Willowing Arts: A Year of Light (May)

I've done so much mixed media lately. I love it. Here are my May A Year of Light lessons. I learn something new from every teacher and every lesson.

Willowing Arts is a great site for mix media instructional lessons.

Fairy & Butterfly

I LOVE this little fairy and her butterfly friend!

It took me several days to come up with an idea for this one.  My Weekly-ish Challenge partner gave the challenge of "Garden Boots" this time.  Garden Boots??? What was I going to do with that?! 

I wrestled with it... looked for interesting photos of garden boots online... found photos of me wearing my pink boots in my garden... saw lots of images of garden boots used as flower pots... 

Nothing stuck... I sat on it a few more days, glad for the "ish" in our Weekly-ish Challenge.

Then I found this cute little statue. It's only 2"-3" tall and meant as a decoration in a potted plant.

I love it when I am completely blank for a painting idea then a random muse shows up with a fabulous idea that works.

Someone should really write a children's story about this little garden fairy and her friend the butterfly. I have so many questions about this image that I want answered!! Who is this fairy? Does she have a name? Where does she live? Does she know the butterfly?  Why does she wear boots? Is the butterfly okay? Do they realize they both wear the same colors? Do they communicate with each other? Will they fly together?

Original Acrylic Painting on 8"x 10" Canvas Board

Click Fairy & Butterfly if you'd like to purchase this little painting.

Drawing Class

I took a 6-week drawing class through OLLI, the senior citizen branch of the University of Arkansas.  Drawing doesn't come naturally to me. I can do it, but I have to work at it.  I enjoyed and learned during each class. I love being a student. And, I know it was good for me to draw daily.  My homework was to draw something each day.

The first week I drew a landscape each day.  I put those in an earlier post that you can see HERE. 

The second week I drew something floral each day.

Then I did a fruit still life each day.

The fourth week was for the birds. (ha ha)

And the fifth week I attempted a portrait per day. They're cute kids... and look sort of like the kids they're supposed to be... I'm pretty sure it takes more than a week of really trying to become skilled at faces.

That's (almost) little 8-year-old Helen at the top and (sort of) little 6-year-old Helen below.

There were so many things to learn about using a pencil and what can be accomplished with a pencil...

We learned techniques to use different parts of the brain like drawing upside down. We also learned techniques to train the brain like one-line drawing and sketch drawing.

There was practice for seeing negative space and perspective

The one-point and two-point perspective lessons were easier than some of the others.

I'm so glad I took the class. I hope always to be a life-long learner.

Mountain Cabin

I'd love to spend a few days in this cabin.  I'm guessing there would be two rocking chairs on the front porch. That's where I'd spend time. Mountains & Trees... ahhhhh....

Several pieces of life collided around the subject of trees and mountains recently.

1. My friend Cheri & I tried this little box called "The Endless Art Challenge." We drew from its three sections Subject Card, Color Card, & Wild Card. 

2. I took an OLLI senior adult course called "Creative Journaling" which I loved.

3. We spent a few days in a bed & breakfast lodge near Rocky Mountain National Park.

4. My Weekly-ish Challenge was "Mountains."

 The rule was that we'd randomly draw (no cheating) a
 card from each section then create something.

 I made a little bitty "poster."  Okay, so I did cheat. It was
 a notecard. The cabin was someone's "home," and the
 color "sunshine" became the whole sky.

 I loved, Loved, LOVED every session of my creative journaling
class.  This page came when I was given a card to study then
write what it brought to mind. The card was a sort of woman
 in a dream-like forest .
I am a woman of the trees. 
I want the cover overhead, the trunks and limbs nearby. 
 I want the changing leaves... blossoms... fruit... green... falling golds... then rest... 
I am a woman of the trees.
  I want the forest friends to happen by...
I want the birds of every color to show themselves.
I am a woman of the trees
.  I am comforted by being closed in... by partial sky views...
 by the shades offered... by leafy regions.  
I am a woman of the trees...

 Do you see me?  Look right beside the trees growing beside the rock.
There are some views around Estes Park that are just to beautiful to
even seem real.  

In my heart I'm more of a tree covered Ozark Mountain, Ouachita Mountain, Appalachian Mountain, Smoky Mountain kind of girl, but those Rockies are quite something.

Original Oil Painting on 9"x 12"

Click Mountain Cabin if you'd like to purchase this little painting.

I Like... (5/25)

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

I like spring rains...
 but this was too much.

I like having a forest friend keep an eye on my while I'm working in the backyard.

I like having an outdoor "office" on spring mornings.

I like these little people.

I like using up little scraps to make something new.

I like spring, but goodness, we have some weather!!!
Our house is the little pink dot near the top red X.

I like making stepping stones.

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

National Salad Month – What are your favorite kinds of salads? I like salad just fine, but I wouldn't say I love it.  I prefer mine with ranch or Italian dressing. Does Fruit Salad count as a salad? Yes, if it's mostly just fruit.  If it's covered in Cool Whip, it should probably be a dessert.  How about Tuna Salad or Chicken Salad? I do like a good ham salad, turkey salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad... in that order.  I like it best if it's homemade.

