A long overdue update...

I know I have not posted in quite awhile...this was due to a number of things; I went to the Atlanta area, to visit my kids and grandkids, and then brought my oldlest grandson, Aaron, back to Mississippi with me, to help me finish sorting thru' stuff, and fixing some things around the house that I could not do myself.  We worked hard, and my house is now a house, instead of a storage room!  Such a wonderful feeling and I am forever grateful to his mom, and to him for all the help!

I did not paint while I was gone, or while he was here...so I have been trying to make up for a couple months off...haha!!


I did paint a few things after the rose, some of which had time constraints on as far as when I could post them...so I will show you the pre-trip work first.

I hope you like them....

My oldest daughter...Liz

20x16 wrapped canvas

A lighthouse from a verbal challenge, where we got a word picture to paint from rather than a photograph...much harder to do than I thought it would be...

20x24 wrapped canvas...the rocks in front are 3 dimensional done with modeling paste...still am not quite happy with this one, so it may undergo some changes...

Some beautiful morning glories...

10x8 wrapped canvas

An anniversary present for a lady who loves butterflies...

8x10 wrapped canvas

My lovely daughter-in-law, Denise...

20x16 wrapped canvas

A ballerina...just for fun...

12x12 wrapped canvas

Once I was alone, again, I was kind of in a hurry to start painting again...lol  So I quickly did a Christmas painting for the front porch...

20x24 on posterboard

While I was at my daughters, I did sketch a bit, and one was of a lady holding a snowball, from an ad for travel.  I could see so much more...

14x11 wrapped canvas

Then, since I had my daughters done, I started on the guys...This is my Mandi's husband, David...they have not seen it yet, and I so hope they like it!!

20x16 wrapped canvas

Then a little something different, because I love the blues...

12x12 wrapped canvas...still have some work to do, and will post the finish later...

Then, I went back to landscapes, and did one based on a quick study I had done earlier this year...

24x20 wrapped canvas...I think I am pretty much done with this one.

This should catch everyone up, on what I have been doing for the last few months.  Thanks for looking!

Been waitng....

I have been waiting to post for a number of reasons....but maily because the reveal date for the florals challenge was not until today.

This months floral challenge was to paint a rose...difficult enough for someone who is still learning to paint flowers of any kind....but the challenge was to paint it with the largest brush you owned.  So I gamely picked up a 3" house paint brush, and here's what I accomplished.  Could I have done better with smaller brushes?  I don't know.  I do know I like how this turned out...which is all that matters right now.  It looks like a rose...which was the goal.

 It is 20x24 wrapped canvas...acrylics....

There is another painting, of my oldest daughter...and I'd like her to see it before I post it, but I admit, my patience is running out...lol...so you may see it soon.

The lady rests....

Not sure if that applies to me, or to the painting...haha!!  I have got her to a point where I am satisfied, and actually happy with her.  Thanks to many dear artist friends who have offered suggestions and support!!  It never hurts to have extra eyes!!  Also thanks to a good friend, whose artistic and photography expertise allowed him to help me with the lighting problems...I did not quite go the way he showed me, BUT I never would have arrived without his help!!

Again, she is 24x30 in acrylics....

Shadows and light....

This is truly a battle, and my mind and eyes may not be up to the task...lol  Feel like taking a 2x4 and beating my head for not thinking of the lighting BEFORE starting...but no going back now.  I am struggling with the fact that my eyes tell me it has two light sources instead of one...yet my paintbrush seems to keep making the same mistakes over again....still trying to find some photo somewhere that I can use to judge the lighting.  Onward, tho' maybe not upward...

Another lady....

Just thought I'd let you know what I am working on at the moment....it is taking up my time, for sure!

I suppose if the other one, was a lady in a waterfall, this one is a lady in the forest...  she is 24x30 acrylics on heavy board....

Having trouble with photographing her skintones....if I get the background colors right, then she is too yellow and red, if I get her right, then the background is off...sigh.  I should learn how to use this camera, one day.

Hopefully this is better, as I worked on her skin, and took a better photo....the top of her rock is almost dry now, and will hopefully be the same color as the rest soon.

 I hope you enjoy watching as much as I enjoy painting! My break is over now!! 

July must be waterlily month....

I found that all the art challenges that I sometimes participate in, are water lilies.  I never realized how many different kinds and colors there were.  The variety is amazing!  And the colors!!  Here are the three I am working on...

12x12 acrylics on wrapped canvas

                  9x12 acrylics on wrapped canvas

                  9x12 acrylics on wrapped canvas

This one still has a few small tweaks to go....

A visit to Stonehenge...

I learned something new about Google maps last night, and found you could take a sort of walking tour of areas of interest....I found myself incorporating Stonehenge into a painting, so last night while researching the location of it in relation to other similar places, I found I could pretty much go there.  Absolutely fascinating, as I zoomed along the roads leading up to Stonehenge, Woodhenge, and Durrington Walls....all at some point in the prehistoric past, connected to each other for some reason.  Funny how as I get older, history becomes much more interesting....maybe because I get to pick and choose what I want to learn?

Another artist, calls this painting Magic Realism...I had not heard of this category, but I suppose it is more fitting than just simply Fantasy.  This is a painting, I did, and yet it seemed to have a mind of its own, and I did more following than leading!  I never intended it to be what it is, but that is one of the fun things with art...the journey!

I am calling this one Summer Solstice....it is 16x20 acrylics on wrapped canvas....


I finished the lady in the waterfall....2'x3'...


















Each month, a website I visit has a challenge painting, this month it was a pond with water lilies....so here is my waterlily....12x12  acrylics on wrapped canvas.  There were many parts of this I found challenging, but I am excited to know I can paint water droplets....I had never tried before!

 

That's all for now....I am off to see what to paint next.

