Pushing My Limits

I must have rocks in my head but I have jumped off the deep end in my painting life.  

I have gone from painting realism to a touch of abstract and now THIS...

yes, I'm painting this thing and so far so good.  In fact my instructor, Ross actually said on Tuesday that he was concerned that I would not be able to focus on something as intricate and intense as this but was pleasantly surprised by what I had accomplished in a few hours.  I was over the moon happy with it so far.  I have definitely pushed myself outside the box, so to speak in my world of art.  What fun and a major accomplishment if I can really pull this off.

Did you vote on Tuesday!  Somewhere on Tuesday there was a vote and I certainly did my civic duty and voted and am thrilled to have some new young blood in office.  Next...November and PRESIDENT...that is making me crazy.  Hate, hate, HATE the choices out there.

Blogging Anniversary

Exactly 10 years ago today I started posting here on Jill of All Trades.  I cannot believe it has been 10 years.  When I started spilling myself out here it was because of the depression and sadness of loss, the loss of my best friend Gail, then the loss of my other dearest best friend, Momma.  I still cry sometimes and feel it in my heart like a dagger but I am finally mended.  So much has changed in these 10 years.  I have found my new happy in creating my art and little Snicklefritz has entered our lives, our little ray of sunshine.  Life is so wonderful now...

I have to backtrack just a hair, life is a bit precarious right now with work and that is making things a bit tense but all in all my life is good and happy.  

More Paint Play

Saturday...yes it is time to play in the paint stuff yet again.  Last weekend I painted some pretty in pink kind and immediately sold them on Facebook.  Decided to try my hand at the first two on Monday and the last one this morning.  The first two are watercolor and pen.  

This morning I did this with watercolor, pastels, pen, markers.  I'm kind of diggin' it.   

Started another but suddenly I developed a headache and it's promising to be a migraine possibly or I'm getting sick like B and The Hubby....YIKES!  I certainly hope not because they have been icky sick with a summer cold.  

My Baby

Yup, my baby!  My baby is having a birthday today.  A turns 31 today.  I CANNOT believe that I have one that old, well, the oldest is coming up on 37 and that is just too darn close to 40.  Wow!  Well the HAPPIEST of BIRTHDAY'S to our dear sweet A.

Watercolor and Pen

I have to tell you I am on a bit of a roll with my new stuff.  I did these at the cabin, sitting on the screened porch yesterday on watercolor paper and I have to say...I LOVE THEM!  The added bonus was when I put them on Facebook and SOLD them within a couple of hours, including the one from Thursday to the same friend!

Stress Reliever

A little stress reliever in the midst of all the "ICK" in the world...

colored pencil and pen

Orlando

What can say! I am shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of life.....

Actually, I started to write a very long diatribe going off but stopped and deleted....

I am shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of life!

Daniel Keys

Hello out there my friends.  I know I've been kind of quiet lately but I have been BUSY!  Two weeks ago was the couple of days travel to Arkansas then back to work a bit.  Then next up last week was the big 60th Birthday Bash that I barely had time enough to recover from when this week rolled around with the painting workshop.

This week I have been planning on for months.  This workshop is why I have been purging my closets and cleaning out my home studio.  Not only were we to have the Daniel Keys 3-day workshop but I was hosting him and the artists at my house for dinner.  

The workshop began on Monday with him demoing painting roses.  Roses are hard ya'll but he makes them look easy.

He demoed in the morning and we were to try our hand in the afternoon.  So we began.  It's always a little scary for me in the beginning of a painting in front of the artist but I did it. 

I kind of like it but not really sure.  It's done and I think they look like roses! 

Day 2 and 3 is still life.  This is his still life he set up using my great-great grandmother's pitcher.  He loved it and I was thrilled.  It was a beautiful set up or composition.  He says that composition is not important but this is where I truly disagree with him.  I think it is most important.  You don't want an ugly set up to paint it won't be fun and pleasing to the eye.   

He began on Day 2 with this...

and makes it look so very easy...HAHAHAHA! 

Day 3 he filled in the pitcher and the bottom half and we continued on with our still life that we set up in the afternoon on day 2. 

OH MY GOSH!!!

Isn't this just beautiful.  I have to tell you a few months ago I had been looking for a painting of his to buy but let me tell you they are hard to get.  They are snatched up so fast you have seconds when he puts them out there, unless you want to pay THOUSANDS...and I mean thousands of dollars for them.  One day I happened to be on Facebook at just the right second when he posted another studio/workshop painting of pansies and a red canary.  The price was right and I fell in love with it.  He had it through a gallery, I clicked BUY and in that golden second it was MINE!  I was thrilled.  

