Coconut Retriever

What's a coconut retriever?

Well, a dog that brings back the coconuts that you send her after, of course!

I've been blessed with some amazing professional opportunities during this 30 year teaching career of mine.  One of them is that I get to represent elementary literacy for Arkansas on a committee. I absolutely love the work... but enough of that... 
I have made some life-long friends that I get to spend a few days with every few months. When we met in Chicago last month, my friend from New Mexico said, "I brought a picture I want you to paint!  Do you ever paint dogs?" I paint images that tell stories, and when I heard the story behind this dog, I couldn't wait to put her on the canvas!  

I asked my friend to write the story.  Thanks, Sheryl!

She’s a girl’s best friend.  
This precious “coconut retriever” was born at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of St. Kitts, where she was adopted by a student who named her Smarty Jones. Why? Well, because she can run like the wind!  
Since becoming part of the girl's family, Smarty Jone has traveled the country far and wide as a loyal companion, living from Oregon to Canada to Minnesota to Florida.  
Smarty Jones is quite an amazing dog. She can “talk,” and she endures serving as a “couch” for her two wiener dog sisters with nary a complaint. She's such a well-mannered girl who loves her “cookies.” However, she does have a history of sneaking bread and even fresh tomatoes off the kitchen counter. 
  Her bark may be big, but her bite is small, Using that big bark, she saved the girl from an intruder one night. For that, the girl's family will be forever grateful.

Smarty Jones will forever be loved.

So fitting is this poem….the girl’s love of Smarty Jones.

My sunshine doesn't come from the skies,

It comes from the love in my dog's eyes.

Author Unknown

The girl is my friend's daughter.  And that girl will be receiving this painting for her birthday.  I hope she is surprised and pleased!

:) Not for Sale

As of this week, I have been a painter for seven years.

     On a Thursday night seven years ago, I took my brand new wooden art box, five unopened tubes of paint, set of brushes, and a few other items from the supply list and went to a class. I sat on the front row and tried really hard to do what the teacher said even if I didn't understand it... (She told me to put orange in my blue so that my sky wouldn't be garish. ?!?)  At the beginning of the night she said, "Painting will make you see the world differently," and she was right.
     I was never a kid who drew, a teenager who doodled, or a person with a flair for art, but I left that night with a finished painting.  During the course of seven years, I've finished 294 more.  I've loved the process of each one, and I've enjoyed them on my walls as they wait to be purchased for someone else's walls. 
     Of those 295 paintings, there are 7 that are so special that they'll always remain on my own walls.

"Summer Trees"

Here it is!
That very first one!
See that third tree in the back?  Yeah... that wasn't supposed to be there.  I dropped my brush and a blog of paint became a new tree trunk.

"Flower Girl & Her Kitty"

Hmmm...
My little sweetie who loved her kitties so...
And now she flies helicopters...

"In the Tree"

Ahhh...
My other little fella...
Looked so serious...

"My Boys"

He's as tall has his dad now.  

"Beauty and the Beach"

Lovely... I'm certain that's what my son-in-law thought last year when he snapped the photo I used for this painting.

"Aspens in Autumn"

Nope, there's no emotional attachment.  I just love it.  It hangs above my sofa.

"Sweet Blossom the Possum"

Hee hee hee... my alter-ego.  
     Bruce Wayne has Batman.
     Bruce Banner has The Hulk.
     Clark Kent has Superman.
     I have Sweet Blossom

It's a long story... 

Candy Kisses

Do you get a lot of kisses on Valentine's Day?

I do.  Teachers get more than our quota of chocolate at the Valentine's party.  I like chocolate, but I don't crave it like I know some people do.  

Here's what I do with all the kisses I get.
 1st - Lay out a bunch of  Snyder's Snaps 
         (square waffle shaped) Pretzels on a cookie sheet.
2nd - Put an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss on each one.
3rd - Cook them about two minutes.
4th - Squash another Snaps on top of each melty Kiss.
5th - Put them on waxed paper in a plastic container.
6th - Keep them in the freezer.
7th - Enjoy one when you need a little sweet & salty bite.

