Abstract Dinosaur for CMOE still a WIP

I'm coming along with my abstract dinosaur that I'm painting for an auction to benefit CMOE (Children's Museum of Evansville). I've got several hours in on it so far and I've got quite a few more I think. There was lots of intricate work that has got my neck muscles screaming and my eyes crossing! I've got more shading to do and I'm going to do something a little special to it that you're gonna have to wait to find out what it is ;)

All the paint except the black is metallic. The pictures aren't picking up on that much, but I really like the effect. I'm fairly happy with the way it's looking but you know how it is, things are always just a little different in your head. Well, my head at least.

I know I'm getting off subject here, but did anyone catch that new show on FX called "American Horror Story"? Wow. I'm liking what I've seen so far. It was made just like a movie and kept my eyes glued on the TV! Does anyone else think the gimp was the ghost guy that burned his family or possibly the creepy patient of Ben's? Freaky! I love it! They've picked a great cast, with Jessica Lange playing a great role (as usual) and eye candy Dylan McDermott with semi nude scenes (which doesn't offend me in the least!) since he basically looks like Michelangelo's David. It's not for kids at all, but if you love a good scare, I think this will fit the bill. It comes on every Wednesday evening.

Does anyone have any advice on going from a 2 column to a 3 column? Blogger has changed so much, that the info I've seen seems outdated now. I want to make my own header and possibly background. Any help or links would be appreciated =)

Happy Paint Party Friday gang! Visit all the artists as you can...

Steve Jobs, visionary

So many people today are remembering and celebrating the life of Steve Jobs, the creative genius behind Apple, including me. My very first computer that I bought was an Apple Macintosh. It was 1995 and it looked like a pizza box. I was so thrilled to have it as I had been using nothing but Apple in college. I first worked on an Apple SE and I think it had like a 40 mb hard drive, a little black and white screen. I've now got an imac and a MacBook and still wouldn't want any other computer other than a Mac. I've not kept up with technology other than that but if I had the money, I'd have an iphone, ipad and an ipod and all things Apple.

It is sad to lose such an innovative mind in his prime. Imagine what was to come! It's also sad that in is this day and age that cancer is still winning. Strangely enough, I was talking to my dad on the phone when I looked up at the TV and saw that Steve Jobs had died, just as my dad informed me that his brother and my Uncle found out he has lung cancer. His biopsy was today, so fingers crossed and prayers said. This month marks 2 years for my mother dying of melanoma cancer... hard to believe but still as fresh as yesterday. I worry about my uncle, I worry about my dad. Cancer still seems like a death sentence to me and chips away at the souls of the family.

We are so lucky to be living in such exciting times technology wise. Just think about how much Steve Jobs have contributed to our lives. Made our lives better, easier and just more fun. What an amazing man and such an inspiration. How fortunate for our world to have had him. What a legacy he has left, a legacy that I am grateful for. Truly he was a great man. Thank you Steve Jobs...

Abstract Sidewalk Art

Asher and I have just discovered the joys of sidewalk paint this past Saturday. We've played around with chalk before but this sidewalk paint, let me tell you! It just knocks sidewalk graffiti up a whole notch or two in my book. From what started as whining from Asher turned out to be the highlight of my day.

You see he just found a birthday present from way back in March that I've been pushing aside. Okay I was hiding it, I admit it. It just seemed like one of those kid things that was gonna be one big mess that I had to clean up then to add insult to injury, a nice scream fest to top it off. No thank you.

But since having found it a few days prior, he's been hounding me to get this stuff out. Now you all know, I'm all for creative play. But this was Saturday and I really hadn't planned on getting out of my robe for most or all of the day. Besides it was like 50 something degrees out there... ick.

But Asher managed to talk me into it. Code for: drove me nuts until I caved. So I annoyingly got my clothes on, all the while telling him that he could do it himself and that I was going to sit inside while he did it. He accepted, just thrilled to try out the new stuff. So I get him set up and show him what to do, it came with a roller and a brush, and I went back inside to do more lounging.

