Saturday in my studio

For the two of you that follow my blog, thank you for persevering.I know I promised a personal painting...but as yet there is nothing of interest to post...at least when it comes to art. My art group has been successful with the sale of three paintings from our show at the Petroleum Club in Fort Worth. For that I am thankful.

But today, and several days this week, I have escaped to my studio and am getting caught up on cleaning, reorganizing and discarding of the contents of said studio. There have been some sewing projects, such as bumper pads, sheet and dust ruffle for my grandson, Eli. Very cute fabric with a nursery rhyme theme. Green and white gingham checked piping. A few items here and there that have been cut out for months and I have just never gotten around to doing. I'm wondering what possessed me to purchase all the "stuff" I have in there. But once purchased...I have the hardest time getting rid of the "stuff".


Motivation for painting has been slim to none...nil. What to do about lack of motivation? Wait for it to come back...I suppose. Some days it's hard to muster up the courage to tackle another project but muster I must.

Happy weekend to you all...all two of you that keep up with this.

Another Busy Sunday

Believe it or not I do have something I want to paint...personally. It's been a very long time, seemingly, since I've had an inspiration. The art group (business) Canvas by Canvas takes up most of my artist energy. Lately, it's been too hot to go to the studio and the alterations that we have been doing to the inside of the house taken up a great deal of my so called spare time. I still have curtains, valences, rearranging and cleaning to do. Once you start to clean one area you have to make another mess to get that one particular area orderly. It's a never ending story. So all of my excuses and all my procrastinations have not yielded any new paintings...and it seems very few communications on this blog. Thanks to those that stick with me, to you Nora for checking, and to those that care enough to come back. I will have a new painting this week, one that I've had in my mind to do...we'll see if it's worth looking at when done. If you like chairs you'll might like it. Back to it.......

A Typical Tuesday

It's been a while since I've posted here. I don't know who's keeping up with me, if anyone. Things have just been busy. I've kept up with laundry and cooking but not too much housework going on. I'll be working in Grapevine with a friend for the next two days helping her get her townhome in better shape for the real estate market. It's been listed for a while but thehousing market is very slow so she's sprucing up the place, repairing what needs to be repaired, cleaning and freshning up a bit. I'll stay the night on Wednesday as there is no reason to drive home and then back. Time wasted that could be used to work. Friday my younger daughter moves into a townhome with her friend and I'm sewing curtains and wall covering for her bedroom along with anything else that might need to be done on Friday. The weekend looks free but who knows with children needing haircuts, school supplies, clothes, food, and general maintenance. Robin will be busy making his mirrors, that have become very popular..go to Daydream Dezigns to see what he's up to. I haven't been painting, except to finish my square for Canvas by Canvas' latest painting, The Adobe House...or whatever we end up calling it. My studio is in such bad shape I'm ashamed to call it a studio anymore. It's more a storage unit. If it's true we make time for what we truly love to do...I don't think I like to paint anymore. :) I have got to get myself organized for in the morning. Life just happens doesn't it?

MY ANGEL

$50.00

Some days you definitely need an angel. This particular one measures 5" x 7" and is watercolor. Interested parties contact me at Gotyme4u@sbcglobal.net Even those of you who aren't interested can contact me as well....:)

Greetings from Colorado

Greetings from cool (sometimes) Colorado. My visit has been busy but enjoyable. I have seen old friends from high school at a luncheon, spent the day hiking in the Garden of the Gods with a dear friend and spent an evening with my younger sister, her family and my older sister, her family and my mother. I hadn't seen my younger sister in five years and she had not changed. The photo above is my sister's view of Pikes Peak from her front porch. Beautiful huh? Back home on Thursday...and back to painting.

IRISH COUNTRYSIDE

This painting is not an original of mine but a study of another artist. I cannot remember their name but if you see this and it's your painting, please let me know so credit can be given where it is due. I love the colors in this and have always wanted to visit Ireland as part of my heritage is Irish, although...it could be a Scottish countryside, in which case, it would be my husband's heritage. Either way I like it.

