gearing up....

there truly has been no time to paint this week - with every day that passes, i'm thinking i'm getting ready for this cruise but i'm really not! - i'm making piles..(we all know about that, don't we?)..and i've heard that some people get very dressy on a few of the nights - and anyone's who's ever traveled with me knows i pack everything i own...just in cases....so i'm really trying to think and plan ahead of time so i won't have to do that. and then....yesterday, davey tells me " i have some very bad news for you!"..i thought.."oh god, what have i done now?"....and then he says "YOU have to pick out ruby since she's going to be your dog!!"..needless to say, nels is HIS dog...so...anyone who's ever gone out to dinner with me knows what a hard time i have making a decision..eveything looks so good and what if someone else orders something i maybe should have ordered?...so picking out a puppy?????? whew!!!! fortunately we won't have to cross that bridge til we get home from our cruise - we can't go over and pick her out til the puppies are all ready to go home and then the breeder has to honor the hierarchy of ownership..(pecking order?)..so who knows where we fall in that lineup...i'm just going to trust...

latest in a series...

11x14 oil on stretched canvas
oh i'm having such fun with these mouths....lips...ladies...i started this one in my friend nan's back yard a couple days ago - it was very hot and windy and we didn't last long...plus we did more visiting with our friend jane than anything else - friendship trumps painting anyday, i'm thinking...so i think i'm finished with this and i plan to take this and another up to the downtown midland gallery next week. i haven't checked my traps there in a while and i need to rearrange stuff. we're getting ready for our first ever cruise ..(we sail one week from today)...and i really don't want to stress over this so i'm going to really concentrate on getting ready! - may not have too much time to paint. i plan to take my laptop and hopefully post some of our adventures. i'm not going to take my paints but hope to do some sketching or maybe some small watercolors...we are more than excited!! - meanwhile the frenchies' puppy arrived last night...he's just 6 weeeks old and already he thinks nels is his mom!! wait til ruby arrives in a few weeks - we'll have the scooby and ruby show...and nels will be so happy...perhaps...

from the david workshop...

11x14 oil on sretched canvas so here's a photo of the scene we were looking at in martinsville...it was a beautiful day and i was trying somewhat of a new pallette - he had us mix several values and all of a suddden it looked like i had cotten candy or ice cream in front of me - all this thick, luscious whipped cream-looking stuff...i kind of went over the top with the color but it was fun and i'm always ready to push myself - new boundaries - plus - after i got home i hated to waste all that paint so i got busy and started a project that i can't post for a while since it will be a christmas present...but the colors were somehow perfect for this new painting! you'll see what i mean later.....meanwhile...we have news - the frenchies next door have been wanting to get a puppy - they've looked and looked and wanted to surprise their 5 kids with a golden since they all adore nellie and they know we have a new puppy coming in a few weeks as a baby sister. anyway they thought they had one lined up to go and pick out in a few weeks but all of a sudden.....the puppy is ready and COMING HOME TONIGHT!!!!! it's so much fun to be in on the surprise!! - (flash- 3 of the frenchies just arrived at the front door looking for scary masks to play a game with their dad - i had to really bite my tongue!!)...anyway - went to a beautiful wedding at 2 this afternoon and now just hanging out waiting to go to the reception at 5:30 - bummer because i can't get into anything that would get me dirty or grimy or sweaty.....which is just about everything i do....

more work...

here's my lady..biting her lip...i needed to do a bit more and i think i may be done. i haven't had time to post in so long, i needed to get this posted. i'll have more time tomorrow to fill in the spaces a bit....

day after

well we had a great time with doug david! - he was very knowledgeable and actually made me do something i've been meaning to do for a long time...break down my colors into values..so we had a lot of paint on our canvas and a lot of luscious light values...sort of like an array of ice cream...or cotton candy...yummy...and so my paintings ended up very high key - bright and vivid - not so much like the actual landscape we were looking at, however! i did buy a new holder for my paints..sort of an upright thing that holds the various values in different containers so i think it will make me much more organized in the long run. i'm not going to really get into it til after our cruise so the paint won't dry out. more on that later! i didn't get any photos of the workshop in progress but tomorrow i'll post the scene we were looking at and...maybe.....some of my stuff...

heading to a workshop!!

i haven't been able to post in a few days - very busy...but today two friends and i are heading to martinsville for an oil painting workshop with douglas david. i've enjoyed his florals over the years but i've not seen much of his landscape work so we're going to give it a go. i'll be sure and take pix and post them here -...oh - and my grandson ollie finally had his "locks for love" cut off. he's a gorgeous 4 year old and really had quite the hot summer with this project. the day he was scheduled for his haircut he woke up and said "today i'm ready to be a little boy again!" what a hoot!

another in a series...

