everything about it!

Re-do

2011-10-21T14:06:00.000-04:00

Okay. I took some time to mess with this picture today, considering all your tips. I realized that I had forgotten to put the shadows of the trees on the ground and I deepened the shadows on the house and the Sunflower Cottage. I'm liking this better, which just goes to show you that a painting is never really finished, you just reach a stopping point somewhere.

2011-10-21T08:17:00.001-04:00

Yesterday while killing time while a repairman did some work here I decided to do a painting of my house. I'm not totally satisfied with this. I think it needs more of something, maybe more detail on the house. I may keep playing with it. The actual painting is more vivid than this scan.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Autumn In The Country

2011-10-19T08:19:00.000-04:00

It's turning cool now. The pretty fall days are drawing to a close. The rains are coming in and I'm retreating indoors. Now is a good time to practice my art.

2011-10-16T15:23:00.000-04:00

I don't have a Sunday Sketch today, sorry.

I've been busy this weekend enjoying the last bits of Autumn.

Sitting on my porch, mowing, pruning, and just plain soaking up the last of the warm weather.

Soon it will be gray and rainy and I'll have to move indoors, but for now I'm outside and loving it!

Step Right In

2011-10-13T16:50:00.000-04:00

My guestroom closet needed painting, so today I painted it.

The closets in the guestrooms are so shallow, measuring only 13" deep! Hardly deep enough to hang a garment sideways. I'm hoping this will give the optical illusion of a deeper closet.

Nothing escapes the artist's paintbrush around here!

Is It Fall Already?

2011-10-10T14:08:00.000-04:00

Here's one from the archives as I go about cleaning out and shutting down. I've spent this weekend pulling out old plants, cleaning yard furniture and ornaments and birdhouses, etc. and packing them away for next year. Although our weather is still very nice, it won't be long before our first frost, so I'm using these beautiful days to make ready for winter. I can't believe it's almost Haloween already. Seems like only yesterday I was unpacking boxes and trying to get moved in. I still have lots of indoor projects lined up for winter so I won't be idle.

Okay, back outside I go!

Sunday Sketching

2011-10-09T06:10:00.000-04:00

Our weather has been so nice this last week that I spent some time yesterday afternoon reading in my porch swing. At some point I glanced up at the other end of the porch and was captivated by the way the late afternoon sun was dancing through the pine tree and making shadows on the porch and wicker furniture, so I sketched it.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC

2011-10-07T09:19:00.000-04:00

At the risk of boring you all to death I'm doing this last, really long post of the end of my vacation. Personally, I had the most fun here.

This is The Grove Park Inn, a resort hotel and playground for the rich and famous in the early 1900's, built by pharmacist, Edwin W. Grove.

Earning only $1 a day 400 men, mules and steam shovels dragged tons of granite and stones, some weighing as much as 10,000 pounds, to an elevation of 2,500 feet above sea level to build this beautiful hotel.

I guess we don't have life so bad afterall.

There are two massive fireplaces, one at either end of the lobby, and four French doors opened along one wall to expose the spectacular view of the mountainside and the city of Asheville down below.

There was a convention going on this day and the lobby was packed with people so I didn't get good photographs of much of the inside.

Throughout the hotel were stones engraved with words of wisdom.

Photos can't possibly encompass the enormity of this place.

The steps in the photo above lead down to this underground grotto and spa. We weren't allowed into the spa as we were not guests of the hotel. I believe the rates are around $250 per night.

After spending the morning wandering around the hotel and sitting in front of the fireplace, Millie and I decided to find lunch.

Still on the grounds and not too far away we discovered the Grovewood Gallery, a cluster of buildings that included an antique car garage, a museum with antique textile items, a gift shop and a cafe. This is the sculpture park outside.

I took a few photos inside of some of the artwork. This is a small quilted collage that measured about 11" x 15".

This one was a 12" x 12"

This one was about three feet by six inches.

This is a close up of the one above.

While we were shopping Millie surprised me with a birthday gift!

It is just SO me and I love it.

Thanks, Millie!

I did a little sketch from a photo of shoppers in the village.

We had a wonderful time and I'm ready to go again!

The Biltmore Mansion, Asheville, NC

2011-10-05T09:34:00.001-04:00

While in Asheville Millie and I visited The Biltmore Mansion. This house is the largest private residence in the US, even bigger than the White House! I didn't get a good photo of the whole house outside so this is borrowed from the internet. Hence, the bare trees.

For those of you who don't know of this landmark, George Vanderbilt opened his 250 room home in 1895. From that time it has remained in the family, passing from one generation to the next. It is still owned by Mr. Vanderbilt's great granddaughter and is operated solely on the monies raised by admission fees and profits from the various industries operated on the grounds. There is a winery, and gift shops, a newly built Biltmore Inn which houses guests, and gardens.

The last time I visited, which may have been ten or more years ago, the bedrooms were not open to the public but on this trip they were. All the rooms in the house have been painstakingly restored using tiny scraps of wallpaper found under light switch covers and bits of fabric found around chair legs, etc.

The basement boasts a two lane bowling alley and an inground swimming pool! Also, the servant's rooms and kitchen was open for us to see this time.

No photographs were allowed inside the mansion so I had to limit mine to the gardens and the view. And what a view it was! The mansion sits on 8,000 acres! Can you even imagine owning that much land in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains?

This photo was taken in the wisteria portico leading from the house to the greenhouse.

