Oh ya!

Local sweet corn....nothing better!!

Where I Stand Sunday

Lebanon, Kansas is famous - for one thing, in particular...39 50' N (Lat.) 98 35" W (Long.). Now, the correct coordinates are up for debate, because upon checking on the internet there is conflicting geo. data, a point or two, here or there. One thing, that is not up for debate, is - the locals claim their spot is the "geographical center" of the lower 48 states.
A Transcendental Meditation group tried moving into the area by beginning to build a campus within the last few years, that put the geographical center a few more miles to the west of where I stand. The economy may have shut that down, however,

they also met with a lot of adversity from the residents of this county.

Interestingly, I heard someone in Downs, Kansas a few weeks back (about 22 miles south of here) claim THEY were the center of the US.

I guess you would need to decide who to "side" with on this one.

I live several miles away from here, but in thinking of where to stand today..I stopped by on my way home from the gallery in Nebraska last evening.

The people of this area are very proud of their "attraction". The sign states it simply.

This is the little chapel that the community built on site. When people detour off highway 281 and travel about a mile west they see an old closed up motel and the little chapel sitting in front. A year or so ago, someone missed a stop sign as the road T's into this location and plowed right through the little chapel. They had to build a new one. This is the new one, but "vandals" have broken the windows and taken some of the memorabilia that was displayed on the wall inside recently.

There is a little box - where whoever visits can write a message and leave it. These messages are published in the local
weekly newspaper. Just under the little arch that says,"Pray America"...there WAS a plexiglass covered collection of newsclippings which told about the history of this little chapel. It disturbs me to imagine someone wanting to damage or destroy something so precious to a group of people. What joy would a person or group get out of doing this?

To the Gallery Today

These are the carousel animals in pastel that were done a couple of months back. I have framed them and they (among others) are going to Prairie Winds Art Center in Grand Island, Ne. today. I will be there all day. One of the things I do, is change out my art from time to time. Also going are "Hills of Ojo Caliente", "Prairie Palace", "Catalina of Antigua", "High Country Quakie", "Atitlan Garden" and "Desert 1".

We had temps over 100 yesterday..a cooler day for us today, lots of rain up that direction last night...maybe not so hot...but oh the mosquitoes are out and about. They even followed me into the studio this morning...drat!

"Carousel Casting Call"

36" x 12" pastel on canson

A Work in Progress

This is what I am painting today (8" x 10"), in conjunction with helping hubster revamp/renovate our 1950 (yes, that's old) Chevy grain truck. We are working on redoing the instrument panel...and he is rewiring the whole entire truck - lights.

A big job...and a hot one.

I think he is ready to give it up for today,

where I have the air conditioned studio - and oh it is so nice in there,

he is working out in the heat.

This painting is being done from a photo of turnips that our neighbor brought us last year.

I am enjoying the triad colors with the cool and warm purple of the turnips.

A Painting for Today

"Atitlan Garden"

9" x 12" oil on canvasboard

I am finally having some extra time to paint from some of the photos I took about a year ago in Guatemala at Hotel Atitlan - where there are such lovely gardens! You can read about the trip if you scroll to August and September of last year on my blog archive. It was a wonderful opportunity for me. I still think of the trip often and practice all that I learned there with regard to painting with Kaye Franklin. If you haven't done a painting excursion with a 'master' I highly recommend it...it will change you. Thanks, Kaye! and thanks Kim (from last week's painting workshop - I am so inspired)...I (again) can't put my paintbrush down.

"Flint Hills Afternoon"

"Flint Hills Afternoon"

9" x 12" oil on canvasboard

Done from a photo taken on a recent trip to the Flint Hills of Kansas. I hear there are native Kansans who have never been through there..I suggest you make a trip soon. It is awesome!

Where I Stand Sunday

Seeds of all kinds travel across the landscape

in various modes of transportation.

Lifted on the wind

carried by birds

attached to a host.

This one landed in the cracks of the concrete of the parking pad. It came from a seed from the dead head of last years crop that was sitting outside the fence for several days last year. Ornamental sunflowers need more TLC, than this one has been getting. Garden and plants didn't fair too well this year...hubster couldn't take care of it all while I was gone and we had enlarged the vegetable garden twofold. We have lots of yellow squash though. Tomatoes are just beginning to turn orange. Can't wait!

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life "standing".
Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on.
The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.

A Painting for Today

"Hills - Ojo Caliente, N.M."

9" x 12" - oil on canvasboard

I began this in my workshop and finished it in the studio today. I love the way the light hits these hills in the afternoon. The cool and warm shadows are amazing with the colors of the dirt and vegetation. The photo I used was actually in taken in November. I feel you can go to NM any time of year and see some really awesome sights for painting.

I worked a little on the last painting posted a few days ago, made a few adjustments and took it to a more finished piece.

Oil Study for Today

Oil study of the highway - on the way to Espanola, N.M.

9" x 12" on canvasboard
One more day of workshop.

A Painting Study for Today

Study in Oil of a Desert Scene - 9" x 12" on canvasboard
Finally....back to it. Our workshop is consisting of a lot of practice, some much needed reminders and review. My learning curve is increasing by leaps and bounds.

I am so glad I made it to this one.
It will be JUST WHAT I NEED. Thanks Kim!!

Tweaking

I have been trying on new templates...sidebar has gone to the bottom, let me know if you see it in the side - instead of the bottom, that would help me...been through it and tried to find anything like body width, that would throw the sidebar to the bottom, but can't find it, so in the meantime..

Hey - it's fixed now...thanks for your input.

Where I Stand Sunday (well actually, Saturday)

The Annual "Down's Celebration" - (name of the town) was held yesterday. It was their 130th year. I participated in the art show that happens at the train depot - built in 1917. It has been preserved by the Downs Historical Society. Nice place, nice air conditioning which was very welcomed - I think the humidity yesterday was 98%.

As my friend Lara refers to it - "The air you can wear..."

This is the diesel engine that was repainted and preserved and sits on site and the office for the grain elevators in the distance (or "Prairie Palaces" as I heard them referred to - greatest name ever!) I was standing by this old pull cart. They have many little carts and momentos from days gone by. The depot itself has memorabilia inside in showcases.

Seven of us came together for this event. Not as many people attended this year, I think it was because of the heat index.

This is the weekend that alumni come back to town to have their reunions. Of course, what celebration would be complete in a little Kansas town without a carnival and beer garden.

Getting ready for a workshop that I will be attending in Wichita this week by Kim Casebeer.

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing.
Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on.
The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.

Where I Stand Sunday

Home - where I can feed the dogs,

watch the cattle,

find shapes in the clouds,

sit and breathe the fresh air.

(My toes are pulled in, cause they get stepped on at this point.)

Mowed 8 acres of grass yesterday. The place is back to lookin like a golf course.

Squashed the "squash bugs" - they are a potential threat to the garden - it's a daily task.

Hubster and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary yesterday.

Goin' back for a quick visit to KC, and then home for awhile

as mom is doing so much better.

Clouds aren't usually this interesting here - but yesterday they sure were.

Maybe you have an idea of how loudly my easel calls to me right now..."it" will be soon!!!