i have not fallen off the face of the earth......

...it just feels like it sometimes!!!!  actually  i have been doing lots of painting...but..alas.. not in my studio...in my bedroom!!!..since i was finaly allowed to update my bathroom...that led to a double coat of paint on all the woodwork, doors and windows in my bathroom, bedroom and study..all adjoining.  i am completely done with EVERYTHING  except the one wall of built-in bookshelves...and i can't decide if i want to  paint the whole thing or just the fronts of everything, since the original color is an off-white and the new color is white white..it may be kind of fun to have a bit of contrast  and i'm not sure i can take much more of this!!  i NEED to get back to painting...in my studio!!!...on another note, i did paint some champagne glasses as a gift from our group for a young couple getting married in the fall...we had a couples' shower for them this past weekend which ended up to be a lovely event.  and on yet another note, our group..(cindy, judy, sally and i) had the most magnificent time playing in our member/guest tournament today!!!....  the weather was spectacular...the food was wonderful...and we fricked and fracked our way to a win at two over par 74!!  we actually shot a 34 on the front with three natural birdies..and a bogie...(BOO!)..but we got a bit full of ourselves or we may have actually been able to close it out at even par...the golf gods gave us a serious slap of humility, as we limped in, bogying two of the last three holes...ok..so we were tired and hungry...how do the pros do it for 4 straight days???  what fun though!! - and life is not just about painting...it's also about golf with your friends!!  who's with me?????

Best of the Best Challenge...."Headin' Home"

This is my submission for the "best of the best" challenge for the (www.dailypaintersinternationalartgallery.blogspot.com)  ...a very simple painting, done years ago, sold years ago ( i have giclees available)...but i love it for a couple reasons..a couple of "firsts"...it was the first painting i ever did on linen...(WOW!!)..and the first where i used a limited pallette (ultramarine, yellow ochre, alizarin crimson plus white)...i love the design, the depth and this was the first time ( and i'm sure you guys know what i'm talking about)...where the painting just literally fell off my brush!..

 

plein aire paint out in columbus

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Millrace Park

11x14 oil on canvas panel

so there was an IPAPA paint out today - actually here in columbus - and i almost didn't make it..the weather was iffy...had stuff going on...but eventually headed down to the park. everyone else painted at the Irwin gardens and that would have been very fun but this was my effort for the day - at least i was outside and the paint was flowing!! this is a view of the white river from one of the overlooks in the park.  i love the tree overhanging the water!

old abe challange

Abe Lincoln challenge by Susie Gregory

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so the challenge here was to just use two colors and work on values.  i used untramarine blue and burnt umber.  i really needed to get my juices flowing again because i've been away for so long and i'm happy to get back at it!!

home from georgia...

so we're finally home...and what a great time we had!! papper took us all on a shrimp trawler cruise...they showed us how they lower the nets and trawl the bottom for shrimp...and whatever else!!!  each time they brought up the net and splashed the contents all over this table, there were at least 3 or 4 sharks, along with a billion other things...all of which my grandchildren actually held in their hot little hands!!  very proud of themselves and very dirty and smelly at the end of the day!!..but so was I!!!!...we learned how to dehead shrimp with just our thumb and forfinger and tils, ols and i really got the hang of it.  shrimp are scarse down south at the moment but we cought enough to each have a good heaping plateful which they had cooked up for us.  what fun!!!  of course we had to sit outside at dinner that night and hope the wind was blowing in the right direction!!  and i'll be throwing those clothes away

heading south...

the other day i was heading to my studio to paint.  my hubby was working in the new bathroom...putting things in the brand new recessed medicine chests (love em!)...so i thought i'd change direction and paint in there.  i'm talking woodwork.  i got a really good start - the whole tub room, all the ceiling trim, one door, but then there's the room with the vanity which attaches to the bedroom with one wall of built-in (wooden) bookshelves, which attaches to the den.....in other words..i really have my work cut out for me! - and then golf has started..and then we leave tomorrow for the house in georgia where we will be barging in on our two daughters who have tandem weeks down there.  but fun, fun, fun!! - i'm not taking my paints and i'm not even mixing paints because things will dry out by the time i get back.  but we have an IPAPA paintout here in columbus the following saturday and i'll be dragging some buddies to that!!  time to get back at it..next week..

