Burn out

I've been playing around with zentangles, but I am either bored with them, or I am just burned out. Just not happy with any of these. I guess I need to put these aside for a while, and concentrate on painting. I have to get Jan's painting done, and work on the bagels and lox painting.

I worked on Jan's painting for a couple of hours tonight. I feel much better now. I guess I just needed to get back to the canvas. This painting is driving me crazy in a way. I work on it for a while, and think I like the way it is coming out, but then I work on it again, and I change the way or technique of painting, and like that even better, so now I will have to go back and paint again what I thought I was finished with. LOL... oh well, I guess it is just a learning process, and I need to go through it. :)

Merry Christmas

Christmas Deco 2013

Finally took some photos in the living room... Merry Christmas 2013. :)

Bagels & Lox Painting - Work In Progress

I thought I would try a still-life of Bagels & Lox on a gallery wrapped canvas with acrylic paints. This is the first step or my "under-painting" that I did last night. I am finding it quite difficult to go from watercolors to acrylic for "realistic" painting. I know that I have to be careful of how much water I add to the paint. I tried using some slow-dry blending medium, but that makes the paint have almost a "honey" consistency. I saw a video the other day from a woman put on youtube where she used airbrush liquid to get a real watery blend. I might have to get some of that. I don't know if this painting will make it, but I am thinking of it as a learning experience, so even if it ends up with a think coat of gesso at some point, that is ok.

Flurries

I'm almost done decorating for Christmas. I have to drudge down to the basement tomorrow and see if I can find the rest of the garland I KNOW is down there somewhere! My poor tree is missing it's garland on the bottom, so I cannot show it to you yet, it would be to embarrassed to be seen with a bare-bottom! lol. I do however have something I can show you, I finally finished the abstract mixed medium (acrylic & marker) painting I have been working on. I added some "white flakes" which made it look like a snow storm to me, so I named it "Flurries". Next time, I will add more white to the green to lighten up the "pine needles" in the background, there just wasn't enough contract between them and the black, but I don't think it looks horrible, just will make sure to go lighter next time, as acrylic paint does dry darker.

New opportunity

I had a new opportunity pop up this week. I am so excited. There is a new restaurant in Mishawaka Indiana called Jay's Table that just opened. A friend of mine's husband is manager there, and he told the owner about me. They show (and sell) local artist's work in the restaurant. I went and showed him my work and he picked out 14 of my artworks. These are the first 9 I am going to be showing very soon. The other 6 will have to wait until I can get frames for them. I will share photos with you when they are hung in the restaurant.

12 x 12 Acrylic Painting - Work in Progress

I started this painting last night, and have been working with it most of the day... now I have to let it completely dry before I do the next step. I like painting negative space. I am using acrylic paints on this. I like the way it is coming out... now if I can just finish it without messing it up. :)

Edit: Inserted last photo bringing up to date... not done with this yet, but I am having fun with it!

To all my family and friends...

Because it was just the four of us, we decided to do something different and go out to eat for Thanksgiving. We went to Amish Acres in Napannee Indiana. It was a very nice dinner. On the way home, we took a drive down town Elkhart to visit the heart I painted for the Have a Heart Fundraiser. I have to tell you, I was a little worried about what would happen when they weather coated it, but I didn't see any problems, and it gives it a nice shiny coat. The hearts are on display until the auction on Valentines Day.

Art Show Photos

My friend Lela Crawford sent me the photos of the show she took for me. As I said, it was a very casual place, an old warehouse. Me and my table. :)

The hearts are placed

Not sure what the hold up is on getting the photo from the show, but I am trying to be patient. However, I did get a little surprise today. The Elkhart Truth posted this photo and a friend sent it to me... My heart (along with the others) has been placed somewhere in Elkhart, now I just have to find where!

a quick update...

It's been a while since I've updated my blog. I'm still waiting for my friend to send me the photos of the show, hopefully she will send them to me soon, so I can share them with you.

Matthew was home for the weekend, He totally freaked his Dad out, we didn't tell Jeff that Matthew as coming home. It was a nice surprise for Jeff. We had some very bad weather on Sunday. Luckily it had all passed by the time Matthew got on his train, which was delayed from Chicago to go back to East Lansing. We lost power to the house for a few hours, but no damage here, we were very lucky.

I've posted everything I have done since my last post here as far as my artwork goes. They are all small pieces (Most of them are greeting/note cards) and I had fun with them.

Matthew and I started watching the tv series 4400 on Netflix while he was here, and I have been hooked on that for the past couple of days, watching when ever I get a free block of time.

Note Cards to sell at the show on Saturday.

Note: If you come to the blog and do not see the area to leave a comment. If you click on the name at the top, it will re-load and the comments option will be on again.

These are some Note Cards I had printed of one of my larger artworks. I printed them two up on cardstock them trimmed, folded and packaged them up into 10 packs. I already sold two packages of them to an artist friend of mine on Facebook. I also sold two individual greeting card artworks to another artist friend on facebook! I am just tickled pink that someone actually liked my work enough to buy it! I know, they are friends, but still... it makes you feel good. :)

Greeting Note Cards for the show

I've been working on some greeting-note cards to sell at the show I will be participating in on November 2nd. These are the first three I have gotten done so far.

 I got another one done. Going to do one more tonight, and maybe some painting, the world series is on, Jeff won't miss me a bit! (Edit: Inserted another card I did last night before I went to bed.)