I Like Thursday 2/24

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

I like seeing my pretty eggs all together.  
I get around 5, more or less, every day.

I like these two guys.

I like a good snow day.
It was gone by noon, but it was pretty for a few hours.

I like my favorite scene in every season. 
I live just around that bend.

I like the view from my kitchen window.
They watch me as I watch them.

I like a good soft that makes the outdoors quiet.

I like how the cardinals come out when it snows.

I like having hot water.
You forget to appreciate it until the below-zero temperatures 
freeze the pipe and you don't have it!

I like planning for the February show. 
Choose paintings, add hangars to the backs, make price tags... 
and about a hundred other tasks.

I like meeting my favorite JOY!
Of all the princesses and characters, she's the best.
I loved Inside Out so much.

LeeAnne's  get-to-know-you writing topics this month:

What qualities do you look for/love in a friend?   I feel like I have many different kinds of friends. I don't know that I've tried to pinpoint specific qualities... Hmmm... I suppose I enjoy time with someone who is comfortable with who they are... doesn't seek attention on themselves... never looks down on others.

What do you look for in a mate?   We celebrate 39 years soon.

Would you prefer receiving a box of chocolates or flowers on Valentine’s Day? If chocolates/candy, what kind would you like to get? do you get them? During the years... decades that I was teaching, I would always get 3-4 of those heart-shaped boxes of chocolate where no two were filled with the same thing. I'd keep them in my closet and make them last long past spring break!  If flowers, what kind would you like to receive, does it matter that they are delivered by a floral business or brought in by your mate? What kind of flowers, colors, number of them would you love to see?   Flowers are always a lovely surprise.

Who was your first crush? (Real or fictional?) how old were you, how did you feel, were you a romantic? 

Who is your favorite TV or movie fictional couple? Why do you like them? if not a tv/movie fan, what about books? Oh, my goodness! I love a good romance novel or rom-com movie! My list would be long and varied. For right now, let's just go with Travis & Taylor! Isn't that who the whole world is watching?

What would be your favorite meal?  It can only be served perfectly in July or August when the garden is at its peak. Tomato-bacon-tomato sandwich... Let me be very specific... White bread, toasted, cut into quarters, thick tomato slices with salt, bacon cooked to just before crisp... scrambled egg, optional. On the side... Sliced cucumbers and/or Ruffles potato chips with French onion dip (Kraft made the best but stopped making it... boo!) The drink would be a Route 44 coke from Sonic.

Pond Reflections

A new painting group has formed for 2024. We've come together and discussed some guidelines for the year. Those guidelines are there to get us started, but we've already started to change them.  We don't all know each other or know each other's work well, so we're anxious to see what we become!

We don't even have a name yet!  We have lots of ideas though!  One will emerge.

Our first prompt was "Reflections."

I fretted for over a week without a good idea.

Finally I settled on one that was obvious and tangible, reflections on a pond. (This one was outside a cabin we stayed in at Big Cedar in Missouri.)

The more abstract reflection is done in thought.  For me, I think/reflect best when writing.

These are some of my diaries and journals.  That blue one on the right was my very first one.  It shows my very first entry. "January 1, 1973 - I watched the oreng bole parade and traist in my coloring Book." 

A diamonte poem is something I did with my 4th grade students.  It's when you take two seemingly unrelated things and find the commonalities.

1. 1 Noun
2. 2 Adjectives
3. 3 Verbs
4. 4-Word Phrase
5. 3 Verbs
6. 2 Adjectives
7. 1 Noun

Original Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Word Weaver Art 2023 Blurb Book

It came today!

Yay!

When I took those first lessons back in 2007, I wouldn't have dreamed that I might still be painting  in 2023.  

When I wrote my first blog posts back in 2009, I couldn't have imagined that I'd keep it up, that I'd love it, that I'd "meet" so many friends.

I have a Blurb book for every year since I began. I am a huge fan of Blurb and would recommend them any time.

My little collection of Word Weaver Art books grew today.

If you'd like a peek inside, click HERE.  Once it opens, click PREVIEW.  Then you can click the pages to flip through the book. If you read my blog, you've basically already read it, but it's fun to see it all put together in a book format.

Do you know my favorite color combination... go ahead... take a guess. 😊

Crafty Month

I was feeling like I hadn't done much in the last month or so. But then I started actually looking at all the things that have come out of my little garret art room.

I made a bunch more Holland Pouch Bags. 
I never intended to sell them, but surprise surprise
friends wanted them to use as Christmas gifts and asked.
*Note the cat trying to be in the photo...

