Class Example and Gel Transfers Practice

Angie is here today, our youngest daughter, she had bever done a transfer so we did one. This is also the transfer I showed my class how to do last week. Angie did the face with the red hair, mine is wearing a butterfly which if you notice people do all the time, you have to really take time to notice tho. The painting of the blonde was also painting done as demo at my class.

Really fun to have Angie here and a chance to paint as I haven't much this week as there is endless things to do all the time. You all know about this. Angie had no problem with transfer and loves how the house looks so di I.

Saying Goodby to Tulips, Tenderly

Tulips are gone, I miss them, and then to think a whole year till I see them again.

I did this very small painting with little time thinking of progression. It was also done thinking of class and the faces we did that were of a choice. The class women wanted things to look at but so amazing the way they turned out all different from hot colors to a swedish look, to small young face charm, to a pretty women with great hair. All so different with influence that led them their own way and made me very pleased. A good day with gratly fun people.

This painting will be easy for you to see the original and the altering of the painting with layering on the computer.

Inspiration Borrowed and Garden

Inspiration from Floundering Star mae me wat something new in the garden art catagory. I had these things sitting around here and there and no real use for that odd pottery base. Birdbaths are very expensive especially pottery type. This was around 2.00.

The garden is thriving, yet I have not much color, purple, lime, and hits and misses of white or burgandy. Yet I like it's calmness in early light or late light in the day. I have done a lot of garden nurturing in this past week. Also a small garden by the back door and some containers. Plants will get a good start with very warm temps this week and maybe some rain.

I have a class this week also teaching getting a painted face into a quilt. Looking forward to that and wanting to paint.
I have a painting done that is rather pathetic. Pathetic happens when I have a lot of distractions

A Monday and Some Art

It is nearly 10 and what have I done? Had blood work at clinic, gone to the garden center,(so you know that means some planting) Made a pot of chili as husband is home this week and helping neighbors with field work so I never know when he will show up for something to eat. I also did a grocry stop. So I was going to say I have done nothing yet, this is proof one needs for the action of making lists. the most important is the list of what you have done, right down to making the bed, and feeding the pets. What you did do gives you a lift so you can do more and heaven knows we want more. Most important we want some art in our day. If we were musicians, or history teachers, or dancers, whatever, that would be that is the most important. By the time we do what the doctor wants, the dentist wants, the fitness center wants, the people that eat in your house want, the yard wants, and all these things. Whoosh, there goes the day.

Two paintings, I want to post the Apple Blossom time as that is fading fast. Using a paper doily as a stencil did a fine job for suggesting the falling petels.

The young woman with the Red suns was quite fun, I used tissue paper that had rubbings on it done with ink. The rubbing plate I used us really for pressing a design into Femo clay. I tore the tissue and formed her hair, also some of the background, these pieces of tissue were glued on an already painted background. The image you see in one of the suns was an accident it was just there and could not be wasted. I hardly used any skin tones except for the cheek area which is not really a skin tone but a cherry red.

A Brown Paper Bag and 15 Minutes

I have been stuck, a lot to do so I read my book and do minor fussy things like run the vac, cook, weed in short spurts. I also did some planting of broccoli and tended the vegetable garden. Spinach, lettuce, radishes, kohlrabi, plus 7 of the 30 hills of potatoes I planted are up. Self seeded dill is running the show so I have to get rid of some of that. Dill is wonderful in garden bouquets, I don't enjoy making pickles.

I always have some sheets of cut up paper brown paper bags, sho I remember a lesson a while back on 15 minute paintings. You see All Norah's Art on the side to the right, she talked about this some time ago and I remember it was quite fun. You take the foam off a foam brush and use the plastic tab that is left. For some satisfaction in the day I did this face and background. Her dress is paper trim used as a stencil.

I also altered the painting with a photo and layered the painting to slep into the bacground of the photo. More satisfaction. I only have a few hours to feel satisfied as tomorrow will be here soon and then I will need to think again of what to do so I can do the things that shout, do me do me.