power....

we lost it..and then we got it back long enough to watch the final episode of IDOL...so happy for scotty...and then we lost it again..all night long...far into the morning....so we've been without power for a long, long time...we got slammed last night - possible tornadoes...lots and lots of trees uprooted but nothing...i'm telling you..NOTHING.. like we've seen in missouri or other places! - just a bad storm!  thankfully!!  at times like these, as we're cutting up the tree limbs fallen in our front yards, we thank our lucky stars and pray for all those people who've lost everything.  heart-breaking, i'll tell you!...slowly putting the bathroom back together...bringing in lots of peonies and photographing them for future reference - don't have the time i need to do any painting justice right now...priorities, and all...the one above is a definite possibility...

value study...new challenge from carol marine

so here's the latest daily paintworks challenge...a value study with one value being the"most", one value a bit less and one value just a "smidge"..in this case i went for the medium value being dominant with a bit less of dark value and the lightest value the smidge.

 
so this is my value study - i can see that the middle value doesn't read middle enough above...in the  color study below, i tried to carry the value study through.  it's a good and valuable tool - being able to make your values "read" - i think i need to go at this again  after i get my bathroom a bit more in order...they delivered the granite top today and i am very excited!! 



lemon meringue...

30x24 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so here's my final painting for the sweetrose bakehouse...she gave us a whole pie so i've had a bunch of pieces and saved this one for the painting!! i may tweak it a bit as it's drying but i'm so happy to get back to the studio.  i cut a bunch of peonies today so some flower paintings are definitely in my future

backyard rose

6x6 oil on canvas panel
so here's the painting i did yesterday...i think i'm too distracted to do much justice to anything right now...they started to install my cabinet today - the granite top comes tuesday - there's much painting to do up there...but until i can get to that next week, maybe i can get something done in my studio.  davey picked up a piece of lemon meringue pie today - i have one more big painting to do for the sweetrose bakehouse - hopefully tomorrow - or at least i can get a good picture of it if i can't paint it from life...if it's nice we may just have to golf!!!!!

working on a rose

this is a rose from my backyard.  i HAD to try and paint something for me today.  i faux finished walls...i hand embellished two giclees for a client...after stretching them on very thick and difficult stretcher bars...(hrumph!)...and now i'm working on this rose- after seeing the photo, i'm not happy so i'll work some more tomorrow and post something then for sure.  i thought i'd put a pic of the unfinished bathroom project up.

the lighting is terrible so you can't see the finish well..lots of bronze, copper, tealy green-blue, my vanity is being delivered tomorrow.  you can see the chocolate brown tiles on the bathroom floor in the background.  i've decided on white white wordwork...can't wait to get started on that.  will i EVER get back to my studio???

too busy

i've been busy faux-finishing my bathroom walls...painting...but not the sort i can post.  maybe i'll take a pic tomorrow...and hope to get back to the studio soon!

yardwork!!

i am knee deep... elbow deep...muddy...sore and tired.  and not done!!  i have my last tennis match tomorrow so i can finally get on with my summer - golf, gardening, painting - can't wait!!  i am so excited  about the birth of my good friends ben and ceebs very first grandchild - he will rock their world!!!!

"Lost in New York"

5x7 oil on canvas panel
so here's another of the daily paintworks challenges..she's into her mobile device...cell phone? ipod?  totally absorbed...thus the name.....i'm so behind on these - but little by little i'm sneaking up...i think mostly i'm trying to put off doing the self-portrait, which was last week's or maybe the week before. i have yet to attempt any of the challenges from the two new sites i'm on - http://www.dailypaintersinternationalartgallery.com/  and http://www.artistsinternationalgallery.com/ ..soon!!...got to get to the yard today!