I love this 112 year old wisteria vine. Some things were meant to last.

Just to give you a little perspective, I stood next to it.

In the sunny walkway to the greenhouse an arbor was erected with beautiful views on either side. This is looking left at the sculpture garden and to the right was the rose garden which was showing signs of slowing down now at season's end.

This is the greenhouse which was more like a conservatory, with different rooms and different climates for the different plants.

The gardens surrounding the Biltmore were designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted, designer of New York's Central Park, but he considered Biltmore his crowning achievement. In the foreground are chrysanthemums that are ready to burst into blooms. As you can see, it is still mostly green in North Carolina but we caught glimpses of fall every here and there where the occasional maple tree had turned golden yellow.

This is a wing of the property that had been turned into a market area. Inside were several souvenier shops and a bookstore full of books of photos and information on the history of the mansion. There was an ice creamery where I purchased a rootbeer float and we sat at one of the bistro tables to rest. The weather was wonderful. A little breezy and cool, but absolutely perfect for lots of walking.

And here is a little sketch of the house I painted from a photo that I took. I love all the little turrets, dormers and embellishments on this house. Almost every peak had a cross or gargoyle of some kind. This is truly a wonder to behold and I highly recommend a visit if you are able to get there.

We also visited the Grove Park Inn before we left and I will show you that in a later post.

Asheville, North Carolina

2011-10-03T08:23:00.001-04:00

I'm back from my trip and WOW, was it wonderful!

My friend and I went down to Asheville, NC, just about my favorite city on the map. I've got lots to share with you so I'll break it up and spread it over several days as it would be way too much for one post.

This is the courtyard plaza in front of the Hilton where we stayed. The hotel was a little southeast of downtown and this plaza held enough stores and amenities that you really never needed to leave. On this evening they were getting ready to have a live band play music. We sat at one of the outdoor bistros and ate and listened.

There was even a movie theater here where one evening we caught a showing of "The Help".

Downtown Asheville is a thriving artist colony and everywhere you look is simply eye candy.

This was the Mellow Mushroom Restaurant, which was situated on a corner and was too much to fit into a camera frame. The inside was every bit as colorful as the outside and we meant to eat here but ran out of weekend.

I love this psychedelic spray painted bench and the mushroom inlay in the sidewalk was a stone mosaic. Next time I visit I'm eating here!

This store was chock full of everything colorful! It was as if a kaleidoscope had exploded inside. There were colorfully beaded chandeliers, dolls, all kinds of home and garden art and so much more. It was so much fun exploring all these little boutiques everywhere you turned. We visited some very nice antique stores as well.

This store's front windows just sucked me right in. Don't you love these lighted stars? If I'd had somewhere in my house to use these I'd have bought one. But then, they look so much better in groups.

And this fellow was industriously working on a beautiful mural. I could have stood and watched him work all day, but we had other places to go.

The town square was a quiet and pretty little spot for sitting and sipping a coffee. We were surrounded by lovely sculptures and fountains.

Yours truly, posing for a photo.

I love the architecture of these old buildings. Asheville is so steeped in history and it is evident in the number of wonderful old buildings lining all the streets. We noticed that the streets were laid out more or less like spokes on a wheel. So many intersections had five or more streets coming together and crossing each other. Strange.

We visited The Biltmore Mansion and I will show my photos of that in my next post.

Fun!

Animal Wednesday

2011-09-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

It's good to see there's still a man around the house!

Happy Animal Wednesday!

A friend and I are taking off for a little road trip this weekend.

I'll have plenty to talk aboout next week.

Visual Journaling

2011-09-26T08:08:00.001-04:00

This is another example page from my Visual Journaling Workshop. This page represents deep sea treasures. The little card in the middle is a small watercolor painting of coral, shells and amoeba. The strips of paper along the sides have been embellished with glitter glue to give them extra texture and the yarn looks like seaweed. I also added a few real shells and then coated the whole thing in layers of wax.

My heart is never very far from the sea.

Sunday Sketching

2011-09-25T08:08:00.000-04:00

I'm right on top of things today, yawn...

I did this Sunday Sketch late yesterday while resting on my front porch after spending the day mowing grass, cutting back the pretty red hibiscus around my deck, and pruning back the forsythia along the back fence.

I have huge orange chrysanthemums growing around my weeping cherry tree and the burning bushes at the end of my drive are just beginning to tinge red, as are the flowering crabapple trees. It's peaceful here and I love spending a few moments on my porch at the end of the day.

2011-09-23T17:37:00.001-04:00

Scrubbed Clean

After several days of almost continuous rain we are scrubbed clean. I don't mind the rain. I don't mind the cooler temperatures, either. It makes me want to curl up with a good book and a latte and stay indoors.

Except for running the occasional errand I have done just that. A good friend and I are heading out next weekend on a Road Trip to the south and this has given me time to gather together the traveling art supplies I will need for sketching and capturing memories. Also time to plan and launder some clothes to pack. I am making a little list this time, of things I don't want to forget. Like the charger for my cell phone and camera, which I did forget the last time I traveled.

I hope the rain draws to an end before we leave but for now I am still enjoying it.

Nature is simply washing off the dust and dirt of summer.

Happy First Day of Autumn!

