Getting My Feet Wet

Lynn with Drawing Pen in Hand

2012-02-17T10:37:00.001-08:00

This morning I drew and painted the bouquet of daffodils I took from our backyard yesterday after work. So I'd say spring has officially begun here in California.

I spent an exceptionally long noon hour(s) yesterday out side in the sunshine. First I had lunch at Jalisco's and drew the people on the right side of this drawing..notice the Valentine hearts on the front door.
Then I took a walk downtown and sat in the sun on a park bench in the town square and drew the people eating outside of the Pure Grain Bakery. What a beautiful day to be outside.
I stopped in at the bead store to buy a few beads for a new art quilt I am working on.
And at the hospital guild thrift store where I got a novel for 50 cents and three children's books for Allie Bel for a quarter each.

I drew this earlier over my own lunch at J's. I call it: "Table for One and Table for Five".

Meanwhile back at the bakery (the day before) I caught these two women at two separate tables, but drawn they look like they could be together.

This was my first drawing at the bakery yesterday. There were so many people there that my line of vision kept being obscured by PEOPLE that could not fit into my drawing. So there are parts missing that hid behind those people.

I took these photos in my kitchen using flash but still they came out very yellow. It's the light not the paper color. I sure am enjoying drawing lately.

I hope my "word verification" does not hinder you in leaving comments if you wish to do so. I am trying to get rid of it but even with Suki's many emails of telling me how my page just does not seem to look like hers and I am yet unable to do it. But I will keep trying. I don't want to lose any of your wonderful and much appreciated comments because Blogger or Google had decided to challenge our vision!

I don't know about you, but I am planning to enjoy this extra long weekend! Hope you get to too.

Triptych

2012-02-15T22:22:00.000-08:00

~My World~

The Day After Valentine's Day...and Animal Wednesday

2012-02-15T08:11:00.000-08:00

A sweet evening it was with DH coming home with three beautiful red roses between his teeth, (his arms were full of his school books and mail) and me giving him the portrait I'd painted of him that morning. He said I made him look better than he does! It's nice to still have romance in our lives 32 years into our loving relationship.

Henry could have cared less as he mapped out his territory in the backyard where old vines and bushes had been torn down and cut back recently leaving him what must look like a cat box from heaven.

On Sunday we found these birds at the pier in San Francisco near the Golden Gate bridge.

I looked and looked, but nary a pelican could I find on this fine day! Wonder where they were?

Just sea gulls flying high as the sunny day turned dark...

right before it was time for us to fly on home.

HAW!

Yesterday and The Day Before Yesterday and Today!

2012-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

A journal page from yesterday speaks for itself I believe:

On Sunday we took our nephew Allen back to SF which produced another journal page done in the car on the way to the City.

We arrived at the San Francisco International Airport and said our goodbyes at the curb. It was a short but very very sweet visit.

The DH and I drove through the City and I took some photos of things that interested us.
I'll let the angels on this beautiful church front signify my Valentine Day wishes to you all.

It somehow felt loving to me...as did the hug above it.

I am always enamoured by design and textures seen above on the church front and below on the pier pilings.

Choices for lunch could have been these Franks on the water front served up by these happy friendly folks with their lovely smiles...

But instead we chose our favorite spot there a few feet away: The Warming Hut where DH had an organic tuna sandwich and I had a curried chicken salad on very fresh lettuce. Really delicious.

On the way home we came across this old rusted out Ford truck being towed in front of us. I got some photos of it as I would love to paint and draw it. It was in such fine condition for just the kind of painting I have in mind. It's also red, another color for Valentine's Day. If you are enamoured of this idea hug somebody or hug yourself and have a loving day!

I think I'll go and hug this guy. He just happens to be

MY VALENTINE!

2012-02-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

I have the honor of being quoted today in Seth Apters "The Pulse" on his blog The Altered Page.
I hope you will hop on over there to see not only what I said about What great artist from anytime in history I'd choose to learn from and why; but who many others have chosen and what they said as well.

******

Yesterday, our nephew Allen flew in from MN for auditions for Yale and ACT in SF. We went into the City to meet him there for support. I drew in the car on the way down. Interesting journal pages done while car was in motion. (painted later in the evening at home).

We met up with Allen who had auditioned in the morning for Yale and ACT's masters programs in Drama and was awaiting possible call backs from them both. We went on to David's Deli for lunch while Allen went to see if he was on the list or not. He came back to let us know that out of sixty actors only one was chosen, a woman.
"They said they had their quota for male actors already, but to try again next year." The last part of that sentence was promising that he had done well and should try again. My understanding is that Meryl Streep went through six auditions before being accepted into the same program. I guess they wanted a woman that year too. It's a hard business to break into.

In the meantime, Allen has been accepted to volunteer as assistant director at the esteemed Guthrey Theater in Minneapolis, MN. This will add to his resume and give him the opportunity to work with important people in the field.

We spent a fun evening talking and playing Spite and Malice. Tomorrow he'll go on back home. I'm glad we got to spend this much time together. And I will keep my fingers crossed for next year as I'd sure love to have him studying in San Francisco so we could enjoy his company even more.

Jalisco's In Color

2012-02-10T08:22:00.001-08:00

This is my lunch at Jalisco's: One fish taco and half an order of guacamole. They really do make the best guacamole in town. I love lime on everything. What's missing here is the tall glass of water in the red glass (you can see some on the other tables below) and the chips in the red basket. But this is what I order every time I eat there. They know me now, they know what I want and they know I know how much it costs. So when I go up to the counter to pay afterwards even if I don't have the exact correct change they smile and say "That's okay!" They make me feel very special.

The guy and gal at the table above my lunch table were with two other fellows. But they were so close to me and facing me I did not have the guts to draw them too. One of the guys kept looking at me as it was. But I wish I could have been more comfortable about drawing them as they both had arms full of very arty tattoos. One started at the elbow with a huge spider web. How I would have loved to draw that! So instead I drew that woman at another table, also with her back to me. I need a booth with a curtain I can peek out of where no one can see me but I can see them to draw freely.

I painted this when I got home last night.

I thought about writiing on this page too. Last night I was reading Danny Gregory's book of Illustrated Art Journals by him and many other artists. I read about a different artist each night. So many varities of drawing and painting and journaling. I thought I might add words to this page. But when I looked at it again this morning I decided not to. I know the picture does not tell the whole story I was able to write here. But do I want to change the look by adding story in words or are the pictures enough as is? What do you think?

Stories in Watercolor and Ink. Ink and no Watercolor

2012-02-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

I am very attracted to this knitted cowl. I offered to knit it for my daughter as I thought she'd

look stunning in it, but I never got a response to my query as to whether she'd like it or not.

So I painted it instead. S'okay, it looked like it might not be that easy to knit.

And sometimes I just need to draw something simple like my basket full of yarns waiting to be turned into something pretty or functional or fun.

If you have a knitting story or a painting or drawing story you'd like to tell I'd be happy to hear it.

Happy Animal Wednesday

2012-02-08T09:21:00.001-08:00

This photo is just crying out to be drawn by me...perhaps tonight!
Henry is well, all is well here, Henry sends you his best (side).

If you missed my recent paintings scroll down one post!

They are waiting for you there.

Enjoy!

A client had to cancel her appointment

so I had time to draw/paint this now.

Henry is not this orange, but you know me

artist's prerogative!

It was a quickie!!!

;-)

drawn with Pitt Pen XS

on 90 lb drawing pad paper

watercolors

photo taken while still wet

Big Drawing Painting Day

2012-02-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

If you clean house all morning long and into the early afternoon, even your desk...

you can paint all evening long till your ...

hearts content.

So I did!!!!

These were all done from recent personal family photographs, but I do not expect anyone to recognize themselves except in caricature!

They were done in (1) seventeen minutes, (2) 20 minutes, (3) 20 minutes, and (4) 10 minutes.

XS Farber -Castell PITT artist pen, watercolors, luminescent paints too.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words or...

2012-02-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

... 93 Million dollars!

Happy Feet!

2012-02-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

On Friday I went to Tina

to have a very very blissful experience.

A pedicure and manicure unlike any other.

First a foot soak in very hot water, and then for an hour and a half

while sitting in a chair that massaged my neck, shoulders, back, upper arms, bottom and later my calves; she worked magic with hot towels, hot stones, her fingers and hands

massaging my legs from knees to tips of my toes.

Salts and lotions, sprays and creams,

clipping cuticles, buffing and polishing.

And then all of the above again on my forearms and hands!!!

I could only float above the floor

while making my way out to the street.

Bless you Tina and Thank YOU!!!!

Here are a few drawings I did quickly while waiting my turn.

I used my new drawing art journal Patty gave me for Chanukah with thin brown paper pages.

Two hair dressers doing their magic on two women patrons. (I have mine done tomorrow!)
And the shoes of another woman waiting her turn with me.

Afterwards I was famished so I stopped at the Pure Grain Bakery downtown and ate half a pastrami on rye sandwich while drawing this young man and his lunch.

Each drawing was done in five minutes or less. I had places to go and people to see!

Happy Birthday Uncle Harry ....93!!!

2012-02-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

We are so lucky to be celebrating my dear uncle's 93rd birthday today! I am so fortunate to have had him in my life these 65 years! I met him when I was four in 1944 or 5; he was just back from the South Pacific during WWII. Perhaps the war was over I'm not sure I'll have to ask him. Anyway, I was only four or five years old. I went to meet him for the first time and everyone had told me his name was "Red" because he had red hair. The first words out of my mouth when I saw him were:
"He's not RED he's ORANGE!" He has retold me this story for the past sixty five years and we both love it still. My aunt took that little photo of me back then.

Yesterday morning I decided to draw my uncle so I did this from a photo I had. If I put the photo up on my computer monitor and sit at my desk I can see it very clearly to draw and then paint there. I think his likeness can be recognized. He's still a very dapper and handsome man. I love him more than words can say. And he me. (Lucky me!!!) I know he loves his kids more, and all the cousins just as much, but I do feel that we have a special bond. Heck, I've known him the longest!!! LOL

Red Haired Woman in Blue Coat

2012-02-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, I did a "knit woman" but spiced it up with some originality. I made her quite a bit heavier than the model in the magazine. Gave her a larger sized coat. And added background and foreground out of my own little head! Perhaps these are the first steps to "doing my own things" with this form.

I really like her hair.

If you missed my Jalisco Drawings this week scroll down one post to find the latest!

"One Fish Taco, Half Order of Guacamole"

2012-02-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

I decided that will be the title * for my collection of drawings I do at Jalisco's. Above drawing was done in 20 minutes for TMC. Party of three; and my "old" table I used to sit in to draw outside, before I got comfortable drawing the people inside. Then the couple you may recall from an earlier drawing. They are the couple Carlos recognized in the earlier drawing.

Below are three teenagers all wearing baseball caps in various positions! I hope you can tell the black bill in the foreground is flipped up in back! The woman is from the previous drawing above! This I did in ten minutes as I was rushing to get back to my office. These kids were at the very next table to mine.

Happy Jalisco's Thursday!

;-)

Little Miss in Red Coat and Hat Graces New Art Journal

2012-02-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

This from a book of knitwear for children. I liked this sweet knit coat and hat and will save the pattern for when my newest grand child is about three or four years old. Won't she look smart in this?

