The Red T-Shirt

Today I bought a red t-shirt.  Yep.  I ......bought...... a .....RED t-shirt.  Holy cow.  Red.  Next thing you know I'll be buying something crazier like yellow.  Well, maybe not yellow with my Goldilocks, but perhaps green.  Yes.  Green is next.  You see folks, I am feeling outside of my box these days.  The creative juices are in overdrive.  Yep.  A turbo BMW can't keep up with this cool chick.   And it's super fun I tell ya to be THIS EXCITED about how you are living.  I went to sleep last night dreaming of little girls under umbrellas and by golly today I painted those little girls in rain boots under umbrellas!  You see, this race, well it's not as huffy and puffy as I'd feared.  And your encouragement along the way is VERY appreciated and noted.  And I pinkie promise once all these paintings are done and in the car I am going to visit ALL your blogs and comment.  I'm going to comment till my fingers say no more!   Because our little circle is indeed a family I hold onto so tightly.  And cherish and love this blog.  Oh boy do I.  It's a saving grace.  Knowing you are out there reading and hearting my work, well it keeps me running.  Yep.  Double yep.  I really wish you could here me say that.  Yep. Actually in person I'd probably say "Hey Ya'll" and give you a giant hug.(imagine a sweet southern drawl with it, can't help it...I am from Alabama originally you know.)   So here's a sneaky peeky at a fun new work that may have inspired the red tee:

The words haven't been collaged yet, but it will say, "rediscover yourself along the way".  And I am sure I'll add some other collagey elements.  All my paintings are still  "in the works".  But it's fun to see them scattering themselves along the walls of the studio.  Yep.  It sure is. 

So, I'll be back in the middle of the week.  I need to unplug and focus before delivering paintings Friday morning.  I hope you have a great weekend and look forward to seeing you later this week!

Painting Happiness

I guess it's the teacher in me, but I enjoy showing you the process I go through when painting.  First, before I start anything I have brainstorm sessions.  I had a session last night with the sketchbook and am literally jumping up and down at the new ideas!   I have a nice hardback sketchbook that I make little thumbnail drawings and notes.  On one page there might be 8 mini drawings.  I really do not like to draw, so these are quick sketches that basically just get the idea out of my head and onto paper.  I also have started trying to come up with my own words to add to the paintings, so those go in the book too.

Meanwhile, I've prepped the wood canvases with black gesso.  This is a fairly new technique for me.  I love the texture paintings (where I put the putty on and carve),  but was needing a new technique that wasn't quite so time consuming, but had the same outlined look.  I love black outlines.....

I use a white colored pencil to lightly sketch in the composition.  Then using HEAVY body acrylics, I paint the first layer of paint on really quickly.  I BIG puffy heart my heavy body acrylics.  This first layer is painted in a hurry and really loosely.  I leave a gutter around all the images to give it a natural outline.

After the first layer dries I start layering the paint.  I love to mix wet paint right in the canvas.  And yes, I use colors right out of the tube.  I never mix on the palette, just right on the canvas.  Once the paint has dried the collage elements are added and last but not least, the words.  So that's about it in nutshell folks.  At this point my head is so spinney with ideas it's crazy.  I've got about 20 paintings to go for my show and I have a feeling those paintings will flow seamlessly from the sketchbook to the canvas.  Look for more postings on how they all unfold!

All Of My Journeys

Yesterday after the free movie, yummy lunch and some bookstore browsing, the kiddos headed to their "spots" in the house and I to mine.  I was able to finish up this piece and start three more!

I've always loved willow trees.  We lived in a couple different houses(understatement there) and cities growing up, so I do not know exactly where it was, but there was a willow tree in my childhood.  And I remember thinking it was quite magical.  All those willowy branches like little arms reaching in the wind. 

My willow tree is a combination of layers of paint and thin strips of scrapbooking paper.  I think the end effect is magical in itself....and the red truck if a real keeper.  The quote is from a greeting card I bought a few years back from Curly Girl Designs.  I just love it.  And it really sums up what life is for me.  Because no matter where I go and what I do, my journey always comes back to right here, right now.....this little crazy life and place I call home.