18x24 oil on stretched canvas
maybe i'll name this one "i'm thinking...." this gal is biting her lower lip...in worry? in angst? in puzzlement? it was fun to do and it will be heading up to the snips hair place in the next day or two. we went to tillie's 8th birthday party last night...lots of fun and squeeling and running all over the place...and that was just the adults!! - (kidding!) i almost couldn't sleep with my neon bracelet keeping me awake all night...and we got to see jimmy's mom and sister - all the way from oz - they are having such a good time with tils and ols - i can't imagine being half way across the world from loved ones...i don't think i could bear it.....got to play golf today - we actually kept score and had a great day! i'm getting better, i think!

back home again...

here we are with our host and hostess, tim and katie..after a gourmet italian dinner

this is my friend johnny on his way out the door...he owns the very fine RiverPark Furniture...the best furniture store in the south bend / mishawaka area!

well, we had a wonderful time at the sweeney's, as usual...tim prepared a fabulous italian meal for us thursday night, complete with lemon gelatto..homemade...(the boy can cook!!) wendy couldn't make it but red and collette were there... bob and loraine weren't able to be there so on friday, davey and i drove over to their house to see them and say hello before we headed back home. so happy to see them!! we were so far east that we decided to drive through south bend on our way so we got off at the exit near notre dame, drove past st. mary's, st. joe high school, my alma mater, on through town, pointing out where tim grew up and the park with the duck pond, from whence my house was a hop, skip and a jump...the best part was seeing this grand old building with the name "south bend civic theater" emblazoned across the front - right in the middle of town! a far cry from the little firehouse theatre my mom was so instrumental in getting off the ground in the 60's. it took my breath away and i know she'd be (she is) so proud!!...then last night davey and i teamed with our friends bobby and juju and won the friday night nine and dine scrambles - 5 under for 9 holes which was pretty darn good! this afternoon i delivered my magnolia painting to my friend moon...she seemed very tickled to have it which is what this painting business is all about, really... a thrill for me!!

at the sweeney"s....

here's our host, timmy, replete in his monogrammed bathrobe, relaxing on his porch and, in his own words.."not lacking in class"...

so here we are at fisher lake..in three rivers michigan - with our very old and dear friends, tim and katie. we had a great dinner at this wonderful restaurant across the lake last night and then of course some rummykub (katie's the one who taught me this game a while back)...today we have lots planned..cleaning the boat, a walk, a boatride, preparing for a dinner party tonight with old highschool buddies...can't wait. above is the view from the porch - we're sitting here having coffee and starting the day right!!!! i'll get some pix this evening and post them tomorrow!!...maybe...

a very sad day....

well..the tree people came today..i was surprised to come home and find them here, working away..because i didn't know we'd set a date to have this done. but, trust me, it needed to be done because that tree was not safe. i'm just so sad because it's probably at least a hundred-year-old tree and i know it's now in pain and feeling very sheepish. i'm posting some before and after pix - some from when we came home to find one third of it in the frenchie's yard..and then one from today. very very sad....

something new...and a portrait commission

6x6 oil on canvas panel

i'm trying a new template for my blog - wanting to get some opinions - i'm wondering whether a larger font will make it easier to read? i've increased it somewhat but i'm thinking of going even bigger...maybe... - also wanted to post the first painting of my family of commisions...this is the youngest daughter - i'm really having trouble with my photoshop being able to save things for later uploading. can't seem to get the oldest daughter saved properly. we're golfing today but i may be able to squeeze in a few hours in my studio beforehand...another glorious day!

a little magnolia painting for moon...

8x10 oil on stretched canvas

so here's a little magnolia painting for my friend moon - she's a bit under the weather and i wanted to cheer her up a bit! - this is taken from a photograph moon took and had published in the republic in the section entitled "take your best shot". she really seemed excited when i told her i was going to paint this for her. i need to let it dry and then frame it and off it goes. i also started working on a couple portrait commissions - i'm doing 4 children in one family - all small vignettes and i think i may be done with the two girls. i need to get another reference photo for the youngest boy and i'm still working on the eldest boy. they are gorgeous children and so much fun to paint! my hubby worked the the ER today so i had the day to myself and it really felt good to get back to the studio! - i'm inspired to get a bit more organized up there - i can hardly turn around! - but tomorrow will be golf!@ and then tuesday is ladies day and then wednesday we travel to visit the sweeney's in michigan - busy, busy! but life is good!!!!

i'm painting tomorrow...

it's been a busy couple days - we had a pipe burst in the basement...discovered it after hearing a bunch of gurgling in the sink and couldn't figure it out and then my hubby went downstairs to work out and heard this awful sound...thank heavens we were home and it didn't cause any more damage than it did! - what's going on??? - trees falling...pipes bursting...comcast failing...pool leaking...yikes!! - but i'm definitely going to paint tomorrow - i'm planning to do a little magnolia painting for my friend moon who's a bit under the weather. hopefully i'll be able to post it late tomorrow.