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Peacock

What does a peacock say?

"HELP! HELP!"  It scares the bejeezies out of you if you aren't expecting it.  You'll think someone is in real trouble, then you'll see a peacock strutting around.

I have the funniest peacock story... 

It makes me smile just thinking about it.

I have the cutest little project that is fun to do in my classroom each year at Thanksgiving. It starts with Readers' Digests.  The kids fold the first page a certain way then repeat that fold for every page after that. We spray paint that part brown and it becomes the turkey's body.  Next they create a big pretty tail to glue on the back and stick a head in between the pages.  It makes an adorable Thanksgiving Turkey.  

That's not the funny part.

A few of years ago I had a little girl whose family didn't celebrate holidays.  I wanted to have the kids do the project, but I didn't want to leave that student out, so... I had the bright idea to buy a can of blue spray paint!  I didn't want her to miss out or necessarily stand out as different, so I offered the option to the class... assuming a kid or two would join in with the alternative... 

"Guys, we're going to decorate our end of the hall for the special visitors who are coming next week. (I don't remember who or why... I  think it was the superintendent and some special team from somewhere.) You can make a Thanksgiving Turkey for our display then you can take yours home; it will be a great decoration for your holiday table.  Or, if you want to be able to display yours all year, you can make a November Peacock.  You'll make it just the same, but we'll paint the body bright blue and use blue for the tail feathers."  

Like I said, I assumed I'd have 20 or so turkeys for our display and a handful of peacocks to brighten the room.

Hmmm... nope... 

I had about 20 bright blue peacocks and a handful of turkeys. Those kids were so proud of them.  I have a memory of one of the kids explaining that these were November Peacocks and that group of dignified visitors smiling and nodding as if that was supposed to make perfect sense but they didn't quite get it.

I could just laugh out loud right now.

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

:) My Classroom Door :)

I know, I know...
It's not art, but I love, Love, LOVE my classroom door!

It's supposed to be decorated with a winter theme.
Can you tell that I DID follow the rules? 
Look really closely at the book titles...
I've never been one to break rules, but I sure do seem to enjoy bending them. :)

I love the room behind this door.  
I've got the best job in the world.  
I get to read and write with 10 year olds all day. 
Lucky me.

Butterscotch the Cow

Do cows these days get names?

In books cows always have sweet appropriate cow names names... Flossy, Bessie, Elsie...

But, my dad called them #34 or #22 or #51... or whatever number was hanging from the yellow tags in their ears.  I think they only got a name if they were a problem, and then they got a Biblical name, not necessarily a compliment... I remember him referring to one cow as Jezebel because she was mean and hateful.  I remember another that had pink-eye so bad that Dad called him Blind Bartimaeus... I'm pretty sure that any cow that ended up with a name ended up at the sale barn pretty quickly.

There was one gentle "name" that I do remember.  As he'd walk through the cows to feed them or count them, he'd softly call, "Suk.. Suk.. Sukie... Suk.. Suk.. Sukie..."  I think it was meant to calm  and comfort them.

That kind of makes me want to change this little guy's name to Sukie. :)

(I'm trying to remember, but I think the cow in Little House in the Big Woods was named Sukie.  If it's a name good enough for Pa Ingalls, it must be a good cow name. Does anyone remember if that's was it?  The cow that Ma thought she was slapping on the winter night when it was actually a bear in the cow pen?)

Thanks to Vaughn Skinner for capturing this 

photograph and letting me put it on canvas.

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

Whimsical Santa II

Can you "super-size" that?

Sure!

I'm not sure whether the person who requested this is a little behind in being ready for last Christmas season or really ahead for next Christmas season. :)  Either way, he was fun to paint - both times!

The first little Whimsical Santa is still waiting for a home.  

Contact me if you're interested in hanging him on your wall. 