National Bike Month – Do you know how to ride a bike? If it's true that once you learn, you never forget, then yes; however, it's been a long time since I've tried. When did you learn? I had an aqua blue bike with a banana seat and sissy bars.  Did you ride with other kids? I lived in the country on a dirt road, so only had one set of neighbors, but the three of us rode our bikes all over. 

Speaking of bikes, have you ever ridden a motorcycle? How do you view them, or feel about them?   We enjoyed Ron's Harley for about 20 years. Last year, though, we decided it was time for a new season.

Technology Day – Name some technology that wasn’t available when you were a kid. Ha ha!  How about what technology WAS available! I remember when a Xerox copy machine was the latest thing. It would "take a picture of your page!!!!" I remember when VCRs first came out.  It was amazing to be able to have a movie night and rent 2-3 movies at a time.  What piece of technology do you think you could live without if you had to?  Hmmm... I could live without... hmmm... I'm having trouble deciding because kind of like all of my different devices.

Andy

He's happy and funny and sweet and silly and smart and loves all things with wheels.

Original Oil on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas
[NFS]

Drawing Landscapes

I signed up for a 6-week drawing class through OLLI, the senior branch of the University of Arkansas.

For me, I'd compare drawing to broccoli... 

I don't like it.  

I try to avoid it.  

I know it's good for me. 

Other people love it.  

I can do it (eat it) if I have to.

So... why did I take the class?  Good question. 

It's hard; I'd like it to get easier.  

It's tedious; I'd like it to become a pleasure. 

I know it takes practice; I'm a good student, so if there's  homework, I know I'll do it whereas I wouldn't on my own.  

I like to be a life-long learner; since I've taught several painting classes through OLLI, I had the credits to take this one for free.

Week One Homework: I drew a landscape each day. I looked for photos I'd taken from places I'd been.

Beach in Indonesia 

California Coastline

Farm where I grew up near Mena, Arkansas

Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Smoky Mountains in Tennessee

Snowy view from a friend's house

Janis Joplin Tree, San Francisco

Geri

Duplicate? Nope. Two separate paintings each on a little 5"x 7" canvas. I rarely painting full-face portraits. There's just a tiny bit  whole lot of added stress and pressure to getting a face right. When painting a flower, no one knows or cares if a petal is off. When painting fruit, it's no bother if the apple is rounder or the pear is greener. When it's a loved one's face, however, the smallest detail has to be right. The process is fun through the point when there's a lovely blond girl, but then... I'll just widen the face a little... lower the brows... thin the lips... move the nostrils... fix the color of the cheeks... add shadow under the hair... change the shape of those teeth... and on and on until it's just time to call it.

If I rarely paint portraits, why this one?  I've had two mentors in my life... One for painting and one for writing... and both are named Cheri. I'd never say no to either.  Cheri asked me to paint her special friend as a gift for the friend's daughters, and of course, I said, "What size and when do you need them?"

My reference photo...

A snapshot of Geri & Cheri taken 50 years ago. 

💙💙💙Helen, thank you once again for taking on the challenge of a memory painting…this one of a special friend x 2. You’ve managed to paint a memorial to a boat, beaches, granddaughters, a beloved dog, and hanging flowers in vases.
Thank you for painting my memories. - Cheri💙💙💙

Original Oil Paintings on 5"x 7" Wrapped Canvas

SOLD

I Like... (4/25)

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

I like the daffodils, the first signs of spring.

I like getting the garden started.
Onions are first.

I like my 6 little hens:
Marie, Ruby Jean, Twinkle, Eleanor, Fancy-like, Pauline

I like that they come for a handful of sunflower
seeds or worms first thing each morning.

I like painting.
I like teaching.
I like teaching painting to seniors.

I like living with the forest friends... even the squirrels.
(Look carefully, right in the middle of the photo, hanging upside down from the bird feeder.)

I like starting seeds in the greenhouse... aka the upstairs bathroom.
(The windows lets lots of sun in and the door keeps the cat out.)

 I like our backyard deer.
(This will change as the garden season comes.)

 I like having a garden helper.

 I like walking down our road and seeing the seasons change.

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

As a youngster or teen,  did you get a new dress, hat  or shoes for Easter? I did have a new dress for Easter.  My mother sewed everything I wore, and she always made each of us an Easter dress. go to church or have big family gatherings? Easter was always a special Sunday at church with special music and decorations. Do you mark the holiday now in some way? Easter Sunday is always a special day at church.

Do you remember dying easter eggs? Of course! That flimsy little wire egg holder...The cardboard box with the punch out holes for the eggs to dry on... The little tablets that would fizz and color the vinegar... the smell of vinegar... Did you do it with your mom or the other kids? Whoever was there. Did  you have those crayons to pre mark them? I think we did once or twice, and I don't remember them working well. What did your family do with them?  Did your family hide them for hunts? We hid them inside and outside again and again and again.

Did you get Easter baskets as a child? Please describe them, what was in them, did you get them in the morning? After church? I didn't discover that kids got new baskets and candy and presents for Easter until I was an adult. Did you make them for your kids your mate or decorations?  We did make it special for our kids, but we weren't outlandish with it.

Where do you do your computer work, or blogging?  For example at the kitchen table like me? on your lap in front of the tv? at an actual desk? Do you use a computer or do it from your phone or ipad?  show us a pic if you can, of your set up for blogging.  I actually did a painting with my laptop and my favorite space and wrote a whole post about this very thing.