Update

Ok so I've been MIA for over a month! I've had so much going on and just haven't felt like getting on the computer. I get like that from time to time.
I haven't created any art at all..shame on me. I have had my daughter and her husband staying with me for the summer and they moved into my art room and I just can't seem to get creative. I've tried to goof around in my journal and what comes out is blah! lol So I've set it aside temporarily because my head has been focused on so many things.
I helped my mom get my step dad into a home about 3 weeks ago, what a sad day that was. It was so hard to leave him there and go home to moms and John not be there, Very strange feeling. We put him in the best Memory unit we could find only to find out a week later he wasn't wearing his own clothes and he hadn't shaved in days. There is neglect no matter how much you pay or where you go! So this week he is moving to a much better much homier facility. When we toured there were two little old men sneeking into this ladys room and the nurse had to chase them out. They were about Johns age. It was soooo funny. I can see John incahoots with them now. I think this new place will be much more stimulating for him. He hates it where he is.
I've been working hard on ME. I've been working out with a personal trainer for a few weeks now and I'm on a strict diet. I have more energy than I've had in years, my back is almost completely healed and my knees are soooo much better! My goal is snow skiing in the spring. I can't wait until the day comes for me to post before and after pictures. I am documenting the progress. This is really exciting for me. I am also trying to quit smoking at the same time. I think that is much harder than trying to eat right and exercise. Geeze it's tough. I'm down to less than 10 a day now though! some days I only have 5. Yesterday I didn't even have one until like 1:30 in the afternoon. Woot woot go me!

planting flowers

Today was such a beautiful day! Perfect weather.. you couldn't ask for any better. The sun was shining, the birds were singing it wasn't too hot, light breeze. So I got up took my shower and I drove to the Nursery and bought 2 flats of flowers and headed over to my mothers .

We gathered up all of her pots mixed a potion of compost, potting soil and vermiculite and proceeded to plant all the pretty flowers. We planted geraniums, impatiens, petunias ( some beautiful colors of dark crimson red, deep velvety purple, creamy white and a varigated one of hot pink and white.
We let john help ( my step-dad with Alzheimers ) he really did good today at least i know he enjoyed himself he always loved working out in the yard and doing home improvements.

The sun felt so good on my back, the fresh air, digging in the dirt. I had a really great time and I know Mom appreciated it.

Then we invited everyone over and ordered a pizza and watched the finale o American Idol.. Omg.. Kiss and Queen are you serious? How cool is that? i was blown away. I fully expected Adam to win but Kris is a good choice. Adam needs to be off doing bigger better things. It was a truely great show tonight.

Hope this finds you smiling and having a great day!

Peace, Love and Hairspray!

Sacred

12X12 Canvas. This was a fun one and I can not wait to start another.

Mothers day

Well I am seriously behind on this blog! Mothers Day came and went and I didn't even post. I made my mom a collage painting. The picture doesn't really capture it well but here it is.

I hope everyone had a terrific Mothers day!

For the love of a pug

I don't want to go on and on about this dog but it never ceases to amaze me the things she gets herself into. So I accidentally left the door open to the art room while I showered. Once I returned I discovered that someone had been sly and snuck a bottle of paint. No evidence mind you!
Thank goodness I wasn't gone long and she hadn't ingested much. Little stink, here is the bottle. I had to tape it..lol
Then she had the nerve to sit there and look all innocent when clearly she is guilty!I'm glad I had just taken the sheets off the bed and thrown them in the washer.
It's Friday! Whoo hoo weekend! have a great day everyone!

Dream

Geeze, I finally finished this. I started it a week ago and just never got back to it.. I got busy or should I say side tracked making other things.
So today is my baby's 16th b-day and he asked me to do him a painting and this is what I came up with. I chose a 3 color palette to match his room. I hope he likes it.

Happy Birthday Taylor!

My little dream

I have a little dream of a little cottage in the country with a little garden full of fresh vegetables and herbs. Beds full of flowers and beautiful greenery. Nestled in the trees within the back of the garden is my little pond. Beside the pond is my little cottage of dreams. I walk in and before my eyes is my little piece of heaven. It's wonderfully painted walls, crisp little curtains blowing in the breeze. All of my favorite little pieces of art surround me. I turn on my music you know the kind that touches your soul and makes your creative spirit soar. I light my favorite scent of the day and today it is cucumber apple..mmmm it smells so fresh and clean. I walk over to the sink and glance out of the little window and watch the bunnies dance in the garden. I love the bunnies, I always leave the bottom few tomatoes for them to munch on so they don't destroy the rest of my savory vegetables. I make myself a nice tall glass of raspberry iced tea. "Hmmm it's such a beautiful day." I think to myself and then it hits me. My next little piece of creativity. What will it look like? Will it be pink or green or many colors? Will it be textured or smooth? Will it be like everything else or will it be completely different?

I walk over to my art table and take a seat. I reach for a canvas and begin to prime it with gesso.

Humming to the tune on the radio and in my own little bliss a little bird flies through the window. He sits in the window sill studying me as I work. I wonder what this little bird is thinking? Oh no he is flying over here! Ohhh little bird! you stepped in my paint! Well I may as well use your little feet since you've already gone and done it. Silly little bird.