She salutes the beginning of a new art journal gracing it's very first page: Canson; Montval; All-Media; 50 pages, 9" X 12", 90 LB paper; made in USA.
I drew it in ink first, then painted it in watercolor. The paper held the wet paint well. No curling. I like the way it turned out.

First pages in drawing/painting journals seem to be easier for me than last pages. I ruined a drawing on the last page of journal just completed. Reminding myself that I am still a novice at this?

***

PS If you missed yesterday's post and you know someone who might be looking to buy

a home in Portland, Oregon

please check that link.

My son is selling!

***

Only a human animal on Animal Wednesday.

But Henry sends his best; he's well.

Portland, Oregon House For Sale

2012-01-30T14:58:00.000-08:00

If you or anyone you know is looking for a home in Portland Oregon please check this link. https://www.facebook.com/#!/lynn.cohen

My son and DIL are selling a delightful home there to move to a slightly larger house.
Their move helps out my son's father and wife, who are having to move to a senior community for
health reasons.

Thanks for sharing this with anyone you know who might enjoy a new home in a sweet neighborhood.
Read the specks. You won't be disappointed .https://www.facebook.com/#!/lynn.cohen

Description

5532 NE 32nd Pl Portland Oregon 97211
SF: 1912
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 1
Full cement basement
... Year built 1920

Price: $349,985.

Link to Photos: https://plus.google.com/photos/113665479925563858808/albums/5703507119518598353

We believe you will be charmed by this 3 bedroom craftsman the moment you set eyes on it.

The main floor is dinner party spacious, boasting beautiful natural wood moldings and floors throughout. Many charming windows, including a french door opening onto a side porch, and a beautiful fenced backyard with a large shed, outdoor dining/bbq/firepit, and lots of gardening space.

The large warm kitchen is a marvelous mix of charm and state of the art appliances/function. Two generous bedrooms on the main floor are separated from the dining room by a door leading into the hall with a full bath. The upstairs bedroom is an enormous 600sf space, it is the only room that is carpeted and has a (new) skylight that opens and an independent heat source. It's well insulated with three outside air sources offering good ventilation.

The basement is pure potential, it is equipped with four large windows with an egress to code. The ceiling is high and foundation straight and solid. This space is ripe to be finished, it also has a separate entrance leading to the back yard. We have had plans drawn for a 2 bedroom basement apartment, so you can see the potential.

Location, Location, Location. Your new home couldn't be in a better spot. Only five blocks from the heart of the Alberta Arts District. One block from Mcmenamin's Kennedy School and you will consider New Seasons Market your pantry and an extention of your kitchen. Fernhill park is a short eight minute walk boasting the best dog park in town. You are only ten minutes from PDX, but outside of the flight patterns and you get none of the sound. The neighborhood has a good mix of families and is very friendly. There is a strong neighborly awareness, an annual block party, and fun people.

Please don't hesitate to make an appt. to see this FSBO. We are excited to show it to you. We will post pictures soon.

Reward: $1000. upon closing without a real estate agent involved
See More

Concordia Neighborhood

5532 NE 32nd Place, Portland, Oregon

View Map · Get Directions

More Knit Models

2012-01-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

Two More Models from the knitting magazine.

I hope I am not boring you to tears with these. But I like seeing my ability to do them grow.

Again, just done in ink so mistakes are forgiven (by me). They are not meant to be anatomically correct as in Michael Angelo style, chuckle chuckle, but quickly done in Lynn Style!

In a way they remind me of when I was a little girl and my mother and I would make paper dolls and clothes to put on them. The faces here are similar to the faces my mother would draw then. No memory of what my faces looked like in those days. But fun to remember drawing, cutting them out and playing with them.

This first month of the new year is almost gone. Are you pleased with what you set out to do or are you relieved that you still have eleven more months to do it in?

I'm pleased that my vow to draw as frequently as possible is happening and that I am still enjoying it.

2012-01-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

A first attempt to draw/paint someone I know...(not grand kids)...Done from a recent photo she sent. She is my first cousin and this does not really capture her essence; I think I got a little of him, her dear husband. It was done in ink and no erasing and in this case I wish I had had the option to erase and try again. I can just try the whole thing again some other time. But even so all that said I like it. I used some watercolors and luminescent paints after the ink.

An Early Valentine's Day Card

2012-01-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

I had

such fun creating this little Valentine for...

DH and I to send to our grand kids...You open Our white door and find DH playing his guitar

and me painting in my drawing book...

And then you open their red door and find grandson playing his drum

and grand daughter painting the people and fashions she loves to draw and paint.

And then you open it up all the way

and find the Valentine Love Wishes to theses two sweet little teddy bears bearing our love banner to them both.

We four have so much in common!

I can't wait till next month to send it. I bet I make a few more before then!

Drawing High Fashion

2012-01-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

One might think that I am really into fashion, which is a laugh, as I am anything but.

I just really like the poses of the models in this particular knitting magazine and

am enjoying drawing them.

These first two are drawn in ink (no pencil first, no erasure) and then painted using

Tom Bow pens and a water brush as well as some watercolor paint.

I do like the knitting patterns too.

I didn't get around to painting the last one, a child's knit outfit. But I might. Stay tuned!

Henry V Likes Rain

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's been raining here all weekend and week long so far. Henry begs to go out and will take a flying leap over the very satuated welcome mat by the back door (out his very own in-the-screen cat door) and onto the very very wet grass. He makes his usual circle around the back yard marking his territory anew each time; then he asks to come in again. He might stay in a while and then will ask to go out the front door and goes to do whatever it is he does in the front of the house. He doesn't mind how wet he gets and rarely catches cold.

If the sliding glass door is closed as it is in this photo he knocks on it to be let in.

The skies change minute to minute in this rainy weather.

You can imagine that Henry is wishing you a very happy animal Wednesday

from this his back yard view!
He can often be seen walking along that fence top peeking between the shrubbery.

***

If you missed my great grandparents paintings scroll down one more post!

Ancestors in Ink and Paint

2012-01-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

These paintings were done from photos of my great grandparents, my maternal grand father's parents.

I want to use them in an art quilt I am thinking about making

and wanted to not use the photos but my own renditions of the photos.

My great grandmother is wearing a sheital or fall that Jewish women of her era wore.

You can read about it here. Scroll to "Hair coverings".

Many married Orthodox Jewish women still wear wigs today to show modesty by not showing their

hair in public.

My grandfather immigrated here from Russia when he was 18 yrs of age.

Still Drawing, Painting and Football

2012-01-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

This from the cover of my new Noro Knit book I bought in Mendocino over the holidays. I would like to make this hat with it's dropped stitches if I can figure out the pattern. (Watercolor on ink on 140lb watercolor paper; masked off border. This painting got paint first, then ink.)

It was a laid back weekend at our house; I did some house cleaning; I started reading Sarah's Key and now I am finding it difficult to put it down; I found time to draw and paint; and I watched FOOTBALL! I've never been a true fan of any sports, but this weekends games included one where Boston's Patriots won their playoff game (My Son-in-law is from Boston so I knew he was screaming with joy at their house); and our local San Francisco Forty Niners were in a play off against the New York Giants. My husband enjoys the games and he was yelling at the players on the TV and I got caught up in the action and excitement of it all. I was getting email comments from my son in Portland, Oregon and I knew my best friend Patty, who is a huge fan was enthralled as we were at her house. So it was almost as if we were all watching it together in the same place.

Then the game went into OVERTIME with a tied score and IF SF had won they'd have played next week in the Super Bowl Big Game! However, they made some pretty egregious mistakes and the NY G's made the final winning touch down to our great disappointment here. And the rest, as they say is history. Disappointment, sigh!

I went on to watch American Idol, I love supporting all the young talented kids on that show. And then I took my book to bed and read late into the night.

Like I said, a pretty laid back weekend, and fun, except for losing the game.

How was it where you are?

Too Much Fun To Stop

2012-01-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

Is it an addiction if you just feel like you have to keep drawing and painting? I don't really care. As long as I'm not hurting myself or anyone else right? It's OKAY!

She's wearing a cute gray knit top first in ink and then with some light watercolor added.

(it's not your eyes that top photo IS blurry)

This is another cute sweater with knitted ruffled sleeves. Try to overlook her distorted body image, she's in therapy for this malady and should be cured of it soon enough. ;-))

I found a new blog through another bloggers' blog, called Rookiepainter. I got very gutsy and entered this painting I whipped up after seeing the latest challenge still life. Of course the threads grabbed my attention. I have not touched sewing machine or thread in some time so painting them seemed the next best thing.

If you want to see what this is supposed to look like go to the blog. The artists who submit their work there are all excellent artists. I thought they needed a REAL ROOKIE to make honest bloggers of them all.

I had a fun sychronistic happening this morning: I am currently reading the book Time Travelers Wife.
While treadmilling last morning I turned on the TV and watched the movie Time Travelers Wife.
In one scene, if that was not sychronistic enough, the lead female actor was wearing a sweater just like the one I drew and posted yesterday (long sleeved gray with big cowl, overly long sleeves). How cool is that? I felt like I was on some kind of a time warp myself. BTW the movie stuck surprisingly close to the book and was well acted.

Women in Knits A Series; Winter in Watercolor

2012-01-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

It looks like I am onto a new series of drawings with this my second and third drawings in ink from the new knitting pattern book. These women are so comfortable in their outfits they really draw me in.

The top one is a knit skirt that I think my 18 yr old grand daughter might like.

And I am sure she'd love the over sized sweater with it's big cuffs she could pull down over her hands and extra loose cowl neck. It might not be too difficult to make either.

This morning it is looking gray and dreary outside my kitchen window after our first rain of over a month! Much needed rain I might add. Looking out over my computer monitor I saw this scene of gray-blue sky with silhouetted trees and recently trimmed bushes in mine and my back neighbors yard.
A tiny bit of fastly fading purple velvet sage remains in front.

I painted this in my small 7" X 10" watercolor book on 140 lb paper; wet on wet, then after it dried I drew with black ink Faber Castell PITT artist pen size F. And as you can see I masked the edges first with not very tacky blue masking tape leaving a nice clean white border.

Looking out now I can see some birds in the trees. There must be lots of worms on the wet grass for them too. I like a rainy day. Staying inside. Looking out...
While I wait for a man to come to come and pick up the truck we are donating to the American Breast Cancer Society today. A very good friend was just diagnosed with breast cancer. This is for you Lisa. Hugs.

Drawing Muse Returns, More Questions

2012-01-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

Does this ever happen to you?

You draw something you are really happy about and then you think but the nose is not quite right so you add one or more lines of ink and it's RUINED?

Can you see the white-out (band aid) I applied here?

I tried as best I knew how to correct an ink drawing and am happy again, or happier...but

please inner muse KNOW WHEN TO STOP!!!!

I drew this gal from the cover of a knitting book I got last weekend

in this elegant over-sized cabled caplet.

Now wondering if I am brave enough to try and actually knit it!

**********

I went to Jalisco's today

for lunch and there was only this one lone customer eating at the counter

when I arrived. So I sat facing the counter, a new direction for me there

and drew this in 20 minutes!

