We spent a quiet day today. Met with Ron's brother and sister-n-law for lunch and conversation. We hadn't seen them in a while so it was good to see them and catch up on what's going on in their lives. Headed out to the yard for more work on the garden...
This is the last page in this journal... so I need to paint a title page for my next one some time tonight.
That's be 1,000 pounds or half a ton of rock the old man and I lifted hauled from the front yard to the back, and spread about with a rake. We figure we'll need another 500 pounds to finish off the area we want to fill with rock. We're headed off to another reunion party tonight, hope I can keep my eyes open...LOL
They've really made some nice improvements to the picnic area at Marrington Plantation. They installed a floating dock out over the marsh, it was nice to be able to get up close to the wild flowers there without worry about alligators.
Just a quick drawing based on the news today... off to a reunion party for my husband's high school.
I couldn't get the color quite right my lilies are a pale almost see through peach color... with dark peach spots and rich purple stamens... they bloomed today, more are on the way, but these are the first.
How long will the oil continue to pour into the gulf of mexico? It's been doing that for almost a month, 11 people lost their lives, now the marshes and fish, and birds in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida are threatened...
We had a tanker spill in the Charleston Harbor, Ron and I worked on the clean up ... it was an experience I hope I never have to repeat.... my heart goes out to the people in the gulf.
That's me on the left, Ron on the right... our 2002 oil spill in Charleston was a DROP in the bucket compared to the horror show going on in the gulf of Mexico now.
Don did some lovely poppies earlier this week and I thought I'd give some a try... while I like my poppies... I think I ruined them by adding the goofy looking stems... it was fun whoosing the paint about though.
I joined a website for online classes for watercolor landscapes... www.create38.com
Great video instruction, along with detailed written instruction. I did this painting using my new American Journey watercolor sticks... so it proved to be an even bigger challenge. I think the sticks work great for small journal pages but trying to mix enough color to cover a large painting was painfully difficult... I'll not be doing that again.
We thought we'd get a lot more done this weekend, than we did. Everything seems to take twice as long as we thought. Partly because it is so hot, and we are not used to all this physical labor... so we're slow... Time slips away... like Dali's melting clock.
Whoops the ribbon on my sketchbook showed up on the scan... Oh well... headed out to work in the yard some more, so no time to re-scan.
Heard about this on the radio, then found the photo on the web... seems the current administration has a problem with uninvited guests at their parties.
After reading a tip from Anntnem that the sticks have a wax coating... I did not realize that... I used my Nija water brush on this page... got some richer color with less water, and the wax removed.
Women write encouraging notes on the pink cards to help the women who have cancer to cope with the news. It was touching to read the notes, they don't have anything like this in the waiting rooms for people with kidney cancer .... maybe they should.
I got these watercolor sticks from Cheap Joe's in the mail yesterday. I think I like them , I plan to use them on a big painting very soon. Tonight I'm off to a debate, so no time to paint tonight.
I didn't use my usual Nija waterbrush to paint this, I used the isabey squirrel travel brush I just got in the mail from Cheap Joe today... along with 8 American Journal watercolor sticks (similar but cheaper than the Daniel Smith sticks)... I didn't have a palette and I wasn't used to the sticks or the brush... so this turned out very light (probably because I used too much water).... anyway I think I'm going to like these sticks and this new brush very much.
We worked on the frame for our raised beds all day today, even managed to get a coat of sealer on it before the sun set... we're not finished, but we got a lot closer to it today. The blue jay was not pleased that we chose to work under his tree, and too close to his bird bath, so he fussed at us all day long. I'm looking forward to home grown tomatoes, and cucumbers and peppers and onions, maybe some lettuce and stevia too.
We started early... and ended late... and still need to make a trip to Lowes for some fittings and lumber... but hopefully we'll have the system up and running this week some time... I am so looking forward to home grown veggies.... without weeding or bending over...
U.S. troops in Afghanistan could soon be awarded a medal for not doing something, a precedent-setting award that would be given for “courageous restraint” for holding fire... so I drew up a couple of medals for consideration for the new 'medal'.
Attended a Helen Beacham workshop today, and this is the painting I did. I'm pleased with it even though it doesn't look much like hers at all. Off to poll manager training..
The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Emma Lazarus, 1883
Political symbols... for the republicans, elephants and rhinos... for the Democrats donkeys and blue dogs... I wonder how long these mascots will endure? Will my great great grandchildren even know? Will there still be elephants around then ... or donkeys for that matter. I'd like to think dogs will be here as long as people are... they are essential kindred spirits (at least for me they are).
Exec Committee meeting last night... ran late so I didn't get to post this last night. It was a good meeting with lots of great speakers... just 30 days till our primary.
Happy Mother's Day for me... getting dirt under my nails planting flowers in my yard. Talked to my Mom and caught up on what was going on with her today.
I make a lot of mistakes.. and I do a lot of erasing... so today I indulged in a battery operated eraser. It is kinda fun, and surely the height of laziness.
I drew this while they interviewed McCabe for about 30 seconds on the news tonight. My husband is retired Navy and we are both glad this ordeal is over for these young men and that they can now get on with their careers and their lives.
Got absorbed in reading my new book... and totally neglected my journal this evening... so I tried to paint one of the examples of your eye wanting to complete the object, on a white and dark background... do you see the circle or ball?
I couldn't resist another blue cat drawing... stretching cats... cats sleep 18 hours a day (or more).. and so spend a good bit of time stretching after all those cat naps LOL
Got a book by Gary Hart at the library on drawing cartoon animals... this blue cat is inspired by that book. His cat was a Siamese ... but I didn't have Siamese colors... but I do have this lovely turquoise blue... I kinda like this blue cat :-)
It's been a long day today... I really like our new grill... didn't have much time to work on the journal today...
