'Tis the Season

Where I Stand Sunday and Finding a Gem

"Lake Tealwood Decoy"

20" x 24"

pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes

While cleaning the studio, I came across some OLD photos of my artwork of yesteryear. We are talking mid - 80's. Since I have a nifty slide/negative reader/converter I thought I would show you what I used to do, many moons ago...while I am still busy organizing all my STUFF.
This artpiece was done for my Aunt and Uncle. They traded me for a handmade quilt. I still have the quilt and this pastel still hangs over their fireplace in the main house.

For weeks, we have been in awe of the weather around the U.S., especially on the western coast and the upper midwest/eastern coast.  It seemed to be all around us.  During this time would have chilly days and nice warmer days. That jet stream would be right over us that was creating all the 'ills' for the other parts of the country.  We finally got some much needed moisture.  And the earth is finally in it's deep freeze - frozen good and hard.  Blowing snow and very cold temps have arrived.  Nice sun though.  We have been without sun for a long time - but it's shining big and bright now.  My feet have been traveling overtime between house and studio. 

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.

Where I Stand Sunday

Here I stand on the porch at home, just outside the back door. I have to go out with the dogs, I literally have to PUSH them out the door, to go potty! It's 12 degrees. The cold affects them in that the weiner dogs are too low hung and get themselves a little colder on the undercarriage and our Weimeraner has a plate in his left leg from breaking it several years ago, so he can't stand it long either. So I stand and encourage, especially Chaco, the red Dachshund, he just stands and shivers.

I haven't been anywhere in 5 days, except for splailed on the road getting the mail 2 days ago, as the dogs were zooming in and out between my legs and I gathered an armfull of mail, turned, tripped and fell flat on my face, mail splattering all over the road. Luckily, there is no one near by to see the lack of grace at which I took this and the words I uttered to myself and the dogs. It was so windy, I guess you could say the wind blew me down. Ha! Ask my DH and he will tell you I am not very balanced at times. (Probably in more ways than you know!)

Anyway, he's been gone for 5 days, and is trying to get back from N.M. in the R.V. Now I wonder about his trip back home as the weather has now impacted that area as well. He's on his way.

One thing that I have been able to do, is be out in the studio, non-stop since then. It has been a gift (my birthday is coming up, that is a true gift)! There have been two other paintings, but below is the beginning (day one) of a painting of my daughter and granddaughter that I really like. It is her profile photo from her myspace, and I fell in love with it. Working in acrylic is tricky, I haven't done it for some time. It's funny, day two doesn't usually go as well, when returning to a painting for me, and sure enough, I look at it now, and I have to work hard to take it back the other direction. I wanted to call it good after the first day. But...you can imagine how it goes. It's still "about mixing paint for skin tone colors". In pastels I know what color to use. I should get them out, discover which one I would use next and then mix the color in paint. I think I will try that! I also got a hint online from a forum, that I could look at the picture in Photoshop and put the eyedropper over the color I am having trouble with and it will isolate that color for me. What a great idea! Probably I don't have the right color of cadmium red, or pthalo blue. I have a cheap set of acrylics. I am soooo art store deprived! You can imagine, how I feel like a kid in a candy store, when I go to Kansas City where there is Keith Coldsnow or New York City, where there is Pearl and Dick Blick!

Today is about unloading a few more boxes of weeded out "stuff" from our move over a year ago and probably doing some dishes. Ha! I live and look like a hermit when I am on my own!

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. If you'd like to join me by posting a photo on Sunday of places you've been on your blog/photo hosting site/website, leave a comment on this post telling me where I can find you/your photo and I'll add a link to my sidebar so others can find you and I will also let Fibra Artysta know, so she can you on her web sidebar if you'd like.