Journal page and an owl

It snowed all day yesterday so I played a little   Today I’m off to sit in an 8 hour sales and use tax seminar.  Words can’t express how much this is depressing me!  ugh

 

Have a great week!

Micki Wilde swap and a journal beginning

First of all, I wanted to share with you the BEAUTIFUL art piece I received yesterday from Micki Wilde!!

Micki had a wonderful plan to swap little pieces of her amazing artwork with anyone who was willing to do the same with her. Such a cool idea!

I sent this to Micki.

And this is the absolutely most wonderful piece I got from her!!

Isn’t she just beautiful!? Love it and thank you Micki!!

The amazing Serena Lewis inspired me to do a little watercolor art journal. My original plan was to try and paint a little something each day to reflect what’s going on in my life. Probably wasn’t a good idea to start it in December when I was swamped with Christmas plans? ha!

I bought one of these:

It’s fabulous!! Nice, sturdy paper and the size is just right, nothing too overwhelming.

Here’s the kind of pathetic part. It’s been 2 months, almost 3 and I’ve only done 4 pages!

It’s actually a fun thing to do, a great plan, I just need to keep up a little better with it. Thanks Serena (please visit her inspiring blog!) for inspiring me to try!

Mixed Media on Watercolor Paper

I started this girl the other night.  She’s done on 90 lb watercolor paper, which I feel is too thin!  I ended up cutting her out and mounting her to another piece.  Not particularly  happy with the sturdiness ( a little warped) so I mounted the entire piece in a frame that I had on hand.  I like her much better framed   I kind of wish I would have adhered her to a wooden surface now, but it’s ok.

Not sure if you can read the wording?  ‘Yesterday is but a dream~and every tomorrow a vision of hope’

Off to a hockey game and then a birthday party!  Have a great Saturday!

Finished….I think?

Gumball-head girl Seriously, I do need to come up with a title for this one and since she’s kinda ‘out there’ it may take me awhile!

Have a great weekend!! (We’re supposed to get a snow storm!)

A work in progress

I thought I’d share a new 12 x 16 canvas I’m working on. I tried the old transfer technique ~~can you see the two globes on there? I think she sees them too and is concerned where I’m taking her…and this project She's looking mighty skeptical at this point, right?

Happy Valentine’s Day my sweets!

Just a quick little pencil sketch….

Sketchbook Project 2012–Limited Edition

Well, I took the plunge and decided to order a sketchbook for this!  I have to admit, I had to look at this little blank book for a few days and it is a little daunting.  So many pages to fill and by April 30th!  I decided I wanted to do mostly acrylics and the pages are only 70lb. cardstock so I used Gel Medium to adhere two pages together to give it a little more sturdiness.

Here’s a sneak peek   My theme is something to do with ‘TIME’ but I can’t remember the exact theme and I can’t find it online so far as the registrations are now closed so there’s not much info for me.  I’ve written them and am waiting for a reply.

First I did a few background painting techniques and then I started.

Sometimes I feel finding the time to even paint is a real ‘stretch’ for me! See the stretched out arm? hehe

This one is a little different than my norm, but this guy’s face just popped out, it was ALL there, I just outlined it and shaded a bit with pencil.  Very odd, but I couldn’t let this one go without bringing him out!

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

My thoughts tonight

As much as I LOVE the internet and all the WONDERFUL things it has brought into my life (including YOU), I think it’s gotten into my head and has stirred up a

wee bit-o-trouble!

 

  Between Facebook and Pinterest………

It’s kind of made me think I need to be perfect or at least try to be.    With a click of a button I can see others, all over the world who appear to handle it all so much better than I can!

            

I see people committed to getting physically fit and I’m inspired by their transformation and dedication and wonder why I can’t quite get there myself.  I try, but I get side-tracked and quite easily I might add.

 

Why can’t I find the time???

  Ok, I could MAKE the time, I know that. 

 

But I’d also like to find more time to paint!  So many out there are creating, sharing, teaching, holding contests, making videos and hosting giveaways and I struggle to just keep a touch of freshness in my etsy shop!

I see beautiful photos that people have shared of their homes.  Why do their homes seem so perfect and ….spotless?  Then I look around and think I should spend more time cleaning and organizing my humble abode! 

People share how fabulous the latest best seller was that they just finished.  I used to read.  Not a lot, but when I did, I really did enjoy it!  I miss sitting down with a good book.  I feel I should be reading more.

 

I should be walking my dog……every day.  On top of the guilt I feel with everything else, he gives me these looks when I slack in HIS department.

There’s also the cooking and baking!  I LOVE that too, but now that the kids are grown and on their own, I just don’t cook like I used to.  When I see all the wonderful recipes and photos, I just wish I could find time for that too!  But for now, I’ll just enjoy the many ‘how-to’ videos on youtube!  They are fabulous, by the way!!  Check some of them out!

While I’m at work, I’m all pumped and excited with huge plans of all I’ll accomplish once I get home, but as the day goes on…I… fizzle… out.

And finally… aren’t we all supposed to find time to pamper ourselves too?  I mean, that’s important too, right?  Yeah, well that rarely happens here!

There are SO many things I want to try, so many things I want to do better, but there comes a time when I need to just sit back, relax and slow down a bit.

I’m going to try very hard to learn to accept what and who I am.

Accept what I can do.

Realize and appreciate that I am doing just fine where I am at this time. 

Accept that I can NOT do it all and more importantly, I don’t have to!

I will learn to accept that I am just fine as is. 

I’m not perfect and thank GOD for that!  Nobody likes being around perfection anyway!

ha!

Hoo’s your buddy!?

 

I’ll be your buddy!!    This is a 12 x 12 canvas.

A new angel

Here is a new angel on a 10 x 10 x 1.5 wooden canvas.  Lots of texture due to previous screw ups and eventual cover-ups Molding paste is a wonderful thing!  I hope you are enjoying your weekend!  I am!

A foggy mornings makes for beautiful frost!

 

Happy Friday!!