Where Have I Been?

You may have checked in and wondered, what is she doing?  Well, it has not been my intention to let my blog LAG like this..sorry.  I signed up for and am taking an online class called “Ever After” from July through October.  It is a mixed media art and style development course with a fairy tale theme hosted by Tamara Laporte and 12 other popular mixed media art teachers from all over the globe.  So spending most of my time, watching, learning, trying, failing, trying again, and planning and drawing and painting and painting - along with petting and combing and playing with studio cats and organizing and cleaning studio...oy!

And~~~along with that, DH and I continue to work on things around our 112 year old farmstead that need attention.  Home maintenance, car and appliance repair are all things we tackle on our own.  Why?  Because we can.  

Here are several of the finished pieces and some of the sketches from the class and what I am attempting to make my OWN..at this point, we are encouraged to copy the content and use the same methods and supplies for the learning part, about 3 complete pieces per month.  Then tackle our own piece using what we have gleaned from the month long attempts. studying, and videos along with journaling and sketching.  It's fun!  It's refreshing!  It's full of camaraderie and interest.  

The Little Mermaid

(almost exact copy)

Tam Laporte instructor

Beauty and the Beast

(a little change on the Beast - the one to copy looked too friendly)

Andrea Gomoll, instructor

Snow White

(used my daughter Jessica as a model for this one)

Annie Hamman, instructor

Just a sketch - trying out design elements - you get the idea

Jack and the Beanstalk, (my own creation)

Some Beauty and Maleficent sketching on my own

Sleeping Beauty

(not quite exact copy)

Jane Davenport, instructor

The Handless Maiden (my OWN maiden - 

and I hadn't heard this one either, google it)

Galia Alena, instructor

Little Red and Wolfie

(almost exact copy)

Micki Wilde, instructor

working on my own sketches - modeling the faces for my own version

of Little Red...

Now comes the good part for me - leave me a comment on

which is your favorite.  I want you to know, this is really

pushing me, and it's quite a struggle - but in a good way because

I am having a really good time learning to develop a new style

in this genre.

Happy Fourth of July!!

"The SPARKLER by the BONFIRE"

9" x 12"

pastel on pumiced and toned gatorboard

All year long, the seasons approach, the holidays fall right into the 

mix of days. Sometimes I think ahead to DO a painting 

that fits the oncoming holiday - just for 'festivities sake'!

Luck be, this year sitting right on my easel when I returned from

our trip west was a photo of my cousin

long ago at a Fourth of July family reunion.

It was dusk, the bonfire had been lit, the kids were out and about

with sparklers and I caught her enjoying her 'light' there.

It has been one of my favorite photos and I always

knew I would tackle it one day.

I was recently experimenting with black toned pumice

and thought what a great beginning to an already

'dark' event.  

It worked out just the way I wanted it!

Have a Happy and safe FOURTH!!

Out and About

Just returned from our annual Spring Trek, again, out west all the way to Oregon coast from Kansas, with a few awesome stops in between (Blue Mesa in Gunnison, Co,: Yosemite Nat. Park: Susanville BLM Wild Horse Facility, California, :Idaho: etc etc..)  One month in the RV changes the 'travelers' - ya know.  It's a busy world out there full of lots of people and we often enjoy being 'people watchers', especially in campground settings - it takes all kinds and they all do it differently.  Too many stories of the road to tell here.  Our RV blew a leak in the radiator just as we were about 150 miles from Yellowstone, so we had to head home a little early.

But here are just a teensy tiny bit of the photos that were taken...

Bailey has a mobility vest on, as he needs help from time to time,

he (and we) have been fighting canine carcinoma. He has lesions

on his spine and probably in his brain.  He doesn't often walk too well, in the back end.

He can fall over easily or do the splits on slick surfaces.

We also have a back end vest for him when he needs it.

He is 12...and with help, is still maintaining a good and

happy life.  We have a 'ramp' that he uses to get in and out of the RV, 

DH has to give him a little lift at the end, thus has a bad back lately.   

His left paw is bandaged as he often

has 'hot spots' he opens and licks to the point of

bleeding and being a mess...so we covered it

almost every hour some days.

Since we are back home, he is interested in it less.

I think hot spots start bothering him 

out of pure boredom and of course, being a Weimaraner

he comes by it naturally.

Anyway, I missed my studio and the peace that it brings - but found a 

different kind of peace in other places along the way and I am reminded of a 

good one...

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. Buddha

Happy NUMBER 9! number 9..number9..number9

Often times I think - 

I should update my blog.

I should blog more..

I should take down my blog..

I should migrate this blog to another weblog service just for the difference..

I should..

then I think, 

MEH, this blog is fine. 

The problem with this blog lately is ----

I think I have too many things going on in my life.  

I am so busy. 

 I am sporadic with my art lately because of this whirlwind of activity.

  

But mainly - and honestly - I JUST don't take the time. 

I am not a good planner. 

But I like to blog when I can plan it in my day.

This is my 9th blogiversary.

Thanks to all my readers and lookers!!

I appreciate that you stop by to see 

what's new from time to time.  

Do I still have something to say?  I always have something to say.

Keep tuned for further developments, I am not giving up yet. 

I will have something to say or most likely show.

Happy Mother's Day and a new Pastel Painting

"Vagabond"

6" x 6"

pastel on tinted and pumiced Gatorfoam board

SOLD

I love, love, love the new technique I learned from Rita Kirkman.

It's becoming much more comfortable and understandable with

each of these last several pastels.

Painting a value study before adding detail and color is 

just what I needed. In doing so, you get a lot

of the work done underneath which makes it 

sing when I get down to the nitty gritty of the work.

(I should never call this work, it is what I love

and it isn't work to me..it's 'total passion and enjoyment'.)

It takes me to another place.

Happy Mother's Day!

A Pastel of a Cat

"George"

(edited)

6" x 8"

pastel on Gatorfoam board

I did this painting in my Rita Kirkman class a few weeks back.

   This one is of a special cat who belonged to my

online friend Danni. She has a great blog

 "On the Way to Critter Farm" HERE.  

You should visit it.  I love where she lives (in Oregon)

and the antics of all her critters on her farm.

George was a stray - who lived with her for awhile and then

met with an untimely death (3 years ago).

I have always admired the photo I used for this portrait.

I also needed to reference the photo one more time and work

a little on the post he is sitting on, it didn't read right, but

I think it does now.

This painting is on it's way to Danni next week.

Thanks again Danni!

Daily Painting of a Wolf in Pastel by Pattie Wall

"Alpha"

6" x 8"

 pastel on primed Gatorfoam board

Purchase INFO HERE

Today, I primed a white Gatorfoam board in 

Aubergine colored pumice by Art Spectrum.

I didn't do a prior value study..I just 'went for it'.

It went really fast, maybe because I have been

so busy with acreage care, landscaping and mowing

that I just couldn't wait to get at it, and

knew I had a short amount of time.