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)