Collaged Her

Hello.

I have nothing terribly nifty(does anyone even use that word anymore..maybe just me), or new to say.  Just showing the girl I made, over yesterday & today.  I drew her, then painted her with acrylics & watercolors. Her skirt & hair(in all their colorfulness), are made of pieces of paper.  She is on painted wood, with some painted flowers around her.

The Pumpkin Keeper

Hello.  Coming off of a good weekend...I know it's Tuesday, but it feels like the weekend was just yesterday.   Got some painting done, in our living room.  It is just boring off-white, nothing to get too excited about, but I am happy because my walls look so clean now!  Also, worked on an art box, for one of my clay dolls.  I started it over at a friend's house, who was having a scrapbooking day at her place.  Fun to see what everyone else was creating!  We finished the weekend off with a hike, in Peter's Canyon, with friends.  I like it there, lots of challenging hills.  You'd think I'd have buns of steel by now, but anyway...  

Here she is...The Pumpkin Keeper.  Her outfit was a little tedious to make(tiny little paper squares, individually glued on).

Kids making it to the top, before the adults.

Lake view, at the top of a big hill, in Peter's Canyon.

So I am itching to get out the Halloween decorations.  I know once all that comes out, it's like a whirlwind you can't stop...one holiday after another.  Guess I will make myself hold off for a few days!

Pancakes For Lunch

Running here & there today. Typical weekday...the girls go to school, & Cody & I hit the streets to run errands. We took the mountain ride on the way to the store.  I love the mountain ride(that's our name for the canyon road near our house).  

I was trying to capture the lovely Oak trees while driving, so forgive the blur.

We got to our destination of Trader Joes, & had only a few things to get(4 to be exact).  Of course as I was halfway home, I realized we forgot one of the important things...toilet paper.  Good thing for that stack of napkins from Chipotle restaurant :)  Back at home, we went out in the back, which is my cat Chowder's favorite hangout.  We have newly growing (& still green tomatoes).  We also planted Cucumbers, Jalepenos, Corn & some herbs.  I am excited for our little harvest we will have.

I love the colors on these Geranium leaves.

I finished up a couple of little art things, I'm going to sell, & then went to pick up my girls.  They both get out around lunch time on Thursdays.  They asked for pancakes to eat, & I remember as a kid it was always kind of fun having breakfast stuff some other time of day.  I don't eat them anymore (the Vegan thing)...but I enjoy making them, super big, & watching my kids devour them.  I was thinking I was a fun mom, if only for a moment.  ha ha.

A Little Autumn-ish Art

Hello.  In anticipation of Fall, I painted this girl yesterday. She is made with acrylics, pencil & watercolors.  Her outfit's a little funky...oh well.  I want to make some Indian paintings soon, as we get into the season.  Putting that on my mental list.  

  

Melancholy & Thankfulness

I think I've been in a bit of a funk lately.  Feeling somewhat sad, & for the most part I am ok, just a part of life.  I think it has been a part of my personality(the funk, the melancholy...whatever), for a long while.  Just feeling like I don't quite fit in circles, but a lot of times feeling like I truly don't even want to fit in.  Ha ha.  My crazy thoughts, I tell ya! 
Yesterday, Richard entertained the kids by toting them a long to an electronics shop with him, & to night church, & then to pick up Thai food, on the way home.  I had a block of time to myself, so I worked on my art, with the Sept. 11th tribute shows playing non-stop on the tv, in front of me.  I was sitting there on the floor, art supplies splayed out everywhere on the coffee table, tears streaming down my cheeks.  I must have looked kind of funny :) 
 A few thoughts about what happened 10 years ago:  I was thinking I am really blessed to have the life I do, the family & friends, my house(even with it's smelly carpet), my pets.  Just thinking how we never know when it's going to be the last time we see someone & it's a reminder to me to always leave on a good note, & let people know how we feel.  Also, I was thinking what would I do in an awful situation like being trapped in the Twin Towers, or knowing my plane had been hijacked?  I think life or death situations can bring out the best or the worst in people.  Would I be clear headed & trying to help others, or panicking & useless?  Then the big one...why does God allow certain things to happen?  A lot we will never understand, I think.  Glad He can handle me questioning Him sometimes.  Just thoughts, many thoughts swirling around in here.




I made this girl yesterday.  For some reason, my creations have been having animal ears on them lately.

The other day, I put this drawing (that I posted the other day) on a canvas. There is some fabric layered in the background. I drew some flowery vines, & added some paper clouds & raindrops...made a collage out of her.

Checking Off My List

This past weekend a group of us hiked to the Hollywood sign.  Well, we hiked as close as they let you get to it now, it has a fence around it.  Anyway, this was on my list of things I wanted to do this summer & am glad it got squeezed in at the end.  Also, I have really been wanting to try this place Cafe Gratitude.  It is this really neat Vegan restaurant in LA.  Great food, & some of the menu options are "I am Spirited"..."I am Magical"..."I am Hearty".  Ha Ha,  affirmations that you feel kind of silly saying, but it is a fun idea.  I got the magical one, which was a homemade veggie burger & salad.  It all worked out, that we got to go there, cause it happened to be a few miles from the Hollywood hike.  

Picture from behind the Hollywood sign.

They have these little cards that go to a game, on the tables at Cafe Gratitude.  The cards have some thought provoking questions, that could get you thinking & talking. I took a picture of this one for my daughter, Sage.

Oh, & kind of exciting in my little world.  I had been invited awhile back, to have my artwork included(with some other artists I like) in a daily planner.  I just received mine the other day :)

This is what it looks like on the outside...you can choose from 3 different covers.  This isn't my work on the outside, just showing what it looks like.

My page :)

Minksky...a Russian bear, or Mouse?

Hello there.  Here is a new drawing.  I don't know exactly what she is, some kind of imaginary creature I guess.

I combined her with a background that was drawn & painted, & made a little print out of her.

Fading Into Fall

Ok Fall, I  know Summer is soon to be over.  I can feel you on our heels, & I have to say, I think I am ready for you.  Maybe even looking forward to you a bit. We've had a good many Summer adventures & are holding tight to the last few days of it, but I am kind of looking forward to the change in the air, the colored leaves that paint the trees, & my girls getting back in their school routine.  India is so cute, she is so excited to go to Kindergarten & be at the same school as her big sister.

O'Neill Park near our house

Both of my girls wanted me to put colored streaks in their hair, before the first day of school.  I am all for expressing yourself, but this seemed like a potential mess(with me trying to do it myself).  I looked it up & realized I'd have to bleach parts of their hair first, & then put the bright pink or whatever color they wanted on top of that...it all seemed a bit more complicated then I wanted to do.  So I asked them if they'd like some clip in color strands, & they went for it without any persuading.  Yay, much cheaper & less mess.