Autumn Leaves

2011-09-20T09:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a drizzly, overcast day. Just perfect for staying indoors and playing with art. I wanted to give this little idea a try. The big maple leaf on the left is a real one that I pressed between the pages of my journal a week or so ago, then collaged onto a piece of watercolor paper. The other leaves are scraps of torn watercolor paper, painted in the myriad colors of fall, then collaged onto the watercolor paper. This will become an example of an easy painting for a visual journal page in my Self Discovery Journey workshop.

While I was networking at the Sunday art show, I was thinking about how I could link my Paypal account to my Creative Arts Workshop website and allow people to pre-register online and pay for a workshop with a credit card. I am not set up to accept credit cards here at the studio, but this would make the workshops more financially accessible.

Sunday Sketching

2011-09-18T16:20:00.001-04:00

Here I am, handing out brochures at another art show. I had wanted to set up my booth at this show, but they said I needed to be selling a product to participate. No problem. I simply went on foot and passed out 150 brochures in 90 minutes! Saved myself the booth fee and six hours of standing in a booth trying to lure people in. I got to talk to a lot of people face to face and had a very enjoyable day. I think I'll just do it this way from now on!

It's always fun to see the kids making art. It was a good day, weather wise. 68 degrees and overcast. Couldn't be better!

Still Thinking

2011-09-17T17:04:00.001-04:00

In lieu of actually putting a sign in my front yard, I've been working on my mailbox. You all know that I got a couple of art flags to hang at the mailbox and back by the studio door. Well, I was still brainstorming a way to get more excitement at the curb and I came up with this plan to buy a mailbox cover and put my artwork on it. I found a magnetic sheet at Michael's Arts and Crafts and I printed out a couple of copies of my dancing ladies original artwork from the computer onto some high quality laser paper which I affixed to the magnetic sheet. This wraps nicely over the box and has artwork on both sides.

Then I bought one of those real estate sales brochure boxes from the hardware store and attached it to the top of my mailbox post to hold my brochures. Now, anyone driving or walking by can know what I'm all about.

Beautiful day today, as you can see. Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Just Claying Around

2011-09-15T07:39:00.000-04:00

I had a little fun with Sculpy Clay and some beads this week. I got inspired by a post over at my pal,

A Creative Dreamer, and thought I'd give it a spin.

This is Vine and she is jointed at her head, shoulders, hips and knees. Then I painted a floral design on her with acrylics and detailed with a Pigma marker.

I couldn't let her be lonely, so I made her boyfriend, Leaf. He has little acorns on the sleeves of his shirt and leaves on the hips of his pants. His green leggings are "buttoned" on the sides.

The plan was to see if these would be something that could be added to my Art Doll Workshop and I think they can.

Our weather has really cooled down and I'm loving it. Days are in the seventies and nights in the fifties. Great sleeping weather. Why can't it stay like this for about three or four months like dreary winter and miserable summer?
I'm heading out to another art show this Sunday.
What are your plans?

Journal Entry

2011-09-13T18:01:00.002-04:00

Sunday Sketching

2011-09-11T17:50:00.000-04:00

As usual, I spent my Sunday afternoon visiting an art show. A "Starving Artist Show" at a nearby town. This is definitely something I can relate to. It was was a small show, less than 50 vendors, and all merchandise was priced under $50. It was held in a beautiful little park near the center of town and there was a very nice war memorial with an engraved plaque on a huge chunk of granite. Red, white and blue chrysanthemums circled the stone. In fact, red, white and blue was very abundant on this day of honoring the courageous people who died on 9/11. The show was well attended, as you couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. Perfect for shopping for Christmas gifts, which I did. Can't show you what I got. Sorry.

I can show you what I got for myself on my way home. I have been wanting this book for some time, but I wanted to thumb through it before buying it. I was discouraged that none of my local bookstores had this in stock. Everyone was more than willing to order it for me, but still I wanted to look through it before committing. I'm just like that.

While shopping at JoAnn Fabrics for curtain material for my bathroom I happend to stop to peruse the very extensive book selection they have and to my utter delight, there it was! Two copies, as a matter of fact!

So I thumbed and I was hooked, as I always knew I would be.

I hear thunder in the distance here. Seems like a good evening to curl up with my new book.

2011-09-08T16:51:00.000-04:00

Nothing much new going on around here. I've been busy painting my bathroom and replacing my mirror and cabinet so not a lot of time for art lately.

This is a little experiment I tried last weekend making paste paper. If you've never tried this technique before you simply mix a little flour and water to form a gravy-like consistancy. Then mix up some acrylic or watercolor paint to make a color that you like. Add a little of the flour-water paste to the colored paint and swirl it onto some watercolor paper that has been dampened with water on either side and sponged off. Then, using a wet sponge, you can swirl the paint around to make designs. Go back into the wet paint with any kind of dragging tool, such as a comb, texturing tool, stylus, etc. Try writing or lettering in the wet paint for something different. The flour-water paste creates some good texturing for creative play.

After my page was dry I went back over it with some thin watercolor paint just to see how it would look. I like it. This will be great paper for using as background or torn up for college.

Another fun technique I tried was using crushed wax paper. Tear off a section of wax paper the size of the paper you wish to work with, and wad it up a few times until it is very crushed. Put a plain sheet of protector paper, (I used copy paper since I was working small) on your ironing board, spread out the wax paper on top of that and lay your piece of watercolor paper over that and iron it on medium hot heat. When you remove it the watercolor paper won't look any different until you give it a wash of color. Surprise! This is what you get!