"White Peonies..Blue Pot"

6x6 oil on canvas panel
i finally got to do what i wanted for the whole day...it being mother's day and all...and i got to spend almost the whole day in my studio.  i managed to fit in a scrumptious breakfast and lunch fixed by my hubby and a dog walk in the park but other than that, it was paint, paint paint!!!  this is a little floral piece - i'll be taking this out to elsbury's with some other florals.  i may be doing some fruits and veggies for them as well.  i did another of the challenges i'm behind on and i'll most likely post that tomorrow.  i'm working on a nude but i'm not sure it's done...have to take a break and see what i think....happy mother's day to all of us fabulous mothers all over the world!!!!

chicken challenge

6x6 oil on canvas panel
so here's another of the daily paintworks challenges.  i'm a bit behind in these - i think it started when we went to georgia and i couldn't paint as much as usual...we spring-cleaned the porch today and i worked in the front yard a bit - getting ready to have a super fantastical home made meatball and spaghetti dinner prepared by my wonderful hubby!

frosted mother's day cookie...

i had to paint this!!!!  and i know i didn't do it the justice it deserves because it's the end of a long day and i rushed a bit.  but isn't this the coolest thing ever?  the sweetrose bakehouse has a few left...they have some in green and they also have decorated purse cookies!!!  i took a closeup picture of this and may have another go at it but i'm first gonna EAT it!!! on another note.... we had such a nice day - i joined my friends cindy, phyllie and sukey at the new "Millie's" lunch spot at elsbury's greenhouse.  after many years, gorden and family have retired and it's under new ownership..kim mckinley and husband and daughter and son-in-law and other miscellaneous rels...such a wonderful spot to visit...and they even have PLANTS!!!!!  if you haven't been there in a while, i highly recommend it!!! very user friendly and kim has lots more surprises in the works!!

busy with other stuff...

i haven't had much time to paint in the last few days...working on bathroom remodel stuff and trying to get a bit more organized around here. i have been asked by K Madison Moore (http://www.kmadisonmoore.blogspot.com/)  to consider joining two sites, Daily Painters International Art Gallery and International Artist's Gallery. check it out by clicking on the widgets at the right! i think this will be a good thing and i am hoping that joining forces with other artists from around the world will be stimulating, exciting and, hopefully, eventually profitable.   this will take some doing to set up and i'm trying to squeeze it in among my other chores and projects and parties.  got to get ready now for a plate-painting party in honor of my friend margaret.  anytime one of us turns 60 we gather and each of us paints an individual plate so she'll have a set of 8 or sometimes 9.  margaret is a teensy bit past 60 but somehow missed out on her stack of plates.  of course this always involves wine....we have too much fun!!

getting closer...

so i have been working and working on this...since the glass of milk is a cylinder..it needs to look like a cylinder...tough to do...i'm almost there.  i've been dashing up and down from my studio...watching the golf playoffs and thinking i'm done with the piece and then seeing that i'm not quite done..and dashing back up!  at the moment bubba and webb simpson are dead even after the first playoff hole.  i love playoffs!

more of george's...

so i worked a bit on this yesterday...browned up the cookies a bit and added a bit of background..actually it looks as if i've painted the milk white but that's only the white of the canvas - i didn't do an underpainting for this one..unusual for me.  i think i was so excited to get going on it, i just plum forgot!...bob anderson's stillframes is moving tomorrow so i had to get all my stuff out of there today...i ran into my good buddies kendal and linda as i was arriving and they were leaving.  many thanks to them for taking the time to stop in to see the work. i'll be taking a bunch of the new stuff to the galleries in indy next week and, after a bit more yard work, it's back to my studio - i'm excited to get back at it!!!

sneaking up on "george's" cookies...