My new friend, Carlos, who is the owner's son and an artist in his own right, greeted me warmly and as there wasn't much work to do yet came to chat a bit. He asked to see what I was doing and then went on to look at all the drawings in my book. He was I believe a bit amazed at how quickly I worked, he said as much; and he was generous with his praise of my drawings. Thank you Carlos. Carlos has a web site here: www.CarlosAnimates.com. Check him and his work out! He is a very talented young man, artist, actor, animator. Go see!!! You can tell him I sent you!

*******

I then proceeded to draw Carlos when he sat to eat his lunch at the same spot the other customer had since vacated at the counter. You can compare the two for their differences. The perspectives were a bit changed; but also some things got in one drawing and not in another. Again, this was done in 20 minutes. Black ink on 90 lb drawing paper.

******

And finally this is the view out a window in our living room I drew yesterday late afternoon. A winter scene with bare branches reaching up to a blue gray cloudy sky. But you can't tell that as it's all in black ink only!

We've been promised rain here; and as I left my office a short while ago it must have sprinkled as my car was wet; but still waiting for the storm! We need it. Been dry here since end of December.

What's it like where you are?

Red Tailed Hawk Circles Over My Home for Animal Wednesday and Dilemmas in Creativity

2012-01-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

This red tailed hawk circled around in the skies over our house this week in concentric circles over and over again. I actually used the zoom on my camera to it's full 24X optical zoom to reach him as he flew further and further away. He is here to wish you a Happy Animal Wednesday!

Today I felt grounded at Jalisco's for lunch and art making and took exactly 20 minutes over chips, guacamole and one fish taco to draw these "Three Women".

The first woman, Miss Pony Tail, on the right was my first model and I would have drawn her partner but the woman on her left came in and sat directly behind Miss Pony Tail thus obscuring my view of her and her friend. So rather than start over I put the second woman in the chair with her coat thrown over the back, as if she were sitting next to Miss Pony Tail. I did add woman #3 with dark curly hair and bright red sweater sitting across from and facing woman #2. I felt very satisfied with this drawing after having a difficult time the day before...

Which was a day sandwiched in between the day before that when I had had a very successful feeling art day drawing portraits and other art posted one post below this one; after which I felt depleted of creative energy 110%. Does this ever happen to you? I had a really good creative rush of painting after painting gushing out over pages of watercolor papers and then it was as if the breaks went on, the river dried up and I could not draw a thing.

After experiencing these difficult feelings of abject frustration I finally sat in the late evening doing nothing for some time, watching banal meaningless TV until I finally got out my paints and pads and doodled shapes and filled them in in this stained glass look below:

I felt loosened up some and went on to do this "LynTangle" (others call them Zentangles):

All of which freed me up to get back in the zone today and that drawing above of "Three Women" done at Jalisco's! Whew. An interesting array of feelings we creative folks go through over time.

Can you relate to this?

Lynn Playing On Sunday!

2012-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

First I finished knitting the 30 pieces for this artzy scarf!

Then I started piecing them together in five groups of six each!

Henry helped by modeling the first group done!

Here you see them all laid out ready to be sewn and blocked.

And here I am wearing the finished scarf!
Artistic/Hippie Fashion Statement!

That done I decided to paint! I tried a new way. I masked off the paper first of all so my next frame- able art would fit in a frame. These are all on 11 X 15 inch 140 lb watercolor paper. Then I slapped paint on the paper...

and then...I used a black pen to draw the picture. This off a photo on my computer monitor of me eating gelato a week ago!

Do you recognize this dear friend of mine?

I don't expect you to recognize the fact that I made dinner last week. That rice was awful and it left a terrible smell in our house that lasted two whole days. The salmon was good though. I really should NOT be allowed in the kitchen. Painting food is much easier than cooking it.

And this is the same house I painted plein air yesterday, but this time I used this new (to me) style sitting at my computer desk. Again painting and drawing as all these were from photos on the computer, paint first, then ink!

I sure had fun today! I hope you did too in one way or another!!!

Laundry Day!

2012-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

Rub a Dub Dub

One Little Gal in a Tub

And who do think she might be?
The butcher?
The baker?
The candle stick maker?
Nope!
It's Allie Bel
that sweet little grand daughter
of me!

Tee hee!

5 months old today!

Feeling Free and Easy

2012-01-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

I loved knowing going to bed on Thursday night that I could get up when ever I wanted to on Friday morning, do what ever I wanted to do when ever I wanted to do it.

So I took my jolly good time getting up in the morning. I believe I slept till 8.

Then I came downstairs and said good morning to many of you on your blogs!

At least one of you got email from me.

I had a bowl of cereal with fresh black berries and non fat milk.

I pondered what I wanted to do today.

I decided that I WOULD enter two of my paintings into the current Members Only Art Show.
So I went to Michael's and got new frames for them and matching dark blue mats. (Thanks Patty as I used my gift card from you.) I got a deal as the big 16" X 20" frames were buy one get one FREE!
Then I came home and framed both paintings.

They have metallic gray frames and the dark blue mats really make the paintings pop!

It's a little hard to see here as the sunlight washes them out. You'll have to take my word for it. They look good.
I took the painting to the gallery and talked to Susan the director for a while. It's fun to catch up with the painting world this way. I also brought home my Sunflower III art quilt that was in the last show.
Then I went to the bank, which is where I saw that dog in the drivers seat in the car next to mine!

From there I drove to Buck Avenue where the Victorians are and got my chair out of the back of my car, set it up in the shade (we are having unseasonably beautiful warm sunny days) and got out my pencil, pens and paints.

I really knew I was deep in the zone when a group of teenage girls ran past me and I jumped a foot in surprise!

It felt good to be outdoors painting again. I love the place that it takes me. The feeling I reach while doing this. About an hour later or so...it was done. So I folded my chair. Tossed my supplies in the car and came home.

I still have lots of day left to do whatever I want to do when ever I want to do it. And a whole weekend after that! I hope you feel as free as I do today!

"Allie Bel In Blue Hat" Drawing and Painting Almost Every Day

2012-01-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

I've been true to my promise to myself and have been drawing and/or painting every day.
My goal is just to keep doing it and to hopefully see improvement over this year.
I am ever so inspired by other artists whose blogs I visit.
I love the Breakfast Art on video by Danny Gregory. (You can Google his name to find that).
And Lisa Bowman's ,of Artsy Endeavors blog, paintings have helped me with shadows I think in this painting below.
Kimmie of Artinredwagons on her blog has a series of wonderful watercolors she did from her car.
It's really fun to look at other's work and try to emulate some of what they are doing
or at least aspire to get to that level at some time in my life time.

This is our little Allie Bel who can now hold her bottle all by herself and roll over from tummy to back.

Her mommy and daddy sent us a video of her doing just that! We are all so proud of her.

The hat she is wearing was knit by her 13 yr old cousin, Taylor, who lives on a farm in NY.

Patty And Lynn(ie) Celebrate

2012-01-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

It's a bi-cultural celebration when my childhood friend Patty and I get together

this time of year to exchange gifts for her Christmas and my Chanukah

(and her birthday!)

A mid morning snack with tea and the unveiling or unwrapping of a plethora of gifts we glean for each other over the year is enjoyed with much talking and laughter and hugs of appreciation.

Patty collects snow globes, mostly Christmas Snow Globes so this year I found her two of these, far left and far right, plus one not shown with photos of the two of us in it; AND this little cupie doll in a snow globe all it's own (found someones ETSY store). Patty also collects cupie dolls so what a feat this was finding the two together! Patty, not to be out done gave me a Chanukah snow globe with the pretty blue and gold dreidle in it, that when wound up plays Hava Negila!

After we opened all our wondrous gifts (and there was way more believe me) we took ourselves down town to the bakery for our favorite Almond Torte and Gelato!

These photos are probably getting redundant for some of you long time followers as I do believe we have done the exact same thing several years in a row now.

One of Patty's gifts to me was so so funny (to us). I am always misplacing my cell phone. it can be gone missing for weeks at a time. So Patty bought me this beautiful red paten leather cell phone case by Liz Claiborne. The joke however was that on this day like many before it I did not know where my cell phone was! It had yes, gone missing again!

I did find it later buried deep in the bottom of my back pack...and now it is in it's new home safe and sound. The strap and color should keep it from escaping yet another time...or so we hope.

One other very lovely gift was this beautiful looks like hand made art journal with it's fabric cover and loosely bound pages of brown paper that lay flat for writing and drawing.

I had fun using it immediately saving the memories of

another Very Special Day

with my best friend since infancy

Patty!

Thank you dear friend for being YOU.

And being HERE.

And hanging in there with ME.

(70.5 years!)

Henry on Wicker

2012-01-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

Last night I drew Henry from this photo of him on the wicker chair on the back patio.

I bring the photo up on my computer monitor screen and draw from it.

I painted it with "Transparent Watercolours" (flat paints by Talong)

I used both ink and felt tip pens to draw and paint it as well.

Unfortunately, I drew and painted this in my drawing book on 90 lb paper.

I should have done it on 140 lb watercolor paper.

The lighter paper curls up on the edges with water.

Next time I'll think ahead!

This photo was taken inside the house without a flash.

And this on was taken outside. I thought the lighting made for interesting differences in colorization.

A lazy Sunday at our house!

What's up at yours?

Henry says hi!

Plein Air Day at the Lagoon Again...Trees!

2012-01-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

I cannot tell you what an absolutely perfectly gorgeous day it was today where I live.

The sun shone, the air was fresh and clear, the sky bright blue, and the temperature like spring.

Why are we skipping winter this year?

It was perfect for going outside to draw and paint.

When I saw these kids swinging from a tire on a chain from this tree on top of this hill

I was ready to go!

I drew first in black PITT pen; then used watercolors, and later brown fine tipped pen.

I hope this captures the mood of the late afternoon.

These trees, three of six that were there were great for a quick drawing in the last 20 minutes of the day. There was more opportunity for capturing shadows, but I got what I could in that time frame so I can post it later on the TMC blog. ;-) I used a brown fine tipped ZIG Artist Sketching Pen, alcohol based permanent ink, that I picked up in Fort Bragg at Racine's Stationery store.

I drew earlier at the cafe over lunch. And will share them with you on a later post. I hope everyone is having fun being creative.
Enjoy your weekend where ever you are!

Time

2012-01-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

Addendum: Today I got the most wonderful phone call. A woman answered and told me her name.

She said she'd been a client of mine thirteen years ago when she was 16 yrs old. She said she wanted to catch me up on her life. She gotten a BA degree and was finishing up her Master's degree in Public Health counseling. She's now 29 yrs old.

She wanted to thank me she said. She told me that I was the only counselor who treated her with respect.

I thanked her and praised her successes and told her she had given me

a beautiful gift by calling me and that she had made my day!

Wow! What a gift.

;-)

"Forty years ago."

Yesterday I was on the phone talking to a young woman going through a divorce while I was drawing this clock. As I talked to her about her anxiety, about becoming a single parent I was thrown back in time to 1972 when I was experiencing many of the same things she is experiencing now.

It was only after we hung up that I realized how meaningful drawing the clock was.

And how my own life experiences often are so helpful when talking to others about their lives.

The small plaque under the clock is a gold bar on my desk, the "brand name" perhaps?