I did a second one using more than one color paint. I lost some of the resist on this one but I still think it is a great background for something.

The last technique is one we are all familiar with. I smeared a bunch of color on the shiny side of butcher paper then folded it in half. This is one of the halves, again, some wonderful designs for collage.

Have a happy weekend!

The Grande Finale

2011-09-06T10:16:00.000-04:00

There are so many things I love about Fall that I couldn't possibly list everything, but here are a few:

My Buckeye tree has already lost most of its leaves, but still it is majestic and beautiful.

The Morning Glory seeds I scattered in June have blossomed into my favorite shade of blue.

These are the Marigold seeds I brought with me from my old house. I will gather seeds from these plants to sow next spring. And so goes the circle.

The sunflower seeds that I wasn't sure were going to take because of our heavy rains last spring produced these happy, sunny faces that I love.

The Mandevilla, which I thought was going to be a perennial trumpet vine type plant and so put into the ground, is nearing the end of its beautiful blooming cycle. Now I know that it is a house plant and soon I will have to pot it up and store it in the garage for next season.

I planted a new Butterfly Bush this summer in the corner of my backyard. She is still small but next year she will grow tall and large.

And the Fairy Rose bush growing near my back door is still wearing her summer frock but cooler temperatures and hard rains have mussed her beautiful dress. Soon it will be time to fold it away until next spring where, cleaned and pressed, she will don it again.

I am never sad when Autumn comes. I rejoice in the change of seasons and I see Autumn as a sort of Grand Finale for everything living. It is the crescendo to the opus of nature and I love every moment of it.

Sunday Sketching

2011-09-04T13:00:00.002-04:00

Washed Up

Just thinking about Tropical Storm Lee, Hurricane Irene and all the treasures that are washed ashore each day.

Have you scouted for unexpedted treasure today?

2011-09-02T16:03:00.000-04:00

It's hot today. Too hot to be outside and too hot to take on any new projects around the house. We're topping one hundred degrees today for the first time this year. Besides, it's Labor Day Weekend. Time to set off some fireworks, grill some burgers and wrap up summer. YAY!

I played a little with encaustics today. Perhaps this collage art represents summer's last big bang.

Hope you all have fun plans for the weekend.

Be safe.

Yipes, Stripes!

2011-08-30T08:41:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I spent nearly eight hours on a ladder, but I'm almost done. On Sunday I painted the tan basecoat over the whole wall. Then I spent yesterday morning measuring off my sections with a plumb line and level and applied my tape. I checked in a book I have on decorative wall treatments before starting and discovered that I should start in the center and work my way out on either side, assuring that the uneven stripes end up in discreet corners. This would not have ocurred to me and I probably would have started at one end and worked from there. In any case, I ran out of blue tape around lunch time and had to go buy more. Naturally, I was only about eight feet from finishing.

I worked the darker tan next, starting at one end and working my way to the other.

Of course I ran out of paint midafternoon, right in the middle of this window, and had to jump in the car and get more. How many trips to the hardware store does it take to finish one tiny hall? You don't want to know.

There were a couple of spots where removing the blue tape pulled the plaster off the wall and I will have to scrape, sand, and repaint that. My friend's husband is returning to cut and apply the quarter round trim on the baseboard and I need some help hanging this large mirror, but mostly it's done. This project hasn't been without its hitches. The first floor sander we rented had some problems and had to be returned, making what should have been a half day job into a day and a half, and when I was applying the second and last (I thought) coat of sealer on the floor my cat decided to come flying up the stairs and race across the hall to the bedroom, thus requiring me to re-do that once it was dry.

But now it's done and I'm loving it.

Okay, now I need another project. Hmm, let's see, I think the bathroom may be next.

Sunday Sketching

2011-08-28T16:24:00.000-04:00

We are having an absolutely beautiful day today! Eighty one degrees, sunny, light breeze and NO HUMIIDY! My kind of day.

I painted the wall in my hallway this morning with the light tan base coat and in about another day I will go back and add the darker stripes. I'm really anxious to see how this looks but I want to be sure that the base coat has hardened enought that when I tape of the sections the tape won't pull the base coat off.

After lunch I relaxed on my deck. This is my view from there. So much activity going on. It seems that squirrels simply cannot be outsmarted. The feeder on the fence has a bar that closes the feeder if any weight is on it, so the tricky squirrels have figured out to climb to the top of the fence and hang upside down over the feeder and scoop the seed out of the tray!

I'm so glad the people on the east coast were spared any terrible destruction from Irene this weekend. My thoughts have been with all my friends there all weekend.

Goodnight Irene. Go away!

2011-08-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

I must admit I've been absent from the drawing board for a while, but I have not been idle. I've been working on my house. I decided to remove the ratty old carpeting in my upstairs hallway and see if the floor underneath was salvageable. It was! I was extatic to find a lovely pine floor in great condition with the exception for lots of paint spatters and smears. My friend's husband came to help me sand it down to the raw wood and I applied a beautiful English Walnut stain. I am so pleased with the outcome. Why anyone would want to cover this lovely floor with carpet is beyond me. The bedroom floors are not good enough to do this so I will leave them carpeted. I feel carpet in the bedrooms provide warmth and coziness, anyway.