[SOLD]
Acrylic Painting on 10"x 20" Wrapped Canvas

Little Treasure

How do those colors & shapes, lights & darks, actually become something recognizable?

I love watching it happen...

The process still amazes me.

Mix a color palatte that has lights, mediums, and darks.

 Just get the shapes in the right place.

Squint and find the shadowed places first.

Squint again to find the lightest places.

Blend, tap, touch, brush, add, remove, fuzz...

Don't stress when it's in the "ugly" stage.  All paintings, like all kids have to go through it.

 Be brave with new strokes that have to cover what's already right.

 Step back and look at it with fresh eyes, or take a picture of it and look at it on the screen, or hold it up to a mirror.  Change whatever draws your eyes first.

My spot.

[SOLD]

Thanks to Rebecca Marinoni, photographer, 

for capturing this image and 

for granting permission to paint it.

It Is Well With My Soul

What are your comfort words?

I love this phrase.  It comes to me in moments when I need to take a deep breath. It is a reminder that in the grand scheme of life... it is well... it is well... it is well with my soul. 

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
                                       -Horatio Spafford

It was a special day for us... 

"Powell Sisters." 

We welcomed our new sister.

With presents, 

lunch, 

fun, 

20 questions/100 answers.

Welcome, Kittie.
     We look forward to sharing this memory and many more to come.
          Love,
               Karen, Sheila, Karen, & Helen

What are your comfort words?

Original Acrylic Painting on 16"x 20" Wrapped Canvas 

[SOLD]

• 
  

Red VW Bug

What does your car say about you?


So... this is mine... 
What do you think?  
...Surprised?  ...No?








When I was a teenager, my best friend Sheila had a candy-apple red VW... the old kind.  Oh, my goodness we had some times in that car!

When my own kids each became drivers (meaning I no longer had the job of carting them around) I purchased this little mid-life crisis car.  And, it's what I've been toodling around in ever since.  I love my little salsa-red bug with daisies in the dash vase.

So, what do you drive?And, what does that say about you?

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Eenie Meenie Tippa Teenie

Well, Southern Gal, Nita, & Anonymous (although I know who you are. :) I think your odds are pretty good!
Here we go with my favorite selection poem!!!

Eenie Meenie

Tippa Teenie
Oooh La

Bippa Deenie

Oochie Coochie

Comma Goochie

Out... Pops... YOU!

And the winner is... Anonymous a.k.a Tina, you silly one. Love you!
Renee, I always look forward to seeing what you and yours are up to when I see one of your posts pop up in my feed!
Nita, Your knitting work and felting work for your patterns is beautiful and your poetry is lovely. I'm so glad you're also enjoying the Joyous Chaos Blog. I read every single post from beginning to end... and didn't paint a stroke during those days!
BUT... 
...I finished a painting tonight! ... kind of a self-portrait... hmmm... look for it tomorrow!

Maybe I'll do a giveaway again one of these days.

H

! ! ! Giveaway ! ! ! #1

I haven't been painting at all during this Christmas break. Why?  

• Well, first because my kids were home, and we just did a lot of sitting beside the fireplace and poking the logs. 
• And, second because I've been glued to my computer reading my new favorite blog... reading every entry from the beginning.  It's called A Joyful Chaos, and it's an absolute delight!  
• I feel like I'm getting to know a new friend and catching up on her whole life...
• It's like reading an Amish version of Laura Ingalls' Little House series... 
• It makes me think about my own shelf of journals and all the little snips of life I've recorded over the years.
• It reminds me of the truth... "everyone has a story to tell..."

Anyway, I've decided to borrow an idea from her and have a giveaway.

I have these cute little note cards made to give as a thank you gifts to send with any painting that is purchased.  I sometimes have extras made.  
Would you like to have a few?

For your chance to win all you have to do is leave a comment describing a favorite painting, print, photo, or poster you have on a wall in your home or in your memory.

Sharing this post on your Facebook or blog then letting me know you did will earn you a second entry. :)


I will be choosing the winner on Saturday, January 3. 

