BLOGIVERSARY

I CAN NOT believe I totally missed celebrating yesterday with everyone.  Yesterday was my BLOGIVERSARY.  Yes June 28, 2006 I began this blogging journey right here.  I know I've been kind of silent here lately and that could be why I did not observe such and important event in my life...NOT!  Actually, I have been too busy and plus I can't seem to find words.

Let's just have a mash-up of thoughts here...ready, set, GO!

I bought this sweet tent for Rio for the office daycare area.  She LOVES it and spends a lot of time looking at her books and playing inside all day long.  My girls had bed tents and they were little, their favorite things.

This week was also FULL of painting, painting, painting.  This is my dear friend Linda.  She is an incredible artist and has hooked me up with some awesome art workshops and people.  I love that she sits next to me every week, encouraging me and guiding me.   

I finished this little jewel up to donate to DVIS for their new building sometime next year.  I may work a bit more on the baby.  It looks better closeup but the baby still has a bit of a worried look on it's face.  Need to get more of smile on it. 

I also participated Thursday and Friday in yet another workshop with Derek Penix.  Oh my goodness, by Friday morning I was nearly in tears being so frustrated in what he was trying to get across and I COULD NOT SEE.  I struggled and struggled trying to get my painting to work.

"Don't care if others love what you paint. Paint because you love to paint." Derek Penix

(I covet his easel)
He makes it look so easy.  Just a swipe here, a swipe there.  Step back more swiping and voila there's a painting... 

So beautiful.  I really love what he did, but I still struggle.  

After watching his demo of the shack on the water we got to do something on our own.  I chose this sunflower.  Let me tell you that by the end of the 2 days the darn thing was basically a Derek Penix painting.  He took over and swipe and swooshed and made a great painting.  This is not finished by any means but I can not in good consciousness put my name to this thing.  I will keep it forever without a signature (maybe he will sign it for me!)  

Workshop

Last week I took yet another painting workshop with the talented Kelli Folsom for the second time.  I learned even more this time around.  It was taught in the Alla Prima tradition, wet on wet.  The pretty lady in the front is my dear friend Linda Dunbar.  You HAVE to check out her Facebook page Linda Dunbar Fine Art (go there and LIKE).  She is so, so, soooo very talented and one of the funniest ladies I know.  She is also in my regular class and again next week we will be taking another private workshop with Derek Penix.  

This is what I painted in the two day workshop.  I think I am happy with it.  I can't wait to see what we do in Derek's private workshop.  It will consist of only four of us and I hear we may paint an actual model.  That I have not done since I was 14.  Woo Hoo! 

Fake or Real

Well, it has finally happened on my Facebook page.  Someone is now impersonating me.  I just got a phone call from Af in sunny California and she clued me in to the scam of fake me on Facebook.  I've been playing damage control just as fast as I can to head it off before everyone of my friends accepts.  If I am a friend with you on Facebook, no I DID NOT set up a new page and send out new requests.  In fact, the STUPID IDIOTS didn't even get my maiden name right.  IDIOTS!  So I am the real me not the fake me.  HaHaHa.  I have noticed it a lot lately on Facebook and knew it was just a matter of time before it hit me.  

I got very proactive and emailed people, put notices on Facebook and reported the dang twice.  And every person that accepted Fake Me I messaged them and had them unfriend and report.  

In less than 30 minutes Facebook took the impostor DOWN, DOWN, DOWN!  BooYA!!!  

Take that impostor.  

Sorry, I am on a bit of a high.  

Painting Days

This week I started another painting for a friend.  It's a commission and I am happy to do it.  This is sweet Arnie.  He, unfortunately is not long for this world.  He's probably 15-17 years old and has seizures, diabetes, etc.  Poor thing just lays around but he has had the best life, that is after the kind people, Pat and Bill took him in after being dumped.  What a sweet boy.

Anyway, Bill is gone now too and with the impending loss of Arnie, Pat asked me to paint him, which I started this week. 