Well I started to feel a twinge of guilt since he is now in school and I really don't spend much time playing like that anymore with him. I looked out the window and he looked so cute slopping the paint and rolling away. Not only that, I started to get a little envious. He painted with abandon. Sloshing paint this way and that. What fun! So I went out there and asked him if I could join in. Happily, he said I could and then proceeded to tell me I could use the brush because he like the roller. Yippee! So it began.

mine is on the left and Asher's is on the right in case you can't tell ;)

Of course he was totally tired of it within 10 minutes, so I thought well I don't want to waste the paint that had already been poured out so I kept painting (about 30 minutes) and came up with what you see here. I still ended up having to clean it all up, but hey, it was well worth it.

Just so you know, it looks much prettier when sidewalk paint is wet. The dog trotted all over it, but it surprisingly dries fast. The cat couldn't care less. It's amazing the color combinations you can create with hot pink, blue and yellow... although it takes a little extra work. Also, I don't think it's gonna come off. Oy!

CMOE benefit project & PPF 29

I'm killing two birds with one stone here. It's Paint Party Friday and I want to tell you about a project I've got started. I've been asked to participate in a benefit for CMOE, a local children's museum. I am decorating a pre-made wooden "piggy bank" shaped like a dinosaur that you can insert a coin into its mouth and it swirls around and ends up in his belly. It will be auctioned off for their 5th Birthday Gala. I am honored to be asked to help and hope that my dinosaur will fetch a good price to help out the museum. I'm not going for a childlike theme, more of a serious piece with attitude... haha at least in my head!

It stands a couple feet high but as I paint on it, I've discovered there really isn't much surface area. So far, I've gesso'd it and ink'd it with india ink in my random pattern technique and now I've just started to add paint... metallic of course. I have more plans for this other than just painting but you'll have to tune in later to see what I've got up my sleeve ;)

gesso'd

 

ink'd

ink'd other side

adding the metallic paint

I've missed like 3 Paint Party Friday's and I'm just barely squeaking in for this one tonight! This week I've brought all my plants back into my greenhouse cause it's going to get pretty chilly tonight and it's time. Bringing all my plants in has turned out to be a big project (just like every year, how quick I forget!). I was hoping to be further along with my dinosaur by now, especially since the gala is this month... yikes! I'll make it, no worries.

Try to visit all the talent that is PPF! Til next time ;)
 

Putting off this post :(

I've put off this post for over a month now hoping if I didn't talk about it, he would return. Writing this makes it too real, sad and final. Lightning, one of my twin boy kitties, has disappeared and I'm heart broken. He and his brother Thunder occasionally would go out for an all-nighter but they always returned until recently. All too much like losing my beloved Banshee a little over a year ago.

The strange thing is that Thunder was usually my wanderer, not Lightning. Lightning was my lover cat. He loved to be held and petted. Asher could pick him up and drag him around and Lightning loved it. He would jump up in my lap if ever I gave him the chance. Lightning would always run in the house when I opened the door. I feel horribly guilty now that he is gone and most likely is not coming back that I moved them outside. I miss him terribly. They started out as inside cats but Thunder started to attack my 19 year old Queen of the house cat, Glove, so I moved them out this summer together because they were inseparable.

I still scour the sides of the roads, fields and porches for him everyday I take Asher to school. I can't imagine where he could have gone and hate to think of what my gut tells me happened. We live in the country and there are dogs and coyotes. My husband won't answer me truthfully when I ask him (about 6 million times) what he thought happened to Lightning. He tries to make me feel better and tells me maybe he got too far away from home and he's lost. Not likely.

I've called the animal control, they apparently don't pick up cats. Who knew? I've searched the animal shelter websites with no luck. Not likely again since we're 15 miles from the nearest town with a shelter. I even ask Thunder and Zoey all the time "Where is your brother?" they both look at me with their sweet innocent eyes, not a care in the world. Odd though... no grieving for them. At least not that I've noticed. How does a grieving animal act? How can they not miss him? Maybe they know something I don't. Maybe they're glad the brown-noser is gone. I'm kidding. Either way, everyone please say a little prayer that Lightning returns to me.