"Irish Countryside" ~ gouache on paper ~ 11" x 11" ~ $60.00
contact me at gotyme4u@sbcglobal.net for information...if you're interested

DON'T BE KOI

$50.00 SOLD
If interested inquire at Gotyme4u@sbcglobal.net
"Don't be Koi"~ watercolor ~9" x 11"

GARDEN VALLEY COPPER POT

This painting was done at a lake house situated on the golf course at Garden Valley. My art group, Canvas by Canvas has been going there for some years to paint together. Earlier in this blog I posted a small watercolor of the view across the lake from this lake house. Recently, we've found another lake house to rent on Cedar Creek Lake, but that's another story. This painting is done in oil on 300 lb watercolor paper. The pot, for those interested, was a gift from my younger sister years ago and the grapes were sadly, not real. But you would never know it. I do love oils...but somehow am too impatient to stick with them. Maybe some day...maybe not. But I do love them.

"My Copper Pot" ~ Oil on Paper ~ 9"x 11"~ $150
If interested in this painting, email me at Gotyme4u@sbcglobal.net

CLEOPATRA'S

I don't know if Cleopatra wore heels or not, I rather doubt it, but these looked very Egyptian to me. These were originally posted here on my blog but I have since had to paint them again on another canvas for Canvas by Canvas' new mini series of Sassy Shoes. These are adorable but it makes my feet hurt to look at them. But they sure are pretty to look at! These are for sale on Canvas by Canvas' Blog or website.

ASPENS

This is one of my all time favorite paintings. It is framed and hanging, under glass, in my living room, hence the small white reflections in the upper part of the trees. I figured everyone could forgive those glares knowing it was the best I could do under the circumstances. I put it on here because a friend was over to my house today to pick up some frames my husband had made for her and she suggested I put it on my blog. So...Betty...just for you, here it is. It reminds me so much of my home state of Colorado. I am drawn to any painting or photo of Aspens. That is why it is so special to me. It is not for sale...unless someone were to offer me a million dollars. Any takers? LOL

"Aspens" Gouache on watercolor paper, 11" x 14" unframed 16" x 20" framed ~~ alas...NSF

Pretty in Pink

This not a recent painting, but has always been one of my favorites. I distinctly remember Maryann telling me that I needed a wee touch of every so light pink on the stem of the tulip to tie it to the flower. That was exactly what I did need and it made the difference. ~ Today I was late to the Upstairs Gallery for our Canvas by Canvas painting session. Nancy and Barbara were the only ones there in the morning and Margie came in the afternoon. I picked up CY and we all four headed for Luby's to eat lunch. Everyone got what they wanted and we talked about our new and soon to be revealed R3 series which we have tentatively entitled "Mini Series". These mini's will be 6"x 6" canvases and will be done in different themes. Check out our Canvas by Canvas blog on a daily basis for the new arrivals. There has already been a hint of our first theme in a previous post! Check it out on our blog. Tell us what you think!! We love to hear from you. ~ I wanted to get a painting done for my sister for her birthday but I ended up just gessoing over the whole thing and will start again another day. I don't have long as I'll be headed to Colorado next week.

Pretty in Pink is 11" x 14" Acrylic on canvas panel ~~ $100

Sunday...a lazy day

Sundays tend to be lazy for me. I'm done with dishes and have framed the posters for the show tomorrow and made the box that will hold the entries for the free door prizes at De Soto City Hall. We hang that show tomorrow. I would love to paint but now I have bags to sew for my friend and that will take me a few days to accomplish. Too many of them! Yesterday I made sandbags and took them to Grapevine and arranged them by the back door of my friends town home to stop the water from coming in. There has been so much rain lately that the incoming water has ruined her carpet in the downstairs area. It's really a drainage problem. Anyway....that was my project for yesterday. Gotta get and accomplish something other than being on this silly computer....but I love this silly computer.

Very early Saturday morning

Nothing done as far as painting goes, but much accomplished today on other levels. Helped Margie shoot photos of her paintings for her website, exchanged clothing at Ross, visited MAS and picked up a check along with an easel for the show we are hanging on Monday for the De Soto City Hall. Ate in Dallas tonight at the Angry Dog Restaurant. This will have to be put on the list of places for CBC to eat at on one of their famous field trips. Watched a strange movie tonight with Justin Timberlake, Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson. Something to do with Black Snake something or other and it was a strange story of redemption. What a little kindness will do for a person. The power of random acts of kindness. A powerful lesson on such a drizzly day and one I need to learn.

Here is a watercolor sketch done the last day of one of our visits to Garden Valley Golf Course lake house. Canvas by Canvas girls have spent many days painting, eating, drinking and playing games there. The view is across the small lake, which is located in the middle of the golf course in Canton, Texas. Our friendships were nurtured on the porch with margaritas, wine, steaks fixed by our own Maryann, chicken spaghetti, polish mistakes, and hand and foot card games. There are many memories we have made at this lake house....this is just one view from the back porch....many more views are there in my heart.

