Square Books - Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I can finally let you in on what I've been creating the past few weeks. :) This is Dad's Christmas present - for the new Oxford condo. For those of you familiar with "The Square" in Oxford you will hopefully know what this is...for those that don't...this is one of the 'landmarks.'

...and the cards were hung by the chimney with care...

I am off to celebrate Christmas. I hope each and every one of you have a great holiday visiting with family and old friends. I was thinking today about how VERY lucky I am. I am so very blessed. There isn't much more a girl can ask for...bring on 2009.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!

Christmas Joy!

Allison and Michael received QUITE the Chrismtas gift this year....little Riley. I made a quick (minus a few dozen expected shopping detours on the way home) trip with Nancy today to meet the precious boy. Isn't he fabulous? If it was up to me, I would have taken hundreds of pictures of him. My camera thought otherwise. I had a dead battery. Here is one of the shots I did manage to get...

He is one lucky little boy. His mother, Allison, gave me the most thoughtful and wonderful gift this year.... Just last week I was thinking, "I have ruined most every t-shirt with oil paint." Thanks to Allison that will be the end of that. She must have read my old post. Here is me modeling the painting apron. I love it Allison, thank you! Excuse the photo timer picture. It was the best I could do after I charged the battery.

The painting I am working on is coming along wonderfully and I can't wait to share it!

Happy Holidays

Christmas is right around the corner and I am a very busy elf. Elves don't give out their secrets until after the gifts are given. So for now, I will leave you with my favorite Christmas picture I took year before last in New York. Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season!

Map Art

First off....HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I am still not at my house and still not painting. (That will change soon, though. I have taken off Friday afternoons till the end of the year!)

I HAVE learned something else pretty cool...another useless talent. I can create maps. Do not be confused. This can be used for more events besides weddings (or so I am telling myself). How cool is THIS?

It even has a little "how-to" section that taught me this skill. Brilliant thinkers. Carol gets married in 49 days (but who is counting). Hopefully nobody will be lost.

blogless

I have been boring lately. I have done a lot of traveling and absolutely no painting.

I DID stop by the Moss Rock art show on the way out of town this past month and it was super great. I literally took the exit on a whim since it was going on and on my way home. It was worth it. I ran into some great long lost friends and I am really considering that show next year. We shall see!

I DO have two new 'toys.' I found a 'new' art store in Bham that I think I will frequent more often (I think I went to them in college and had forgot). It's no Hobby Lobby (ok maybe better but not as cheap and convenient).

I have this nice new little color wheel (see below) and this cool bucket of wax. The color wheel is a nice little helper. I was having a hard time lately mixing my colors. For $10 it best be worth it!

The wax is in place of the oleopasto I have been on the hunt for. I want to give my paintings more texture and I am hoping this will do it! We shall see! I have to read the directions a few more times. Once I finally use it I will share! Once again, I am out this weekend. It seems the holiday craziness started early this year!

Pumpkin Patch Finished (maybe) Product

Why do I paint in oils? Well, mostly because they take a long time to dry. That is a good thing for me and my attention span. Yes, they are messy and smelly and hard to clean BUT I can continue to work and blend on a picture for a week or so at a time.

Sometimes I wind up leaving a painting for weekS at a time and it dries up. I kick myself everytime. It happened this time. The colors I blended for the painting are all dried up. The canvas is dry. It is hard to match colors. Grrr.

Remind me not to do this again. :)

Fall is the best time of year...

So the scenery was simply amazing. Thanks to Hailey's camera (my battery died as soon as I got to the weekend) and her fabulous skills, I got some breathtaking pictures I will share below. While at Pike's Place I was so tempted to purchase a series of 3 Seattle pics when we decided we could do it ourselves. I will show you what happens! Stay tuned...

One last thought when I should be sleeping. It's amazing when you travel, and return home, how you start to notice the beauty of everything in your own world. The trees are starting to turn here and driving home I noticed the beautiful lit up church steeple by my house.

I'm alive and well...

in Portland/Seattle. Words can't describe how perfect this week has been...record warmth (60's) and plenty of fall colors (granted, more nonstop work than I know what to do with). Still...I am in heaven. I have taken many pictures...big surprise.

I even got a few while landing in Portland of the nighttime skyline. I thought of the picture that Alli now has...the one above labeled "City Lights." I may paint another one of those.

I will leave you with a picture of Portland (not of mine since I don't have my cable).

Pumpkin path

Every now and then I will start painting a picture that I fall in love with immediately. This is one of them! Usually this is the "ugly stage" of the painting. It's going to be hard for me to part with this one....
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

i cheat...a little

This is MY NEW FAVORITE TOY. And thanks to Hobby Lobby it was $14 WITH tax. (Yes, I have been visiting daily this week with my 40% off coupon in tow.) I've heard these existed before but I had no idea they were in the isle NEXT to my canvasses.