This is just blocked in and I have to carve it down a bit, make it more Arnie, but all in good time.

Of course, I have to through in a snapshot of little Miss Rio.  What a dumpling.  She's taking to hugging my neck and calling this granny, GG.  I'm hoping that does not stay as I really don't like GG.  I know several friends that are called that, several.  Love this little angel.

Birthday Girl

I've been rather silent here lately, yet again but I am here and doing quite well.  Life is just rolling along, as well it should be.  Wednesday, June 4, I turned another year older, 58 to be exact.  Ever closer to that 60 number.  I'm not too sure how I really feel about that.  It was a quiet day and the next day I spent at the spa for an entire day of massage, facial and reflexology!  I was like a wet noodle by the time I was done!  Seems like it's the same old grind day in and day out.  Work, paint, sleep, eat, work, paint, sleep, eat...you know what I mean.  This week will be a bit different with more painting.  I am doing another workshop and in two weeks will have another one.  I'm painting the whole day on Tuesday's now, in class, and that makes me very happy, yet I realized that this week I have that stupid GYN appointment that had to be rescheduled via the doctors schedule.  It happens to be smack dab in the middle of my art class day.  RATS!  Oh well, I will just paint till 5 instead of 3 that day.  

Last night The Hubby and I went to a wedding.  The wedding was the son of our right hand guy.  We've known Sean at least 25 years of his 29 as that is how long Ben has worked for us.  It was beautiful.  In fact, when we were watching Ben and Sean walk down the aisle together I noticed a small microphone on Ben's head and The Hubby turned to me and said Ben was going to marry them.  WHAT!  I had no idea.  He said that Ben had been working on it for a year, got ordained to do it and wrote the whole thing.  OMG!  I was stunned.  I see Ben nearly every day and he never said a word.  It was just lovely.  He did a wonderful job and it brought tears to my eyes to hear his words about his son.  Lovely, just lovely.  

Favorite Day of the Week

Tuesday's are my favorite day of the week!  You want to know why?  It's because it is painting day.  Actually, I should paint everyday and I try, but Tuesday's are class painting day.  I love class day because I get to paint with my friends, friends that inspire and encourage, critique, and are my FRIENDS!  Since 2009 I have taken a 2 hour class every single Tuesday but I have decided that I'm taking 4 hours now, a double class.  Double the class, double the fun!

Lunch today we all went to eat and on the table were these beautiful gerber daisies.  I took a picture...

went back to class and started something new. 

After a full day in front of the easel I headed home and realized that I had forgotten to thaw something.  I was hoping that I had some frozen chicken breasts in the freezer and luck was on my side.  Then I decided that it was out to my garden to have some fresh stuff.  This was the first pickings from the garden this year. 

Wilted lettuce salad, new potatoes and chicken.  Life is good, my life is good...actually it's GREAT!

Rainy Days and Sunshine

It's Sunday morning, 6:44 a.m. and I'm awake, at the cabin and content.  I'm not sure what more I can say.  It has been a very peaceful weekend with the on and off rain showers, reading, visiting with friends and just quiet time.  I thought I would bring my paints this weekend but as it turned out en plein air painting would have been a bit WET.  It's funny that it would be sun shiny and rain at the same time.  Made stuff a bit steamy I must say.  

This was actually a video but can't figure out how to make it a video from my phone show up here.  Anyway, there is sunshine in the picture and rain!  At least I have my wonderful screened porch to enjoy it.  My poor birdies went hungry as I have forgotten to buy food for the feeders.  Next week, I promise!

Yesterday I slept in to 10 am.  That is unheard of in my world.  I usually am up before 5 am.  It was quite glorious to sleep in.  It was quiet as The Hubby went to town with some of his play friends for breakfast.  The fan, me, Clayton and a comfy bed, I was in heaven.  Of course, this morning I'm up early, but that is quite alright.