I have also repainted the the baseboards and door trims with white paint. Now I've been wavering between putting up wallpaper or painting the walls the darker color or the lighter shade of paint. I have decided on paint and I'm going to use both colors! This is a rather short hallway with low ceilings and I'm thinking I'll do an 18" vertical stripe alternating the two colors. This should give the area the height it needs and the alternating colors will give added interest to an otherwise boring wall space.

Artistic expression isn't always on canvas or paper, you know.

Secret Garden

2011-08-21T18:19:00.001-04:00

I got to feeling a little better and was bored reading today and decided to play with watercolors a little. I had this piece of watercolor paper lying around that I had used as a base for when I was painting some dryer sheets the other day. I always like to see what kind of neat designs come from doing that. Sometimes I use these pages in my visual journal and sometimes I tear them up to use in collages.

And sometimes I just like to see if I can see a picture in them!

So here is my Sunday Sketch!

It Must Be Autumn

2011-08-21T11:25:00.003-04:00

My chrysanthemums are beginning to bloom so it must be Autumn.

And my allergies are raging and that's another sure sign. I have really been feeling lousy for the last couple weeks and I apologize for not getting around to visit you all. I've had terrible respiratory problems for practically the entire month of August so I made an appointment to see my allergist on Monday. It's a good thing I did because when I awakened this morning my face was fat and puffy, my left eye was swollen shut and I had broken out in hives. I know I said I would have a sketch to show on Sundays, but not this Sunday. I had planned to go to a "Breakfast In The Park"this morning where the art show was held, and I was going to do some sketching there. It was a free event with contenintal breakfast and a band playing Beatles music. Sounded like fun but I'm passing on that until I feel better.

I managed to get myself through my Saturday morning art workshop yesterday, and I need to mow grass today, but I think I will just stay indoors and keep reading "The Help" for now.

I hope to have some art to show later this week.

Pretty Ladies

2011-08-17T18:59:00.000-04:00

I had to run some errands this morning and while I was running I decided to snap a few photos of some of the elegant and beautiful houses around the area.

I cannot imagine the amount of work that goes into maintaining a stately house like this but I'm glad someone does it. I'm so glad that modern society has not abandoned historic marvels such as these and that people still care enough to preserve a bit of history.

All of these houses are private residences and they are in my hometown. I cannot remember who used to live in them but I imagine someone new lives there anyhow.

This one is under renovation but I'm really liking the direction they are going! What an exciting house to live in! I don't know what the little piece of unfinished artwork to the left is about. I will have to watch it closely to see where they take this.

Art In The Park

2011-08-15T08:32:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's weather was absolutely wonderful so I decided to venture out to an annual Art In The Park art show that I used to participate in many years ago. It is a favorite of mine, held in the same park as the oldies concert I went to last weekend.

I love the look of this park. It's situated in the middle of the city and not really all that big but it is so nicely landscaped that you feel like you've entered another world and you are instantly relaxed upon entering.

There were many fine artists although I didn't think the show was as big as in years past. The brochure boasted 120 booths, and maybe there always were that many, but to me it seemed smaller than in years past. This is a juried show and free to the public. Most of the artists came from the surrounding Dayton area, some came from Indiana.

It also seemed to me that a lot of this art was priced beyond my budget this year, but I like looking anyway.

I loved the bright, happy paintings of this gal. Her name is Susie Lowder and her booth was chock full of splashy floral art.

This artist worked LARGE! She is from Lithuania and her name is Jurate (Yura) Phillips. I loved her style. It wasn't easy to get photographs yesterday as the crowd was thin and I felt like I was being watched a little contemptuously by the artists. You'll need to enlarge these to see them well. Sorry. I still don't understand why artists don't like their work to be photographed. I couldn't reproduce this in a million years.

I see these artists at many of the shows I attend and I own a piece of their work, purchased many years ago. I have the little seahorse in the upper left corner, right above the head of the man. They work with white clay that feels gritty after firing and I love the use of the bright, colorful paint! Their name is Pond Scum! How cute.

I slipped in to pick up a business card as I had done with several other artists that I saw and liked only to find when I got home that there was no website listed, only an email address. So disappointing. Why in the world, in this day and age where blogs and websites are as easy as pie to create, would an artist not have one or put the link on their business card?? It's a mystery.

This park is situated at the edge of a corporate business park and still the landscaping continues. Such a pretty area.

A Well Loved Artist

2011-08-12T17:23:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share with you an artist that I have known about and admired for many years. Her name is Susan Seddon Boulet. Born in Brazil, Susan lived in the San Francisco area for much of her life. She loved fairytales and fantasy characters but I feel a much stronger connection to the Universe through her art. She died in 1997 and although she is no longer with us her work still endures. I feel so much association to her mystical works of Goddesses and Shamen and Animal Spirits. Please take a moment to click on the link and view some of her paintings. I hope you enjoy her work as much as I do.

Winding Down

2011-08-10T11:12:00.000-04:00

Summer's beginning to wind down. I'm hearing the chorus of cicadas in the trees signalling the advent of autumn. I have to say that although I'm not exactly ready for winter I am relieved that the insufferably hot days of summer are coming to an end. I've felt so bad for my friends and all the people who live out West and the loss of crops and animals they've endured. I have a lot of admiration and respect for people who work the land and perservere through the trials of nature.

It seems the older I get the more I realize that all of life is simply about perserverance. Just like the tiny spider who puts in hours and hours of time meticulously spinning its web overnight simply to catch a meal, we all labor to put food on our tables and keep the rain off our heads. Sometimes it feels like we take one step back for every two we put forward, but we get up each morning and do it all again because that is what life is about.