Two in a row....oh my!

Thought I'd show you where I am with my lady....a few additions, to her.  Sorry about the white streaks....that is drying gel that will end up clear.

This has pretty much kept me busy....but am taking a break now!

Working on this....

Started this last night....it is 3'x2'...we shall see where it goes?  The fun thing about art is going with the flow...

I finished these up, as well....

 12"x12" acrylic on paper

11"x14" acrylic on mutlimedia artboard.

Just having fun in the heat.

And the painting goes on...

Been too hot to do much, so I have been painting....:)  I finally started on my grandfather's portrait.

This was the ref photo I had to work with, and it was not easy to see some of what I needed to see.

I gathered a few extra photos of him, from my brother....he does all the genealogy stuff in the family.  I tried to use the basic bone structure and such in an attempt to keep him looking young.

It was not easy to not paint him the way I knew him, but this photo is from around 1916-1918...before my mom was even born.  Here is where I am....my mom saw it and recognized that it was her dad....Yay!!  She is 90+ and I figured if she knew who it was, then I had 'done good'!


       acrylics on 16x20 canvas

Started this little dude last night....

               acrylics on 11x14 mutlimedia artboard

he is one of the mockingbird fledglings that have been living in my yard. He is from the second nesting....and there are new ones at the moment from the 3rd; mom and dad have kept this batch a bit more hidden.  They don't really seem to mind my curiosity or pictures....for some reason, they seem to know I won't hurt them.....maybe because I have helped to chase off the neighborhood cats.  I just love the stance he took....kind of a "make my day!", tho' it might have been "will these legs really hold me up?'  Long way to go with him...but hopefully he will turn out.

Last night I was watching the fireworks with the Boston Pops Symphony....and thought I'd paint along.  I painted on some scrap paper, just for fun, and liked it enough to use a canvas today.  I am not sure I am done yet...I never know....but I think I am close.

              acrylics on 24x24 deep wrapped canvas

Catch up time....again....

I am not sure I will ever be really good at keeping up on this....maybe one day, my life will balance itself out, and I will follow my own "rules" of what I am gonna do...like post in here, check my email, pay bills, clean the house, etc....on a regular basis, instead of hit and miss.

And maybe pigs will fly, and it will snow in hell, etc....

I have not done too much since the last post, at least not artwork; been working a bit on the house, which is important. Last week I got sidetracked by my paints....and here's some of what I did....

My daughter....isn't she beautiful?   16x20 acrylics

A dragon....just for fun....11x14 acrylics

A gardenia from my house....which I can mark sold!   11x14 acrylics

See you when I do something new....or maybe before....if I behave!  Thanks for looking!!

Treading water....

Some days I feel really good, and much like my 'old' self, and other days, I still feel like I am drowning in a sea of overwhelming stress.   I painted like crazy for a few months, but now find myself back in pc games...I go out a bit, but as little as possible; I don't seem to really want to be around people right now.  Watch out if you are a cashier somewhere and ask me how I am doing....I will probably tell you and ruin your day....lol.

I'm hoping a trip home will do me some good....mom and dad are in their nineties, and I miss them!  It will be nice to see a few friends and the rest of the family that is still there.  Funny how we spread out more and more, each generation seems to go further away. and all the 'old homesteads' are sold for the most part.  Very little looks as it did when we were young, which may be a good thing, and may not be; I suppose it depends on your viewpoint.

I kind of miss having a neighborhood where you knew everyone, and had occasional get-togethers....just for fun.  Not that one could not get to know ones neighbors now...but very few seem to bother; and the differences between neighbors seems greater than when I was young....maybe not as important, but there.

Well, I did not intend for this to be gloomy...it is a beautiful day outside...the birds are singing away, and lots of tiny little flowers scent the air.  I enjoy sitting on my porch, and watching things...I guess I am turning into an 'old' lady....lol.  Tho' I think I have always enjoyed watching, more than participating....or was it that I never got invited to participate?  Who knows.

Here is the little I have done, finished up one, and two more that I don't know if I am totally done or not....

Waking up....

I feel like I have been asleep for a year, tho' not without nightmares....I am trying hard to be "back", I hope you will bear with me.  I started painting again, the day after Christmas, and have not stopped....here I go with obsessing again....lol.

Even tho' it might not be what I should be doing, at least I feel more productive than I did hiding out in Farmtown,  Mahjong and solitaire :)

Still not very social, or chatty, I suppose that will change, so I will just post some of my work, and let you decide if I am doing better.

I will add a warning here: for anyone who is averse to partial nudity....close the window now....for anyone who is afraid of snakes, follow those who just left...  I am not into prohibiting things, I believe that the human body, if painted tastefully is artistic....and animals or reptiles are fair game....lol; at the same time, I have no wish to offend anyone!!  Consider yourselves warned!!
I started with trees....lol

sold right away, then just playing with branches....

A sunflower for my kitchen...

 I needed them to match....did fairly well I think....and back to trees

my brown mood...lol

finished this one up

and finally this one....now to make an Ohio run to deliver it.....

and a commission.....

Since I spend a bit of time watching WWE, I thought I would paint as I watched....see how well I did at the end of the post where I will put their names....

From an online challenge....

and a friend for him

finished another older one.....

saw a similar sunset on the way home from NMRC to visit Bubba....

Yet another online challenge....from Wales....two scenes...

And last but in no means least, and not for the feint of heart....I was 'worried' about the partial nudity  Yep....warning warning...but so far that has not been an issue, but the snake has....
This is called Conflict....chock full of all those artistic symbolism's and stuff :)  I could explain it all....I could simplify it....but I think I will just let you think on it.  If you need to know what it means to me, you are welcome to ask...

That's all for now....see you soon!!




(The Undertaker, Sheamus, the Great White, and Kane)