I haven't given up on watercolor / mixed media.
I'm getting better.

And... I made even more of those little bags. 
No, I don't have to even think any more.
I can just sew them on autopilot.

Any excuse to use the palette knife is a good day at the easel.
True my blue heron's neck should be longer and more graceful,
I just decided it was a baby whose neck hadn't grown yet.

So, of course, I made a few more.
Perfect little special gifts when I need one.

Making a quilted fabric collage from a painting has become my newest favorite thing.

Finally, after making nearly a hundred (that's not an exaggeration) of the other little Pouches, which I discovered on Wendy's blog a couple of years ago, she had a post about another kind of bag.  I think it's time to move on to a new bag. I got the pattern and gave it a try. This one's called a Japanese Rice Bag.

This is happening!

So excited!

We'd love to see you there!

From the Heart

Art Show Dates

February 1 - February 29

Art Show Reception / Meet the Artists

Saturday, February 3, 2023

2:30-5:30

Red Kite

Coffee House

1852 N. Crossover Road

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Reception February 3rd, 2:30-5:30

I Like Thursday 1/24

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

I like that my kids and grand kids each have an Amazon Wish List.
I can set a $ amount, click, click, click, click...
Then wait for the packages to arrive.
Shopping done!

I like our ornaments.  
Each one holds a meaning or a memory.

I like my colorful little flock.
Zeb, Fancy-like, Elenore, Trudy, Beauty, Judy, Pip,
Vendi, Twinkle, Pauline, Jolene, Foxy, Ruby Jean, 
and... Pete.

I like sharing our little piece of the earth with forest friends.
But if they can't leave the chicken houses alone,
 they have to be relocated to a different woods.

I like our raccoons and possums and turtles and deer and birds and
squirrels and armadillos and whoever else pokes around in our woods.
They just need to stay in the woods and out of the chicken coops.

I like firecrackers.
I love the recipe which is  in my beautiful late sister-in-law's handwriting.

I like word games...
Wordle, Quordle, Crosswords, Cryptoquotes...

LeeAnne's  get-to-know-you writing topics this month:

Do you have a favorite appetizer in your family?  My family loves homemade Chex Mix and Firecrackers.

Would you rather have buffalo chicken dip or artichoke dip? Ummm... neither... But, more importantly why did Kraft stop making French onion dip!?!? My favorite summer meal of tomato-bacon-tomato sandwich with Ruffles and French onion dip has never been the same!

What do you try first when you go to a party with snacks? Probably a sausage-cheese ball, maybe some chips and salsa, a little fruit to balance it out.

Do you have plans or desired to learn something new this year?  Yes! Always a life-long learner.  But, I don't have a plan for something specific I want to learn.

Do you have a goal for this coming year?  Hmmmm...I should have an answer here. I do have daily goals, if that counts.   

An event that had a big impact on you this year.... and how did you handle it?   I like signed up for and participated in an year-long on-line multi-media art class called Life Book 2023. There were 30+ teachers and 80+ lessons.  I committed myself to learn new mediums and ways to create.  I did. It was hard.  It was uncomfortable. I loved it. But, I'm ready to get back to my good old comfortable friend oil paint.                 

Does your family play games? What kinds and are any of them new ones this year? Cards? Board Games? Puzzles? Action games like darts or horseshoes etc?  My family is made up with 6 grandkids ranging in age from 1-5. Soooo... the main games played are chase-each-other-with-sticks-while-squealing, pretend-to-hide-then-squeal-and-run, or dump-boxes-of-toys-in-the-floor-and-squeal.

Working Puzzles

We have 6 beautiful grandbabies. The youngest is about to turn 1, and the oldest hasn't turned 5 yet. We are blessed  beyond measure.

We love to have all 6 here together. There is lots of chasing and squealing when we do.

One family of three has blue eyes. The other family of three has brown eyes.  We call them our Browns and our Blues.

We love to have one family at a time here. We have routines that they know, love, and expect.

And we love to have time with just one by himself or herself sometimes. 

This little sweetheart is the 4th in our line up. She's my little puzzle worker.

My weekly-ish challenge was "Toys." Puzzles are toys, so I met the challenge... and added a little person too! 

 

Original Oil Painting on 10"x 10" Wrapped Canvas
[NFS]

Hey, Hey, Hay! VI

Hey, Little Cow! Aren't you a cutie!

I've painted a lot of cows.  No, really... a LOT of cows.  I counted. I've done 30+ paintings with cows. Take a few seconds, click HERE, and scroll through. Yeah... lots. The other day I realized it had been a while since I've painted one.  Nearly 4 years! 

