Sneaky Peeky into My Studio Time

So I promised a sneak peek at what was on my art table and here it is!  (feel free to drum roll if you like....)

This is Dad's old Jeep Truck...we are such a Jeep family.  I think we always had a Jeep something growing up.  My 2nd car was a Jeep CJ7, then in college I had a Jeep Wangler.  Never should have gotten rid of either of them!  This truck does run.  And it has the prettiest creamy white new paint job!

And this is my Dad's newest boat.  It's a Feathercraft vintage one (gotta get the year and name).  It seriously looks like a cruiser from the 50's.  It's got those raised fender thingies in the back and the seats, well you really should see them in person.  They are positioned like a car.  You know, 2 bench seats, one in front of the other. So you ride facing front instead of around the perimeter of the boat.  It's great.  Oh, and the best part, the steering wheel is red!  I love red and turquoise together, turns out that's a color combo that Feathercraft likes too!

I am tickled that most of the images I paint are owned by people I know.  The Chevy truck I paint is my buddy Laura's old truck.  My Dad has the camper, boat and Jeep truck.  I have a garage full of bike inspirations of my own.  And the In-Laws, well I plan to get a photo of their golf cart this week!   Also in my head are some buildings.  And when I get this way, well it stirs me so that I usually give in and start painting.  So we will see where this new idea leads me very soon.  For now I've got a few paintings already drawn out and waiting a paint job.  Be back later in the week!

Company's Coming!

When you invite a bunch of people over for dinner, are you like me and feel like you've gotta transform your house? You know, like re-do something or do a massive clean out or your know maybe paint something? No? Ok. I thought I was a little impulsive crazy and now I know! Ha! But seriously, I do have this urge when I know company's coming. I suppose since we never entertain, I get so excited when we do that my nervous energy turns on the house and I do things I'd had on the "honey do list" for months. So Saturday night we were supposed to have a bunch of our baseball team over for a cook out and flash light Easter egg hunt. We all agreed that our boys were not too old for egg hunting, but the church egg hunt did. So a flash light hunt seemed the perfect plan! Except, the boys played in a baseball shoot out and guess what, they of COURSE made it to the championship game, which was played at 8:00PM last night. And we lost, and no one got to come over. Yep. Total bummer on many, many levels. Good news though, my little house got a much needed face lift and now I am motivated to do more!So here's my spicey front door. I've been wanting to fill holes in the trim from decorations and give the door a fresh lighter look. Whatcha think? I just love it! Really lightens up the little front door nook. I am on the look now for this front door mat I saw at out Target with blue birds on it. Of course when I went to buy it the other day it was gone. Surely I can find it at another store.

Always the store owner, I had to put a vignette in the yard to represent spring. So I unearthed the old red wagon, painted it blue and planted it with white inpatients and some yellow flowers. Love the chick I found at Scott's awhile back. This is at the front right as you walk to the door. I had to do something with the negative space where the GIANT bushes once laid. Yep, the other crazy project I started.
So here's my little cottage. With 14 year old boxwoods all across the front. We don't believe in "grooming" them into crazy little shapes. We like free form. And so they have free formed for 14 years into these massive forms. Practically covering the house. So Thursday afternoon I decided to trim them back, and clean out the beds, etc. Since we were having an egg hunt I figured the yard needed a little sprucing up as well. Well, you see I started where the circle is drawn above with hedge clippers (which during this time I hedge clipped the extension cord right in half ! Yikes!). During which I said to myself, "I really don't like these bushes any more. I think I'll dig them up." Yep. That's what I said, and what I started at 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon. I gave out on bush #3. 14 year old roots I do believe grow to China. Geesh. So the arrow points to the ones that still need to go. A friend suggested tying it to the truck and gunning it. I'm afraid that the roots are attached to the house and that if I do that the house will follow suit! So, it's Easter morning and my body after almost three days of company coming work is exhausted. I am really looking forward to lunch with my wonderful family, a little egg hunting, and later some painting. Yes, I am getting the paints back out. whooohoooo. I have a this whole new idea series in my head. And well, just like with the yard, my impulsive gotta do it behavior crosses over into all aspects of my little life. Hope you have a blessed day!!

Another Place for Chalkboard Paint

I have this mini wall that separates the family room from the kitchen. It's like a giant box that holds my washer and dryer. In retrospect when building the house I wish we'd had the builder create a garage laundry room and made our home one big open space. But 14 years ago, I was too busy getting a wedding planned, new job under my belt and building this little house. And seriously who places a phone jack in the middle of a wall these days? Maybe in the 50's, but 1996? It's a real pain trying to cover the jack which for some reason sticks off the wall about 3/4". So I painted the wall the color of the kitchen (Another dilemma....paint it the den or the kitchen color?). When taking some old pictures down from the wall last week I obviously did not find the right color to patch the walls. And I have no idea what color it is. Huh. Artist brain in work......paint the entire kitchen? No way says sane Mommy brain. I decided to go with chalkboard paint. Yep. Love the stuff. This wall is where I tend to hang my kid's artwork in frames I find at thrift stores (forgot to take before pics, sorry). But it's beginning to be a real issue finding cool frames that fit the work. And I'd like to be able to change the work more often. They do take my art classes, and are always painting when I do. So we needed a gallery wall space. Here it is all nice and painted black. Which honestly rocks with the black kitchen cabinets forward and the new black leather sofa in the family room.

Before I could get the artwork on the walls, the kiddos had a better idea. Start drawing...on the WALLS. I mean how cool is that? So the gallery is a little unproportioned. That's okay though. When Christmas is over I can erase the Santa drawings and finish the wall of with more creations.

William hard at work on Old St. Nick. Can you see the tree in the background? It's an amazing flocked, pre-lit tree I found at the mart a few years back. Love the flocking. And our super sweet black couch. Lot's of eyes rolled when I said I had gotten it. And then when they saw it they were like, yeah Jenni you can pull this off.

I decided to doodle some frames around the paintings. Yep. I think it's great idea too. Pat pat.

So here's a little glimpse into the personal side of me. I really LOVE my home. It's cozy, and decorated on every square inch. My style that is. No Kirklands or Pottery Barn allowed and I am not to keen on "drapery". It's been collected piece by piece. Complete with rock collections lovingly displayed on the mantle. I promise to show more soon!

Sweet Mornings

I've not been painting much these days. Tisk...Tisk...We've been playing musical beds in our house, which for some reason led to major clean outs and clean ups. I try so hard to stay organized, but alas, I feel there is no hope. My constant need for change makes staying organized impossible. We've lived in our home for almost 13 years now. This is the longest I've ever lived in one home. Growing up, by the time I was in first grade I think we'd moved 4 times before landing in Homewood, Alabama. After that there were 4 houses in Homewood, an apartment during that time as well while building, a house in Vestavia, an apartment in Mtn. Brook, 2 fabulous townhouses in Southside of B'ham, and well, I should probably count the 4 years at Auburn, each year in a different apartment. So I always had change in my home growing up....so there goes the story behind my constant "nesting". I did however, paint this sweetie last week before the major clean up. The leaves are made from vintage check registry. I really like playing with collage in my canvases these days and have big plans for some fabric soon! "Sweet Mornings"

16" x 16" acrylic on canvas