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.

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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....
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