I like that too, because even though life sometimes throws us difficult curves

we can still come out "Winners Only"!

Later I continued drawing the inside of the desk...always such a messy place full of paperwork to be sorted through, processed and cubby holes filled with things that have been there for years. Another accounting of TIME. I bought this big oak roll top desk 21 years ago when I started my private practice as a counselor. It too earmarks so much of my personal history, my career at least! Time marches on.

I used my Faber-Castell PITT artist Pen SX in a Canson Drawing book with 90 LB acid free paper.

Committed to Drawing and Painting in 2012

2012-01-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

I am starting the new year off with a commitment to self to draw and paint as frequently as possible.

It may not be daily; but it will be as often as I can and as the spirit moves me.

So far I've had two days in a row.

This first drawing done on Monday at lunch at Jalisco's.

This lovely Asian woman sat at the table in front of mine as she ate and talked with her male companion. I had time to draw her and these things on the table while eating my own lunch.

In the evening I brought the painting home and painted it using regular and luminescent paints.

On Tuesday I took a nice walk down town winding up at the Pure Grain Bakery where I had a latte and half a sandwich while drawing this gentleman sitting at the next table in front of me. He was so busy on his cell phone and computer that he had no idea that I was staring at his back!

Again I took the drawing home to paint in the evening with the same paints used in the first painting, a round #8 brush and a tiny tipped brush for small spaces. I use a 140 lb watercolor paper tablet and a black Pitt artist pen for drawing. No erasures.

I am also putting my photos on slide shows to the right on the side bar so I can see the progression from what I did last year (Drawings and Paintings 2011) to this year (Drawing and Paintings 2012).
If you miss a post you can always catch up with me on the slide shows!

I also have a little survey on the side bar you might take a quick peek at...If you haven't already!

First Painting of The New Year

2012-01-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

I drew this from a photo I took last week in Mendocino and then painted it using luminescent paints. I love the glow they give almost capturing but not quite the shine of the sun on the water in the ocean as it did that day. And the texture they seem to add as well. Not sure the copied photo shows off the glow as it does in person. Watercolor and ink.

I finished my last gift hat (I hope)...this one for my brother from wool fisherman's wool from the Slouchy Hat book.

I hope he likes it.

And I have started on the 30 pieces needed for the Noro Scarf pattern I am working on now. Henry came in to give his two cents worth of critique.

I think it will make a lovely scarf.

The New Year has begun.

We are getting over colds we both got on vacation!

We have had two weeks of rest and relaxation and a total of nine days away in two locales

one with family and one alone.

I'd say it was a pretty perfect holiday time for us.

Lots of reading (three books for me; discovering John Hart as a new author of interest);

time to draw and paint and knit. And nothing much to worry about at all.

I hope your transition to the new year went as smoothly.

I revamped my blog look; added a slide show on the sidebar with many of

my drawings and paintings from 2011.

I look forward to more in 2012.

Also note my little survey on the side bar as well!

Now I am off to the office to get the ball rolling there.

Enjoy your day.

Last Drawings of 2011

2011-12-31T01:00:00.000-08:00

I told you

we ate at Frankie's and out the side window I could see this old church spire and I whipped out my drawing pad and drew it on the spot. I added the paint later in our B & B.

We crashed early after a full day of driving from Willits and then walking the village on Dec 26th.
You can see more of the stay on the post before this one if you missed it in photos. Dh and I both read a lot too; and here he has fallen asleep over his book and I got busy drawing him. Again I added the paint later as well as the details on the wall paper. It's very busy wall paper!

We had lunch at the Bay View Cafe. I have to thank my DH for picking places and times for me to have time to draw. Bless his thoughtful heart. We are usually so much on the run; I was grateful for these quiet relaxing times to capture what was around me or in this case right in front of me. I colored this later with a Tom Bow rose pen to bring out her sweater under her black top and matching sun glasses!

These wonderful trees were outside our ocean view window of our B & B room. I sat on the Adirondack chair on the deck to draw these and painted them later inside. I really have an affinity for drawing trees.

We went back to the Bay View Cafe for breakfast the next morning and I drew this then over my oatmeal.

And when we came home I got out old and newly purchased luminescent paints and tiny new brushes along with my old ones to paint this same scene.

I'm happy with the way it turned out. I wasn't sure I could get the water of the ocean, but it's good enough for me.

All of these are done in a drawing book; not really suitable for watercolor paints as the pages curled a bit. But Glad I did them this way anyway! I am so excited that I am drawing and painting this year; I can't wait to see what comes through me in 2012. Fun to have this to look forward to.

Happy New Year Everyone. And one more huge THANK YOU for your many visits to my blog, your wonderful comments, and your friendship for yet another year! See you in 2012!!!

Wishing us all a healthy, happy, and creative new year!

Gifts To Myself

2011-12-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

The adults don't exchange gifts anymore in our family, it's all for the kids.

So I gifted myself on our recent forays (1 five day and 1 four day vacations)

First I found that NEW BOOK on Noro Knits!

It knocked me out!

The patterns so unique.

The first I will tackle is this "Puzzle Scarf" seen here!

And these are the yarns I chose in the little yarn shop in Mendocino! They are oh so soft silk and wool. I do believe I will be both warm and stunning in this beautiful creation.

The next yarn I purchased is a Noro Sock yarn. The nice lady wound the hank into a ball using a little wooden hand cranked winder. Again this is soft and beautifully layered colors for this hat with ear flaps and

with more than enough to also make these cabled mitts. You design where to place the cables as you see fit. That will be fun! Having just learned how to knit cables I'm excited to get to this pattern.

I wanted to buy yarn for every pattern in the book they are all so beautiful. But they are way over budget for what I am used to paying at Michael's or Joanne's for yarn. Okay, I'm going "Big Time" for a change. Over the top!

This gorgeous yarn is bulky in weight and will make this adorable hat too! I love that the pattern calls for "dropped stitches"...something that I never know how to correct well when they do not belong there. But now I can do them on purpose! How cool is that?!

See me sitting and knitting to hearts content in the New Year!

Mendocino 2011

2011-12-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

We headed north on Christmas Day, stopping first in Willits for the night; shopping the next morning at the toy store where I get art supplies.

Then on to Mendocino the windy roads through thick green forests until finally the ocean is in sight. We go to Frankie's for lunch, hot soup...a tamale...felafel's for a dinner there the next night. It's a small place reasonably priced and good healthy food.

The sunset that first evening was nothing but spectacular. I kept running out of the shops to take more photos of it.

The main street in Mendocino is old buildings now housing all sorts of shops across the street from the ocean.

The ocean had more draw for me than the shops!

Walking the village is always fun. Seeing what the locals are doing, as posted on this fence!

A short trip further north, ten minutes away is Fort Bragg and the Town Hall where we were married in 1985. Can't go by there without taking a shot of it!

More shots of Fort Bragg where we visit used and new bookstores, music store, yarn shop, and more.
I found a beautiful book (new) of Naro Knitting patterns that are to dye for! ;-) I also found Naro yarn, a first for me buying really good yarn, expensive yarn, beautiful hand dyed brilliant colored yarns to use to make some of the amazing patterns in that book! And I plan to make them for myself!

In Mendo we stayed at this Hill House Bed and Breakfast. It's where a lot of "Murder She Wrote" movies were filmed with Jessica Fletcher. I found a Groupon in August for two nights stay for the price of one and scooped it up to use this Christmas week!

Back in town where we ate at the Ocean View Cafe and I drew pictures from the deck. (I'll post them later this week).

I like this organic grocery store in the old church building. Been there for as many years as we have been coming up here...over 30!

But it's the ocean that draws us in...so beautiful, waves crashing on rocks...

Can't seem to get enough of it.

Doesn't the sky here look like a painting waiting to happen?!

The drive down the coast on 101 is beautiful too, although I knit a lot on the twisty roads overlooking the ocean as the views over the tall cliffs tend to take my breath away scaring me half to death.

At Point Arena we get out to walk around. The holiday celebrated in different ways by different folks.

And at Bodega Bay we get out again for Clam Chowder and Sour Dough bread for a late lunch on our way home on day four!

Finally arriving at Pampered Pets where we rescue Henry from his "Condo" there where he had three shelves to jump to and a window to look out of...but believe me he much prefers being home.

We missed him and are all three happy to be home today!

Thanks for coming along with us and letting me share; and thanks again for all your many visits here during this year, your comments when you leave them; your support and shared inspiration,

all the things that make blogging so worthwhile.

I appreciate the friendships made this way all year long.

And I look forward to the continuation of it in 2012!

Hugs from me!

Fourth Night of Chanukah

2011-12-24T17:25:00.000-08:00

Chanukah has been especially SPECIAL to me these past seven years, as these two grand children have been in our home on this holiday since their first Chanukah here at age 3 months of age.

My beautiful daughter sits behind the candles burning brightly!

As the fourth night fell on the Sabbath we also lit the Shabbat candles (the 2 shorter candles in front of the menorah) and said the blessings. My son in law is reading from a little book of prayers.

After a simple dinner we gave gifts of the things I'd been making these past months. DD and SIL are modeling their newly knitted hats.

This was my first attempt to knit cables and I think I did a pretty good job of it. DD found the beginning mistakes, LOL, but all totalled she liked what she wore! And I think looks quite stylish!

SIL was not at all sure this slouch look was for him. I've given him the option to leave it with my son, who liked the style; and I can knit him something more of his liking if he wants me to. Personally, I think it looks great on him.

My little grand daughter loved the huge flower on her hat and the fact that it went with her new sweater vest.

My young grand son seemed pleased with his new sweater knitted by moi; but may have a bit of growing to really feel comfortable wearing it.

I wasn't sure she loved this. I'll have to see over time. But it fit and looks very cute on her don't you think?

The doll with matching sweater vest was a huge hit! This she loved!!!

My grand son loved LOVED his teddy bear; he thought his crocheted hat "different" and feared he might be teased at school; but said he'd wear it with his family. Sad that kids this age are worried about being teased!

My brother was here too. But seems I did not capture him with the camera. The handmade memory pillows were a big hit too.

If you look closely you can see a new painting on my wall. It's one I bought from Soulbrush's ETSY store! It looks Divine in our living room!!! She has more that you should go check out. I now own two!

Wishing you all a smooth transition into the NEW YEAR! May you experience good health, good relationships, work if you need it, love in any form, happiness, and lots and lots of creative juices and productivity! Be good to each other and help others where and when you can.

Thank you for being supportive friends of my blog, my art, my life this

past year~ You will never know how much you fulfill me, and inspire me.

~I look forward to more of the same in 2012~

Chanukah In Portland

2011-12-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

You know you are a happy crazy grandma when you lovingly smell the baby spit up on your valor hoodie before throwing it into the washer after you get home from five days of letting baby drool all over you!

Allie loved the hat I knit for her, made from the same yarn as that I made for her mommy below. Jackie liked her hat and cowl a lot and wore it out when I was there.

Michael (grand daughter's boyfriend), Kaeli (18 yr old grand daughter and Allies' big sister) Jackie and Dan (my son) all wore their hats and mitts and cowls assuring me they were happy with their gifts. Well truth be told my son said he'd out grown the bright colors of his earlier psychedelic days so that hat went to Kaeli's boyfriend. Dan will get another more subdued colored hat later.

