What was your favorite storybook?
Mine was Go Dogs Go! by P.D. Eastman. Oh, how I loved that book! "Big dog. Little dog. Black dog. White dog."... "Dogs in the shade under the house" while one was on top in the sun... My favorite page - one dog was wide awake in the bed while all the others slept... Then "To the tree! To the tree! To the top of the tree!" for the dog party! And, of course, "Do you like my hat?"
My mother took me to the county library every Thursday before grocery shopping. I was allowed to check out 9 books each week. She would only let me check out Go Dogs Go! every other week because "other boys and girls need a turn." Hmmm... I wonder if that was the reason, or if she just needed a break from same book...
I could name dozens of books that I love and that I think every child needs to read - to own, but I always put silly Go Dogs Go! at the top of the list. So, it's become a tradition it's part of the gift I give to every new baby born into my family.
Guess what... this Pepaw was once a teenager who let me crawl into his lap when I was not much bigger than this little one. I just bet he read Go Dogs Go! to me a time or two.
So, what's your favorite storybook?
What's more fun than a barrel of monkeys?
Is there even an answer to that question? And, are they really that much fun anyway?
I never saw myself as a painter of monkeys, but I guess you just never know. I learned a lot painting these three little guys. For one thing, all the lessons and strategies that I'd worked to perfect with human anatomy just plain don't work with monkeys! Fingers, ears, noses, lips... You know how at the zoo, you say, "Wow, they're so human-like..." Well, no, they aren't! Oh...ha ha ha... It was a fun task to undertake.
Remember that little plastic barrel that had the monkeys in it? I'm searching back in my childhood memories... Was it a game? Was it really supposed to be fun to try to pick them up? Hmmm.... I'd like to give it another try.
Have a look at this Etsy site I found called Common Object Jewelry. The artist has taken all sorts of everyday items and turned them into sterling silver jewelry - macaroni, goldfish crackers, gummy bears, and yes... a barrel of monkeys monkey! How fun!
Merry Christmas!
I don't believe this little guy has every actually cracked a nut, but he stands guard - ready to do so should the need arise!
He is one of the few nutcrackers in my collection that I actually purchased myself. I love his simplicity.
Original oil painting on 6"x 12" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]
What objects best represent Christmas?
My family has many traditions around the Christmas holiday season that are so important. This painting shows a group of objects that have special meaning to us.
During December our house is filled with things that make us happy.
***There are nutcrackers of every size and color on nearly every shelf, table, nook, and cranny.
***Candles add a sense of peacefulness (although I admit that I never burn the prettiest ones).
***I don't think I've ever bought a poinsettia, but we usually have one that has been given to me by one of my students.
***The red beads have been getting my children (now grown) in trouble for years. They always wanted to play with them much more than have them just hang and look pretty. After years of fighting this, I finally gave up. Now, there's a whole bowl of red beads whose purpose is just to be played with.
*** And the Bible is central to Christmas morning when one of us reads from the second chapter in Luke.
Visit Nutcrackers to enjoy an Etsy treasury (collection of vintage items, jewelry, and art pieces) which includes this painting as well as other items celebrating nutcrackers.
[SOLD]
Original Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Canvas Board
"Traditions" can be purchased in several forms.
Contact me if you'd like to purchase this image as a giclee, a print, or note cards.
What does Christmas smell like?
I think it's a citrus-y, cinnamon-y, clove-y smell.
This is a great little gift. It's pretty to look at until you're ready to make the whole house smell like Christmas. Just dump it in a pot and let it simmer. The ingredients I used are: Lemon
Lime
Tangerine
Orange
Grapefruit
Cranberries
Whole Cloves
Cinnamon Sticks
Cinnamon Oil
Water
A while back I was on a roll of painting citrus fruit. It began with a challenge from the Rookie Painter site. Sometimes painting makes me really "see" ordinary things for the first time. I guess I never realized that lemons have a certain number of little sections. Hmm...
Becoming more observant is one the things I've enjoyed most about becoming a painter.
"Lemon Slice" is the little painting I submitted to the Rookie Painter challenge.
It was featured in an Etsy treasury (collection of art pieces and vintage items) celebrating "Real and Imaginary." I'm not sure whether the curator selected it because it looked like a realistic piece of fruit (for the real) or because it looked like a gigantic piece of fruit coming over the world's horizon (for the imaginary)!!! Either way, it's an honor to be a part of the collection. Click to enjoy it yourself.
What's your most cherished Christmas item?
We have plenty of ornaments, decorations, and trimmings that we enjoy putting out each year. But, if I have to choose only one, I don't have to consider very long. It's this Nativity Scene (There are actually two-back to back) created by my own little ones when they were in the 4-year old Sunday School class many years ago.
I've got the
joy,
joy,
joy,
joy
down in my heart.
Down in my heart!
Down in my heart!!
I've got the
joy,
joy,
joy,
joy,
down in my heart.
Down in my heart
to stay!!
Wet Paint in My Mind's Eye includes "Joy!" as well as 11 other paintings depicting joyous dancers! This painting was also included in Etsy treasuries (collections of vintage items and art pieces) celebrating Smiles and Happy Smiles. Click to have a look. It will put a smile on your face! Then click Smiles & Sunshine, Joy, or another J O Y enjoy treasuries that will make you smile on the inside. Then enjoy the beautiful color combinations in Joy or in Hot, Hot, Hot Summer Days. Finally, visit the beautiful art represented in Artsy Etsy.
Click "Joy" to go to the Etsy site where this painting can be purchased.
I submitted this painting to an In the Moment challenge. The challenge was to show and artistic interpretation of the word triumph. And, doesn't she look triumphant!! Visit this unique site to see how other artists have portrayed the word.
Guess what... this Pepaw was once a teenager who let me crawl into his lap when I was not much bigger than this little one. I just bet he read Go Dogs Go! to me a time or two.
