Paint Party Friday Week 7

So I didn't keep my pepper thing going. I've got bigger fish to fry. I am behind on my Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbooks project so I had better try to stay focused on it. We are supposed to send out our books by the end of the month and ooops... that is tomorrow! Oy! This is my gig too, I am so bad. Anyway, I'll get back to my pepper pastels next week I hope.

This is the cover to my sketchbook. Soooo... what the heck is it? I went totally blank on myself as to what to put on the cover. I kept seeing everyone's fantastic pages and covers going up and I'm thinking Oh sh!t, what am I going to do? So I started piddling around with my new acrylics and had no idea what I was doing. I ended up seeing in my head one of my most favorite places to be... under water! I love to snorkel and this reminded me of underwater plants, so I added some freaky little fish tonight and voila! It is said that the best way to learn something is to do it, but there is something to be said about having some instruction too. I love the paintbrush in my hand though, the smell of the paints, mixing colors and a gorgeous palette. I'm hooked. So much to do, so little time.

I am also in midst of selling my heirloom tomato plants and painted my signs tonight. It is technically Thursday night here since I've not gone to bed yet :)  Even they were fun with a paint brush.

To find out about the Paint Party Friday fun, click on the side bar and see all the talented artists posting there. REally good stuff.

Happy Paint Party Friday! Oh, and I turned 41 today (the 28th). whoopee. not even a damn card from my hubs.

Fun in the Mud

We have had rain since I don't know when. People all around us are getting evacuated and lots of water is moving in. They are having to let water out of a dam in our news viewing area and it's going to affect so many people in the mandatory evacuation. Tornadoes and hail, it's been a rough spring so far. It's still rumblin' thunder here but the weather man has promised a break even if it's short lived. Good through Saturday and then it's on again come Sunday. I wish the rain would save up a little for when we need it come July and August!

The lake has almost reached to top of our levee here. That white thing floating out there is the back to the paddle boat. There is another pond out of view that overfills and then drains into ours making it fill up even faster. The paddle boat is resting on the dock. The spirea bush is drowning! and the jon boat nearly sank but the hubby saved it. My basement is sloshy and my husbands shop is full of rain water. Of course you know how men are, he went to fix how the water getting in (the gutters couldn't handle the amount of rain we were getting) and he broke the gutter while digging a trench. Another trip to the Home Depot, jeesh... cha ching $$

One good thing about all the rain as my son says... it makes mud!

I had to share these hilarious pictures I took during a break from the rain yesterday. He's like a little mud sprite! haha... those socks and underwear will never be the same.

I hope you're all safe from the storms.

Old Man Sun - where are you?

Old Man Sun

We are having torrential rains right now and the sun is playing peek a boo. At least a little earlier he was. Weather channel said we could get 6-9 inches of rain by Sunday! I have no idea where it's going, because we have had too much already. I wish it would save a little for July and August when we'll really need it!

I was cleaning out a closet in my studio and found a large drawing pad that I had forgotten had some pieces in it. some are finished but there are one or two that I may actually go in and tweak and finish. Do you do that? Work on art you had created a long time ago. I come back to it with fresh eyes for sure, but also a bit of appreciation for who I was when I created it and sometimes I surprise myself with "hey, that ain't too bad".

So it the case with Old Man Sun. (His colors here in this photo are washed out more than the original.) I'm not sure why I never took him out of the pad, I may have not been happy with him. But looking at him now, I appreciate him and feel he is indeed finished and worthy of framing. I am finding I'm wanting my work around me for me to see. I have never done that. It's always stayed filed away somewhere or given away as I purchased others work that I felt was "fit" to display in my home. It is part of me and even though it's not perfect by any means... it is something I've touched and created. It came from my creative brain. I somehow forgot that I am a creative being after having a child, even before while I had my 8-5 "creative" job. Busy with life.

Being in the last half of my life changes things. I'm thinking this way because I have a birthday coming up, next week on the 28th to be exact. It's taken me this long to accept who I am. Imperfections and all. There are days that I still question that statement. As I saw a quote on Gloria's blog which resonated with me, "A great artist I'm not, but an artist I am". I just love that. I'm more excepting of that now. That is her own quote.

Has everyone been checking out Paint Party Friday? I've got a little pepper series going. I am loving this PPF, it keeps me accountable! I am creating more and thinking more creative than I have in a long long time. You should check it out, even if you don't consider yourself an artist, you would be amazed at how art is healing to your soul.