Michael and Kaeli make a cute loving couple!

And great models for their hats!

Baby Allie gave grandma lots of close bonding time, big smiles and major loud vocalization conversations.

Lighting the candles for first night of Chanukah was very special for me at my son's home. A first in a a very long time!

Morning games of Patty Cake, Patty Cake were our routine and lots of smiles and laughed poured forth from both of us. Allie is laying on the kitty quilt I made for her.

And last but not least was another first. On the way to taking us to the airport to come home Allie held her bottle all by herself! Mommy was surprised. I miss her tiny fingers grasping one of my fingers while we sang and played together. Hopefully we'll return before too many more months go by.

A Hint of Where I've Been And What I've Been Up To...

2011-12-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

On Friday last we sat in the Sacramento Airport waiting for our flight to Portland, Oregon. I find airports an ideal place to draw, as I have the time, I'm pretty relaxed, and the models are seemingly willing and able to cooperate

as they have to sit and wait too!

Some sat and got up and sat again so I did not always end with the same perspective that I started with.

On the plane I captured the back of the guy in front of us...

The best part of the trip of course was getting there...and at last once again being with and holding my darling grand daughter born just four short months ago. I literally drew this as she slept in my arms.

We had five wonderful days with my son, his wife, my 18 yr old grand daughter, her boyfriend, and the little newest one (our 5th and final). I will post photos soon too and tell more details of our stay and bonding time.

But five days is not forever and once again we sat in the Portland airport this time waiting our departure flight home.

the final page is sketchy as we finally got to board our plane...that took us quickly (an hour and 25 minutes ride) and safely home.

We picked up Henry today and he has not stopped meowing while pacing the whole house and outdoors, going in and out, out and in, trying but not yet succeeding in calming down and settling in.

I'll Be Away From My Desk...

2011-12-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

On Thursday I cleared my desk of work; closed up the 2011 appointment book; scribbled a few appointments in the 2012 book; closed things up and said so long for a bit.

It will be nice not to have to think of work for two whole weeks!

Knowing me I will undoubtedly check in here from time to time...update on what's going on; but

for the most part I am going to be focused on rest and relaxation, having fun, and throwing my cares aside!

New Drawings

2011-12-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

I like drawing

from my monitor screen, as I did this doll in her

knit and crocheted hat and vest.

Ink and drawing paper.

Size S and B.

And my series of Diners at Jalisco's from my weekly lunches out there continue to be fun to do.
This couple is there often when I am and I drew him last week but could not see her to draw. This week I captured them both in conversation. One of the window neon signs is falling down. I hope it doesn't come all the way down and injure anyone! I used Pitt Pen size S. This is another TMC drawing. You can see more on that blog of mine and others. We finish in 20 minutes!

Enjoy your day!

HAW from HENRY V

2011-12-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

I drew Henry tonight from a photo I took of him recently. (Pitt pen, Tom Bow pens and water brush) He has such a look in his eyes. Serious. That's my cat! He takes life seriously. He's out in the cold tonight gallivanting around; he keeps a lot of his goings on to himself, a very private cat that he is. But the occasional face wound or scratched ear tell tales from beyond the front door. I think I'll go see if he is ready to come in and get some loving.
I know he joins me in wishing you all a Happy Animal Wednesday!

2011-12-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

Remember the sweater vest I made for my grand daughter (age 7)? Here is a matching one for her new doll she will get from us for Chanukah. (Shush, don't tell). The doll is modeling the hat I made for GD to go with her sweater and shirt (with the black/red/rose stripes). The dolls vest is knit and the flowers are crocheted; hat is crocheted.

This psychedelic tye dyed yarn turned into a colorful hat for my Grateful Deadhead son! I hope he likes it.

And then come Allie's Words. A bag full of words on small child sized quiltlets that spell out her family members faces/names/genders/family standing etc; and objects and their descriptions to help teach this hearing impaired child language.

Each quiltlet has a word or two on the front and a list of descriptive words that match it on the back.

Flower on front; red, rose, petals, smell on the back.
Kaeli, Sister on front: big sister, baby, pink, hair, eyes, nose, smile, mouth on the back.

I got the idea for this "Toy" from reading Cued Speech Resource Book For Parents of Deaf Children.

Allie got her first hearing aide installed two days ago. They said she was more responsive that had been expected. I am yet to learn exactly what this means. So am staying quietly optimistic, but not sure to what level I should be...another words not counting my chickens yet.

Jalisco Diners Last and This Month

2011-12-08T17:16:00.000-08:00

I find that I eat lunch out lately at least once a week, sometimes twice...OFTEN at Jalisco's Mexican Food cafe which is just a few doors down from my office. The food is good. The people extremely nice. And the ambiance pleasant.

I am comfortable drawing there now. In the above drawing I was sitting at a small table for two, by myself behind this huge water cooler and another young woman was waiting for her take out order to be ready to go.

I often see this man and his wife eating there as well. But there was a table full of worker guys in front of me that obscured my view of his wife so I only drew him.

On a different day I caught this woman right before she finished her meal and gathered her things and left. You can see they are all decked out for the holidays!

Today I was there again and drew this fellow but not his companion as I felt the other guy was watching me but this guy was oblivious. I was several rows of tables away from them.

All of these were drawn in twenty minutes of less for the TMC challenge Blog. I think I posted this one below already there if not here too. But it goes in the series.

Yesterday while paying for my lunch, Carlos, the son of the owner who is often there to work tables told me that another patron of the restaurant draws there and he self published a book of his drawings all done at Jalisco's. I'd love to see that book! Soon I will have a book full myself.

*****************************

I got my first check from the Pence Gallery today for a few sales of my art there. Not absolutely sure what sold, but perhaps a scarf and a card. Hopefully more will sell before the sale ends Dec. 23rd.

***********************************

Karen's Painting At Last; Hello from Henry and 2 Birthdays!

2011-12-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

Karen Lee Ford brought her painting she did at the pumpkin patch and finished at home over for me to photograph. She was putting it up for sale as of that weekend.

Isn't it vibrant and lovely? I do think she did a spectacular job on this oil painting!

Henry thought it was good too. He studied it in all seriousness as you can see and came back with a very favorable vote making it the best of show at our house!

He also stuck around to wish a few family members Happy Birthday: (HAW)

Today is my daughter's birthday. She looks a year younger in this photo as it was taken last year at Thanksgiving.

And yesterday was my brothers birthday (he's the bearded guy on the left (and above) who looks an awfully lot like my DH). He's my older brother, my big brother...the guy I love to play cards with; talk TV and Movies with and who is a very special person in my life!

Happy Birthday Adena and Richard!

Been Knitting and Crocheting and Sewing Up a Storm!

2011-12-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

Holiday time is a great excuse for me to get out the knitting needles, crochet hooks and sewing machine.

Here are some of the gifts I have made so far:

far left is 7 yr old grandson's sweater; 18 yr old grand daughter gets the brown hat with the two mitts below with buttons; She also gets the black cowl under the top hat.

Daughter in law gets the multi colored hat and matching cowl to the right of it.

And there's a peek at one of two pillows I made on the far right this one for 7 yr old GS.

Below you see it all again with an added pillow far right for 7 yr old grand daughter, and the sweater vest in pink I made for her below that.

I quilted the pillow tops on batting using photos of their art. This is my GS and the rocket ships he drew and cut out. His fabric were some spiral batik and doggie fabric found in my stash pile.

I stitched words on muslin with the sewing machine and sewed that to the top.

On the back of the pillows I added photos on silk from days they spent with us here making them into memory pillows of good times we had together. GS in hammock with his grandpa; playing drum to his grandpa on guitar; making paper dolls; eating ice cream sundaes; sitting next to me reading them a story; walking to the park by our house, etc. We do have a lot of fun when we get together!

My grand daughter's pillow features the painting we did of each other on cat and geese fabric.

Her favorite thing to do is to make art!

So her photos on the back show all the ways she did that with me here; and also playing in our backyard; star watching with grandpa; hanging out at the park, etc.

And finally the start of a little hat for the new baby girl grand child in colors and yarns matching the one I made for her mommy.

I've done more since these were completed, which I will show on another post another day!

What have you been creating lately?

Do you do more around holiday time, winter weather that keeps us indoors?

Blog Post #1500! Avivah's Bat Mitzvah

2011-12-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

Today was a very special day indeed.

A young friend, Avivah, had her Bat Mitzvah.

The ceremony of a young Jewish girl that is her transitioning from childhood to adulthood at age

thirteen

in the Jewish Community.

I first met Avivah eight or nine years ago. She was just a tiny little thing, but she

impressed me even then.

She would attend the three hour Saturday religious services in the synagogue with her mom and she knew all the Hebrew chants/songs/blessings by heart and sang them from her heart. She sat still and paid rapt attention.

I remember thinking then that I wanted to be around for this child's Bat Mitzvah!

Avivah has grown into a lovely young woman. Thirteen is such a beginning of huge changes in ones life. She led the services today with all the dignity of someone much older; mature. She had studied long and arduously and it showed in her ability to chant from the readings of the Torah. She gave her end of the Bat Mitzvah speech about Equality and Racism. It was a very grown up subject and she made us all listen closely.

She made her mom proud along with many visiting relatives, and friends who came from near and far.

And as if that was not enough she gave a cello recital after the religious service as we ate lunch in the large community room adjacent to the temple.

She is also an accomplished musician.

I was met there by friends I had not seen in a while and it gave me great joy to be surrounded by friendship and love.

Here I am with Janet and Karen, the two women who I met when I first came to this synagogue probably... could it be almost 15 yrs ago? We used to go to lunch after services together each week.
And here we were again sitting together enjoying the joy of Avivah's Bat Mitzvah, this little girl they used to baby sit for and for whom I crocheted a huge "Doggie Blanket" that she still has!

Memories! What a good day it was.

Family Time Fills Me Up Like Wading Knee Deep in Gems

2011-12-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

Title This Picture

2011-12-01T08:25:00.000-08:00

My beautiful grand daughter luxuriating in her own little hot tub!

Asking for titles to this picture! Leave a comment!

;-)

So much to be grateful for.

Hello From Henry on Animal Wednesday!

2011-11-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

Henry loves a good mug shot!

But then again

he does not always approve of my shooting him with my camera

but he will pose nicely if I beg

but he'll also let me know when he's done for the day and the photo shoot is over!

Wishing you well on Animal Wednesday.

We are sad today too over the loss this past week of our friend "Sunshine" the sweet and clever little bird who belonged to Terri C. the water colorist of beautiful daisies, post mistress of TMC and lots more. Henry and I send warm thoughts and caring hugs Terri's way.

Knitting Problems Solved!

2011-11-27T19:40:00.000-08:00

My grand daughter asked for PINK.

I chose a pattern I was sure I could master, however it had a few twists and turns that set me on my head. First you do the back.

With the aide of Knittinghelp.com on line I learned to do this "horizontal lace" pattern that

was NOT easy! But with verbal helpers and videos on that site I was able to master it after a fashion.

The top called for a hood! That did not look so difficult, but I swear the written pattern is wrong; or I am completely dense, as after many readings and re readings and attempts I finally decided to lose the hood.