Now how does this all turn out? I guess I will just have to go with it and see what comes of it.

Coffee theme

My latest. This one is coffee theme and I am not quite finished but I wanted to get something up. I will post it again once it is completely finished. Everytime I do this it gets easier. I can't wait to start another one.

My daughter and I went messing around yesterday and spent some time at Borders, that was fun. I could spend hours in there. Lots of money too! ha ha Our mission was a photo shoot but we didn't get much of that done.. lol

Its a gorgeous day today! Hmmm what to get into?

No April Fool's here

The day after April Fools.. hmmm and no one pranked me this year ha ha ha. My boys are slacking!

Today would have been my dad's 87th birthday.. wow! Happy Birthday Dad! I Love and Miss you!

Ok on to more fun things.. I ordered Kelly Rae Roberts new book taking flight and oh my gosh I love it! Kelly if you ever read this blog which I doubt lol Thank you for creating such a wonderful book! I absolutely love it! It's not just a how to guide.. it's sooo much more than that. Serious dig deep in your soul type of stuff that really hits home. It's like a little workbook for the creative soul and spirit. Tapping into your inner voice. Love it Love It Love it!

I made a collage using her techniques and check it out! I am pretty proud of it and I can't wait to play more! Yes it charged that creative spark in me.. I have soooo many ideas!

It's raining today here.. Tash and I were going to go out and do a photo shoot project darnit I guess it will have to wait until tomorrow:(

Art on the wall doll

Ahhhh the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and I am in my bliss today.

I just created this silly little Art on the wall doll. I will probably make a few changes but this is her so far. I love her giant lips made of sculpey! She is a bout 3 feet long total and you cant see the bottom but there are also fibers hanging on the bottom. Hmmm what to name her?

I am feeling pretty good today.. I am so glad.. I am so sick of trying to manage pain on a daily basis. It makes me depressed. I think my back and knees are finally healing. I bought a used treadmill and have been walking a little everyday and keeping my back stretched out. Yes mom I am taking those herbs you gave me! They really works!

Tomorrow night my daughter will be here. We are going to a concert at the new arena. I am looking forward to that. Knees don't fail me now!

Hope this day finds everyone happy, relaxed and stress free!

It's SNOWING!!!

Finally the actual snow arrives and is still coming down. It's cozy here in the house, I think I will stay indoors today. I will just sit by the window and sip coffee and watch the snow fall for awhile, it's so peaceful. The furry critters are loving it.. Bella decided she didn't want to come in this morning.. Silly pup.

Brrrrrr

It's soooo cold outside. All afternoon it has been showering us in a blanket of sleet. It looks like snow. It has finally turned into snow this evening. I will update a new pic in the morning just to see what we actually got. This one was just taken a little bit ago right before it turned into snow and this is just sleet on the ground!

I am cuddled up in my chase lounge with my blankets and my crayons. I got some new colors in today so I will be playing with them tonight.

Still dog sitting.. she is so stinkin cute. I had to post a pic of her as well.

Hope everyone is warm and cozy!

I have been MIA for a week or so I know. Had company last week as I said before. Had a blast. I kind of went off into my own little world these past few days and have been writing 3 pages a day in my Morning Journal. Boy it is hard for me to commit and stick to something like that. I am not a great writer. I would much rather just draw pictures and color them in which I have done too as you can see. I've been feeling a little disconnected and I think it's just me diving in and focusing on my creative energy. I do notice the more I feed it the more it grows. Well DUH! I was away from it for so long I didn't think I would ever get it back. It's still not 100% but it is improving.I have several pictures to upload of my journal pages and some canvas work I have done. I will add them in the coming days. These images are still not complete but here is what I have so far.

It is so chilly and dreary outside today. We are supposed to get snow tomorrow night.. Are you serious? Up to 6 inches in late March after not having any snow all winter? Only in Kansas!

Here I am dog sitting once again..lol this should be fun. I really don't mind it though, the person I am sitting for is going through cancer treatment and the very least I can do is take care of the dog while she goes for treatment or to Doctor visits. It's the only way I know I can help other than prayers and love. I've fallen in love with this silly puppy who happens to be Bella's sister. She is soooo cute and such a sweetheart. Great disposition and all she wants to do is love, snuggle and please people. She is the perfect dog for Karen. My thoughts are with her today as she goes through more tests today in hopes of having surgery to remove the tumors. I pray she doesn't have to endure any more chemo the woman has been through enough. I find her inspiring, in spite of the cancer and fighting it for 4 years her spirits are still up and she is determined to beat it. She remains so positive and determined. I am grateful that my daughter married into a family who loves and accepts her as their own. Most people don't get that lucky. In case you are wondering what the hell I am talking about, the person fighting the cancer is my son in laws mother.

I would also like to acknowledge Cheryl who was my grandmothers caregiver and my mother's housekeeper for years. She is laying in the hospital as we speak under hospice care. She too has cancer. It is horrible, it is eating her flesh and taking over her insides and it is only a matter of time now. I pray that she passes peacefully and with as little pain as possible. So sad.