so i promised rose (sweet rose bakehouse, 16th and home) i would do another large-ish painting for her bare walls. the great big cupcake will go in there either friday or saturday and we need another one or maybe even two paintings for the space. i have discovered "george's cookies"...an unbelieveable concoction with white chocolate, macadamia nuts, dried cranberries, nuts... gorgeous and to die for!!! i am trying to do them justice and it may take some doing. i can see now that i've photographed the piece that they need to be a bit more toasty brown colored....the thing is...i need to finish this because they won't last forever! - each time when i finish working i cover them with plastic wrap so i know they'll still be good. rose doesn't sell anything a day old - several weeks ago i begged her for some cookies because i had my grands coming and she was closing and said she had none - but she GAVE me a few because she wasn't going to sell them...how cool is that???...a break from the rain today but it's COLD!!...there may be time for a bit more yard work.

sisters....

so today i worked in the yard...we had a bit of a respite from the rain and i thought the weeds would just pop right out...not so much!...i'm working on another great big painting for rose's bakehouse and i'll post that tomorrow but for today i thought i'd post these two little studies i did of sisters...they have two brothers that i have yet to get to...my bad...i'm taking down the exhibit at stillframes on friday. i was thrilled to have the opportunity and i've had so much positive feedback...lots of fun!!

back home again...in indiana????

oh my mercy!!! the rain!!! - we actually were a bit nervous about the trip home..last year at this time we almost got stuck in the flooding in nashville...but the trip was fairly uneventful, other than 3 wrecks and some awfully ominous skies. but the rain!!!! our poor doggies are going stir crazy - they want to go out but then they don't - and of course nellie won't leave my side - she HATES rain and thuunder! so we're in the middle of our bathroom remodel, stuff all over, no mail yet for some reason and i have many, many chores to attend to...so no painting til i get caught up. hope that will be soon!!!

big storm...

we're watching IDOL and the hail is falling, the dogs are shaking, the dogs are barking, the house is swaying...but...hey - we're on vacation! we played the brunswick country club today..about 200 yards shorter than harrison and a fun course...i shot an 82 but my hubby shot a 78..and we're always battling to see who wins...what fun!! and a wonderful dinner with some great edna valley chard...and almost time to go home. i'm bringing all my paintings home for my galleries in indy. the island is struggling at the moment..some of the galleries will be closing..so we'll see what happens this year. can't wait to get on to the next event!!!!!

another beach painting...

here's another beach painting. i ran across the cutest kids a couple days ago and managed to get a few pics of them....this is the result...and i'm sorry for the poor quality of the photograph - i don't have my tripod here and the lighting isn't the best. i took some more photos yesterday and i think i have some good possibilities but i won't be able to tackle them til after i get back to indiana...no more time for things to dry...so i'm packing up my paints and i'm going to concentrate on golf for the next 3 days. then home. rats!

for some reason the arrangement of my posts has changed - i'll try and get it back where it was but until then...this is a little beach baby i painted yesterday and today. we took a long walk with the girls and i got lots of good pix for future painting fodder!..no golf today but we may hit balls - just reveling in the relaxation and the sunshine..(i hear it's nasty back home in indiana!)

did some painting today...

since i'm on vacation, it's more about golfing than painting...our couples' trip is over...we had such fun as usual... and i had a chance to get at some painting this morning before golf...hope to post some paintings tomorrow...this is a picture of a wonderful par three at the frederica golf course where we played yesterday. we played the plantation course today and we're heading to someplace new tomorow...isn't vacation fun????

having fun!!!..workshop painting and some views from our place

so here's one of the paintings i did in the douglas david workshop...very bright colors - suited much better to florals - this is also a view of the ocean from our upstairs porch...we are having a great time - two days of golf under our belts - a big pizza party here last night and more golf on tap for today...can't wait!!

been a while..

it's not that i haven't been painting...along with my friends nan and carolyn, i took a workshop in martinsville yesterday with douglas david...my second with him and it was great! - i'll probably post the paintings i did. this new palette is much more condusive to florals than landscapes, at least in my hands! we're getting ready to head to georgia tomorrow and i have so much to do. they will possibly be starting my bathroom remodel while we're gone and i have to clear that out. meanwhile, i wanted to post some pics of my show at stillframes. i'll try and get bob to email me a few pics of the opening. for now, here's the way it looks! my painting of elizabeth and the big cupcake and the butler homage are all in the window!

thanks to everyone!!