I look forward to your comments.  (Maybe I'll get some new ideas for what to paint next!!) 


**I picked these cards for this giveaway because A Joyful Chaos makes me think of simple pleasures... a  beloved Raggedy Ann doll... a stack of journals filled with memories... an old barn in winter... :)

Tank

Would you paint a brown and white boy cow for me?
Would you paint our Hereford show bull, Tank?

I recently discovered that these two questions are NOT the same.

Say hello to Tank!

Isn't he gorgeous!













So, here's how I learned this lesson.

My friend, Sarah, teaches 4th grade down the hall, and she's a city girl.  
My friend, Charla, teaches ESL down the other hall, and she's a farm girl. 

A few weeks ago, Sarah asked, "Hey, would you paint a brown boy cow for me?  I want to give it to my dad for Christmas."  
She found a reference photo, and I whipped it out.  It was fun and easy.  When I brought it to school to give it to her, I showed it to Charla.

That's when I got the other question.  Charla knows cows; she and her husband have a farm, and cattle are a big part of their lives.  She asked if I'd paint one of their bulls to give her husband for their anniversary.  She told me all about their bull, Tank... He came from Denver... he used to have a nose ring... he's gentle... 
She planned to go home and take some pictures that night when they went out to feed.

Now meet... Not-Tank.
I had the best time painting him.
It was pretty simple and didn't take long.

Oh, sigh... 
He was a great cow... but he wasn't Tank..
His eyes were too big...
His fur was too smooth...
His face was too skinny...
His nose was too long...
His ear was to pointy...
His chest was too wide...

It's not nearly as fun to edit and revise, but in the end it's worth it.
I love the finished Tank!

[SOLD]

Big Papa

Why do cows all face in the same direction when they're grazing?

It's so weird, but they do.  We always comment on it, so I Googled it... Oh, my goodness... there are all sorts of theories about it... and all kinds of scientific research going on around it....  Really?  It's that important to know?

Anyway, this guy looks like he might be wondering why he has to face the same direction as all the others... maybe he's about to buck the system face a different way!

[SOLD]

Water Lily

What can you teach us about your painting style?

I follow a challenge blog called Paint and Draw Together. Each month she posts a new reference photo and invites artists to... well... paint and draw together... and occasionally I participate in her challenges.  I love seeing the varied artists' styles.  Every painting exactly the same... yet every painting is completely different.

This month marked the 50th challenge. (Congratulations to Lela and to every artist who's contributed!) She asked artists to not only submit the image of their final product, but to share photos taken throughout the process.  I loved the image, and I love sharing about the process of painting that I find so fascinating.  So, of course, I chose to participate!  

Picture 1

After drawing in the main lines, (as I've gladly admitted before, yes, I cheat with a sheet of carbon paper) I blocked in the main colors

Picture 2

Next I tried to add a little life to the big flat surfaces of color.  Some yellows and purples livened up the leaves. I added all kinds of streaks paint from colors left over on my palette to the vines... hoping they'd start looking right... they didn't.

Picture 3

After the bold background colors dried a day or two, it was time to block in the flower.  I planned to use alizarin red and white, but I used diaxozine purple for the shaded areas.  It seems to work best for me if get those areas in first and darker than I know they should be.  


Picture 4

* Blend with new white... the petals look like mud...

* Add the middle... the yellows and oranges smear...

* Experiment again with those vines... what a mess...

* Try to make the spots look intentional instead of like I dropped dark paint blobs on the leaves...add some yellowish greens and purple-greens around the leaf holes.... hmmm...

* And this is the point where it happens... It always happens... It's the ugly stage... I wonder if I should give up, if I have the right to call myself an artist, if this one just isn't meant to be...

Then with fresh eyes and one more try, it comes together.  Although it's happened dozens and dozens of times, I'm always surprised... and I smile then sign my name in the bottom corner.

 Original Oil Painting on 6"x 8" Wrapped Canvas
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