I know. It could be considered as cheating but I like to think of it as clever. This is one of the little things in life that makes me happy!

P.S.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Next up....

I had an idea and then surfed util I found a good picture! This should be cute! I need to get back to painting people and movement.

After today I don't think I am in the right line of work. Lets just say that I may need to start training to be a PLUMBER! I paid one a fortune today. Let's just say I could have bought well over 10 of these canvasses!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

the beginnings of "girl towers"

It's amazing how paintings look totally different in pictures...and how I can see things I am missing once I post them. I guess this is good for me!

upholster extraordinaire

I am not sure if I mentioned the new table and chairs I got for the art room. Thank you EFox! Elizabeth inherited a new table and chairs and she so graciously gave me these! It is a great table and chairs. I would love to refinish the table a black but that will have to come in time. As for now, I have some fun cushions. I went for inexpensive and fun... With no further adieu...

Before....
After...

operation Bluff Park Art show

First off, a shoutout to my WONDERFUL friends!



They helped me research in preparation for next year's show and offered great ideas/advice. It made for a fabulous day. (Speaking of, you could not have asked for a better day.) For those of you that are confused, this time last year I went to the Bluff Park Art show for the first time and decided I would make it a goal to exhibit. I missed the '08 cutoff so I plan to do it in '09.

I'll be honest. I was a bit intimidated. The crowds this year didn't help. (It's good to have a lot of traffic, right?) Well, they have to accept me first. I don't want to look like a beginner. I was told to look into Moss Rock Festival. That weekend is already pretty booked for me this year. I NEED to do subsequent "research." I WILL find a way to make it back...at least for a little while...I hope.

More to come. I got motivated after the show (big surprise) and bought a few more canvases today. Oh, and my art room is taking shape. I keep waiting to post pics. This afternoon I recovered cushions and finished Carol's calligraphy to college football. Yes, I watched football. FOR MANY HOURS. Maybe I should go take my temperature...

Still trucking....

My goal is to get done by next weekend when I go home so we can "proof!"

I love that my favorite shows are back on! It makes it much easier for me to sit still!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

...fall is coming...

(pics from Minnesota)

out of town happenings....

So, I saw a piece of art I LOOOVED today....and I took a picture. I had to be sneaky because it was for sale at a gift shop....



The letters are everyday items that resemble letters. Each individual frame is the cheap, clear kind that are held together by metal clasps. I made the picture large in hopes you can see what it is. I think this would be fun to make. Granted, it would probably take more work than what it seems to find the letters you are looking for. The frames would be oober cheap.

This is what was out of the gift shop window....any guesses where this is?

Mall of America....my after work activity. :)

Carol is getting married....

(For those of you who don't know, that is my middle sister.) I am on a small painting hiatus while I do the calligraphy for wedding invitations. So far all I've done is practice. I'm still trying to get the template right. Hm. Oh well. This is something I can't exactly take with me to the hotel either. I have this wonderful light table I use (see below). I have been known to get through airport security with one of those frightening calligraphy pens, however. I must not give off the terrorist vibe.....

I will post some of the invites when I get rolling!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

It is all coming together...

...here is the latest with the art room! I haven't made any art lately but I've sure loved decorating!

my love for black and white photograhs...

During the summer of '03 I took a photography class. At the time I had already fulfilled my art minor requirments but wanted to take the class so badly...ignoring the claims that it was impossible to make an "A!" I borrowed an old Pentax from Uncle Jimmy with the coolest camera strap. (People would ask me where I got it and I would proudly say it was authentic and "vintage." I am pretty sure you can't find one that cool in a store.)

I spent many hours in the darkroom late, late at night. I was employed by the college as one of the 2 'Summer Scholar' college leaders. Jared (the other leader) and I spent many hours entertaining high school students in the evenings. This forced me to develop pictures either very late at night or during the wee hours of the morning! As creepy as the dark room can seem, it was a pretty darn cool place and I miss it.

While shopping this past weekend (trying to keep dry from Fay) I found a framed black and white photo at my FAV store, HomeGoods. I have so much art in my house and it is ALL projects I did in college, which I love. But I loved this photo too. I don't think I could have taken a picture, had it printed, and had it framed for as cheap as this was. So I bought it "to try it out."

It's exactly what I needed! I love it and everytime I walk in my kitchen it makes me smile. It also makes me want to pick back up a camera...



P.S. I got the A!

On second thought...

Here it is!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

I'm a mess....