12x4 oil on gallerywrap canvas - another ireland painting..inspired by my friend johnny

oh my goodness!! what a nice time!!! and what a nice turnout!!! - i was nervous to begin with and then my good friend sally from indy walked through the door and from then on it was all good!!...i can't begin to list the people who showed up - mike and judy, john and nan, karl, linda, janeann and fred, tom and sandy, leanne and mike, jen and tillie, jif and gabby, nancy, carol, eris,bobbie, judy, bob and nancy..and i'm just getting started....can't possibly name them all...thanks to everyone!!!!!...and now it's back to work and the real world!! - hitting the garage tomorrow, according to my hubby...yikes!!

thanks to danny....

12x4 oil on gallerywrap canvas

i got a wonderful shoutout from danny dakich (he'll always be danny to me....even though you know him as dan dakich on espn tv and his radio show on 1070the fan. i emailed him a photo of "the butler way" and he really seemd to like it and mentioned it on his show - what could be better, i ask you???...i think i'm ready for tonight - working on some extra food as i'm writing this - i'm posting one of the small paintings from ireland.....my friend karl teeing off...

two dog night...

well - we celebrated ruby's 7 month birthday by having a sleepover!! - we brought her crate up to our room earlier this week and, after some play time, bedded her down each night...and she was such a good girl! - we took away the squeeky toy the second night and got a better sleep...so last night we decided, after she romped around on the bed and then settled down with nels...maybe we'd let her stay! and stay she did...and she was a good girl...but i don't think there's any turning back now! she is one smart puppy and she intends to spend every night from now on nestled somewhere between our leggers and her big sister - my goodness...what have we done???...on another note, i think i'm finally ready for the opening tomorrow - spent the afternoon down at the gallery, helping set up - i took a few pics of some things i forgot to photograph here so i'm not sure about the quality - here's my painting entitled "the butler way"....go dawgs!!!!

OH..MY..MERCY!!!!!!!

"Big Poppies" 36x12 oil on gallerywrap canvas here's another of the paintings i did recently...one i really like..and i just got a phone call from my daughter boogie...telling me she loved the "elizabeth" painting and did i realize i said "gone with the wind" was my favorite movie of all time!! - oh man... yes i said that and yes i know elizabeth taylor was NOT in that movie..it was vivien leigh, for crimeny sakes...but i may have had a glass of wine or something..or maybe my mind and memory just went out the window...wow!...anyway...just wanted to clear that up!... i'm getting ready to haul a big bunch of stuff down to bob's stillframes gallery and then home to work some more on the butler painting. when i photographed it this morning, as so often happens, the camera catches something i miss so it's back to work for me!

bobby flay..where are you?

i just had, without a doubt, the best meatballs and spaghetti...the ABSOLUTE best warm spinach salad i ever tasted....and all here in my own home.... i'm tellin' ya...MY BOY CAN COOK!!!!!!!

"Pears"

4x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas here's a very small piece for the show - i've been so busy today - and i think i'm actually ahead of schedule. the problem is, i still have ideas in my head for paintings but i don't think anything else will dry so i may have to call it a day. i still have tons to do - but i'm getting very excited! hope somebody shows up! tomorrow i'll post this big butler painting i did - sort of a leroy nieman sort of dealie...

butler homage.....

i can't post it yet but it will be dry tomorrow - sort of a leroy neiman-esque basketball painting...done in acrylic...honoring butler of course and their amazing run...not over yet, hopefully...i think i may have to be done painting for the opening on friday - nothing i do from here on in will dry, i'm thinking..unless i have time to do a bit of acrylic stuff...but there's much to do to prepare - framing, catalogueing,(?), organizing food and drink...i'm getting very excited...just hope some people can get away for a bit to join us...

my homage to elizabeth...

