Life Book 2023 (March, April, May)

I've continues to participate in Willowing Arts Life Book 2023 this spring. There were weekly lessons in March and May.

• I'm getting used to trying things that I don't know if I can pull off.
• I'm feeling more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable with different styles and mediums.
• I completely look forward to opening my computer on Sunday evenings to see what lessons I'll have for the week to come.

Let me share what I've done!

There were some lessons on collage...

There were watercolor & oil pastel lessons...

There were lessons using acrylics & paint pens...

There were mark making lessons...

These next four actually came from a different class that I signed up for.  

It was called Sketchbook Revival 2023. 

I did not make a self-commitment to do every lesson in this one, but I enjoyed the four that I chose.

This fox was the reason I signed up. 
I wanted the lesson on painting Tamara Laporte's fox.

I had done something similar by this artist teacher, Toni Burt,
before and enjoyed it enough to want to do another.

This one was so fun! Try it!
1. organic shape from the top
2. geometric shape from the bottom
3. organic horizontal line
4. geometric vertical line
5. a circle
6. choose 3 colors 

When my Weekly-ish Challenge was "Lines,"
I had to give this one a second go.

Well, how could I resist?! 

This artist teacher made it look so easy, and hers were so good. 

Red Window

 

A little fun with the palette knife!

A little turquoise sneaking in where it doesn't belong!

A little imagination!

That's a pretty good recipe, I think!

Original Palette Knife Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

She Shed

Sometimes I know exactly what I want to paint... have a reference photo that I want to recreate on canvas... have an idea that I want to convey in a painting... know the direction for the creation I'm working on.

And... then... sometimes... just no... the process has a mind of its own.

In the beginning I thought I was going to paint some kind of rock house - nope... maybe there would be vines on the walls - nope... flowers hanging over the door - nope...  possibly a path through the yard - nope... a window and window box on the wall - nope... probably mostly purple - nope.

I want to show the reference photo that drew me in.  It was not at all what I was looking for... But!  Oh, there's a windchime just like the one that hangs from my back porch!  And, a bird feeder just like ours!  And, a bluebird house!  And, two long planters exactly like the two I have!  And, a hummingbird feeder like the four we have! (For my friends who live much farther north than I do, you'll laugh that I wondered what the big flat shovel would be good for.) Then I zoomed in to those fabulous latches and hinges. Even with all that, I didn't intend to use it... until I started.  I didn't intend to make all the changes I did... They just sort of happened. I had several other choices with much more beautiful doors, yet I kept coming back to this one.  It's the one that drew me in... the one that had a story... the one that made my mind wander... and wonder...

Thanks to Sara  (my good good friend who lives 1,700 miles away and I've never met in person) for having what I need when I text looking for a just-right reference photo.

My Weekly-ish Art Challenge was "Doors & Windows."  I hope my image tells a story... makes your mind wander and wonder...

Original Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas
Click She Shed if you'd like to purchase this painting.

I Like Thursday 5/23

 Thank you to Leeanne of Not Afraid of Color for reminding me to notice things I like. 

I like making these little bags using the Holland Pouch pattern. 
So far, I've done about 4 dozen and used up so many little scraps.
Each one begins with a little quilted rectangle. 
I've never quilted before and have fallen in love with that part of the process.
FYI - I started making some kind of little bag for our annual family
gathering for each G4 (great grand kid) back when there were just 7 of them. 
There are 36 now!

I like my greenhouse...
a.k.a. upstairs bathroom that gets lots of sun,
and a door that can be closed to keep the cat out.
Lots of cucumber and okra plants started!

I like having a "helper" when I sew.

I like watching the dogwoods bloom.. 
The month of April belongs to them.

LeeAnne gave several other prompts to think about. 
Here are a few quick answers to them:

Are you a morning person or a night owl? what do you like about being this way? Would you prefer being different?

I'm a morning person. My whole life, I've hopped out of bed and gotten started with the day. I have to admit, however, that with retirement, I've slowed down on that hopping and going first thing.  I like a little sit in the chair and do computer or book stuff before I get going. I do like to get must-do tasks checked off the list before heading up to the art room or out to the garden.

Make a list of some of your favorite smells.... scents... 
Vanilla

A hot meal on the stove or in the oven

Honeysuckle

Do you speak more than one language? What was is like to learn it? Is there a language you'd like to learn, please tell us why.
I took a year of French in high school, but very little stuck...

The town I grew up in had a large deaf community, and they came to our church. When I was in junior high, I became very interested in learning sign language. I sat with them, watched and learned from the interpreter, and signed the songs with them. During high school, I moved into the role of interpreting / leading in the song part of the services.  On Wednesdays I'd pick up an order of service for the next week to see which songs we'd be singing.  Then I'd make sure I knew every word and look up those I was unsure of. I'd practice the songs then be ready on Sunday morning. And that was how I became fluent in sign language. Now... it's been a long time since I've done any signing, but I bet it would come back to me if I brushed up on it.

Are there words in other languages that sound fun to you, or even English words that you like and make you happy? 

I'm sure it's super wordy-nerdy, but I actually keep a list of words I absolutely love. I'll choose a few:

mondegreen - the mishearing of lyrics of a song

circumlocution - the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea

breviloquent - concise, using very few words

raconteur - one who tells anecdotes in an amusing or skillful way

megillah - long involved story or account

retronym - term created to distinguish an older version

penultimate - the one before the last one

Spring Has Sprung Dogwood Tree

I adore dogwood trees.

They're such a sign of spring! 

When we moved into our new house in the fall of 2001, we had no idea how lucky we'd be the next spring when so many wild dogwood trees would bloom.

When we go for our evening walks we pass this friend... little dogwood tree. It takes us through every season.  In summer it's lush and green.  In autumn it has red berries then red leaves. In winter it rests.  Spring (particularly April) is it's time to show off.

The topic for my Creative Companions group this week was "Spring Has Sprung."  The companion piece shows that friend tree.  The four photos show it during the first week of April with buds, the second week of April with new blooms, the third week of April with full blooms, and the fourth week of April with the fading blooms.

+

Original Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas
Click Spring Has Sprung Dogwood Tree if you'd like to purchase this painting.