In other news, I'll keep this short I know I've gone on and on here. My son is having surgery again. This time to have tubes put in his ears and his tonsils and adenoids taken out. I'm not looking forward to the surgery which is May 2nd, but look forward to him being well. He has sleep apnea and I haven't slept for a whole night for who knows how long. The doctor says I'll have a different kid after this is all over. He is wild and apparently sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation has lots of very bad affects on the human body, especially a little body that is trying to grow! Say a prayer for him, please.

Paint Party Friday Week 6

Yay! It's Paint Party Friday and I've got something to show. Granted, I did it about midnight last night but hey, I did it. This PPF is great for me because it is making me be accounted for. Why don't you join and get some artwork created! Go here to join.

So, here is another pastel painting.... Sweet Havanas

It's also Good Friday... I'll take a moment and think and pray.

I think the Easter bunny will have to swim to our house to hide eggs. Have a wonderful Easter!

Paint Party Friday Week 5 - My First!

I'm joining a group of artists in Paint Party Friday! Here is my first piece that I'm submitting. It started out okay, but I felt it needed a little more umpfff, they are chili peppers after all and they carry some umpff.

So here's what I ended up with. I like it and it's finished other than I think I'll sign and date it.

I opened up a new set of Prismacolor Nupastels and I've never used them before (pastels) so I was thrilled when the very first thing I create from them actually pleased me. They were a lot of fun and quick. I wasn't even planning on creating anything, just going upstairs to straighten while Asher did a little creating and I took the plastic off and loved the colors so I had to play.

My Art Studio

So here's pictures I took today and yesterday of my art studio that I'm sharing. This is actually as straightened up as I've had in a very long time. I actually got up there and did a little painting today! Yahooooo! Finally! Please notice above my drawing desk a new shelf that my hubby made for me. The section directly in front of my desk is great, but I've discovered that the section to the right I can't reach because I'm too short. So my idea of lining up little bottles of paint bit the dust.

Here's a before picture taken not too long ago. Maybe last summer.

Here are the white shelves which filled up quick even though I've been trying to edit them and keep only art supplies related stuff on them.

Here's the view from my studio window

Here's a favorite joke I've had forever and always posted up near my desk

Does anybody remember when I said I was moving my studio to another room and bought this $5 shelf/desk? Well I decided I couldn't leave the nice light in the original studio so I use my desk that I painted for getting Etsy orders filled up (when it's not so messy!).

Here's the before

I'm going to find a new spot for my Art Studio Mascot. I'll need to figure out a clever name for him. His eyes glow red if you click the button! Spooky! I love it...haha. Got him at Halloween. I'm loving the shadow he casts.

So here's a link back to my big ideas for my studio that of course changed. More scary before pictures included. I've noticed I don't have much of my own artwork on display. Probably cause it's here and there. But the neat little jester guy is from my friend Janette of ARt After Dark.

I hope you've enjoyed my little tour. I hope now to being showing lots of art coming from this new found clean surface!!!! It is an art studio after all.

Later Taters,

Heirloom Tomatoes are growing nicely

So this is what I've been up to lately. I've noticed my posting and visiting has gone down recently and this is why. I've been hard at work tending my Heirloom Tomatoes that I sell locally. That money fuels my art booth fees a lot of the time and also my flower addiction that I have. I start them all from seed and then transplant them twice. I also make all the plant tags from milk jugs I've saved throughout the year. Well I've finally got them all transplanted and in the greenhouse. I start them in my basement under many fluorescent lights in my my seedling condo as I call it. Now they will spend a little while growing and some are already ready to harden off outside but we've been having so much wind and hard rain that I've put that off a bit.

So I'll be around more often now in-between watering and taking them in and out while hardening off. Oh, I also have the task of selling these babies so I've got that, too.

I'm embarrassed to even tell you I have not done my pages yet for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbooks. oyi... and here it is planting season! Ok, ok... beat me now. I have also been cleaning up my studio so I won't have any excuses not to get up there. I'll post a picture of the new and improved studio tomorrow! ;) Oh I did prime my cover, does that count?

see ya tootsies!

Gettin' Spooked!

Yikes! What was that?!

Alright, so I know I'm not the only scary movie lover here and some of you may know this about me, that I love all things scary... but... I have managed to spook myself lately. I'm talking about the look in the closets with a flashlight if you could but you can't cause you're too scared spooked. The kinda spooked where you hurry up and get in bed and cover up even your head kinda spooked! It started with last weekend on date night with the hubby and we went to see my pick.. Insidious. Great movie by the way... a real jumper. If you don't jump throughout the whole thing then go straight to the hospital because you may not have a pulse. 