24x18, oil on gallery wrap canvas

....we share the name elizabeth...her first name, my middle name...but she was something, wasn't she??...she had violet eyes and i'm not sure they come through on this photograph but violet they are... she had 7 husbands and eight marriages..(she married richard burton twice...couldn't help herself, if you remember)...i heard years ago the reason she kept getting married was because she wouldn't sleep with anyone she wasn't married to and she was a very passionate person...can you imagine that philosophy in today's society? how refreshing!! and a bit whacky..i loved gone with the wind..i think my favorite movie of all time..and the original father of the bride..although we love the steve martin version around here...(that's an-i-mal..... armani don't make no blue tux-ah-do......)...anyway - i wanted to do this painting in memory of this grand old dame - reminds us all that we must be getting a bit older and i hate to think that way...i swear i'm getting younger...at least that's my story and i'm sticking with it....

the puppies were a hit!!!

i was able to present the puggle painting yesterday...and i think she really like it!! - she welled up pretty good!..and that's always a good sign!! planning to spend the whole day upstairs and maybe i'll be able to post something later.

"home-made"...painting for japan

6x6 original oil on canvas panel

so i managed to get this done today. it's for the japanese relief effort and i encourage you to go to the daily paintworks website (www.dailypaintworks.com), click on the challenge and bid on one or more of the fine pieces of art you'll find there...it's for a very good cause and all the money raised goes to help the displaced japanese people. this piece is a smaller version of a very large piece i did for the upcoming show and, provided it doesn't sell during the run of the show, it will then hang in the sweet rose bakehouse. i spent much of the day doing mundane stuff...cleaning up after my very bad puppy...she's now tearing up stuffing and chewing up plastic bim bags but she's still a good little girl...sort of...spent a good bit of time doing necessary promotion for the show next friday and then jen came over for a much needed game of rummy - we were both so ready!!! i'll be able to paint some in the morning and then it's up to indy for a baby shower and on to see our new IU recruit in the high school basketball finals. kokomo's in it, my hubby's alma mater and he's very excited, to say the least!

i need a name...

36x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas

i didn't get this cropped very well and i don't have a name for it yet - it was hard to get it to stand up straight but i think you can get the idea...it's dry enough to carry around and possibly by later today i can varnish it. there are more up there that are still too wet. i need to work on my painting for the japan relief today. hope to get to that when my chores are done!

reallly getting excited!!

just have a moment to post something...i can't post any paintings because everything is wet but i'm having a wonderful time and doing some very fun stuff...(at least phyllie likes it...)..all in preparation for my show that opens one week from tomorrow!!!! i am freaking out.....

high rollers...big winners!!!!

10x20 original oil on gallery wrap canvas - NFS

home from our trip and are we ever happy to be back! - we had to sit through a two and a half hour presentation - they wanted us to spring for a time share condo - to the tune of 17% interest...can you say...what?"??!!?? - who did they think they were kidding?? - probably most of the potential suckers they had filing in and out of there. they actually brought in two different closers and when they finally got it that we weren't interested...they were over us so fast and couldn't wait to get us out of there and on to the next fool!!...but we did have a good time in the sports book - couldn't stay in there for too long at a time because of the crowds and the smoke...but it was fun to have a little action on the games. i'm happy and proud to say we won $1100.00!!!!!! - and yes, all we had to spend to win that amount was $1000.00!!! and the only thing that saved our butts was a four-fecta we had on yesterday's games - we won florida, uconn, butler and san diego state...and they all had to win for us to win this particular bet. we're doing some virtual gambling on today's games and thank heaven we aren't using real money!! - the thing is...you may have picked the team that wins but they have to cover the point spread or you lose your bet, even though they win the game. BIG lesson for moi!!!...but we had fun and had some great food and saw this fabulous show called mystere - a cirque de soleil show - fantastical, to say the least!! - so now it's home and on to my show ...but first i had to do a little puggle painting for our dear friends' first grandchild. i have some other stuff drawn and looking forward to tomorrow. there's a new challenge from the daily painters i hope to get to - it's a fund raiser for the disaster effort going on in japan. all the paintings will (hopefully) be auctioned off and the proceeds go to the efforts. so i'm encouraging all who read this to go to the site and buy something - maybe mine?? - when i do it?? for now, i'll post these little puggles.