I enjoy the change of seasons here where I live. They seem to provide me with a fresh outlook and a new perspective with each change. I won't mourn the passing of summer but will embrace the new beginning of autumn.

I will wind down and then I will begin again.

Sunday At The Lake

2011-08-07T09:57:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I just get an urge to sketch something and out it pops. I did this yesterday morning and was pretty pleased with it until I took a second look today. This could have been a nice painting but now I see how out of proportion the tree on the left is with regard to the refreshment stand and the people. It looks humongous! I tend to have difficulty with scale, proportion and perspective. I get in a hurry to put my idea on paper and I forget to use those invisible lines from the vanishing point. This is a good practice piece and so I'll share it.

Happy Sunday!

SO HAPPY TOGETHER!

2011-08-05T08:24:00.003-04:00

I had the MOST fun last night! I went to a HAPPY TOGETHER oldies concert featuring THE TURTLES, THE ASSOCIATION, THE GRASS ROOTS (pictured below), THE BUCKINGHAMS AND MARK LINDSAY!

Wow, did this ever put me into the way-back machine! Funny, I still remember the words to all the songs. I can remember my dad saying to me back then that if I could memorize my school lessons the way I do these songs I'd be a straight A student. My reply was, "Well, if they could put math to music I probably would."

All these guys still sound the exact same as they did back then. I had lawn tickets so I couldn't get good photos, but what a great time!

2011-08-05T08:19:00.000-04:00

2011-08-03T09:38:00.000-04:00

It's raining here today.

I have some errands to run this morning so I'm hoping the hard rain won't come until later.

Might be a good day to add some new pages to my big Book of Dreams.

Here's a little drop of sunshine for you.

Hmm, this might be a good collage photo, don't you think?

2011-08-01T10:54:00.000-04:00

My very large and overweight Maine Coon Cat, Rascal, spends much of his day snoozing on my worktable in my office. He is at just the right height to roll over and survey the entire front yard all the way to the street from the front window. He watches me as I work in the computer and will sometimes begrudgingly share one end of the table with me if I need space to work on an art project. I think he must be my supervisor.

2011-07-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

I know I promised to sketch something about my week on Sundays but this week has been dead. I need more practice sketching with graphite so here is my morning tea and muffin.

I'll see if I can find something more exciting to sketch for next Sunday.

There's just not much going on around here. The days are hot and humid and I am mostly indoors except for when I have to go out to mow or go to work. At least we get a really good soaking thunderstorm about once a week, unlike the poor folks out west. I think we'll all be ready to see this heat wave pass. I hope we can claim a little of the summer before it's gone.

Of course you all know how much I love Autumn. I'm really ready for that change.

2011-07-29T08:05:00.000-04:00

For months these green bushes have been growing around my deck. They kept getting bigger and bigger but never bloomed. I didn't recognize the leaves so I had no idea what in the world they might be. Last week the multitude of buds burst into the largest, most magnificent hibiscus flowers I have ever seen!

These lovely girls are salad plate size and I am so thrilled with them. They make me smile each time I look out my back door and walk onto my deck. I'm glad I chose a red patio table umbrella and chairs. When the weather permits I really enjoy my having my morning tea and muffins here.

This place is chock full of wonderful surprises.

2011-07-28T08:08:00.001-04:00

I haven't felt very artistic this week. Nor have I been very inspired. I did make this paper art doll and she pretty much sums up how I feel.

I'm feeling uncertain of some of my decisions and choices. I'm not sure whether my new business will ever take off, let alone succeed. There doesn't seem to be much response to all the work I've laid out and I don't know if the sad economy is to blame or if I haven't advertised properly, or if there simply is no interest.

I guess there's nothing more I can do but wait and see. In the meantime, I still leave brochures around wherever I can and I try to stay positive.

Time will tell.

Sunday Sketching

2011-07-24T19:17:00.001-04:00

I think I may try to sketch something each Sunday depicting something from my week. I can't promise how long this will last, but I'll try.

Today I had Sunday Brunch at a little bistro. It was still awfully hot today but these ladies didn't seem to mind eating outside. I watched from inside in the air conditioning.

On the other side of the fence bloomed Knockout roses. Everyone here has Knockout roses.

Everyone here drinks martinis, too, even for breakfast!

Just Havin' Fun

2011-07-23T09:46:00.000-04:00

When I was doing the art shows earlier this summer I recieved a lot of intrest from pre-teen kids and parents. I spent a morning brainstorming with the middle school art teacher to see if I could tailor some workshops to projects that could be completed in one 60-90 minute "Art In The Afternoon" session instead of a four or six week workshop. I've found a few that I think might be fun and useful.

This is a cute little pocket folder made from a manila folder and decorated with collage, rubber stamping and machine stitching. In the pockets one can slip "things to do" notepaper, collected artist trading cards or rulers and pencils. Favorite names and numbers can be stored in the little folded booklet on the left and tucked inside.

The outside was covered with a pretty recycled gift bag and collaged and stamped.

A button sewn to the front and a shiny silver ribbon keeps it closed when not in use and it is small enough to tuck into most pocketbooks or backpacks.

Okay, on to the next project!

Oops!

2011-07-21T07:16:00.000-04:00

Honestly, I only sat down to read for a minute!

How are you passing the afternoons in this heat?

