What's on my easel...

I just couldn't stand looking at that photo of me in antlers any longer, so I'm showing what's on my easel.

This still life painting of a bowl of fruit has been calling me every time I go by it and I always sit down and work on it some more.  It's been on my easel all week, but today when I went into the studio, there was silence.  I suppose that means that it's done for now.  We will see.

This other one, a garden of imaginary flowers, was created while learning which brushes make which strokes, but it turned out to be a colorful surprise.

It's been quiet here on the home front.  I am staying in for the most part.  The hubby and I went out yesterday to run errands and to swing by the mall.  I was thinking, for some unknown reason, that everyone had gone back to work and school. Wrong...circle gets the square. (Hollywood Squares reference). Traffic was heavy and everyone and his uncle must have gotten gift cards this year.  Well, I don't need anything enough to put either one of us through that pain.  Hopefully, next week things will calm down and we can stroll the mall, hand in hand, and find all kinds of deals that have been overlooked by the masses....uhhh, right.

In any event, I'm staying in and keeping warm and waiting until Friday when the mercury is supposed to rise to 50 degrees.  Can you imagine what kind of holligans warm weather on New Year's Eve will bring out?  Looks like I will wait until next week to hit the mall.  Sheesh, this is unending...

So that's it from me for a few days.  Stay tuned for more art and as they used to say on television in the old days..."keep those cards and letters coming".

It's Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and I don't have a current Christmas picture of us to post, but the sentiment is the same.

As we remember that this holiday is to celebrate the conception and birth of Christ, we know that how ever we celebrate it, whatever our belief is, as long as we remember to honor Jesus, we will be blessed.

I hope you all have a wonder filled and joyous Christmas.

Merry Christmas

from

Susan and Family

Finally, I can post this...

I have been chomping at the bit to post this, and finally it's been delivered.  This is the present I sent my sisters, a portrait of one of their cats. 

This is a pastel portrait that I did in October and have been quiet as a mouse about it.  I had it framed and sent it to them this week.  They loved it. This kitty is named Zipper and he is such a ham, he poses for the camera every time we get out to the west coast to see him.

I have done several other things, but I wanted to show you this in the meantime.

Merry Christmas, Peri and Peg-Peg, we love you bunches!

It's just two weeks til Christmas...

Yep, two weeks until Christmas and the only decoration I have this year is one poinsettia that we got at Home Depot.  Actually the only reason I even have that was to have something to paint.  I haven't done a still life for several months, so I thought a seasonal one would be just the ticket. 

I had fun doing it and while I'm sure I could have probably staged it better somewhere else in the house, it just worked for me on the mantle.

We have spent a very quiet week here, going to the gym, doing a bit of shopping and watching some television.  It's funny, even at my age, I still get teary eyed at the Christmas television specials.  It doesn't matter if it's the old faithful ones from our youth, or the Christmas episode of a current sitcom, I still get weepy. Always have, probably always will.

In addition to being weepy, everyone here in my neck of the woods has been on pins and needles, due to the abduction of a local 12 year old girl.  Her Mom had missed work two days in a row, so on Monday, concerned co-workers call the police and when they entered the house, unfortunately, they found the mother, Tina, murdered.   The daughter, Brittney was not there and it was soon discovered she had been taken by her Mom's boyfriend, apparently on Friday.  An Amber Alert was issued immediately and finally last night, they were seen in San Francisco in a Safeway.  A shopper recognized them from the Amber Alert photos and called police and they were able to arrest him without incident and get Brittney.  The officials aren't releasing much information, but at least she's safe and on her way home. 

I hope everyone is staying calm, cool and collected over the holidays.  My shopping is done, and after we go to UPS Monday, I can sit back and relax.  I don't stress out much this time of year.  The hubby and I get things we like throughout the year, so we don't worry that much about special gifts for each other.  I ordered art supplies from Dick Blick and he will probably get something from Musician's Friend and we both like to order shoes from Zappos.  So this season hasn't stressed us out in the least.

Well, that's it from me for now.  Stay safe and warm and remember to tell the people that you love, just how much they mean to you.  Take care, we'll talk soon!

Getting ready for the weekend

Hey out there.  Seems that Friday is going to be my day to post.  I am sitting here patiently trying to recover from my morning workout.  One thing about going to the gym is that I seem to challenge myself more than I do when I workout at home.  Perhaps it's the fact that I have to actually get ready and drive to the center to do my workout.  I know it's not the money, as the fee is only $39.00 a month.  I haven't researched any other health clubs, but that seems reasonable enough when you have access to an indoor pool, group exercises and every kind of weight and exercise machine that you may need or want.

Sorry, I got a bit off subject there, I was going to discuss the fact that I like to compete with myself.  Each time I go to Zumba I go a little bit faster, or reach a little bit higher so that I still am sweaty and slightly red faced when I finish.  It will be sometime down the road before I am not surprised with the image that I see in that wall of mirrors.  Don't get me wrong, I don't have a poor body image at all, it's just that I'm not used to seeing myself all jiggly and breathless when I look in my mirror.  I usually have a makeup brush or a curling brush in my hand and am in another kind of zone completely.

Oops, I did it again... I was going to mention that even on days that I don't have group exercise to motivate me, I push myself to walk faster and even run a bit when I'm on the track.  I like to use the recumbent bicycle and cross trainer machine and each time, I try to work a bit harder in hopes of building up my strength and endurance levels.

I promise that all of this is actually leading somewhere, so try not to doze while I get to my point.  What point am I trying to make?  Stick-to-itiveness! Yep, that made up word that says so much, it's now in the dictionary.  Perseverance, tenacity, just plain old staying power...whatever you want to call it, it's got to be what makes the world go around.  You just can't get anywhere by fizzling out, or by giving up or by quitting.  If you think you can, you might as well just sit in the floor and cry because you won't get what you want from life.

Having a goal and working for it is healthy.  If you are like so many of us and you sit for hours at a time, try to set simple goals like getting up and walking around the room every hour.  It is so easy to be at the sewing machine, or the art table or surrounded by colorful yarns and forget to move.  Yep, we forget to move.  It's a good thing that breathing is involuntary, or we might forget that, also.  So, let's challenge ourselves this month and at least set a goal to make some changes, and possible move more.  Park at the end of the lot at the mall (making sure you are in a safe spot if you will be shopping until dark), or take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Even little things like standing up straight, instead of leaning on the shopping cart will also make a difference in the way you feel about yourself.

Normally, I don't rant about these kind of things on my art blog.  It's just that I think it's important to do my personal best, because I seem to just feel better when I do.  That's why I did a second version of my bucket and tree painting.  I liked the first one I did, which is on the right, but I wanted one that was more transparent and went with the barn paintings that I'm doing.

(Click on the images for a larger version)

So that's what I did this week, as far as art.  I am also thinking of doing another version of the covered bridge in this same fashion, so be on the look out for that.

Well, that's it for me for today.  Hope you are ready for a great weekend.  Take care of yourself so you, too can do your personal best.