Trust and Patience

OK.  So the silver lining came.  And here's how the conversation went.  Let me set the situation up first:  I am in my bathroom doing a clean out of the linen closet and my junk jewelry (I told you my cleaning was not normal and was like therapy!), and William was on my bed.  Actually come to think of it, William never left my bed ALL day.  Like I said, he was tired.  So I decide to broach the subject and say, "William, may I ask why you said this morning that Mommy doesn't work?"  "What Mom?"  "Why when on my computer this morning did you say that I don't work?" "Well, you know......you don't have an OFFICE like Daddy does.  And you don't get in your car to go to work real early like Daddy does."  "But William I do work, really hard in my studio painting, making jewelry and other stuff. And what about my teaching art classes, is that not work to you?"  "Well yeah, but Mom, that's FUN work.  Dad's isn't fun."  "OH....."  So I kind of dropped the subject at that point and smiled to myself.  Turns out, Daddy's work is boring and my work is fun.  And by my not having an office, I don't really "work".  And I suppose on some level I agree with him.  I can not even imagine getting up and going to a 9 to 5 job.  Of course if I did, I am sure it would be something I'd trained for and enjoyed, like Billy does.  He really likes his work, and it makes enough money that I get to have my "FUN" job.

So my "How to Grow Love" painting above was one of my favorites.  I took a close-up of this part because honestly trust and patience are on top of the list right now for me.  Yesterday was a true test to both of those.  I don't even think it needs any explaining.  Yep.  We are all good here in this little nest today.  I'm about to meet my trainer for a muscle beating, then come home to a super clean house only to land myself right here to work on a few new paintings.  I can't wait to show you my newest truck under a willow tree.  Oh man.....!  See you later, and hope you have a great day!

I Painted Today!

I painted today! Yipee! And this called for none other than a PARTY painting! Mattie and Sweetie Pie are having a little party in the summer field.

It was great to be back. Summertime I find myself concentrating more on art camps and kiddos than my work, but the ideas are really congesting up my head and I had to get at least one on canvas. I've been reading these fabulous books which offer new techniques in collage and acrylics. Today I had out the credit card, bubble wrap, spray bottle, gesso and more! It was so liberating that tomorrow I'll have Billy wake me early again so I can get a leg up before the kiddos wake. They are 9am sleepers in the summer....yes I know. Lucky Mommy. And yes, I do sleep that late sometimes, but with these ideas swimming, there's no time for sleeping late! Have a great night!

Springing Up

Spring is coming early in Georgia this year it appears. With all the rain, rain, rain and the early warm weather, plants are springing up all over the place. I also noticed some new weeds, onions, and clover springing up as well! I love to work outside and plant new items in my yard. And I must have great soil, because bushes and flowers tend to grow like crazy for me. Just ask my mail lady about the lantana around our mailbox come spring. It gets taller than the mailbox every year. After the first frost I chop it all down, and after the first sign of spring, it comes right back up. Love that. Last year we did some grooming in the back yard after we got the adorable playhouse. It had to have it's own little yard. It was too cute to just not! Anyhoo....gotta run and start some new paintings before the kiddos get home. Have a lovely afternoon!

Catching Rain Drops

Before I found the confidence to paint on canvas, I painted many murals on walls. My favorite place to paint was in a little girl's room. This was way before my own Mailey Grace came along. In fact, I can remember taking William in his pumpkin seat to sleep while I painted fairies and flowers on a wall. There are many houses in Newnan that now have my little fairies on the wall- silly hair, stripey tights and patterned wings. Always flying over big fanciful flowers. If I can dig up a picture of one, I'll post it later. So when I was in the mood to paint something sort of new, but not re-invent the wheel, I found the fairy file in my head and adapted it to create her. This is Olivia, Mailey says so. She's catching rain drops, which happen to be cut hearts from vintage registry paper. I had so much fun malking her, that I've already started a new one. The new one is holding a Mattie bird and is named Mailey, she insisted and I couldn't resist!

Details of the painting above and below. I love to put words together to make a little bit of poetry in my art.