Abstract in Blue

 watercolor 12 x 12

This weeks painting is a departure.  I decided to do an exercise that I used to do with my teens when I was teaching art for the Boys and Girls Club.  I decided to just get my paint out and paint my feelings.  I had a pretty rough week last week so it felt appropriate. I'm also working on some commissioned paintings so this freed up a little of my time.  It was fun and frustrating.  I am a control freak which makes letting go and just painting very difficult for me.  I think I have decided that Steven is much better at abstracts. 

Steven has been working on some presents, so we don't have anything of his to post this week.  He's also extremely busy with summer activities and traveling.  Our pool is open so I may never get him to sit down and paint again.

We'll see you next week:)

Keukenhof Tulips

This week has been super busy.  We've been out of town.  So I am posting one of my first watercolor paintings.  I did this about 8 years ago.  Brian and I had gone to Holland to see the Tulips for our first Anniversary.  I've learned a lot about watercolors since then.  I do like the composition of this painting. I still think I have a similar style.  So for me this is a blast from the past.

I am starting work on some commissioned pieces so wish me luck!  Steven did a project this week, but it is a gift so we can't post the photo yet.  So stay tuned:)

Poppy

12 x 12 mixed media

This week I had fun experimenting with a mixed media project.  I busted out my gold leaf skills.  It's hard to photograph this one, hopefully the picture does it some justice.  I'm thinking about doing a larger project with this technique, so I wanted to try it out.  I will share that when I was cleaning up after my mess tonight I felt indulgent having gold shavings in my vacuum cleaner canister.  That can motivate a girl to vacuum:)

I lost Steven this week to legos.  The kid started building and didn't want to stop.  I don't blame him I love legos too.

I will be returning to my previous project at some point and time.  Still looking for my Spring inspiration.  Better hurry up we're almost out of Spring!

Also my bloggy friend Crystal, who has an amazing blog and website, check her out http://crystalcookart.blogspot.com/ tagged me in a fun little game, so everyone out there please participate.  You can leave your answers in my comment box or post them on your own blog.  Can't wait to see what everyone says.

So here goes:

Where were you five years ago?
1) Brian had just left for deployment for Iraq:(
2) I was living in Charleston, SC, working as a faux finisher, muralist.
3) There were no Steven or Sam, hard to imagine!
4) I wasn't painting my own work very often, my creative side was drained by the time I got home.
5) My Mom had recently moved to Charleston, so we were having fun hanging out and our good friends the Marce's only lived 3 hours away.  This is pretty major for a military family.

What would you like to be doing five years from now?
1) Still painting and working on my skills.  I would like to have my work represented by some galleries.
2) I'd like to be working on my Master's degree.
3) Raising healthy, happy boys:)
4) Have my husband safely at home.
5) Be living overseas and Traveling, Traveling, Traveling!!!!!!

What was on your to do list today?
1) Take kids to the doctor, just well-baby checks.
2) Clean out the car
3) Paint poppy for blog
4) Start week 3 of my couch to 5K program.
5) Do an art project with Steven for a Father's Day gift.
Happy to say everything on this list got accomplished!!!!

What are your favorite snacks?
1) 100 calorie snack packs--love them!
2) seltzer water--I know it isn't really a snack, but I could not live without it!
3) CHOCOLATE!
4) apples and peanut butter
5) special k peach and berry bars

If you were a billionaire what would you frivolously spend your money (Of course after donating to churches and charities and all that un-selfish stuff)
1) A maid
2) A chef
3) The house of our dreams in Greece:)  And one for all of my family members:)
4) I would travel all of the time, I do mean all of the time
5) Oh and this is going to sound crazy, but I would have a dental hygienist at my disposal to floss my teeth.  I know ridiculous, I just really hate doing it and if I had Oprah money I would be that frivolous.  They could brush Moose's teeth too, get my money's worth:)

So take a minute and respond, it's silly and fun:)

See everyone next week!

Blue Eggs

Oil on canvas 11 x 14

I painted this bird's nest to go along with my wisteria.  These beautiful blue eggs were in my backyard.  It's actually a sad story.  We are in the process of getting a screened in porch and these a bird made a nest and laid these eggs inside of a brick column that is on our back patio.   Brian noticed that a bird kept going to that spot so he got a ladder out and check and sure enough we found her perfect little eggs.  We decided they should be removed, before they started work on the porch the next day--the nest would be inside the enclosed area.  We were afraid they would be abandoned and we would have babies hatch.  So, Brian moved them to a nest in a bush in our backyard.  I don't think think these eggs ever hatched and as a Mommy myself, it broke my heart a little bit.  The mommy bird kept coming back and checking her nest.  It made me sad to watch her.  

This painting will accompany the wisteria painting, in a nature series.  I'm titling the wisteria painting "Struggling Wisteria"  and my bird's nest painting is named "Blue Eggs".  Both of these subjects are beautiful in their own right even though they never quite made it to their full potential.  The wisteria wasn't bursting  in blooms and the eggs never made it to baby birds.  This really made me stop and think about my own life and how this analogy can be applied.  I am my own worst critic, I'm constantly beating myself up for not being at my full potential, whatever that may be.  I need to take a moment, stop and see the beauty in what is right now.  Maybe my preconceived ideas of "fullest potential" isn't the right way to view things.  My wisteria maybe be struggling and my blue eggs my never hatch, but they are beautiful as they are.  I am looking for a third painting to add to this series, if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

 paintings hanging together, just waiting for a 3rd to complete the series

Steven also did a lovely painting.  It's a terrific watercolor.  I love his use of color.

watercolor on paper 8 x 11