sweet rose's bakehouse

one more thing....yesterday i stopped in at rose's to chat about the art i will be doing for her walls. jen met me there so tils and ollie could have a sweet. when i arrived tillie was digging in to the most gorgeous-looking thing i'd ever seen. it was coconut cream pie and i swear it had a 5 inch meringue on top!! of course i had a bite and it was the best i ever tasted!!! i mean the best! - and then there are the cookies...i love "george's" the best - chock full of good things! anyway - for you locals, it's just been open for 2 weeks and it's located at 16th and home avenue, in the old "terra cotta" building. i'm telling you....good people and good sweets!!!!!

"girl in a straw hat"...a la mary cassatt

20x16 original oil on stretched canvas

so this is the painting i've been working on for a while...another mary cassatt homage...the top photo is the original image...a bit oil stained at the lower left because i'm always picking it up to get a closer look.....i have always loved this painting..the tenderness of the child, her very big straw hat, the simplicity of the piece...and i think i've finally captured her essence. we leave today for las vegas and i think i'm all packed. (actually i'm not packed at all but i have things in piles)...i hate when i'm not living in the moment...at this point, i'm excited for our trip but ....i can't wait to come home and get back at it!!!!

"Steppin Out"

12x12 original oil on gallery wrap canvas
so my friend diane brought me her fancy ruffled kickers...gorgeous shoes and so much fun to paint! - we head to vegas tomorrow and since we're only taking carry on luggage...yes, you heard it here...i'm not sure my computer will make it. i may be totally on the loose with no supervision and i may get into all sorts of trouble....

new work...

i did a fun high heel painting yesterday but it's not quite done - meanwhile i met the nicest lady who's opened a new bakery in town. i stopped in there friday, looking for cookies for the grands and our sleepover...she was closing and was out of cookies - a good thing since that means they've been busy - but then she thought she might find some i could have - she doesn't sell anything a day old so we lucked out and got a few lefties....also ...she had very bare walls...just opening and all..and i am going to do some pastry paintings for her..maybe a cupcake, some milk and cookies, a big juicy piece of pie...we'll see... hoping to get to the studio one more day tomorrow before we head to vegas for the first round of the ncaa's and the sports book...and a few shows..and some great food...and a time share tour...ah well...can you say "CHEAP VACATION????"....should be fun and i'll be well rested and ready for art when i return!

two paintings...

we had a great time!! - never did get to rummykub...too much other stuff to do...the kids stayed up much later than i did..but thanks to jase, i got to hear about all their exploits in the morning instead of being right in there for them...we hit the hay about 9:30 and according to the kids they stayed up til 11:00, 1:30, 2:30, 4:00, you name it...and jase was in charge! - so all in all it was a huge success and so much fun to be together! we actually climbed trees this morning...some of us...and then i managed to get to my studio this afternoon for two paintings..which i will post...

getting ready for the grands!!!!!

