Dec31Art

Went to a hockey game tonight... Rays lost 6 to 3... came home to toast the new year with a bit of champagne... we rarely are awake at midnight so 9pm will have to do. Happy New Year everyone.

Dec30Art

Ink only drawing number 75.. for the Brenda Swenson artistic license challenge... I DID IT!!! woo hoo... I don't know if my drawing got better, but I do know one thing my confidence improved... so I'm not afraid to dive in with an ink pen.. so that's a step in the right direction I think.
Beau isn't feeling well tonight, we called the vet, and he'll go in tomorrow morning... I don't like it when my doggie's aren't feeling well.

Dec29Art

The year 2011 is winding down, the sand is running out of the hour glass. My 75 day ink only LEAD FREE drawing a day for the Brenda Swenson challenge is coming to a close tomorrow. I already have a new challenge ahead the One Drawing a Day book is in my iPad ready for me to start that creative journey next year. I found this quote (it's a long one sorry) by cartoonist Ira Glass, about working thru your bad times... that not quitting and keeping at it is the key to success... so I'll continue to press on next year.

Dec28Art

Found a Gray TomBow marker in the bottom of my purse... so I used it to draw my fist and my sleeve... when the color was applied the tombow ink ran and disappeared a bit on the sleeve... the last time I used one of these pens in this sketchbook, it did not do that... so to keep from losing my hand I didn't paint it, just painted around it.

Dec27Art

Managed to paint a few petals tonight... looks like my ellipses still need work... I know they make circle templates... are there ellipse templates I wonder?

Dec26Art

I'm getting ready to paint another rose, got the pencil drawing done, picked out the colors to use... maybe I'll do the first petal tonight.
Got a couple of plano tackle boxes today that are the perfect size to hold paint tubes.

Dec24/25Art

Saturday we drove to Atlanta, stayed with my friend Carol and had dinner with grandson Joseph and his mom Sarah. Joselph is in 6th grade now and getting so tall and handsome.

We had a nice Christmas dinner with my daughter, Ashton, Laurel, Jon, Ron and Carol... then headed home...Rain, rain and more rain today, from Atlanta to Charleston rained all the way. It is good to spend time with family, it is also good to be home.

Dec23Art

Ron and I exchanged gifts today, as tomorrow and Christmas will be a whirlwind of family and friends. We went to the Honey Baked Ham store and got a mini ham.. had ham for dinner tonight yummy. Tomorrow we head for Atlanta... so I may not post again until Sunday night.

Dec22Art

Another pair of Christmas earrings... I can't stop myself from buying them... and so little time to wear them. Make great models to draw before heading out for some last minute shopping.

Dec21Art

As a child raised in the South, the few times in my life that it snowed the first thing we tried to do was to build a snowman.  Some of them were quite good and lasted for days and days even after the snow was gone.  

Dec20Art

Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends today.

Dec19Art

Went to Breck's for dinner tonight, they wrap the pictures with Christmas wrapping paper this time of year, the 'package' over our table was full of cute penguins.

Dec18Art

We've had a hockey filled weekend with a game Friday, Saturday and today... I haven't wanted to talk about it because we lost all 3 games... Perhaps the boys are homesick for the snows of Canada (where most of them are from), and sad being far from home at Christmas time. Better shake it off if they want to advance to the big leagues some day.

Dec17Art

My granddaughter Ashton got her drivers permit today... WOW... my grandbaby is going to be driving a CAR!!!  I distinctly remember getting MY drivers license... it wasn't that long ago... time flies when you're having fun.  Happy birthday Ashton.

Dec16Art

Headed to the hockey game tonight, the Marines will be there collecting 'Toys for Tots'.  Read a story today that people are going to K-mart and paying off the lay-away balances for strangers.. sort of a secret Santa gift.  That's the TRUE spirit of Christmas... giving.

Dec15Art

My Dad's Mom gave all her grand children Wallace Silver Sleigh Bells for Christmas starting in the mid 1980's, I continue the tradition, except I give my daughter and her girls Silver ornaments for their birthdays (2 in December 1 in October).  

I have no idea how to paint silver and have it LOOK like silver... so I decided not to paint it at all... it works I think.

Dec14Art

Gorgeous day today, a little chilly this morning, but I rode my scooter to work for the first time in over a week. I'm wanting to do more painting, but I don't have any ideas.