2011-07-20T13:00:00.000-04:00

My new art flags came yesterday! Yippy-Skippy! I ordered two of these, one to hang here outside my classroom door and one to put down at the street near my mailbox.

I had hoped that the colors would be more vibrant and the black a little bolder, but overall I am happy with them.They're pretty large; 2' x 3' so they should show up well.

At last I have some signs.

Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

2011-07-19T08:13:00.000-04:00

What do you do on a steamy, hot midsummer's afternoon?

Long for the beach!

I saw a photograph of this cute little bed and breakfast in my latest issue of Coastal Living magazine and thought it would be fun to try to paint it. Wish I were there!

A Day At The Aquarium

2011-07-17T07:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday a friend and I went down to the Ohio River where the annual sausage festival was being held. Lots of good food and lots of beer for those who like that!

But our purpose for this trip was to visit the Newport, KY, Aquarium. I'm thinking it's about as close to a beach trip as I'm going to get this year. It was every bit as crowded as a beach inside, with families and group tours packed in there like sardines!

This Moray Eel has found a sort of hammock for napping. The sign says this is common behavior for them and that it is not dead. I wonder if it was really sleeping or watching me take its picture?

My favorite room was the penguin room because the temperature in there was about 55 degrees. Mmm, my best climate!

Here's a mighty strange looking turtle! I can't remember its name but look at its ugly pig face and can you believe all that moss growing on its back?? It buries itself in the sand and becomes camouflaged like a rock!

The tunnel is one of my favorite displays. I get a little vertigo in here as there is also a glass floor where the fish can swim, literally, all around you!

And I mean all around you!

There were street performers and magicians to entertain both kids and adults, all working for tips. We chatted for a while with this friendly fellow. He says he works for a booking agent but is primarily self employed and this is how he makes his living, traveling all over the country doing festivals and events. He's done Las Vegas and Hollywood and has made the cover of several entertainment magazines! Very resourceful in this time of economic distress, I think. How fun to make a living making people happy. He was a very good balloon artist!

And this gal was a living statue. She never spoke or cracked a smile, but would move robot-like to acknowledge you or give you a "high-five". It was pretty hot and humid in the afternoon and I'm sure I could not have done this job!

By this time I was starving so we slipped into this restaurant where a Key Lime Martini and a large shrimp coctail was calling my name.

What a wonderful ending to a very pleasant day!

2011-07-14T07:49:00.000-04:00

Not much new happening around here. I've been battling a respiratory virus for weeks now and it's beginning to wear me down. I'm on heavy duty drugs this week and I hope they finally knock it out.

I've been working some in the back garden. The previous owners were not really into flower gardens but more into trees and shrubs which are everywhere and very overgrown. It's been a lot of work trying to cut these beasts back into submission but I think I'm winning.

I've also started a new part time job working in one of the antique stores in town while waiting for my art workshops to pick up. I've listed a few of my Mixed Media Clay Tile Mosaics for sale in my Etsy Shop along with several of my Stained Glass works. Stop in and browse around some.

A Good Day

2011-07-09T20:22:00.002-04:00

I've added some new collage pages to my Big Book of Dreams. This book is scrapbook size and I especially like working in the large format.

This page includes an origami-style fold out envelope with more fold outs inside.

And this page has a book-style fold out that opens the reverse way. You all know what a nonconformist I am.

I did the monthly Second Saturday Stroll in my hometown again today and here's the big highlight.

I got the privilege of meeting Nita Leland, a painter, collage artist and art instructor whom I admire. She is one of my personal mentors. What a thrill! The day was so hot and my brain was melted when she stopped by and I am embarassed to say that I did not recognize her until she told me who she was. In any case, I am so happy that I had the opportunity to meet her. I came home this evening and pulled her books out of my cabinet and began studying again!

2011-07-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

I did another art show on Monday and it was so humid that I melted like a Hershey's bar! It was a really good show with lots of people, a parade, various bands playing and food booths offering refreshments. I handed out about another hundred brochures and talked to lots of women who seemed interested. I've already gotten two booking from that show! I have one more show this Saturday and then I'm done with the street fairs for the summer. I simply cannot take the heat for these things. Hopefully I've met enough people face to face to get things rolling. I still plan on marketing myself through local bookstores and coffee shops and maybe do a presentation at some womens' groups.

Here is another sighting from one of my morning walks. This is a detached garage behind someone's house! The backyard has been professionally landscaped and is so beautiful, with a small patio and umbrella table and chairs nearby. I so loved the idea of hanging a painting of lavender fields on the garage wall. What a pretty view from the kitchen.

HAPPY JULY 4TH!

2011-07-03T08:16:00.000-04:00

My town had their fireworks display last night and I could enjoy them right from my backyard!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

2011-06-29T07:18:00.000-04:00

I haven't had any paintings to show for a long time. I started this painting last year and yesterday I sat down and did a little more work on it. It is from my sketchbook that is shaped like a house.

I was reading on a couple other blogs that sometimes we get stuck wondering what to draw. I have that problem a lot. I see things that I think would make a nice painting, but then I think about how much time it would take to sit down and DO it and I pass. In summer there is so much to do, both indoors and out, and I feel like I'm pulled in twenty directions at once. Painting seems to be the last thing on the list.

Even at the art shows I'm doing I hear women say, "I want to take this class, but I can't until Fall." I guess, as the days get shorter and we are forced to stay indoors more, we are able to become more disciplined to to attend to the things that give US pleasure.