This particular little "Black Baldy" heifer has been on my canvas several times.  I was glad to bring her back one more time... or maybe two... or three...

I've recently taken a liking to translating a paintings into different mediums. So...

Watercolor still scares the bejeezus out of me. Mine never turn out like I imagine they're supposed to, but I'm getting better.

Quilted Fabric Collage is exciting and new to me.  I'm not sure they have a purpose... a fancy potholder I suppose. I do love using the little scraps and threads to bring out the image.

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 8" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Creative Companions 2023

I would love to invite you to view the final product of a project that my two artist friends, Julie Brandt and Cheri Wollenberg, and I have finished.

Click the link to see the Blurb book we made.  
Once it opens, click the "Preview" button that's just under the bottom right corner of the picture of the book cover. You'll be able to flip through all the pages to see the whole project. You can "turn the pages" by clicking on the right side of the pages of the book.

Enjoy!

H

https://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/10121375/79dc3f6c5d98f3ebb12cf45cc6b297dc25036ea4

Creative Companions 2023 by Eaton, Brandt, Wollenberg | Blurb Books Find Creative Companions 2023 by Eaton, Brandt, Wollenberg at Blurb Books. 3 Artist Friends committed to create a monthly painting with an art companion piece. www.blurb.com

Three artist friends made a yearlong commitment to create one artwork with one companion piece each month.  They would meet on Zoom at the beginning of each month to reveal their pieces, encourage each other’s endeavors, receive their new topic, and enjoy each other’s company. 

 The Formation of Creative Companions:
1.   Idea Proposed 
2.  Conversation Held 
3.  Excitement Built 
4.  Ideas Brainstormed 
5.  Plan Formed 
6.  Guidelines Generated 
7.  Rules set 
8.  Name Chosen 
9.  Questions Asked 
10. Guidelines Changed 
11.  Rules Tossed Out

Creative - adj. 
relating to or involving the imagination or original ideas,
especially in the production of an artistic work. 
Companion - n.     
1. a person with whom one spends time 
2. a pair of things intended to complement each other.  

Whooooo's Got Pretty Orange Eyes?

I haven't painted much lately.

I've had the I-can't-think-of-anything-to paint syndrome.

Is that like "writer's block" only for brush and canvas instead of pen and paper?

My Creative Companions project is finished.

We're taking a little break from our Weekly-ish Art Challenge.

The on-line LifeBook 2023 painting class is over.

So... I was on my own to decide what to paint next. How about going back to the beginning?

These are the first six paintings I ever did.  

The first four were from the 6-week beginning painting class.  

1st 2/07 - Trees in summer

2nd 2/07 - Same trees done in autumn colors

3th 2/07 - Value study in black and white

4th 3/07 - Seeing the color in black and white

5th 3/07 - My choice... An owl from my backyard

6th 3/07 - Same owl, second attempt

How about another owl!  

It's always such a treat to spy an owl in the trees around our place.  We hear them often but rarely catch a glimpse of one.  When we do see one, he's staring  glaring down with such an attitude of disdain and superiority.  I just love him anyway. Ours rarely give permission for their photographs to be taken, but every once in a while, I get lucky.

While I don't know this particular orange-eyed owl in the painting personally, I do like his spicy attitude.

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas.

Click Orange Eyed Owl if you'd like to purchase this painting.

I Like Thursday 12/23

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

I like that first fire of the year.
Actually I love every fire in the fireplace.

 I like the weird mushrooms that appear in fall.
My friend says these are good to eat. 
Ummm... no.

 I like visiting art museums.
These were my 3 favorite paintings
at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.

 I like the deer that live in our woods.

I like the tree at the end of our driveway.
It's fabulous in every season.

I like like it even after the leaves fall.

I like my painting workspace.

I like my pretty little flock of backyard hens.

I like this guy.  He likes me too.

LeeAnne's  get-to-know-you writing topic this month:

Tell us a funny story about a Thanksgiving you spent... we all have things happen unexpectedly at holidays  so share a funny moment you have had over the years.   I am completely blank on a funny Thanksgiving story, so I'll tell our funny Thanksgiving weekend tradition.  We always decorated our house and tree for Christmas on Thanksgiving weekend. For many years there would be a moody teenager on the couch being less-than-helpful and less-than-joy-filled.  There came a day once the kids were grown-ish that we realized that neither kid was a moody teenager.  That's when my husband it was tradition, so he'd take that role and lay on the couch while we did the decorating.