Dec13Art

Couldn't find the neck line ... so redrew it and tried to cover it up with paint... Didn't work.. some days are like that.  Been feeling out of it today all day, probably didn't get enough sleep last night.

Dec12Art

GOP Christmas Party tonight, dinner cruise in Charleston Harbor... good food, good friends... lots of fun... totally wiped out now.

Dec11Art

Got frames at Michael's today, 40% plus another 20% off... so saved a bundle on them. I may go back and buy more for future paintings. The Lotus painting looks pretty good framed, I'm giving it to my Mom for Christmas.

Dec10Art

How you pronounce Pecan some people think is a regional thing. It was a family thing, in my family, my mother always pronounced in puh-con, while my father's mother called them pee-cans . So I grew up calling them by whatever the person holding the nuts called them. We had a pecan tree in our yard, part of an old orchard of them, so several houses in the neighborhood had mature trees in their yards. Great shade trees in the Summer, and in the Fall nuts, if you could beat the squirrels to them that is. No one bought pecans, you picked them up in the front yard, these days I buy them or if I'm lucky (like with these) someone with a tree gifts me with some of their bounty.

Lotus Flower

A photograph by Bahman Farzad caught my eye, and when I asked permission to paint his photo, he graciously said yes, if I gave him credit.
©Bahman Farzad / lotusflowerimages.com

The photo can be found on Flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21644167@N04/6116489579/in/faves-captelaine/

Dec09Art

Last art class for the year, the kids get out for Christmas break next Thursday, and won't be back until after the New Year. We made Christmas cards today... and used watercolor and water brushes... it was fun and a huge mess.... lucky we had Prang washable paints.

Dec08Art

I used to read Stephen King's books as soon as they came out, then either he quit writing as well, or my tastes in fiction changed... so it's been years since the last King book I've read. Well I bought his 11/22/63 book and I'm HOOKED again in a Stephen King tale, that I find very hard to put down. It's a good story and very well written... I love a good yarn well told.

Dec07Art

Spent time today remembering my father, Pearl Harbor day was a defining event in my father's life and he made sure his children remembered what happened. He woke us up every December 7th, with get up it is Pearl Harbor day. Also today Henry Morgan died, my father loved MASH, I can remember him reading the book, sitting in his chair laughing while reading the book. When the movie came out, the whole family went to see the movie...and the tv show was one of my Dad's favorites. Finally, today is also my older brother Gene's birthday... December 7th what a day it has been.

Dec06Art

Poinsettias always remind me of my grandmother Hello. She loved them and filled her house with them at Christmas time. It's so warm here in Charleston, my flowers are confused, now the blooming Iris has been joined by my hyacinths... little pink flowers popping out... I suppose I should have dug them up and put them in the freezer (I remember my grandmother used to do that).

Dec05Art

Today is my only baby girl's birthday... she's 40 something today. She gave me a t-shirt with 'I'm forty something' on it, I still have it... guess what she's getting for Christmas?

Dec04Art

My drawings will probably have a Christmas theme for the next couple of weeks. Started a new painting today.. and a new knitting project... house work will suffer but I've always said a clean house is a sign of a wasted life.

Dec03Art

Breakfast meeting, then grocery shopping, rushed home to fix lunch and get online to attend a 3 hour seminar on WetCanvas, it was supposed to start at 1pm, at 12:30 I started trying to log on... it kept crashing my computer, I had to reboot 4 times. Finally, it got a little farther along, and for a moment I thought I'd be in... and then I get a the seminar is full message?!?!? They made everyone pre-register and it was FULL 15 mins before the starting time? I sent complaint emails but got no response... they will charge to watch the video later on... hum could this have been a ploy to make money all along? I'm NOT a happy camper about this and I am VERY disappointed in the folks at WetCanvas for doing people this way.

Dec02Art

Glitter everywhere, the kids pine cones looked really good... they had a blast and I did too.
Hockey game tonight was a disappointing loss to Kalamazoo Wings, we play them again tomorrow for our teddy bear toss.

Dec01Art

Had a nice dinner, and plenty of good conversation tonight at the Goose Creek 9-12 meeting. We have all become such good friends over the last couple of years. I really am blessed to have such wonderful friends.

Nov30Art

Last day of November, and our first Christmas Party is tomorrow night. I've got new party togs (not dresses I don't wear dresses)...so I'm getting in the spirit... gifts, what to do for gifts... that's my issue now.