Instead I designed a very different top. I added a small rolled collar and found a pattern for knitted flowers and proceeded to make them in several different sizes for the display below:

Cute?

I found an adorable striped long sleeve shirt in shades of pink, rose, red and black that looks so cute under this sweater vest!!! I can't wait to give it to and see my grand daughter wearing it at Chanukah time. Size 8. Child.

Now I am knitting cowls; finished one last night for my daughter in law; and started a second one tonight for my 18 yr old grand daughter. They are great in cool/cold weather for keeping the neck snugly warm. I may make one for myself too!!! Super easy!

***********

I met up with my friend Diane today in Davis. We went by the Pence Art Gallery to see the holiday market. Two of my pieces were missing, so I assume they are sold!

We took in the art show there that was incredible.

I didn't take my camera! Me, with out a camera? It happens.

Then we walked a few blocks to Lilies the cute dress shop where I met the Israeli owner

last week. I got a second sweater like the first one I loved and bought. Do you do that?

Get two of something that you know is so practical that you will wear and wear them for ever?

Now I have a brown one plus the olive green first one!

It was fun connecting with Dina again too.

Then Diane and I stopped in at a cute little tea shop and had lunch and tea!

We had little girls on our right having a birthday party with their dad; and college girls on our left chatting away over their tea and crumpets.

I guess Diane and I were the elder generation in the middle!

Fun!!!

We made one more stop at the SPCA thrift store where we both came away with a stack of books.

Both agreeing that we had way too many books already and would never

catch up; but hey they are only a buck...couldn't pass up the good deal.

A fun way to spend a Sunday Afternoon.

;-)

It was a GOOD DAY!

2011-11-25T16:53:00.000-08:00

We were late getting to my daughter's house because I HAD to bake the yams in the morning, but when I saw them in the bowl I HAD to draw and paint them first. I just did!!!

My grand daughter asked why we were late! (It was only an hour, but sweet of her to notice)...she quickly found my paints I had brought and got to work creating her own Thanksgiving painting!

Grand son found a game to play...

My daughter and son in law are both excellent chefs. The kitchen smelled wonderful. The black bird in the foreground here is a duck made on the rotisserie out doors. I am still raving about how good it tasted. I took some home for today and it was THAT GOOD all over again. The turkey was nicely done as well.

My grand daughter set the table beautifully using her great grandmother's china that now belongs to her mom (my daughter).

It made me very happy to see mom's good dishes laid out so nicely for us to use and enjoy.

This turkey got from my house to theirs on some previous Thanksgiving...and now he wears a sign.

She was such a good helper the entire day and evening from set up to clean up! And of course all the gals were in the kitchen and by then the guys were downstairs watching football!

I asked the kids to point to their favorite pies.

Son-IL made the big apple pie with apples from the tree in their backyard.

My brother brought a pumpkin and an ollaaberrie pie from Fat Apples in Berkeley.

Always delicious...and DD made fresh whipped cream w/out sugar.

NUMMY!!!

I'd like to say I only ate this much; but later I snuck a second piece of pumpkin. I'd practically been fasting all week in readiness.

Thank you dear daughter and SIL. You did yourselves proud. We all enjoyed it so much. Also in attendance were his mom, step dad and two step brothers and my brother and husband!

After dinner, football and dessert DH played guitar and sang and Grand son accompanied him very well I might add on his drum! DH said he kept perfect time.

We have so much to be grateful for.

And I include all of you my dear friends (blog and non blog) as part of my blessings that I appreciate so very much. Thanks for coming by here when you do, when you leave comments, when you share and inspire, listen and tell, encourage and support.

YOU ROCK!!!

Sunday's Art Class and Making An Art Connection AND Happy Thanksgiving AND Happy Animal Wednesday

2011-11-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a fun day, even though I was a bit tired out from the night before when we went to the Concert in SF. (see previous post).

But the rains had stopped and the roads were clear so driving to Lincoln was a piece of cake (using GPS...that godsend device that now gets me everywhere without getting lost).

The theme for the art class was Thanksgiving. Terry had a few photos for us to use as guides

and I had fun doing them all.

My "worried looking turkey" joins me here in wishing you a

Happy Thanksgiving!

He was most fun to do.

These candles in the fall leaves are okay...I tried to give a little light shining off the tops of them in yellow.

The horn of plenty was a first quick painting with little effort and a few swift strokes of color.

This second candle picture was done on a light weight paper that I realized late was there to protect the watercolor pages under them. So it warped. But I almost like this one better than the first on the better paper.

And then I did another one. I just work fast. Some people spent the whole time on just one or two paintings, but I just kept pumping them out. Maybe next time I will learn to spend more time on just one and see what I can produce that way.

This man worked on his two the the entire three hours. And his turkey shows great detail. I was very impressed with is work.

After class on the way home I stopped in Davis to do a little retail therapy shopping. I came across this tiny shop called Lilies. The owner, Dina Furman, seen below, was most gracious. I noticed she had a lot of art on the walls. She also had an accent and I asked her where she was from. She is Israeli. I happened to be wearing the necklace Mim made of the map of Israel and Dina noticed it and liked it a lot. She said she'd love to sell such necklaces in her shop. So I connected her up with Mim. How sweet is that?! She said she is also interested in seeing my art so I gave her my blog URLs. Who knows it could be a new selling venue for me too!

I bought a real cute sweater there to wear to Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday! I will look smashing!

Dina in her shop.

The dress she is standing by is full of beads and just adorable!

And so was she!

Day and Night Out!

2011-11-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

Big Day

yesterday...dropped my art off at the Pence Gallery (will show that later)...then we took off for San Francisco, as we had tickets to hear Dick Holdstock and Allen McCloud sing

on the tall ship: The Balcutha at Hyde Street Pier. Dick is English and Allen is Scottish and their two voices blend beautifully together to tell stories of sailors gone to sea long ago.

After a dinner of hot clam chowder and sour dough bread we walked to the Pier in the rain.
We sat in the belly of the ship across from the port holes looking out onto the bright lights of the City.
Listened to the songs as the audience sang the choruses. DH once sang as back up to Dick and Allen's first CD years ago. He had gone to Dick's home earlier in the week for a group sing. And thus found out about this nights program. We were glad we went... They all sang and I drew in the semi dark.

They met and began singing together 30 years ago at the Shanty Sings aboard the CS Thayer, another Tall Ship docked at Hyde Street Pier (and in restoration process now). We'd go every Saturday night in those days to sit in the bowels of that ship and sing our hearts out all night long. DH would sing solos in turn with many others interested with these old sea songs.

We've all aged a bit since then...but voices are the same. And it was fun to see other's we'd known at those other musical evenings all those many years ago. In fact, those Shanty Sings still go on today.

Dick's wife, Carol, sat a few rows in front of me...so I could sketch her from this view. It rained yesterday and last night, and it was drafty and cold sitting down there, and we got wet walking back to the garage where we'd parked our car. But it was worth it. I think we'll do this again!

(My pages look yellow due to the lighting in my house where I took them, but maybe the yellow aged look just goes along with the mood here too by coincidence.)

Now I'm off to an art class! Who said 70 is old???

Knitting and Crocheting: Some completed pieces

2011-11-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

My 7 yr old Grandson's sweater is done at last.

I love how it came out. Soft to the touch, colorful, and embellished with buttons that look like they were made to go with the pattern!

It's knit on #8 needles. It's just knit and purl but in a pattern that gave these ridges with knit rows (brown) in-between. Vanna White Craft yarns in fall colors. And it's machine washable. I used a crochet hook to make the row down the front mostly to cover dragged along threads, but to give it a more finished look too I thought.

I think it will be more like a jacket than a sweater...It has bulk and warmth...He chose the pattern if you'll recall. He saw a sweater I had made for the new baby with similar color and design and he said to me: "Grandma you can make me a sweater like that just leave off the flower!" (I left off the flower!)

I also finished a set for my 18 year old grand daughter. There are 2 mitts (fingerless gloves) and a hat. These were crocheted. A cute pattern. The hat is long so it goes over her ears (something she wanted for snow boarding) and the mitts something I thought cute and decided to add to the mix. The buttons liven it up making it quite stylish don't you think? These are made with Fisherman wool yarn for the colder climes in Oregon. (left over yarn from the diaper bag I knit and felted). There is still more left so someone is going to get a wool something or other! ;-)

2011-11-18T01:15:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the reception was held for the current non-juried art show at our local gallery.

I went for a short while to see what was hung and found some of the art to be very good indeed.

I was proud to see my "Sunflower III" art quilt to be hanging just above the

musicians heads. A few days later I was back at the gallery and had the joy of being told by a woman working there how much my quilt was being enjoyed by people coming into the gallery. It felt good to hear her praise for it too. I guess there is nothing better than to know your work is enjoyed and appreciated by others!

I drew this in my office this week. It's a 21 year old chair that personifies all my years in private practice as a therapist. The stories this chair could tell but won't, as it is all held in strictest confidence.

Have a good weekend!

Pence Gallery Holiday Gift Faire: Let me know if you see anything you want! CAT is NOT for Sale!

2011-11-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

Hey, Henry snuck into this post to wish you all very Happy Animal Wednesday even if he can't stay awake for it!!!

SALE ITEMS! GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT!!!!

(cat is NOT for sale!)

This Saturday I'll be taking these hand made 70" scarves made from re purposed T-Shirts to the Pence Gallery in Davis for the holiday market faire. I have eight scarves in various color mixes: black, red & gray; black yellow and red; black red and gray; black, gray and lime; black gray and turquoise; and two in black and gray.

These are priced at $25 each.

I also have four fabric "holders" which can hold paint brushes, pencils, knitting needles, crochet hooks, or whatever else you can fit into those many spaces you can see on the unrolled holder. These are also priced at $25 each.

And then there are the hand made quilted "Pockets". One "Four Pocket" on top for $40. And three "One Pocket"s for $20 each.

I sold many of these pockets last year at the same faire. My daughter likes hers for holding jewelry when she travels. You have four pockets to put whatever you like as a wallet or holder of affirmations and dreams.

I use a pocket like this one for all my credit card, library card, health card, auto service card, and cash.

If you see something you'd like let me know quickly and I will take it out of the mix for Saturday! Email me or leave a comment on this blog post and we can discuss shipment. In fact, just because I am getting into the holiday spirit I will send them to you with no charge for shipping!

I also plan to take many of my photo cards (owls, flowers, etc); and many of my new water color paintings on blank card stock with envelopes, and on postcards as well.

Art Class: The Grid

2011-11-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

I took another class today from Terry Banderas, this time in Rocklin, California (about an hour from where I live). An easy drive up the freeway, especially since I got a GPS!!!

The assignment/lesson was to learn how to use a Grid to line up a subject to draw/paint and get it perfect. You can only imagine how every bone in my body rebelled about doing anything

per fec t ly! Oy Vey!

Talk about tension.

The idea is to draw a grid using pencil, T-square and paper and then to copy one square at a time the contents of that picture on top to the grid on the bottom.

I did it and according to Terry I did it well enough.

But it is not about being in the zone, let me tell you.

Then as if that wasn't stressful enough we were then

to create a larger grid on our paper (1.5" squares)

numbered 1-7 across and A-E down the paper.