no painting to post today...yesterday was TAX day - we went to drop off our numbers to our tax guy and once again...i think i may be getting some phone calls...i really try and squeeze every last bit of write-off possibility out of my business...and i still think it's terribly unfair that the pieces we artists donate to various organizations - and i do several each year - are not in anyway deductible. we can deduct the cost of materials but not the fair market value. the person buying the art gets the deduction - good for them - and bless them for buying the work! - but still a bummer for the artists. anyway...enough of that...i am preparing for the onslaught of 5 - count 'em FIVE - small to medium-sized people...we're having a sleepover at gan and pap's and everyone is very excited! - they love to get together and i think it's been since christmas since they've all been under the same roof at the same time...i can see a lot of rummykub in my future since they all love to play - even joe who's going to be four in june (the youngest) - well..maybe he just plays along and doesn't actually play. but the rest of them are really good and getting better all the time. ollie (5 last november) LOVES it when he beats me! and i'm no slouch!! my good friend katie taught me this game a summer or so ago and little does she know she has created a monster! - a bunch of monsters, actually, since my girls are freaks now, too!..we also have toy story 3 and a new game of kid's clue and of course plenty of popcorn and the wii is all ready for them. i think the frenchies from next door may even join us for a while!! what fun we will have! and tomorrow...if i have one ounce of energy left, i will head to my studio. i bought some gorgeous white roses today and thursday found a wonderful blue ginger jar at the antique mall...hoping to see how they fit together for a still life. stay tuned!!

dressing table

6x6 oil on canvas panel
well - i got home from my match today...and there was my boy..announcing that i had gotten a "D" in tax preparation! and here i thought i'd done a presentable job - i forgot we both had to get new cars last year...( can you say sales tax?)...and i forgot to put our household numbers on his desk..i HAD them...i just forgot to put them with the rest of the stuff. i told him he could handle my tax stuff next year and take over paying the bills if he was so inclined!! - no painting today...planning to get back at it tomorrow - we have an abe lincoln challenge so that should be fun! and i got some interesting sizes of gallery wrap canvas at michael's on the way home - can't wait!

One Shoe...Red Shoe....

original oil on 6x6 gallery wrap canvas
after working almost all day on my taxes yesterday..i'm still not done! - and i have a tennis match tomorrow so i must finish today!...just a quick post so i'll think i'm doing something....

"One Shoe...Blue Shoe"

original oil on 6x6 gallery wrap canvas
so today is the dreaded "tax" day....the day we get organized to hand our taxes over to our accountant....and, according to my hubby, unless i get my work done, i can't paint!...SO!...i've been sitting at my desk for the past two hours...working on my taxes!! - i don't have a computer program to keep track of all my stuff...just my trusty notebook! will i ever get dragged, kicking and screaming, into he 21st century?...my eyeballs needed a rest so i'm having lunch and thought i'd post one of the small paintings i've completed in the past few days.

carol marine's challange..

6x6 oil on canvas panel
here's my rendition of this week's challenge -we were supposed to put one stroke down and leave it and mix another stroke, put it down, etc. ...the object was not to noodle so much -to keep the paint fresher...this is hard for me - i tend to go back and rework things - STOP THAT!!! - i'm heading back to the studio to try and finish the mary cassatt works ...i may do another one - i love her so much!

back to the studio...and mary cassatt...

i'm finally back to work! - the picture on top is the one i'm copying...and then my painting is below...as i look at this through the camera's eyes i can see some things i need to fix - i neeed to adjust the values for one thing...plus she has a unique, sad and pouty look and i'm trying to capture that! - i found a book on mary cassatt i had around here and it shows a big close-up of breakfast in bed...i've been agonizing over that one and, after seeing her art so close, i think i know which way to go. she was actually very loose and used a tremendous amount of color...i'll work more on that tomorrow. i've also done a few small pieces - i need to wait til it stops raining so i can photograph them on the tripod. too blurry!..i'm trying to paint some new things for my opening the first of april. i don't know if i mentioned that i will be doing a one-woman show and it's thrilling but nerve-wracking all at once!..i had a good day today - i love this painting - at least i will when it's finished - mary was quite something - and my inspiration at the moment!!!