Nov29Art

Gracie likes her Christmas collar. Beau not so much, can't decide if I want to get one for him or not. Bought our stuffed animals for the Teddy Bear toss. Got moose... how do you pluralize moose? Got glitter and glue for the kids to make pine cone ornaments this Friday.

Nov28Art

The rain today brought down these leaves, almost like a blanket on the parking lot at our office, I don't know what tree or vines these came from... they blew in from the swamp area beside our parking area.
I was supposed to go to a Newt Gingrich townhall but the rain storm was so bad and knowing the closest parking garage was over a block away from the venue, Ron and I decided to go home and miss it. We can watch it on the internet when Congressman Tim Scott posts it, and we've met Newt and seen him earlier this Fall.

Nov27Art

Lazy Sunday today, having a hockey game at 4pm cuts the day in half, but it was a good game. Drew my little stuffed elephant, he's been a model for lots of drawings... he sits so still, no twitching or scratching.

Negative Painting Leaves.

This painting is actually larger than this, my scanner will on scan 9x12 and this is 11x14... I'm pleased with how this turned out, wish I'd use a pencil that wasn't so dark, and impossible to erase. I used two colors New Gamboge and Transparent Orange.

Nov26Art

We went to a new restaurant for lunch today. It was decorated like a 'tiki' hut, very nautical. The fishing sign caught my eye as did these huge fishing lures hanging on the walls, they were at least 2 or 3 feet long.
Had fun working on a negative painting today, should be able to finish it tomorrow and share it.

Nov25Art

My grandmother 'Hello' (my mother's mother) never missed shopping of Black Friday.  When I was little she would take me with her, we'd ride the bus to downtown Atlanta to shop at Rich's and Davidson's sales.  I remember the bus rides downtown, but mostly I remember getting lost and how scared I was not being able to find her in the crowds of people... so I suppose that's why I hate shopping and crowds even now.  

Nov24Art

Happy Thanksgiving.... I'm thankful for so many things, but most of all I'm thankful to be here to spend the day with family and friends. Hope everyone had a great day today.

Nov23Art

In spite of our warm temperatures, I've ordered some yarn and picked out a knitting project. It's a fairly complicated pattern, so I'm practicing on some junk yarn I got a Wally world the other day.

Nov22Art

Ron and I celebrated our 8th anniversary today. Went out for a nice dinner together, and then shopping for a turkey for Thanksgiving. We're staying in Charleston this year and will spend time with our relatives and friends in Charleston.

Nov21Art

Looks a bit like a torture device... but not to worry, the dogs all love it, and will run to jump in my lap for their turn if they see me with it in my hand... had to sneak it onto my desk to sketch it.

Nov20Art

Our friend Steve owns a Restaurant/Bar called Parson Jack's he's a Jack Russell Terrier lover like us.  His place is decorated with all things Jack Russell.  Since he's expanded he asked if we had any pictures of our Jacks we'd be willing to let him frame and display in his place... I mentioned my painting of a Jack digging a hole on the beach and he said he'd love to hang it... So my art is going public... here's a link to the picture. www.flickr.com/photos/captelaine/5271957791/in/photostream

Nov19Art

Board meeting this morning and afternoon... hockey tonight... loads of laundry in between. Popped into Dillards and got some Christmas tops to wear to some of the Christmas parties I'm going to... and a red power suit.

Nov18Art

We had fun doing hand print turkey's today as well as drawing houses and family members. The kids all did some really great drawings and had fun coloring their turkeys.

Nov17Art

Strike anywhere matches, I usually have large boxes of matches in the kitchen... but when in search of something to draw tonight came across this small box of matches... so drew them instead.

Nov16Art

My white crepe myrtle has large leaves, the pink one small leaves... I don't know why, the flowers and the bushes are about the same size.  The colors are brilliant right now, as are the dogwood tree leaves a lovely deep red color.

Nov15Art

Felt well enough to go to work today... still wanted comfort food... Soup for dinner tonight. We love these 'Soup in Hand' cans of soup, easy to heat up and for us to have what we like. For me, creamy tomato, Ron likes green pea and ham (YUK).

Nov14Art

Fish out of water... gasping for air... that's what I've been doing all day.  Did enjoy thumbing thru Joe Miller's delightful book again ' Old Watercolorists never die, they just wet their sheets'  the book is on sale now at Cheap Joe's and well worth it, it's full of his insights as an artist as well as notes from workshops and seminars he's attended with famous artists.