And THEN to transfer again square by little square of content onto our grid.

The class was full of really nice people; artists from very beginners "doing this for the first time"; to very polished painters from whom I can learn a lot!

See the woman standing in the green sweater below? Her name is Karen, and she sat next to me. She was so helpful, informative and generous! She offered to let me try her Daniel Smith paint brush expounding on it's merits of how it holds the water etc.; how to lift off paint to leave a highlight on an object (with clean water and paper towel, and with an ex-acto knife!); she gave me tips on color mixing on the paper; (see side of my page above); adding water to wash out the color more for the background; and MORE. Thank you Karen.

That is Karen's huge paint palette. She also taught me that with this pallete which has a lid her paints can be kept and not wasted. Making me rethink using paints in the tubes again.

Here is stage one on the grid on my large watercolor page...

and close up. Painting was done quickly at the end of the class time. Some people only did the drawing. But you know me and speed and wanting to do the whole thing NOW.

BTW those are marbles in the bowl, not Easter eggs or colorful jaw breakers!

I loved the day...getting myself there; meeting the other artists; learning something new; challenging myself to do something outside my box!

...and shopping for yarn in the Craft Store where the class was held: Beverly's!

________________

My apologies to any Chinese people who might be looking at this and wondering what my words on the bowl mean. I just sort of ad-libbed what I saw quickly. ;-)

Sunshine and Fall Color! A Beautiful Day!

2011-11-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

I haven't taken you on a walk with me

in a while...I've only taken a few myself outdoors of late.

But today the sun was shining, it was warm out, and I thoroughly enjoyed

walking from my office to the post office, and then

down a few side streets

crunching in the leaves under my feet

visiting a few houses I drew and painted last month...

and just enjoying looking up into the sky

and in the distance seeing colors abound

just about everywhere!

How I appreciate fall.

The crisp air,

the change of color in the leaves,

just feeling light with a bounce in my step.

A lot to be grateful for!

In the evenings I am crocheting and knitting; making more scarves getting ready for

holiday art market sales; gift making...

being creative and having fun!

Hope you are too.

;-)

Henry's Got Neighbors!

2011-11-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Meet Abbie and Tony

They are Henry's neighbors who live next door!

They wonder where Henry is...

Abby asks his mom, Donna: "Did he go that way?"

Tony tells Dave: "I don't see him!"

Donna and Dave have been our neighbors since we moved into this house in 1988.

I think they'd moved in about six months before us.

Dave is our computer guru, and all around fix it guy with whom we cannot live without.

Donna is a shy watercolor artist who has yet to show me any of her work!

But I keep hoping!!!

I bet you can't believe that not everyone blogs their art!

Oh Henry's indoors taking a bath on Mom's knitting

that is being blocked on the card table!

"I don't know what all the fuss is about!

You can wash it again after I'm done!" says Henry.

"Hey it looked like a bath mat to me!"

Happy Animal Wednesday!

Real Busy Weekend Here Knitting, Sewing, and a million other things too...

2011-11-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

Real busy weekend (not in any specific order)!

Spent Sunday struggling to learn a new pattern in knitting this hoodie sweater for my 7yr

old grand daughter. (for Chanukah...not much time left!)

This is about as far as I got. Never ripped out so much in my life before!

But with great frustration, help from Knittinghelp.com, real people there who explain things in writing,

and videos to watch I mastered/well I learned pretty well to make this lace pattern

at the bottom of the sweater just above the ribbing (which I know how to do).

Close up of the holy lace...hoping she won't count the holes as they are NOT all there!!!! LOL

Then FINALLY having finished all the knitting for my grandson's gift sweater for same occasion, I soaked it and blocked it and put it out to dry. Well it didn't dry, even though the sun WAS shining when I put it out it was not hot out. So now it rests on top of the washer and dryer indoors. Maybe three or four days from now it will be dry and I can knit the parts together into a sweater/jacket for him.

I also laid out and cut out another scarf from T-shirts. This one is yet to be washed so the cut parts will curl up. It will be for sale at the Davis Pence Art Gallery Holiday Market later this month. Hopefully I'll get a few more done by then. The two I already made are for gifts.

And just in case you think THAT took ALL of my time...

I also made DINNER last night! This is usually the job of my DH, but he was feeling less than par so I took over. Besides he would never dream of cooking a squash! It seemed to take forever but it was delicious none the less!!! (And DH is back to normal today! He can cook dinner tonight!!! (I still have some left over squash in the fridge for me!)

Wow, knitting, sewing, cooking...I'm a regular little domestic art goddess!

I hope you had an equally productive or at least enjoyable weekend where you are!

Friday Paintings At Karen's House because

2011-11-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

We expected big rain today so we (Karen and I) decided to meet at her house "snuggle in" as she suggested and draw and paint there. Karen set up an array of flowers that her sweet husband

had brought her for their anniversary of 20 yrs; and I liked this arrangement you see below

in a black lacquered tray in front of the couch.

I stood above it looking down at first and drew what I saw. The tin to the side of the gourds has a

candle burning inside it.

Then I used watercolors first, then ink, then Tom Bow Black and Greens.

For some reason I did it in my sketch book, instead of on watercolor paper, but it's 90 lb paper and

it held the water well.

Then I moved over to her kitchen bar area and sat on a stool to draw this arrangement of a curving succulent plant in a purple vase. The sun (it never did rain) was streaming in the window and making wonderful shadows to capture in gray watercolor paint.

Karen was drawing her arrangement on a canvas, but we ran out of time before she got to the painting stage for her painting. She wants to capture the reflection of the yellow pitcher and red-orange glads in the window behind it. I know it will be beautiful.

She was finished with her pumpkin painting from last week, but can you believe this? I went there WITHOUT my camera! No! ME? NEVER!!! Yes, I did. So you'll have to wait another week to see it, but believe me it is awesome!

We just had time to take a brisk walk along a very beautiful bike trail behind her house. It felt wonderful to be in the sun and fresh air. Temperature just right and beautiful colors and foliage to see and enjoy.

A great Friday Painting Day~!

PS: I have signed up for two more Terry Bandera's watercolor classes for later this month!

Promised Art Photos and Baby Update

2011-11-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

I told you

that when Karen and I went to lunch last Friday we saw this incredible art. I am so sorry I did not write down the artist's name. I will go back there some time and get it. His pieces were huge and detailed so beautifully.

They simply took our breath away.

And I think it was Babs who wanted me to show the actual metal sculptures by Phillip Glasoff after which I did my drawings and paintings while at the pumpkin patch last week.

This little pumpkin is our Allie who is bundled up in her mommy's arms in the warm comfy heart blanket I knit for her. I think she likes it a lot.

As you can see she is very much loved by both her mommy

and by her daddy.

and me too! Allie has a special need as we have learned she is profoundly hearing impaired. I share that here now not because I want sympathy, as I do not. But if anyone has positive stories or information to share about caring for and raising a severely hearing impaired child I'd be open to sharing that information with my kids.

I have the good fortune to have a woman in the building where I work who happens to teach hearing impaired children. She has given me a stack of books to read; pamphlets and even the phone number of a family near where my kids live to call and talk to for support, as they too have a severely hearing impaired child; older and doing really well.

The kids and I have started learning "Baby Sign"; and they will have someone coming into their home to teach the whole family (and some friends too) ASL (American Sign Language). They already have someone from the county coming on a weekly basis to work with them and the baby. They are planning to have hearing aids fitted to be ready in December and possible Cochlear implant when she turns one year.

We are very hopeful that we will do everything necessary to help Allie have as normal a life as possible. I have already told them some needs, as I too am hearing impaired (I wear two hearing aides) but of course hearing loss came with old age and I have normal speech already. Just have to say "What?" sometimes asking people to repeat what they said as their words sometimes blow into the wind. If nothing else it makes me that much more empathetic and understanding of her needs.

Happy Animal Wednesday From Henry V

2011-11-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

The weather has been warm and pleasant here and on this day we were all out on the back patio together. Henry came in for a close up...he likes to get right in my face, his way of saying hello. It's fine with me as long as I know he hasn't just devoured a mouse, rat or bird. That guy in the background is pretty special to both of us. He never smells of mice, rats or birds. So he can get in my face ANYTIME!

It's safe to pet Henry, he won't bite! He just wants to wish you a Happy Animal Wednesday!

Second Plein Air Painting Day at the Pumpkin Patch And My Scarf~~

2011-10-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

This morning Karen picked me up at 8:30 and we headed back to the Suisun Valley Pumpkin Patch.

We had a beautiful sunny warm day in which to get out our paints and get to work.

I asked Karen if she'd mind modeling the scarf I made this weekend so you could see how it turned out.

Here it is draped around twice with the long ends hanging down the back.

Remember it is made from recycled T-shirts. The cotton ones curl up the best when washed and dried.

I think Karen is making quite the fashion statement, don't you?

She chose a group of red pumpkins to paint in oils and here she begins...

and this is her painting as far as she took it today. She said it needs a little more work.

But isn't it stunning!

I chose this wonderful metal sculpture of a scarecrow, by Phillip Glasoff to draw and paint.

And here he is again in my watercolors and ink today.

I had some time left so I quickly sketched and splashed some paint on these pumpkins below!

I gave the owner a card of thanks of one of the drawings I did on Friday of his Pumpkin Patch, and asked if he might be interested in selling some of my cards there next year. He said: "Sure!"

:-)

In the early morning we decided to take a walk around the vineyards and I snapped a few photos to share with you here.

I hope your morning went as well as mine did!

I came home with a few squash to cook and some decorative corn.

Happy Halloween!

Saturday Was A Busy Day

2011-10-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning running errands and shopping!

With a clutch of coupons from Michael's and a mission I set out to find specific stuff.

I was NOT expecting to find this gold mine of brand new never used wool French yarn in a jar

at the thrift store (well over $100 worth/I Googled it) for $7.50! There are 75 skeins!

I can see it used on knit sweaters, hats, scarves and fabric art quilts equally.

Then I came across this set of watercolor paint brushes at Michael's so one coupon went for buying them at half the cost. You squeeze the base pushing paint up into the brush. Vibrant colors explode on paper! Another amazing way to paint!

My purpose for going to the thrift store was to buy three large sized men's T-shirts. Two black and one gray.($2 each) I came home and cut them into long 70" strips sewing pieces together to get that length. And in graduated widths of 9", 7" and 5". I layered them from smallest down to largest and sewed them together. Then...

I cut them like this on both sides of the sewn line in the middle. I found this "pattern" in my Spring 2011 GreenCraft magazine from Somerset Studio. It will make a very funky scarf for my 18 yr old grand daughter for Chanukah. It's in the washing machine now. I will show you how it turned out in another post.

Then last night DH and I had a DATE NIGHT OUT. Felt like it had been a while. We drove to Winters, CA where we ate out at the Mexican Restaurant on the corner. I had a huge Fajita plate of sauteed chicken , onions, green and red peppers, with rice and beans. DH had a huge pork burrito. It was all delicious.

From there we mosied up the street to The Palms Playhouse. Where we had tickets waiting for us to see and hear Tom Russell. You can follow this link to learn more about Tom's career.

It was a full house in Winters! It's great that this tiny town brings in big name entertainers for us to enjoy.