Now back to this little jewel.  Normally the students of the workshop put your names in the buckets for whichever painting they would like to purchase and they draw names.  If you want it you can buy it then and there.  That bucket was FULL as was the roses painting.  My friend Linda's name was drawn for this one and I was thrilled for her.  A few minutes earlier she had told me if her name was drawn that she would let me buy it from her but I was NOT going to hold her to that.  She was thrilled with it as was I.  But as we went home that night after the three days her conscience was not letting her enjoy the purchase.  Plus she felt strongly that the piece belonged with the real pitcher.  WHAT!  She sent me a text that next morning before we were to go to our regular art class and told me she wanted me to have it if I wanted it....well, YES!  But, I wanted to make damn sure she was not going to regret it because she got it fair and square.  She assured me that it was what she felt was right and folks...this beauty is now mine. 

Oh my gosh isn't it just lovely.  I can't wait for it to dry and be framed and hang on my wall along side the canary!  Thank you so very much my friend!

Oh and this was our set up to paint...

and my painting for the last two days. 

I am tired, truly tired today, this morning.  It has been a whirlwind few months and I am absolutely pooped and it's not over as I am to go to our high school "60th Birthday" picnic at four today.  Folks it is getting hot here and not looking forward to it.  Oh I love the hot but not when I am mentally exhausted.  Still trying to decide if I want to NOT go but in the end I probably will.  

Birthday Update

 Hello, hello, hello.....

I have hesitated posting here until this week was over because sooooo much has happened and it's NOT done yet.  

Here is the tale, unfortunately there aren't many photos yet so put the imagination cap on!  

Not only did I go out of town last week for a couple of days for the garden tour but on Friday evening The Hubby and I attended an engagement party for a friend.  It was such fun but huge.  The next day was my 60th birthday, June 4.

I'm now officially in that next decade and boy what a whirlwind day I had.  After the Friday bash Saturday morning rolled around with my oldest, B telling me she and Snicklefritz wanted to take me out to breakfast.  I got up and snazzed myself up, ready for the day.  

It was raining all morning which made me mad it wasn't sunshiney for my day.  9 a.m. came and the text telling me they were there.  Umbrella in tow I headed out to the car for breakfast.  I saw B taking pictures with her phone and as I went around to the passenger side I saw (this is on video that I can't figure out how to get off my phone) Snicklefritz in her car seat waving to me.  The back windows have a tint so it's hard to see.  I sat in the seat and heard Snicklefritz say, "Happy Birthday Granny," then B and THEN a voice in the other side of the back seat.  Oh MY GOSH!  It was A, in from California!  I had NO IDEA she was coming into town for my birthday!  Pure joy having my girls all together!

The whole day was full of surprises, that being the first.  Then we went to Broken Arrow, to the house where my father spent a good part of his childhood.  It's now Hometown Hospice and has been a tea room in its many incarnations.  B set it up that we were to have family pictures taken on the steps of the house.  The Hubby was there with Clayton along with B2 and their dog Mondo.  So my whole family was there for FAMILY PORTRAITS!  I cannot wait to see the finished ones.  After that we headed to my Daddy's without B2 or The Hubby and puppy paws.  Once there Bro and Sis showed up for another round of photos with Daddy!  We had breakfast casserole and mimosas and a great time.  

All that done we headed out shopping because The Hubby said I needed something for the evening!  Another surprise...maybe!  We went to Utica Square and I found a cute little dress for "dinner out." After that we went to B&B2's house to hang out because I was not allowed to go home.  CLUE!  A few naps, except for Snicklefritz and then we got all snazzed up yet again and then headed for dinner out.  

In the car I was BLINDFOLDED and then we drove and drove and drove but I kind of figured out we heading to my house.  We were met by the car and The Hubby walked the blindfolded me past lots of obstacles.....

SURPRISE!  Blindfold off and I saw we were in our backyard with 60 of our closet friends....Happy Birthday was sung and I giggled and lots of laughter was heard.  What fun!  The Hubby, B2 and my bestie, Christine set up the house like an art show.  The house was full of walls of my art and there was In The Raw sushi in the dining room and the place was FULL of friends.  A fantastic party and I had a blast.  A good many of the guests I had seen the night before at the engagement party!  

B finished a quilt I had started many years ago with just blocks.  I LOVE it!  I got tons of cards, hugs, kisses and friend and family time.  What more can a girl ask for!

Comtemplation

Contemplation, yes that is the word this week.  I've been pretty busy this week but I think I've been keeping busy because if I stop I contemplate my life and I'm not sure how I feel about that.  You see, Saturday, June 4 I will step into another phase in my life.  Saturday I will turn 60 years old, I step into another decade, an older decade I'm not sure I want to be.  The alternative is not to step into that place in my life so I'm jumping in with both feet. 

60, wow.  I remember when my mother was 36 and thought that was old.  Good grief my oldest is 36.  That is just crazy.  Time is the one thing that just does not stop and there is nothing you can do short of DYING and that I'm not a fan of.  So life, bring it on.  I'm going to be 60 and I'm proud of it.  Life just gets better, right.  

The Hubby has a friend that has recently been released from the hospital after an extended stay, part of it in a coma on life support.  He is extremely lucky that he overcame.  Then The Hubby got a shock when another friend who is in the hospital has been given possibly 6 months.  Life is so tenuous and uncertain.  Live it.