Morning at Allwood Reserve

I enjoyed a magical perfect morning at Allwood Audubon Farm early today sitting on the glider just watching the morning pass. If you are quiet, you soon realize how busy other little lives are trying to make a living. I counted several different little birds as well a a few geese that flew overhead. The reserve has lots of Great Blue Heron, actually a spring rookery. When the young are fledging you will find lots of photographers with big expensive cameras taking advantage of the miracles of big baby birds learning to fly. I often take my little painting case and set at one of the picnic tables overlooking the stream and rough in a few small paintings. Today I just read a trashy romance novel until Big Guy arrived with coffee and Donuts from Jim's Donuts in Englewood. We sat on a glider the reserve provides and enjoyed the little birds and sounds of the bugs and birds and water gently flowing over the stones in the brook.
Since I didn't paint on site this morning, I took a few pictures. I'm about ready to go do a painting of these pretty little yellow flowers.

Last Weeks Paintings

In the evenings and early mornings I hide away in my little sanctuary, Little Sanitee and paint to my hearts delight. These are 4X4X2 inches. Most of these will be sold. Most will be scanned to be used for the making of greeting cards.
 Remember, was it Tom Poston? on one of the Bob Newhart shows, the one where he bought a bed and breakfast. The character was a Sad Sack Debbie Downer who wrote beautiful sayings and poems for a card company.
 Brought this up because I have been asked to make the cards with something in them, not just blank. Ever look through cards trying to find just the right saying? I can't afford to do it like that but I am wondering about including a sheet with a bunch of sayings or poems that may be cut and glued in or something. I could probably print it on patterned paper so it won't look tacky. Any ideas?

Vintage Suitcase for Gypsy lovers

Just finished a vintage, 1970's era suitcase with a Gypsy Vanner horse hand painted and embellished, inside and out. These were taken in my 1972 Shasta Compact. For those in the know, you are right, the back window is wrong for a Compact. Big Guy and I put a louvered window in for more air circulation. I'm happy I did it. That's Lucky in the first picture. She wants to go bye bye.

All A Glitter!

Sometimes inspiration comes by way of reading about someone doing what my goal is, and that is to take my art on the road. I am working at it and I will. I now have a target date of Sept 2014. I have been following the blog of another artist who is now creating his new journey on the road in a perfect class C RV aptly named Tardis. He has some beautiful pictures of his new life as well as info and reviews for reasonably priced camping areas.  Here it is Pleinair Journey

 I have been back to making a little painting or 2 a day. My lovely little camper Little Sanitee makes for a perfect studio. It can be hard to give myself permission to create my art. My head says to be responsible, mow the lawn, clean the house, pay the bills. When I enter my little camper, which I have hooked up to power, I can become independent of real life for a while. 
I had some fun with glitter. I think that's going into crafts rather than fine art but its fun and feels good. So often in life we lose track of simply going with what makes us happy. The older I get, the more I see what I have missed when it comes to pleasing myself.
For now I shall embrace glitter!

People are often curious about the process of painting. This is blocking the idea in.

This is the finished painting. I have added a 3d butterfly with a charm and glass jewel. 

This is me in the trailer. I have lots of windows and the natural light works just fine. I stayed in my pajamas much of the day yesterday. I even mowed the lawn in them. Life is good.

Camp Action Kids Camp

Once in a while I get a job, not always an easy thing for an artist to find. This week I'm working, if you can call it that, at a kids camp for 4 hours a day. Yesterday we did step one for leaf making. It wasn't as easy as last camp. Last camp I had a few kids that mixing of cement came naturally to them so I had more help. We got through it though. Today is "Camp Action" tee shirts.
The boys prided themselves on being able to lift the 50 pound bags of sand and setting the mounds up for some of the smaller kids.

Turning over a new leaf

I've been having some fun this summer making bright shimmering concrete leaves. A friend and I have been going to a farmers market and selling our wares. We both like to talk to anyone we meet so this has suited us just fine. Judy makes little crochet and knit toys and purses and wash clothes.  Here are a few pictures from last weeks sale. We are taking this Sat off to rest and get busy making more for next week.