This painting is done in the style of Robert Burridge. It is not new...but I couldn't stand not having a painting to post to my blog, since that is why I started this blog in the first place. Should you be interested in this painting you can contact me at my email address: gotyme4u@sbcglobal.net Watched a short documentary of Vincent Van Gogh's life last night. What a troubled soul.

Well....it's been a few days and no paintings but I have underwear, shirts and transparencies to show for my time and labor. My youngest son was wearing his older brother boxers so since the laundry can't seem to do itself maybe more underwear would do the trick. Apparently, sharing boxers is a huge NO-NO! I have had a couple of really cool ideas. Cantaloupe in a bowl with a cat painted on it..."Cats and Melons" or something like that. Took a picture last night. Seems that with studying some of my favorite artists the ideas and paintings that sell are those that depict everyday life. I might go set myself down at a coffee shop in downtown Ft. worth and just snap some shots. Hopefully I'll produce a painting in the near future. To those that read this anyway....thanks for stopping in. More tomorrow in between loads of laundry and cooking. :) Hasta manana.

Today will one of grocery shopping, mending and hopefullly at least a short trip to my studio. This blogging is addictive. Not to mention email and web surfing. How do any of us get anything done???

Today was a day of addressing postcards and visiting with my art friends. Quiet visiting. We were forced out of ourusual habitat on Mondays, to the local downtown library because of insect infestation. Nasty pests. We addressed, labeled and stamped 500 postcards for the DeSoto City Hall show and sale. I have just recently quit my part time job that I had for a year and thought I would have more time to devote to my painting. Nope. I'm busier than ever. I have wanted to do a painting a day but life always gets in the way. That will never change so what must change is my focus. I hope this isn't like a diet where you say, oh...I'll start tomorrow. I make my own life very frustrating. :) More tomorrow...stay tuned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0dzZTPWrSM You must go to this UTube video. This guy is so unpretentious and so talented. I would love to be able to watch "Britain's Got Talent"...but alas...I live on the wrong side of the Atlantic ocean. Wonderful to watch...check it out.

Since I haven't had a chance to paint on my shoes, I thought I would put one of my latest paintings up. This was done from a freeze frame on my TV. Stop, click, paint. Can't really remember which movie....It's 5x7 acrylic on canvas.

No painting as of today. Have tried to do some but life seems to always happen...as in other people lives that require attention. MAS and I worked the AMA volunteer table today and made some contacts and learned some interesting facts. Ran into a lady at the airport, who was just sitting there waiting for her friend as I was, and as we talked I learned that she used to "live around the corner" from MAS...no kidding here.....and she loved our work and took one of our postcards. Another lady sitting next to me, in the baggage area, overheard our very interesting conversation and chimed in. Found out she and her husband were starting a new business and she was wanting to put art on the wall of the new business and was looking for local artists. I told her about our giclees and she took three of our postcards. I got her email address to stay in touch. You just never know where you will find people interested. Tomorrow I paint shoes....I keep telling myself that. Maybe the planets might align and I shall have the opportunity to go to the studio to actually put brush to canvas. Oh wait....it's Father's Day tomorrow. Life might get in the way again!!!

This is my sketch of the newest painting for

Canvas by Canvas. http://www.canvasbycanvas.com/

We have some new and exciting ideas to

implement and I can't wait!! I think I shall

paint as soon as I get the laundry folded...that

could take a while.....OH BOTHER.

5 of my 11 art friends had a field trip to Dallas today. First stop was the Sam Moon complex which included Re-Be-Kah's and the stores in that vicinity. They took pictures of shoes to paint at the shoe store and then it was off to lunch. CY was starving....:) We dined at Mother and Daughters Cafe... home style cookin' and lots of it. Yum Yum. Those of you who don't live in this area don't know what you're missing!!! On to Southwest Gallery http://www.swgallery.com/ to view the paintings of John Cook and Harold Kraus, both have different styles and both are phenominal painters. Too many ideas and too much going on in my brain to get it all down. Look for new things happening with my art group's http://www.canvasbycanvas.com/ website. We have some exciting possibilities for new art coming up in the near future. Check in here on my blog or check out our website for further developments. 11 women and so much creativity. :) More later...........C2

I'm not sure this will work so am just testing the waters.