Lazy day around the house today... cold snap made us not want to venture out too much. Last page in this hand*book, I started it on 10-01-2009... another reason I like these journals so much... lots of pages.
This is on a 9x12 Arches 140 lbs rough paper, done for my intermediate watercolor class. I don't think I have the oranges right yet, but I'll ask the instructor for advise on Tuesday.
I used to LOVE reading the Sunday 'funnies'... Peanuts was a particular favorite of mine. I still enjoy cartoons, even though we don't take the paper any more....
One of my favorite colors, is at the top of the fashion list (I'm such a clothes hog... as anyone that knows me LOL). So look for Turquoise this Spring, lots of it... I can't wait.
Fun class tonight... I really like this teacher, she is so positive and fun... makes for a rush after work to eat, and get to the class by 6pm... but it's so worth it.
Our retiring Congressman Henry Brown was there, along with candidate Stovall Witte who is running for the seat. It was an interesting meeting, the food was tasteless... it was supposed to be a good restaurant so I was surprised the food was so bad.
RIcky Holtman was a friend I never met face to face, but he was my friend none the less. I found out about Ricky's passing today... my condolences to his family. His life and art, his struggle with cancer all touched my life deeply and I will miss him.
Spent the day in the forest with the Jeep club, great BBQ after the ride... tonight Hockey. Our team is number one in the league right now, and tonight they get their rings for winning the Kelly Cup last year. Should be a great game.
Boy what a week it's been. Just heard they found some folks alive in the rubble in Haiti TODAY... what a miracle that is.... 10 days, an 84 year old woman and a 22 year old man found alive.
Are there weasels eating the corn in the silo? Such cute furry animals with long necks.... and yet the very name is a slur... weasels... he's a weasel isn't a compliment is it now?
I am so proud of the people of Massachusetts... the Dukes and Duchesses in DC don't get it yet.... and it may take a few more elections before they do... the ENTIRE Congress is up for election in 286 days... wouldn't it be grand if ALL of them were NEW... I don't care what party.. it's time for some REAL change, and that means NEW faces.
I saw a kingfisher today, on my way to meet my husband for lunch... he was beautiful... but since I was on my scooter, I had to cheat and find a picture on the internet to use to draw one...
I watched this movie at my daughter's house, with the grand kids... it's a very good movie...sad beginning but very fun cheerful ending. It's out on DVD... even if you don't have kids to watch it with... see it..
Sunny morning, a bit of rain, then sunshine again, t-shirts and flip flop weather... we went to a hockey game today too, won last night and today... so a good weekend for our team.
Winter blues... yes it's warmer today... but it's been raining all day... so I've been doing laundry and painting pictures of flowers and Corsica... Hockey game tonight...
This is my painting of a Hotel in Corsica, as part of the Virtual Paintout for January 2010... I used a limited palette of Ultramarine Blue, Ant. Red and Hansa Yellow.
I draw my dates sometimes days before the actual date, after I scanned this page I realized how odd the smiley face date looks on a page dealing with such a tragedy. The earthquake in Haiti in nothing to smile about, so many people have lost their lives and the survivors are suffering still, they are in my thoughts and prayers.
Simply things... a paddle with a ball attached, low tech, VERY low tech toy... I can remember my cousin and I used to try to see who could keep it going the longest without missing. Do they even make these any more? Do children still play with low tech toys?
I didn't like dolls much as a little girl, but I did like my Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls that my mother made for me. She used the material from a favorite dress of mine to make Ann's dress.. and under the dress Ann had and embroidered heart too. She wasn't a 'store bought' doll and I think that's part of why I liked her so much.
I also picked up Herman Cain's book "They think You're Stupid"... a little light reading to keep the brain active.
The colder it gets the more my mind wants to take me away... to blue water and warm breezes...
Quiet lazy Sunday here... we ate breakfast late... and are just being couch potatoes today.
Send in the clowns... spent the day exercising my first amendment right... we started with breakfast and speeches by the lawyers running for Attorney General in SC come November, then drove to Columbia for a rally for Freedom on the State house steps.... the PEOPLE want all votes in SC to be 'roll call' votes so that people will know what their representatives are doing (that transparency thing starts at home you know), and we want them to pass a State Sovereignty resolution... no politicians were allowed to speak at this rally...
Finally back home to thaw out after spending the day outdoors in the cold... I'm beat.
There are chickens that roam free in the swamp behind our house. It doesn't end well for the ones that fly into our yard, our terriers love chicken.
This is not the first time I've tried to paint this duck, I really like the way his head cocked to look at me. He was at Magnolia Plantation Gardens last January, when I went there for a Plein Aire outing.. they've planned another trip this January... I do hope to attend again this year... I just hope the weather warms up a little.
Nowhere to go but UP on my shooting because it REALLY stunk tonight....
The COLD weather continues... it's killed all my flowers... I only hope it's killing the fleas and other bugs out there..
Well I tried something... and it did not work, it did not work at all... this is my try at EDM #256... something bubbly... these are bubbles... in case you didn't recognize it... Some days the paint just won't flow LOL
If this weather keeps up... I'm going to start thinking the 70's scientists that thought we were headed for an ICE AGE were right after all ... maybe that's why the Global warming people want to call it 'Climate Change' now... The weather man even thinks it might SNOW here later this week EEK!
The hot chocolate was very good... now how long until Spring? My poor Iris are budding, I hope this cold doesn't kill them... it killed my Impatients last night...
I used the photo located here...http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquagloriacouture/4203667192/ as the reference for this painting....
Now the struggles with this... it is 9x12 on what I thought was a piece of Arches 140 lbs watercolor paper... I really struggled trying to get a wet n wet effect and didn't figure out what the problem was until I tried to remove the paper from the block... turns out I have painted this on the cardboard backing for the block (which is white on Arches blocks)... which explains my difficulty.. and makes me feel like the village idiot right now.... but there it is...
These odd looking pine trees are all over the forest, I always think about photographing them... but some how I never do.. Next time for sure :-)
Eric thought a more aggressive approach might get him across the water... he got farther along... but did not make it across.
I loved the reflection of the Jeep in the muddy water... this photo was taken a nano second before Bob got stuck... Our Yellow Jeep will pull them out though.
We're not party people, so we missed the celebration at midnight last night... Ron had to work today, so we went to Olive Garden for lunch. I got the background colors on the painting I'm working on... I should be able to finish it tonight.