I try to keep my brush in the paint as often as I can, too.

Cactus Monday

2011-06-27T05:59:00.000-04:00

I don't usually participate in Cactus Monday because, well, here in Ohio we don't have many cacti. But yesterday I visited our wonderful conservatory to see the butterfly exhibit again and I passed through the desert room first.

So here is my offering for

HAPPY CACTUS MONDAY!

Festival Of The Arts

2011-06-26T06:57:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the Warren County Festival Of The Arts and it was a great show! The weather was absolutely beautiful and the attendance was very good. This is a photo I borrowed from their archives but yesterday had sunshine and a slight breeze. In the middle of the intersection a local symphony orchestra played beautiful music and a choral group sang happy, uplifting songs such as "Feelin' Groovy", one of my personal favorites! The food vendors offered a wide variety of samples and everyone had a great time.

I added another table to my display and that gave me more room to spread out my samples. I also moved my sign to the front of the booth. I'm in the process of having a couple of large display flags made by a flag company but they weren't ready in time for this show. There was much interest in my clay mosaic tiles and our little sketchbooks. I took almost 100 brochures to hand out and I ran out before the show was over! Most people were saying that they may do this in the Fall, after the kids go back to school.

I also networked with several other people regarding the possibility of offering some sort of smaller classes for kids at the local school, something I would really like to do, and doing a presentation to a women's club and donating a class for a raffle. So many avenues to pursue!

Now I'm getting ready for my next show on Monday, July 4th!

Stay tuned.

I'm Not Sure......

2011-06-22T16:23:00.001-04:00

exactly what this is, but I discovered it while I was walking a different route this morning.

It had a large parking lot in front and a sign that said "Lilly's Chapel". I decided to venture in and see what was there.

As I drew closer I passed this lovely gazebo almost hidden in the woods.

This is the chapel, but I couldn't see inside the windows or the door as they were made of stained glass. The lush gardens around this chapel were well landscaped and maintained. Maybe it is available for rent for weddings because it didn't really look like a public church.

Another hidden pathway that I chose not to take because...

it appeared to be connected to the adjoining property which looked like a residence.

I'm not sure if I was trespassing or not but it was early morning and I was quick.

I was so impressed with the beauty of the place.

I'm loving my little walks and all the things I'm discovering.

Now, if I could just master this new Blogger format I'd be just fine.

2011-06-19T17:05:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd show you some of the pieces I've been working on. Some of these you may have seen in previous posts and some are new. These are the 4" x 6" tiles that I have finished.

These are the 4" x4" ones. They are all a little time consuming so I don't produce them very fast. It usually takes a couple of days to produce two, as I try to do them in pairs.

And somewhere in between I am working on the computer layout for brochures so that I can get them printed, and I've been trying to find an online company that can produce a couple of art flags for me with my custom artwork on them. It seems that no one locally does flags; only signs. I think I've found one online and have submitted my artwork. I'm waiting to hear back from them, hopefully, next week.

Hope you all had a nice weekend. Ours was rainy and coolish.

A Little Bit More...

2011-06-18T09:57:00.000-04:00

Just as I was waking up this morning I glanced out the upstairs bathroom window and this is what I saw! If you look closely you will see another blue balloon behind the trees!

I raced downstairs, grabbed my camera and flew out the back door.

Sorry for the dark photos. It's supposed to be a rainy day today.

They passed right over my backyard and I thought they were going to land in the schoolyard behind my house!

Then they floated "up, up and away".

Walkabout

2011-06-16T15:47:00.000-04:00

We've had some really nice weather this week and I've been out walking the neighborhood after dinner.

Let me show you some of the things I've seen.

Just around the corner and down the street from me is this spectacular mirror mosaic hanging behind a fountain at the end of a driveway. I drool over it every time I pass by.

Rusted vintage bicycles ornament the side yard of this antiques shop. I had not noticed them before I started walking.

A cheery pot of pansies still happily blooming away.

The sidewalk and entrance to a curio shop. I think it's amazing how these shop owners close up for the night and leave all this stuff still out on the sidewalk, don't you? Says something about the neighborhood.

Another beautiful storefront. This shop sells very artsy lawn ornaments, patio sets and porch swings. They always have such beautiful garden baskets for sale and the landscaped backyard, which can only be accessed from inside the store, is a real delight.

A little peek into a private back yard.

More fun stuff spilling out onto the sidewalk after hours.

And I spotted a weary St Francis leaning against the side of this house. Poor fellow probably got tired from patiently holding this bowl of birdseed for so long and decided to take a load off a foot.

Glad you could come along on my walk.

Not much new going on around here. I'm still making up small clay tile mosaics when I have time.

New WIP

2011-06-14T07:26:00.000-04:00

I just thought I'd show you my new WIP's.

There was a lot of interest in my clay tile mosaics last weekend and I have an upcoming show where I am required to sell a product, so I thought I would make up a few small ones for retail. These are measuring either 4" x4" or 4" x 6". These are still in the preliminary stages and are not glued down yet so the tiles are somewhat askew. I use the square box for framing them up as I glue them. The upper left corner shows the tiles as they look before painting.

I did a photo transfer of the Atlantic Ocean that I took on last year's vacation for the center tile in the bottom right. I love how these tiles can be personalized and I use that as a selling feature when promoting the workshops.