So tonight I reminded myself why I should always wear old t shirts to paint! Oh, and I finished the church (finally)! Pics to come soon!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

more sippin and strokin

I will let the pictures do most the talking. Mom and Ste came into town. I took the random Monday afternoon off (quite fun) and shopped (till we dropped). We managed to have some time left to paint. This wasn't our favorite painting but we spent enough time on 3-way trying to figure out ONE DAY we could make this happen. So "rustic flowers" it was. Carol missed out. (I guess you don't love me enough to drive from Shreveport!) ENJOY. I DO think it motivated me to get to painting again....I have some ideas on what to do with my art room!

art appreciation

If you know me, then you know I carry my camera everywhere and record my life in pictures. I loved the decor of this hotel room. LOVED it. Does anyone else think it could be a cool job to deisgn hotel rooms or am I just odd? I feel like there are many hotels out there that need a makeover.

Obviously I made it back from DC with a heck of a lot of stories (that I will not share with the world wide web)....BUT I WILL share this cool statue that was outside my conference location at the Gaylord National Harbor location. It reminds me of the little Mermaid. Check it out....

I am going to continue to paint (especially with this new art room) but Carol's wedding is quickly approaching and I am about to get BACK on calligraphy duty. WOo hooo!

airport boredom and art rooms

Just when I thought I was out of things to do, I remember this blog. Yes, I have been sitting in the Birmingham airport for hours. In fact, I thought about taking a video of the storm that went through here. That would have been perfect to post (ashame I didnt).



But here is where I am parked:

This storm was UNREAL. I am talking no power (havent they heard of generators), lightening strikes feet away, the Southwest employees on the loud speaker begging people to move away from the windows, and the luggage carts flying across the runway. We only have one gate that wasn't damaged in the storm, the air IS back on (thank you LORD), but all the planes were diverted and the one plane here they claim has hail damage.

And I was bragging to Catherine an hour ago how I love the Bham airport. Now I get to spend some QT with the Bham airport. I think my plane is sitting in Nashville. At least I am on the non-stop to Washington, DC.

ALL this being said, I have not had any art projects to post lately. Things have been quite crazy BUT I am about to embark in something that took around 3 years to happen....a PERMANENT art room. I have a blank slate to work with. (Sweet Rog has moved the bed out already for me.)

I am looking for creative ideas to do with this extra art room. Right now I have an easel and a bright yellow square table from my play house growing up.

Any ideas?

I did a little searching on the internet. I want it to be a a tastefull art room but very usable. I refuse to put 10000 nail holes in my wall so I am working around that....

night 4...maybe....

Wow, so this one has taken a bit more time already than I first imagined. I am playing around and will probably NEED to play with it more. However, I have 2 nights to finish it. After that I am going to be MIA for 2 weeks. (a little less but pretty much) Not sure if I like it or if this is my thing but I will give it a fair shot...I try to give anything a fair shot!

Promise when I return I will be rejuvinated and full of wonderful, new ideas. Maybe something will hit me on the airplane...you never know. I am still trying to find my "niche."

what i've been doing...

So, I had plenty of time to work on this tonight after not feeling well this afternoon. (I was not sure how I would handle the strong paint fumes but I survived. :)) I got a lot done. The canvas will have to dry a good bit before I work with the lights! For some reason when I take the picture and post the picture I see what I need to work on.... For instance, I need to get rid of the green and add more blue for the glow. I'm my toughest critic. I am by all means not a perfectionist. I think I would probably kill myself with all the 'straight' lines in this painting. We'll see. It will start to really take shape after my next try!

hmmm...should I be worried?

A couple nights ago I noticed a very peculiar warning on my tube of white paint. I cannot quote the warning word for word BUT I do believe it went along the lines of "is proven to be a carcinegan in the state of California....do not inhale....contains lead...etc."

I know most anything can be a carcingen if you expose yourself to toxic levels. But it definately made me go "hmmmm."

So I googled. (I google everything lately. Thank you, blackberry.)

Some very interesting articles came up, like they always do when you google. (Who are these people?!) I did check what looks to be a creditable source...by Princeton. I think I should be ok.

No worries to all you guests who have stayed in my guest room. :) In two weeks you will no longer have to share your space with my art room. 3 1/2 years after buying my house I am going to get it. (Granted, I wouldn't take back the roomies for anything....)

Oh, and I painted more on the painting and have not gotten around to taking any pictures quite yet. Hopefully I will do that tonight. I am taking a break from working out before I kill myself...

church underpainting...

I am well on my way after a couple hours painting tonight (finally). I become impatient with the underpainting and probably put on too many layers. The colors will be challenging...I can already tell...but I am hoping if I have enough oil and layers I can eventually make it work! I am hoping it won't end up looking haunted. That's my worry!