Hello brush wavers,

No fainting today. I called my husband's surgeon at Sloan and they will arrange a doctor's appointment for a complete work-up after our scheduled appointment with the surgeon on Tues. Looks like a Sloan Kettering Cafeteria hang-out day. I know every food on their menu.

I experimented with a watercolor wallpaper background and wild flower lady. She reminds me of my Aunt Olive, who I only actually saw once, but heard stories about my whole life. "She's a man chaser, been married at least twice," my grandmother would say, shaking her snow white head. "I know, and, did you see how her long her hair is? I'm sure she dyes it. A woman her age!" my mom answered.

Once I figured out AO (as they called her) was only about fourty-five-years-old when these gossip sessions were flying, I was shocked, wondering what they would say about me, if they were around to speak, that is.

Anyway, I named the mixed media picture "Yes, Darling", and will post it tomorrow.

"Colorburst," posted today is one of the happy flower pictures, as I like to call them. They always sell.

The last picture for my Left Bank Gallery space, already laid out, "Smiling Faces," will be finished and photographed tomorrow.

Which is good, as we have reserved the gallery time to hang six seaweeds and six mixed media pictures  Thurs 11:00 AM.

Down to the wire, just like in school. Some things never change.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

Good Evening Artistes,

Last night, while I was changing his trache bandages, my husband fainted and fell to the floor. Many of you know that I have been his caregiver since 2004, and that due to severe radiation for  mouth cancer, he lost his jaw, doesn't speak, or eat, except by stomach tube, and his condition will not improve.

 I had forgotton that he had had a bleed-out in the ICU, and Sloan wheeled him across to Cornell where an expert cardiologist removed half of his carotid artery, and stopped the bleeding.

He told me last night he is frequently dizzzy in his room as he moves from his computer to hospital bed. He also said they told him these fainting spells are normal.

I called to get the name of the surgeon at Cornell to get some details about these "spells" I was never told about. At the time of the operation, I was in a wheelchair with a fractured pelvis, so I could have missed the side effects talk. Unsuccesful at finding the Doctor's name today, I'll follow up tomorrow.

How could this happen without my knowledge? Now I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone at all, and not sure he should drive.

No sleep last night, worrying if this was the next step. Loss of blood flow to the brain causes dizziness, fainting, dementia, stroke, all that good stuff.

Today, I was so tired I couldn't see straight, so I sat in my studio and worked. I finished one picture, and began another, an amusing one that I like a lot.

I have to take better care of myself, or there will be no one left to take care.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

Hello fellow Art toilers,

Today I did two of my very favorite things. I walked barefoot in warm, white sand, and I enjoyed my first DQ hot fudge sundae. The season has begun!

Smile,

Lisabeth

Good evening brush wielders,

My friend, Marge, mushroom expert, etc, came over with her poision ivy killer kit, and didn't find one leaf on all of my property.

She deduced it had to be the type of seaweed I had gathered for the first time in front of our house! Yikes, I hope not!

Anyway, it is slow to go away, this is week one on steroids and cortizone cream every day and it still itches like crazy and my arm is wrapped in gauze because it looks so gross.

Change of pace, I've been working with flowers lately, as they sell more than seaweed, are smaller, therefore less expensive, and I need six for the May 1st hanging.

My heart wants to go crazy with homeade gesso and acrylycs.

After the gardening is done, and flowers finished, I'll have some wild time.

Do many of you do work you know will sell first, then get into experimentation?

Count your blessings,

Lisabeth

Hello every Artist who reads,

After several "sneaked-out" sessions in our wild garden, I woke up this morning with the worst poision ivy I have had since I was six years old.

It, of course, was on my left wrist to elbow(my painting hand). Bright red, totally swollen and covered with angry dime-sized bubbles filled with fluid. Disgusting.

I remember how quickly it used to spread to my eyes, so my husband took me to the Yale Emergency Clinic in our town. The doctor prescribed prednisone a steroid, for two weeks. Plus wraps with medicine in them to dry it up faster.

I am almost finished with another picture, but I found resting my arm on any part of the paper or seaweed was very umcomfortable.

So,I went right back to continue to fight the garden!

And, except for a strange popping sensation, it was fun!

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

Hello Artists,

Today, I gessoed three canvases, still in my pajamas, showered and went to Lowes(very similar to Home Depot) I bought many supplies to make my own gesso textures from paint, a real money -saver that I learned from women I met on this site.

 Also.I bought some masonite to try board painting for the first time.

I hear the garden call, pansys drooping, seeds ready for sprinkling, etc, so I spent every ounce of remaining energy workinin rhe garden. The grounds of this house are a mess, not taken care of for many years, so there is much to do.

Perhaps I can divide the day,plant, paint. So much to do, so little time.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

Hello Arties,

Today, we got a $20,000 shock from the IRS. Sure, it is for two years, but I never paid a nickel to them. My husband is disabled and I can't lift more than a paintbrush or knife. We have to pay people to help us move boxes, furniture, etc. Everybody wants to be paid under the table, so we do. We don't exactly live the "high life" he doesn't even eat real food, just liquid tube feedings, paid for by Medicare. I haven't been out to dinner since 2004!

Our accountant didn't hand our taxes in today, needing more time to try to find a break somewhere. I also am searcing our records frantically for some giant receipt, or other expense we forgot about. I found a few things, which I will email him tomorrow.

Breaking through the depression of this unexpected tax bill, I have found some wonderful, caring women, two of them on this sight. Women who share freely of themselves and their knowledge. Women who want me to succeed and let me know it. Today, I really needed to hear from them, and I did, although they didn't know about the tax shock. I feel so fortunate sometimes. Grateful for kindness and to be alive.

Trying not to cry,

Lisabeth

Hello all you painterly types,

Tomorrow I hit the road (don't freak, I'm won't be behind the wheel, my friend and watercolorist Marjorie will.) We are delivering our artwork  to Uncommon Art Gallery in Bristol RI .

Marjorie brought a piece of sculpture, a goat's head, which I fell in love with. The marble is from Italy, the smoothest surface with exquisite colors. She used to sculpt all the time, but had to stop because of arthritus in her hands.

I am looking forward to spendng a day away from home. Larry and I will text message and he has a bracelet that calls 911 if he should need to. Actually, he'll be fine. Probably  glad to have some alone time.

The gallery owner will take us to lunch, then we'll head for home.

Bristol RI, a beach town. I love beach towns.

Go with the flux,

Lisabeth

Good evening all you fabulous artists,

Today I finished two pictures I've been working on. Hopefully I can post them Monday.

There is something about yoga class. Some of it hurts, some of it feels good, but the main high comes from inside your self, your core, your inner strength. I was smiling all day from my morning class.

In my efforts to please the gallery in RI and the gallery in Old Lyme, I find I left myself only seven pictures for the gallery in Essex. That is an incentive to get going!

Accept onself completely,

Lisabeth