Do you send Christmas cards?  Are they unique like a photo from this year, or say, hallmark boxed ones?  When will you aim to send them out?  Oh, I basically never did for years and years. As a teacher, December is such a hectic time, I just never got around to it.  I still forget to get around to it in time, but... for the last couple of years, I've done a Valentine card. That's been kind of a fun thing. At the top of the card, it's said something like "Merry Christmas... Happy New Year... Happy Valentine's Day!"  It was kind of an accident the first time, but I liked the surprise of it. I think I'll do it that way again.

Extra credit: do you do craft projects with your old cards? When I was teaching, I always saved them.  My students would use them their art projects. 

Describe your perfect Christmas party, where, who's there, what food and drinks are served, etc  Only family... Our 6 little ones do plenty of running and laughing and squealing.  Food would be kid friendly. Drinks would be soft drinks or juice (with lids for the kids).

1. Real or fake tree? Fake and pre-lit.
2. Star or angel? Nothing.
3. Tree up before or after Thanksgiving? That weekend.

Unwrapping gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?  Christmas morning was always our tradition.  But as we now share our kids with their in-law families, we're fine doing it on a different day when we need to.  

Do you prefer Christmas or New Years? Christmas Do you have a usual way to spend NYE and or NYDay? Not a very interesting answer, I suppose. Just being home.

Would you rather kiss in Paris or kiss in a tent in the woods on NYE? How about my house (which is in the woods) instead of a tent.

Would you rather be at a big fancy party where you all scream happy new year at midnight, or at home on your sofa or with a couple friends playing cards etc  100% I'd rather be at home, preferably sound asleep at midnight.

Reindeer on December 23rd

Isn't he a handsome guy!

My Creative Companion topic was "Winter's Eve." Hmmm...Now I had to think about that one for quite a while. 

[My thinking process]

I didn't want to go Christmas-y, but I couldn't get away from the "Eve" part. 

According to my Google Merriam Webster:

Eve-

1. evening  

2. the evening or day before a special day  

3. the period immediately preceding 

We see a couple or even a dozen deer every time we walk down our road in the evening... or 'eve.'  I think how cold they must be as winter nears.

I wonder what their "cousins" are up to at the North Pole as winter days are nearing their big night.

.

I remember being in Wyoming for my 50th birthday and going on a wagon ride through an elk reserve.  I asked why they would sit in the patches of snow when they didn't have to.  The guide told me they were hot with all their fur and were just trying to stay cool.

[My working process]

Pexels.com is a great place to find free photos to use as references.  (Thanks to Frans van Heerden who took the reference photo I used.

I get the main lines on the canvas then start with the background. Before you know it, a reindeer is on my easel. My painting area has everything right where I need it. (Why do I have 100 different brushes when I use about 5? I don't know.) I love having a photo viewer.  (You can get one at any estate sale you go to. --I've picked up 5-6 over the years.--  It will most likely still be like new and in the box with the $129 price tag still attached.  You'll spend about $7.50 if you go on the last day of the sale when everything's priced to go.) I put my reference photo on a thumb drive and voila.  You can see I have another one on the right. (It has the reference drawing propped against it in this photo.)  There's a different reference photo on that one.

While I paint I usually listen to an audio book... or music, country or some 80s rock... Sometimes the television is on if it's evening and Ron's watching a ballgame or flicking through channels. Or, maybe, I'm letting my mind wander and wonder about what I'm painting and composing a little jingle in my head about it...

What do the reindeer do on the twenty-third?

They eat well, relax, walk through the snow

 take it easy, have a nap, and just lay low.

But what of the elves in charge of the herd?

They're the ones who must persist

 to tend to each detail on the long checklist.

They clean out each stable and muck every stall

 make last preparations for the next night's long haul. 

They bring plenty of water and hay and oats.

 massage sore muscles and brush shaggy coats.

They test every harness and each jingle bell.

trim every hoof and check antlers as well. 

There's much to take care of on the twenty-third 

when your an elf in charge of the reindeer herd.

For my companion piece, I thought I'd just whip out a watercolor of this reindeer... It was a disaster. So I thought I'd "fix" is with colored pencils... then pastels... then paint pens... All disasters... Finally used acrylics to cover all the previous attempts... Better, but pretty boring and near ready for the bin... But... then... I was thinking how my handsome guy had become so silly looking and thought how the reindeer must party after their big flight. How about a few stickers! Ha ha ha... a party animal!

My friend LeeAnna loved him, so I put him in the mail and sent him on his way to her.

Original Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

Click Reindeer if you'd like to purchase this painting.