Russell is a a great showman who can tell a good story, crack jokes with the audience, and sing the fantastic songs he writes himself. He has written for movies and for many famous singers whose names you all know well. His accompanist, Thad Beckman played that guitar like crazy! Wow! An amazing evening!

Came home to bed, happy and fulfilled...it was a good day.

Today Karen and I Drove Out to the ...

2011-10-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Suisun Valley Pumpkin Patch

in the early morning and drew and painted!

I chose to make Halloween cards for my grand kids and turned out three:

this metal sculpture by local artist Phillip Glasoff was just begging

to be drawn and painted for my dancing grand daughter!

I thought this guy (whose face I added with artistic license after drawing and painting the gourds sitting atop the barrel) was perfect for my grand son.

Not sure who will get this card. I painted directly on card stock but if anyone wants/needs Halloween cards I could get these copied on card stock quickly...just say the word.

I used graphite pencil; black and brown artist Pitt pens; watercolors; and some Tom Bow brushes.

We took a break and went to lunch which I'll post about on another day as there was scrumptious art to see where we ate...then we returned to the pumpkin patch around four pm and painted some more. This time I did this wild woman metal sculpture (also one of Glasoffs art) and all these gourds and pumpkins. This could be a saleable card too.
I really enjoyed all the little kids in costume who came up to ogle the art making. I hope I inspired them all to go home and draw their own pictures!

Karen worked in another part of the patch with her oil paints and easel. She turned out one painting in the morning and the other in the afternoon. She said they are not quite finished yet. But aren't they grand already?! I think so!

We had such a fun day. Lots of laughs...I have to say with all that art time I got a little giddy!

What are you doing to get ready for Halloween?

Art by Lynn While Traveling To and From Portland, Oregon

2011-10-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

While I was in Portland I did some drawings.

This top one was inspired by a photo I saw on Rosemary's blog here. You'll see a lot of beauty on her blog. You may have to scroll down a few posts to find the picture she took at a farmers market. I used black ink, my Tom Bow pens and water brush and a black calligraphy pen.

This next one I did at the air port on my way out of town. These guys posed so nicely for me.

And this group of women got my attention too.

This gal was sitting right across from me, but I don't think she ever caught on that I was drawing her.

My son said I did not exactly capture his wife's beauty, and he is right, but I think I got the pose of nursing pretty well. Again I used Tom Bow pens and water brush on this and the ones to follow, plus black ink.

Nor does this really look like my son, but still a sort of close rendition??? Maybe? Oops, I added an extra finger on the clicker. Well, you know MEN and their remote controls!

Finally at the airport going home while waiting for my shuttle ride I liked this pot full of colorful leaves...and one woman sitting behind it. I really could not see anymore of her than her head as seen here.

It was such a good trip and visit. I've got tickets to return in December already! I think I'll be going a lot.

I really like painting with these Tom Bow brushes.

No mess no fuss and instant color and blending.

By using a water brush I can squeeze a little water forward and clean it off on a blank page

before adding the next color!

(So all you pack is a sketch pad, ink pen, Tom Bows, and a water brush!)

How easy is that?!!!!

Allie on Animal Wednesday

2011-10-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

Since I was in Portland

I bring you Animal Wednesday with

Allie:

Allie and her bear!

Allie and her Ellie-phants!

Allie's Mommy's Cat

Allie's Daddy and a Giraffe!

Oh dear I think we put Allie to sleep again!

Happy Animal Wednesday!

You Are Going To See A Lot of Baby for A Few Days!

2011-10-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

I am home but I am definitely going through

baby with drawls. I sketched Allie while there and shot hundreds of photos of her too.

Each morning either my son or DIL would bring her into my bedroom and leave her with me. I could feed her, rock her, talk to her, sing to her, dance with her...and I did all that and more.

It was such a delight, a warm peaceful bonding for four days!!!

I am making reservations NOW to return in December!

Jackie loved the diaper bag I knit for her. She used it right away...

and it held a lot! Here it is hanging from the back of the stroller. I hope the handles hold up!

More about this trip later...now I guess I'll go pet my cat, Henry. I think he missed me.

Joy Is Being Grandma!

2011-10-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

Can you tell?

big eyes

2011-10-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Grandma Lynn is having fun in Portland, Oregon meeting baby Grand daughter Allie Bel.
I have held her, rocked her, walked her, changed diapers, changed clothes, fed her, burped her, talked to her, read to her, everything but make arts and crafts. That's for tomorrow!!!!

Joy! Simcha! Toda L'El. An Israeli Soldier Is Home After Five Years in Captivity.

2011-10-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgkkGUI-fog&feature=player_embedded

Animal Wednesday: Blessings, Beauty, And His Highness Himself!

2011-10-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

On Monday as I left our painting session at Karen's house this Praying Mantis was waiting on my windshield of my car for me.

S/He felt like a significant symbol of our early morning Plein Air painting session.

A gift of sorts emphasising the blessings that were bestowed on me that lovely lovely morning.

Friendship, Peacefulness of Painting, Beauty of Nature.

He flew away before I got out of the driveway...

safely back into the courtyard I hoped

where Karen would see him too.

***

Last Friday when my two grand kids and I walked down & down and back up a long long hill

(my calves ached for three days afterwards)

we counted spiders and the beautiful webs they wove

along the way.

I hope you can overcome any fear of them you may have to appreciate the beauty of their art work.

***

At home King Henry V reigns supreme!

And joins me in wishing you a

very very

Happy

Animal

Wednesday!

Monday's Painting Day

2011-10-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

Monday I went to paint Plein Air with friend, Karen Lee.

We met at her home for a morning repast of fresh melon from the farmers market, homemade cottage cheese, honey that her husband gets from his bees, and wonderful tea. After which we went out to the court yard where she lives and I chose this scene to paint. But I didn't use regular paints.

I used my set of Tom Bow Brushes that look like marking pens with one end fine tipped and the other pointed and thick almost like a brush but not a brush. Continuing something learned Sunday in the art class I took from Terry Banderas. Only this time I used two shades of brown and orange and green; after wards going over it with a water filled paint brush to bleed the color across the page. I followed up with brown and black ink pen for more detail.

I am still struggling to learn how to make water look like water. There was a slight breeze that made the water look like beads and sending it in criss-cross directions down and off the fountain.

These are the Tom Bows. I got the set at Michael's and the black one in Davis at the

art supply store. They had tons of colors there too.

After painting (we were there from 9 a.m. till 12:30!) I ran some errands and then came home. I am reading this book:

It's by the same guy who wrote "The Wire" a TV series that was excellently acted about the same Corner and drug life in Baltimore. The book is non-fiction. It's hard to say I am enjoying it as it's a desperate life; but interesting to learn about.

Sunday Ink and Watercolor Class with Terry Banderas in Lincoln, CA

2011-10-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

This is my first painting of the day.

"Ablaze With Color"

On Sunday I used my new trusty GPS (Get People There Safely) device to find my way to Lincoln, CA., a drive of an hour and ten minutes from my home. Not being a reader of maps or directions well, and having been self assigned dependant on DH to transport me most places of any distance for the past 33 years I was down right proud of myself for landing on time at this class!

The theme was "Country Color"...and we used artist masking tape to 'mask out' our trees before applying paint to paper.

This is my second painting of the day.

"Tree of Magic"

Below is my table space just starting out cutting and applying blue tape to 140 lb wt watercolor paper
(9" X 12")

Interesting story behind how I found this teacher and class: Katie Jane who lives in Ohio and visits my blog and me hers told me about him when she saw me posting my ink and watercolor paintings. She said I might find him interesting, as he did similar art work. So of course I Googled his blog and website. When I discovered he was only an hour away from me and taught classes I emailed him to join his class. It was full, but then someone dropped out and I got that spot!

Terry Banderas is a very personable guy, easy going, and it was easy and pleasant to learn from him.

I also met a ten or eleven other very nice and accomplished artists there.

Below is Terry's piece in progress... After we laid down the trees in blue tape we laid a lemon yellow wash of paint over them all. And then added Alzerian red and a bit of blue and green and purple. (or other colors of our choosing). Once the paint was dry we lifted off the blue tape.

We used black Tom Bow pen that works as a paint if drawn on and then painted over further with a wet water only paint brush. Leaving the dark outerside of the tree and a grey inner part.

We then used our black ultra fine Sharpie permanent markers and/or other black pens to outline the trees further. You can see Terry's use of each stage in this picture.

Here I am using a Brown Pitt artist's pen on my brown tree. I drew it from one outside the window I was looking out of (behind where Terry was sitting). He pointed out that this was an ever green tree and would not have fall color; but me often the rebel said I'd put a forest of fall color trees behind it and/or call it my "magical tree".

and that I did!

All the women there turned out beautiful fall scenes as well. It was a fun day that included breakfast pastries and a nice sit down lunch served at a table behind these where we worked. The room had it's own sink. The ambiance was perfect.

Thank you Katie Jane for telling me about Terry Banderas. You can see more of his work on his blog by clicking on his name.

And thanks Terry Banderas for having such a fun class. I will sign up for more of these in the future.

Arty Fun With Grandkids Make My Day!

2011-10-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning making art on the outside patio in the newly built Sukka. GS made a sign to welcome the guests who would be coming to dinner that evening where we'd eat in the outdoor Sukka (open roofed hut for harvest festival holiday of Sukkot that evening).

My grand daughter loved making cards for all fall holidays.

Here you see them hard at work on their card, sign, and collage making endeavors!

We took a break later in the morning and walked a long ways down hill to get bagels and cream cheese and juice.

On the way we found a house that had nine different spiders weaving their webs...

We found beautiful patterns, some that could be quilt like, every where we looked.

And it pays to look, as GS found a $20 bill laying on the sidewalk (no one around to return it too) which paid for our goodies!

Then we hiked home back UP the hill!!!!

Back at the house we did some baking. I regret to say I cannot recall whose blog I found the recipe on, but we made delightful individual cakes in a cup that baked in the microwave for 2 minutes each.

the one on the right rose just fine (in a smaller cup it would have flowered over the top looking like a muffin)...the one on the left did not rise at all and I think it's because I threw the left over more than recommended chocolate into the mix. But it still tasted good.

Then we went back to making more things.

My grand son who loves science made a whole space station. This is his largest rocket ship.

Grand daughter who still loves drawing people and clothing set out to do just that.

GS with a part of his space station (and a quick sketch I did of him)

That evening they had friends over for dinner and we ate outdoors in the Sukka. The children shook the lulav and ezrog and the dad chanted the blessings and my grandson drummed. We all celebrated the fall harvest!

The food was delicious: chicken baked in olives and herbs, lentils and rice with caramelized onions and prunes; salad and green beans. Dessert was a light rich honey cake. I went home full in tummy and heart!
To learn more about Sukkah use this link.
Color me happy.

First Fall Sketches

2011-10-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

I found this leaf outside my office today...so bright orange/red!

The temperature was in the low 80s,

but still

sure sign

fall!

(My favorite season, after spring!)

this is a downtown scene I sketched one afternoon a week or so ago....

And this I sketched this week over lunch at Taco Jalisco's while waiting for my meal to be served.

I'm doing something special today. I'll tell you about it tomorrow so be sure to come back!