A Finished Piece

I've got to admit.  This feels SO GOOD.  Like why in the world have I stopped painting?  Seriously.  I've not painted anything (except camp samples) in months. Months.  What is wrong with me?

The basket is my favorite part of the entire painting.  I just kept layering my favorite colors on it and ta-da it was done!

 

This is a big one.  I love painting big but rarely do unless it's a custom painting because in tent shows it's difficult to display big paintings. The client wanted a bike with birds on it.  I've painted lots of bikes, and lots of birds, and just a few bikes with birds.  I think bikes and birds needs to be my new "thang".  What do you think? 

 

Hello Mattie bird.  You are super cute.

 

I met Phillip at Serenbe May Day and handed it off to be framed.  I can't wait to get it back and shipped to where it needs to go.  So.....How was your weekend?

Painting A Bike

Yesterday I was quite under the weather.  Today...well let's just say I am dressed like an Eskimo, drinking water and praying for strength.  This is not the time of year to be trying to get a sub.  Let's just leave it at that.(yesterday she showed up 45 minutes or so late!  WHAT?) This was the scene pretty much all day at the Horne house.  I hate being sick.....

I did however get bored a couple of times so I wandered down to my studio, turned up the Christina Perri, and dove into painting this rather large bad boy!

I am hoping to finish this up by the weekend so Phillip the framer can get it framed.  And then....we ship!  I know. Crazy how big it is and shipping.  It gets to ride on an airplane in the freight section.  Lucky painting. 

It felt so good to paint again.  Sometimes it takes just making myself get into the studio to get the mojo going again.  It's so easy to make excuses these days....gotta clean the house....gotta get kids here or there...gotta go running....gotta.... If I am ever going to get past this plateau I am firmly grounded on I have to make a conscious effort to get into the studio and make.  No one ever got to the top by standing still.  I for one am not too good at standing still.

Have a lovely weekend!  We are playing baseball for a 15U team as a fill-in in Lagrange.  Kinda excited for William to play outside of his comfort zone.  Mailey has big plans with a girlfriend and something about sewing a kangaroo pouch on their sweatshirts.  She's been talking about it for 2 weeks straight.  Lawd where she gets these ideas!  HAHA....Sounds like I will have a fun evening with my sewing machine. 

Later...Jenni

New Bike Fun

Here's a sneak peek at one of the new works for Decatur Arts Festival.  Super big....super fun.  And a whole new palette of colors.  Reminds me of sherbet ice cream.  Yummy, right?  I even used a purplish color, like black raspberry sherbet.  I am not the biggest fan of purple, but paired just right with Naples yellow, it may sneak its' way into more compositions soon! 

I may have to go buy some sherbet now that I've talked about it.  My favorite flavor....give you one guess.  Yes, it's orange.  :)  I'm so predictable.  My favorite ice cream flavor at the moment, because that does change often, is graham central station at Bruster's.  It's vanilla chopped full of delightful graham cracker crumbs.  They email me when they make it I love it that much.  Ooooo...I should also mention that MY husband makes vanilla ice cream that'll make you slap yo' momma.  Yes, I did just say that.  I am from Alabama you know. 

Well, I've gotta go get my pink bike all cleaned up and ready for a photo session tomorrow.  You'll be seeing the pictures very soon I hope!!

Sometimes Love....

After drawing out my many bike painting compositions I had this overwhelming sense of joy.  Like bursting at the seams joy.  Total big puffy heart moment.  And then these words came, and this bike had to be floating with heart balloons holding it up.  Because folks, sometimes love is exactly what we need to move mountains.  And at this very moment in our little Horne family life we have the perfect harmony of just this.  Yep.  Gooey puffy heart stuff.  And it is SO about to be coming out in my work.  Just warning ya. 

Billy and I hit the 15 year anniversary mark last week (we've been together a total of 19 years with dating).  I'll admit it's not been a silly log ride, but rather a roller coaster with way too many upside down loops.  I harbor a ton of guilt for past mistakes, mostly with money.  But through it ALL, like crap hitting the ceiling fan ALL, he has stood by me.  Sometimes I ask myself why.  I mean I wouldn't stay.  I wouldn't put up with me.  But he has.  He's been my red balloons.  Holding me up, carrying me through the toughest of times.  Sometimes with silence, sometimes with words.   He's an example for me...to learn to be content, learn to forgive, and learn to just love. 

So there it is, some depth into the me.  The me who makes all these silly little paintings.  Oh man are they an extension of who I aspire to be. 



Bike Love

I just love to paint bikes.  Really.  There is something about the nostalgic feeling of riding a bike that makes painting them such a joy.  Arms up or feet out, the wind making my hair a matted mess, the whirly tummy when pedaling over a hill.  It's a great childhood memory.  And one I will continue to capture in my paintings.

Fireflies and Love

So the past month has been a little hard for us as a family with our daughter. Really. I won't go into it all, but let's just say that daily tummy aches, no desire to play with anyone, or eat out are just a few of her new behaviors (on top of the others we lovingly embrace). Thus why I was tickled when she actually wanted to attend the Serenbe event with me. Even though she didn't last long, it was the longest she'd been out in awhile AND she ate in a restaurant. I think she forgot that it made her tummy hurt because she was so excited about her jewelry. Anyhoo, we also have recently found out that two married couple friends are not doing so well. sigh. So these are two of the paintings that sold this weekend. As they were passing my hands and into the new owners it hit me that maybe, just maybe, finally more of me is entering into my art than just my hands. And that maybe I have something to say. And maybe someone will really listen. The top painting says how to grow love....the bottom says let nothing dim the light that shines within.

I think I've already shared these with you, but now that they are gone, the words kind of stand out to me. And the message is loud and clear. Standing firm in what I believe is good and right for our family is of top priority right now. And that little light well, just like in the fireflies little hinney, I am not going to let anything dim what is shining so bright inside me right now. And I am hoping that maybe, just maybe, you can see the light too and are not afraid to let it shine.

Art Workshop Offered

I love to paint bikes. It was the first wheeled subject for me after the birdies. So when I had to decide what to offer during Spring Break for an art workshop, this subject became my inspiration! So, if you are in the area, have a child between 1st grade and up, join me!! Here are the details: Wednesday, April 7th at Hobby Lobby in Newnan, GA. You can choose morning session 9:30-12 or afternoon 1-3:30. The cost is $35 to moi. We will be making a 12"x12" canvas painting of a bike using acrylics and of course a little collage! If time allows, we'll explore a little with oil pastels.

Just email me if you'd like to join us! artsyorange@yahoo.com.