So when we are having those days feeling down and blue, hating our life or situation which I am guilty of having those days too, we all do it from time to time. Let us remember those women who are fighting for their lives, the ones who stay positive, strong and brave. It suddenly puts everything into perspective. Things aren't so bad after all! We have the ability to change our circumstances and I am thankful that I have that choice.

Pug Sitting

Company is finally gone after a week. We had a really great time. Now it's time for me to get back at creating. Today I think I will drag out my sewing machine and clean it and oil it.. adjust tension and see what happens. I have so many projects that I want to do I don't know where to begin..lol

Meanwhile we are pug sitting this week. We have 2 of our own and we are watching 3 more for family members while they went out of town. I thought it was going to be a disaster but they have actually been really well behaved. No accidents, nothing torn up and they all get along!

I am pleased as punch with the little puggies! 2 more days to go though so I better not speak too soon! ha ha

I hope this week of spring break finds everyone well rested and happy!

Crazy Dog

Good morning world!

So last night Tash caught Bella in a funny position on the couch,I just had to share because it made me laugh. It's classic.

Today it's off to Michaels and Mrs. O'learys. Hope I find some good treasures!

Hope the day finds you well and Happy!

Mermaid

I have been working on a painting for my daughter, a mermaid. I've made a few different attempts and wasn't real pleased with the results. I finally came up with this one. It's not complete but I have enough done to at least get something posted. I am also a fan of some types of fantasy art so I thought I would try my hand at it. I've had fun making this one. Her scales were made by mixing structure gel in with acrylic paint. It gives a really thick consistency. On the bottom where you see the black is actual sand mixed with gesso and painted over. I will eventally post the finished paintingwhen I have it completed. Hmmm what should I name her?

I may not be blogging for the next few days. We have family coming in from Texas for spring break. My husbands sister and her kids. We will be taking them around the city and doing different things. I thought about taking them to the Museum of Old World Treasures. They have real dinosaur fossils put together in life size and an actual mummy among many other things. They should all get a kick out of that. I love going and just looking at the old artifacts and antiques.

I can't wait for spring to arrive! I want to plant a garden this year. Yes I know that was random, I am getting tired. LOL I tend to babble when I am tired. Sometimes I even get the giggles!

Have a terrific weekend!

She's done

Whoo hoo finally! It's slowly getting better!

Update

I am almost finished. Just outting on some finishing touches then I am on to my next, I can't wait! I love playing with art and creating beautiful things!

Making progress!

Well it's 10:00 at night and I hate to stop now!

So far I've used prisma colored pencils, neocolor II crayons and matte liquid medium. I have a long way to go yet but she's getting there.. whoo hoo!!!

New Day, New Project

Brrrrr... it's chilly today. Kansas is famous for not knowing from one day to the next what the weather will be! I thought it was nice out and I went outside in short sleeves and nearly froze! ha ha.

I finally put finishing touches and added beeswax to my picture I made over the weekend :) I am pleased with how it turned out. I began a new project today, it's rather a large project I hope it turns out. Here are some photos of the beginning of it I will post as it progresses. I am excited about this on.. I have some great ideas for it!
Hope this day finds you well and in great spirits!

Home again Home again jiggety jig

Well I am back home again after a laughter fun filled 3 dy weekend with Missy. We had so much fun goofing around. We did manage to get some creating done but we have been known to be a little more productive.. doesn't matter.. we had a blast and it was so refreshing. We both needed a silly weekend. I know I did. I am still working on my journal page from the weekend. I am slow as molasses.. ha ha Hey I have a good excuse.. I got sidetracked by all the pretty things online shopping can bring into your life. Good thing I only create wish lists most of the time.. I would be flat busted. I want a new comforter set for my guest room and I want to paint it a fun cheery color. It also doubles as my art room and right now the walls are offwhite and I think it would make me feel really happy and more productive sitting in there creating surounded by a good color. have you hever heard of Color therapy? I believe it works. Check it out! http://www.medindia.net/alternativemedicine/Color_therapy/Color_therapy2.htm
Hmmm I was thinking blue.. but maybe purples are the route I should go! Well who knows what it will end up being! Any suggestions?

So here we are making progress, I've stopped mine for now.. I want to add another element before adding the beeswax and I am stumped. It will come to me. Meanwhile we have had a great laugh with Missy's webcam, it can warp faces..OMG was that ever hilarious! We ate some nacho's, finally taken our showers and we are feeling refreshed.. on to our next project. Hmmm what will it be???

Oh yesterday when we went to Hobby Lobby we bought new Art bags.. they were on clearance for $10 and we couldn't pass them up. So Missy made us matching trinkets to hang on our bags as you will see in the following photos. We are having great fun!

Art Weekend

I am visiting my dearest friend Missy this weekend and it's so great. We have so much fun being silly, doing art, drinking coffee, good conversation. I don't know why we don't do this more often, we're only 3 hours away! However we are dangerous when going to Hobby Lobby or shopping of any kind. hee hee It's funny how we can justify each others purchases. So we are working on wood this weekend. I practiced making faces and shading before I attempted my wood and here is what I have so far. I will post more as she progresses! Time to get busy!








Finally moving on to the wood