I'll Always Be Behind You...

"Once upon a time there was a young girl who adored her little sister...
She loved her as a baby and as a little girl. 
She took care of her, played with her, and told her,
"I'll always be behind you..."

This image makes me swoon.

I love the story it tells.

Maybe because I was (am) a little sister with a big sister a decade older...

It's just so very sweet. 

I love doing commissioned paintings.  

I love hearing the stories of what makes their image special.  

I love the extra stress and pressure of knowing I have to get it right. (I know, that one's weird.) I love the honor of putting their story on canvas.

It starts with a text...

"You don't know me, but I've seen your work... I'm wondering if you could paint something for me."

Then it moves on to how she found me and asking to what she's hoping for. 

"I don't have the original photo, but I have a picture of it in my phone...  The photo is 50 years old and kind of blurry...  Some of it is cut off." 

Oh, no... what have I gotten myself into? It wouldn't be the first time I've heartily agreed to paint something then wondered how in the world I would manage to pull it off...

Then the image appeared on my phone screen.

Oh... it's precious. Tell me more...

Next there are the logistics... What size? How soon do you need it? Are the specific clothes important? How about the background? 

Here we go!

Click the little video and watch the process with me! (It's about 30 seconds long.)

I was captivated by the scene.

It didn't take long to complete the oil painting.

However, I wasn't finished with the image.

I did it again in a fanciful, magical way.

And, I still wasn't finished.

I wanted one more in a soft, dreamy way

Sigh... I only got to enjoy seeing them for a short time. I already gave them to the "big sister" to give to the "little sister." I hope she is surprised and pleased.

Do you have a favorite?

Original Oil Painting on 10"x 20" Wrapped Canvas

Original Acrylic Painting on 9"x 12" Art Paper

Original Mixed Media on 9"x 12" Art Paper

[SOLD]

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo

He's gorgeous and he knows it. You can just tell by his attitude!
But, I have to wonder... Doesn't he ever get tired of hauling all those tail feathers around!

Last month my sisters and I spent a crafting weekend at Welcome Home Retreat where they have some turkeys who walk around making sure all the guests are enjoying themselves.   

One morning while I was sitting outside, the two male turkeys were doing their best to show me how big and beautiful they were. (I know, kind of ironic for a turkey to be showing off in November of all months!) 

As they walked back and forth in front of me, I kept thinking what a lot of trouble dealing with all those puffed up feathers would be!

Fun fact...  If you laugh, the turkeys will gobble at you! 

While they paraded around, I took lots of photos thinking I'd paint one.. but alas... I decided a painting of a puffed up turkey would look like a brown blob with a head.

Instead of a brown blob painting called "Gobble, Gobble," I went with a fancy rooster painting called "Cock-A-Doodle-Do."

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 16 Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

:) Good bye Red Beetle & Self Portraits

I've never painted a real self portrait, but I've done a couple of pseudo-self portraits that I've loved.

One is what I use for my little Word Weaver Icon.

You can read about how this one came about in a post from a post in  July of 2013 called "Sisters."

This happy little drawing pretty much still sums me up.  I'm wearing my favorite color, green.  I've got a smile.  My hair is an ever silvering brown, which I think is just fine... thank you very much!  And, I'm wearing my dangly, squigly power earrings.  (You can read about those earrings in a post called "We'll Just have Salad.")

This is me with my sisters... The five of us went on a sister cruise,
and we each had a canvas beach bag with this painted on them.

Ha ha ha... It just occurred to me that maybe I've done a third.  When I painted "Welcome Home Retreat," I mentioned that each cow had the personality of one of us sisters.

The other pseudo-self portrait was a fuzzed out version of me in my beloved red bug.  

I loved that little bug!  It was a part of me... who I was... the girl with the red bug.  I got it after both of my kids had cars of their own.  So, I never had to share it.  (Actually, when my son was 18, he once described it this way. "Whenever you come out of a store, just look for the most embarrassing car in the parking lot.  That's my mom's car.) I tootled around in that little car for 9 years, and it was still basically in perfect condition.

... I have to sigh a little bit... 

So many changes in my life these days... (one of which is that huge change of retirement in... 85 more school days... 😜😜😜...)                                                                                                             It's just silly how choked up I got at watching my little red bug with the daisies in the vase drive away.

But... ah ha... there's a shiny new GREEN bug in the driveway now!

:) Sisters

Hi, My name is Helen. 

I paint what you see in Word Weaver Art’s blog.

I’ve heard that at some point every artist should paint a self-portrait, so here’s mine.  This is me.  It’s pretty accurate.  I’m short, I have brown hair that’s turning gray, and I’m embracing that! I hope to always have a smile on my face.  And, finally, I’ve got on silver dangly earrings.  Last year when I bought a pair of squiggly silver earrings made by my friend Tana, I said, “These are not who am, but they are who I want to be.”  

Now I think they ARE who I am!

These are my sisters:

Sheila’s my oldest sister.  She’s the family historian through her scrapbooks. She’s dressed in her favorite color purple, and like her dress, she’s pretty organized, but she's a little squiggly!

Marcia is married to my oldest brother.  She’s a family musician who sings and plays piano and flute.  She’s dressed in her favorite color blue, and like her dress, she’s kind of polka-dotted! (She makes everyone feel special!)

Karen's my middle sister.  She’s a family entertainer who can put a party together and cook just the right thing.  She’s dressed in a bright orange, and like her dress, she’s all-the-way squiggly! 

Karen Lynne is married to my middle brother.  She’s another family musician who sings and plays piano.  She’s dressed in a red color that looks great on her, and like her dress, she’s striped.  (She likes lists and organization like me!)

Then there’s me at the end.  I'm dressed in my favorite color green, and like my dress, I'm solid. (What you see is what you get!)

And, next week we're doing something we've never done before... a week together... just the five of us!

Caribbean, here we come!  

If you're in my town, go visit Tana for a pair of your own silver dangly earrings!

:) Sisters...

Can all the facets "sisters" be defined in words?


Probably not...  These lovely ladies are my sisters, sisters-in-law, and me. 
In our family we are collectively known as "The Aunts."  


How blessed I am to be a part of this group!


I'm showing my sisters today because of a poem by Margaret Bednar.  She took a painting that I had submitted to a challenge for In the Moment and wrote the loveliest poem about sisters.  I love this poem on so many levels.  Enjoy!

Hand in Hand

Fingers clasped, palms together
Made of the same sweet design
We can face all kinds of weather

Special gift to one another
You are dear, sister of mine
Fingers clasped, palms together

Some call you "little mother"
My eyes simply see "divine"
We can face all kinds of weather

You encourage constant blather
And offer a safe lead line
Fingers clasped, palms together

I can be quite a bother
From your lips never a whine
We can face all kinds of weather

Protector like no other
Our hearts will always intertwine
Fingers clasped, palms together
We can face all kinds of weather

by Margaret Bednar


This is the painting, "Hand in Hand," that made Margaret want to write her poem.
It can be purchased in several forms.
12" x 12" giclee
8" x 8" giclee
8" x 8" print