I thought of it to be a different take on Poltergeist, which is one of my all time favorites. I love paranormal scary, not chop em up gory movies. So anyway, fast forward to the other night and I'm watching some of my fun stuff that I have to wait til after Asher's in bed for. I record anything scary that I know of. It just so happened that a couple of the shows I like are airing new episodes so I was excited. Now normally, My Ghost Story on the Bio channel may give you a shiver or two, but this last episode freaked me out and I cannot get it out of my mind. The link takes you to where you can watch full episodes, but they are from last season I think. The episode I'm talking about isn't on there.

So this episode starts with a woman living alone and I can't remember the reason why she starts recording herself sleeping, but she does and what she finds on her recording blows my mind. Something shows up on camera that looks like a cross between a cat and a monkey only very blurry jumping up on her bed near her head and disappearing under her covers! It also shows something walking across her bed, just the footsteps, not anything making the footsteps! I cannot believe I haven't seen this covered more somewhere else or someone trying to de-bunk it. You guys have got to see this clip, I'll keep looking for it.

UPDATE: I found the clip, go here: Creepy Sleep

It scared the bejezzus outta me. Of course, I go to sleep by myself since my husband is at work when I finally crash. I won't say what shift he's working so hopefully as to not be killed. I've even thought of sleeping with Asher! haha now that is bad. So now, I'm hearing things I've never noticed before and seeing things out of the corner of my eyes and general spooky stuff. I've always had a feeling of being watched as I sit on my couch from the stairs. I don't know what it is but very often I am looking that way. I sometimes try to ignore something that I think is trying to get my attention. You all will think I'm crazy, but I think my house is haunted at times. After watching that episode, I went into my bedroom to go to sleep and a light on our digital thermostat came on by itself as I walked by it! Just so you know, this is not normal and it does not do that even when it is kicking on.  I used to use my cat as a gauge but now she is so old and deaf she can't hear me call her name! Poor Glove. So I am left to my own devices. And hey, I just thought of something, Glove used to always sleep with me up until about 2 weeks ago and now she won't come in my room... hmmmm. As you can tell, I get a little carried away.

Speaking of devices, my girlfriend and I were talking about buying a digital recorder because we are going to do a tour of the Waverly Hills Sanitorium in July! We tried to get a 4 hour tour on Good Friday but they are all booked up. So we have to do a 8 hour tour in July! 8 hours! I'm not so sure about 8 hours, but it's better than waiting til next year. I will keep you all updated with that... ooooooooo! haha  I'm excited! and a little spooked ;)

Tell me your spooky stories!! Or blog about one and let me know so I can go read it! Or if you know of a Bed and Breakfast that offers haunted stays, I'd love to know of them. More on spooky stuff that's happened to me later. (There's actually quite a bit!)

Have a spooky night!

Get a free blog listing on The Blog Guidebook

http://www.blogguidebook.com/

  
The Blog Guidebook is the vision of two friends who want to see the blogging community grow in friendship, creativity and beauty.

Right now you can add your blog for free so pop by and do it!!!! I did!

Painting Saturday, Messy Saturday

Today Asher finally played with the big easel I got him for his birthday. Why is it we end up doing all the work and they decide they are bored and skip off after 10 minutes of play while it took 20 minutes to get it all set up? That is what goes on here on a regular basis. I try to get up in my studio to do a little creative play myself and of course I've got a tag a long who wants to paint too. By the time I've got him all set up, paints open, brushes a plenty and lots of paper including water I finally get to my stuff only to have him say "I'm done". Oy. At five years old, he still can't be trusted to go play alone in the house so that means I'm done too. Oy again. I know I'll be wishing for these days back someday but right now it's hard to look past the work and aggravation. I suppose I won't remember the hard part, just the fun stuff.

I took this picture after I got done wiping up the red paint from the floor, cabinets and refrigerator from Asher dropping the bottle. Paint flew everywhere.  

As it turns out chalk is a lot easier to clean up.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbooks has finally started and I can't wait to share all that with you, but right now I got nuthin'.  As far as the original traveling book, I think it's still in T's hands because I haven't gotten word yet about it being sent out. So if you're on the list to receive it, hang in there!

But in other news, Grandma has been moved to a new nursing home and they have her doing therapy, which is whoopin' her butt. I went to see her Thursday to do her hair and she was sleeping so hard I couldn't wake her up. She looked pretty bad, wore out and much older than before. I fear it may not be long. But she has come back and surprised us before. I'll to keep a good outlook until I can't anymore.

Look at these lazy things here. Thought I'd leave you with a smile.

Have a great weekend!