DATE: 05/24/2008 13:19:08 / MOOD: in love

These are portraits I did of our grandchildren.  This was my first attempt at doing portraits in oils and my first stab at using a pallette knife as the sole means of moving the paint.  The first one works best to me.  Maybe I should have quit after it.  The thickness of the paint, the opacity, and the slow drying are quite different than my usual watercolors.

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DATE: 05/19/2008 19:18:19 / MOOD: happy

I think I finally got this one finished. It is a companion to "Old Woman Resting" that I did last year. Both were done from photos taken in Ecuador a country I find fascinating because of its diverse cultures and ethnicities.

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DATE: 05/16/2008 23:42:00 / MOOD: other

It has been a few days since I posted.  The time seems to get away from me.  I am working on some portraits of the grandkids.  They are only 5X7 but I am doing them in watersoluble oils with a pallette knife.  This is a real stretch for me since my main medium is watercolor.  The opagueness and density of the paint is a challenge for me.  I wonder if they will ever dry.  My husband recognized the first one right away so I guess I am able to capture them.  I'll post them soon.  Tomorrow is our housewarming party so I doubt I will be able to get to them.

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DATE: 05/10/2008 18:59:57 / MOOD: full of life

This is something I have been working on for a couple of weeks. My intention is to use it as a headborad. I am not sure whether to hang the canvases individually or to mount them on a board first. The colors and design come from parts and pieces of my embroidered silk bedspread from Afghanistan. I am not used to working with oils and am not waiting for them to dry.

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DATE: 05/07/2008 19:19:05 / MOOD: happy

Today was a good day. I have decided to limit my home projects to one a day so I can spend more time relaxing and creating. Our pool is warm enough to get in and do my exercise routine which makes me feel great. I worked a little on the painting I started yesterday and will do some more this evening since I am a night painter. In the mean time, here is one I did a couple of years ago but recently decided I didn't like the color of the table cloth so I reworked it. It is called FUTURE PIE and the apples did make a great one!

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DATE: 05/06/2008 23:24:12 / MOOD: full of life

While lying in bed wishing I was still asleep this morning, I remembered that I needed something to submit to the FL WS show in July. I knew what I wanted to do but had forgotten all about it in the chaos of my move. I found the photo, got it on paper, and started painting it. "Old Man Resting" will be a companion to "Old Woman Resting" that was accepted into the FWS show last year. This is the photo I took in Ecuador that I am using as a reference. It felt good to get back to creating.

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DATE: 05/05/2008 23:05:51 / MOOD: in love

Everyday I go into the studio thinking I will get to work on something new. But, for some reason I haven't been able to get back into the groove since moving. I think it is because I realize how many paintings I have stored and am reluctant to add more to the stash. If I can't think of a specific purpose for the piece, I don't seem able to start anything new. Here is one I did as a birthday gift for my daughter-in-law. It is a companion piece for one I did in memory of a pet that had died. This little guy is still with her and I figured it best to give it now instead of waiting several years for him to die. It is a miniature 5"X7"

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DATE: 05/03/2008 22:08:23 / MOOD: in love

I spent the day at the beach with my son today for an early Mother's Day.  It was gorgeous here on the FL gulf coast.  We had a great time sitting and chatting.  This man was sitting sunning his pet python.  He was quite a character and we took the opportunity to chat with him.

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DATE: 05/02/2008 22:45:24 / MOOD: full of life

I was busy today unpacking all the things I received from my cousin and realize there is no way I will ever use most of what she gave me so I have offered to let some friends pick out materials they will use.  A project came to mind while sorting.  She has two daughters and she has really been into assemblage collages.  So I thing I will do a project for each of her daughters strictly using the materials she gave me.  It will be a challenge and a tribute to someone who cared for me as a newborn.

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