Red Flowers for Rose

I had been looking at abstract flowers and felt a need to paint some, especially dark rose colored ones. I painted them first because that was the wanting. Also I felt inspired by Peony Tulips that display such grand shape and color. Peony tulips also last a long time when you put them in a vase. I realize these flowers don't liik like a Peony Tulip.

I also put new effort into the eye shape and color and used a new platic doily for a stencil. The paintig is only 6X8 and I was not even going to do a face I was just seeing if I could do some flowers that looked like these do. A face always enters the picture and that isn't because I see one in the abstractedness of a background it just wants to be painted.

Shadows, a day of thoughts, unsettled

After having guests be it family or other folks and I have tidied up and gotten things back to my normal at least the physical normal, then you have to take time to get back to the emotional normal which is more difficult. One thoughts ramble this way and that and your inner self has not settled.

I painted this in effort to settle, I knew that physical work such as gardening might settle me more, I was not quite ready to look at what had to be done in the garden, yet unsettled because I knew there weren't many days before the cold and rain would come again. It has been miserable cold, snow, frozen bird bath that sort of thing, not to mention frozen plants. I tackled gardening yesterday, and yes it is miserable cold today.

The background says unsettled yet hard to tell as I must feel that way a lot. I had the painting sitting up and shadows from a water glass fell across the bottom I liked how that looked so stenciled some in. This work is also putting effort into not having wide, long eyes but rounder eyes, my thought is it may change how some of my faces look.

Mother's Day again

I did this painting collage last year, last year I didn't have a blog. It was one of my favorite collages for a long time. Then things as they do started looking different, learned more, and worked differently. I still like it tho, the colors and composition are simple.

Women of Importance

I think of my grandmother often, I stayed with her a lot when I was a child. I learned a lot of things from her and she gave me chores that helped you learn things even when you didn't know you were. Worked very hard all her life and was as trim as in her youth. At age 90 she stated that she just didn't feel like she use to.
I can't remember if anyone asked if that "Use To" was a year ago or a long time ago.
I understand what she meant now tho, as sometimes I don't feel quite like I use to either, for the most part I do, but not always. I can be annoyed easily, and that was not from my grandmother, that was from my mother. I also like that the child photo of her and a much later photo have that same tilt to the head and smile.

Ihave an aunt that is also an inspiration to life, I remember the day she was taken to the hospital and dianosed with polio, and it was not that exact day she was dianosed. The family was in horrible upset, fear, anger, sadness was everywhere.
She was gone for months to recover and lost her ability to walk without aid of
crutch like help. Yet, she had two more children, worked hard, gardened, drove,
kept a welcoming home, and does yet to this day. She is my mother's sister.
I love this photo of her as a child.

Thinking of Mom

Because of this being close to Mother's Day and being busy the end of the week I think I will do postings about that, and grandmother.

My mom painted a lot also, however she didn't start at age 19 like I did, she started in her fifties. Now as I think of it, I am glad she had this pleasure, I have thought this for a long time, once one leaves the self-centered stage of life
you can appreciate the things and have better understanding of what your parents were about. As years pass I understand better only because I have experienced some of what she said. My mother was not an easy going person or an easy person at all,
but I get it now. Like she said, someday you will know. Someday is here and has been for a while.

This is one of her paintings, it is oil and done with a palette knife. It is one that I have up in my house and one I liked best.

Happy May Day

A lovely month, fresh and new with promise of summer.

I had to do another May Basket theme type painting, I like the thought of such a thing. I think she is a bit overwhelmed by the size, but is dressed with fine things for the acceptance. I like her Jewelry, especially the brooch. I would wear it if I had one the same. It is amazing how one tiny part can be a favorite part, it has always been that way, even in landscapes some insignificant area is my favorite.

It is so windy and not a pleasant day for garden, I will do that tho and I will clean up a huge mess in the art room where I have been painting, there are many things laying about and also cleaning and putting some of it away. At some point one needs to quit doing and get some tidyness. Both areas have tossed art things, the sewing and the painting.