Manna From Heaven

 Pooh! It barely snowed but it's colder than a chicken's behind in an ice storm. Okay, maybe not that cold. You northern folks would call me out on that. But, it was below freezing and we southern gals aren't comfortable with those temps. It's not warmed up enough to keep the melting snow (what little there was of it here at my apartment) from freezing. Shirley lives 30 miles northwest of me and they got it all. Should have gone up to her house if I wanted some white stuff. 

I had the strangest thing happen to me today. I opened my front door to put my garbage out for pickup and there were 13 bags of groceries sitting on my stoop. Lordy mercy, 'honey chile, I ain't ordered no groceries.' 

pardon the washed out look... my lens fogged over the minute I opened that door!! 

Did some phoning around, been waiting for hours for someone to claim them but so far.... no sign of any hungry people looking for grub. So, it looks like I may have won the grocery lottery!! Hey, it's Christmas all over again! 

I'm a bit down today. Not sure why. Maybe it's the weather... and they say that there is cold, cold air around for days yet. I cancelled a dental cleaning for tomorrow. I am not going to get out in that mess!! 

I did a watercolor a couple days ago. I usually don't do line and wash (where you draw the outline in ink then watercolor in the hues) but I liked it. I do like to sketch so maybe this will give me the best of two of my artsy worlds. 

I sure hope you all are staying warm. The older I get, the colder I get so I have been bundled up pretty well during all this frigid air. It's nice to sit in my recliner with a warm blanket pulled up to my chin and watch tv. I saw 'Eleanor the Great' on Netflix. It was cute and I enjoyed it a lot. 

Mountains in Watercolor

 Shirley asked me the other day what I thought I was best at painting. I thought about it and then told her 'mountains'. 

I was already working on this painting when she asked. Maybe that's why I said what I did but regardless, I do enjoy doing scenes. People are buggars to paint, least for me. And, I have trouble with flowers. They always look flat to me. 

So far I have painted 9 mountain scenes. 

Finally finished this one today... 

A Bright, Beautiful Morning

 

And, how are all of you this beautiful Tuesday morning!

After a weekend of being down in the dumps, I feel fantastic. I don't know what it is about weekends but they are the pits for me. I hate that feeling. 

Something that always brightens your spirit is a new outfit or new make-up. I just went to the store and bought me some 'different' nail polish. What you think? In real life it's a little more lavendery than it looks here and I love it! Who would have guessed that? I've always worn red or pink. No time like the present for a change. 

I recently painted this watercolor. I posted it on facebook and my granddaughter immediately lay claim to it so I guess I'll pass this one along to her. It's a booster to have people want your work but it's almost like parting with part of you. That sounds weird but it's true. 

I did this one recently, just messing around one day with my paints. I still am having trouble with doing faces but they say practice makes perfect. Geez, I wonder how long I'll have to practice. haha. 

I guess you can tell I don't have much news to share today. But, that's life.

You have a great day... and remember to be happy.

Happiness is priceless!

A Mouse With A Fat Face

 I have the worst time painting faces

PEOPLE

ANIMALS

well, maybe that's all that has faces so i guess I will stop right there. I keep trying though. 

I finally got up the gumption to move a 4 ft. folding table to the front of my dining room windows where the light is so nice. Been painting in my darker office where there's a ton of stuff all around. I know you have one of those places. Come on.... admit it. 😄

Today I am organizing my paint supplies, ideas, whatever. I am so into painting right now. But, today is work day. Tomorrow, I will paint. 

I did sit down to try out my new space and ended up painting something with a face!!! How'd that happen! 

Here it is. 

I'd seen Paul Clark add those splatters to his paintings so I decided I'd try it. You never know 'til you try!

But, that face! It's not a mouse face by any measure. I'll keep trying. They say practice makes perfect. 

I am Bored!

 I am just bored 'outta my gourd'. 

It's Sunday. There's nothing to watch on tv. The phone doesn't ring. Noone drops by. And, I don't want to tackle a big project. I do need one day of rest, right?

Yesterday I set up a painting station in my office/guest bedroom. I've been needing to do this for a long time. It was such a chore trying to drag my art supplies out from every nook and cranny. Now, I can just sit down and paint. Which is what I did! Here's what I cranked out yesterday. 

I'd painted onions before. I think maybe I like this one the best. What do you think?

Here's the ones I'd already done?

Not in the mood to paint today. Just may go in the kitchen and cook me up something to eat. A gal can eat when she can't do anything else! 

I do cook ... 

Sometimes

I made some corn chowder the other day for lunch. 

It was yummy

Time With My Paints

 I decided I'd paint some this morning. It was pretty simple so it didn't take long. 

I framed it in the Fotor app.

I do enjoy painting but I am never happy with what I do, I guess that's pretty common,  being your own worst critic, I mean. 

What are you doing this Saturday? Next week college football games begin. That will be a fun activity for me! In case anyone is wondering... I'll root for any SEC team but I am definately an Alabama fan. 

Scratch That Itch!!

               Do you ever get an itch you can't scratch!! 

I'm not talking about your skin itching, I'm talking about something you just have to do or bust. 

It had been over a year since I'd dragged out any art supplies but day before yesterday that itch returned and I just sat down and 'scratched' it. haha. 

I shouldn't have mixed graphite pencil with watercolor pencil but I did and that's fine. I am old and can do as I darn well please. another haha

                                     Here's what I did:

Night Terrors!!

             I'm having trouble sleeping lately. I heard it was caused by old age! 

Last night I was lying in bed on my side, facing the empty space next to me. I was chanting in my head 'go to sleep, go to sleep'. The room was very dimly lit by a small nightlight in the adjoining bathroom so I can sort of see... if my eyes are open. 

I crack one eye open. Just enough to see something move at the edge of the bed. I close my eyes and then it registers. There's not anything that is supposed to be moving in my bed... but me! So I open both eyes. Same thing. It looks like the ear of a kitten and it's switching back and forth. 

                                       I don't have a cat!

So, I raise up on my elbow to get a better look. Well, I be danged if I am not seeing my own finger. My hand is spread out over that empty space and for some strange reason I'm switching my finger back and forth. Maybe I'm counting how many times I repeat 'Go to Sleep'.

                        Well, at least it  wasn't a bug or a snake or some other varmit. 

                                           It was just me! 

                     A gal can't be too careful when she lives alone, can she?

A cat I did in pastels back in 2016. 

New Watercolor Technique

 I've piddled with painting since 1968. You'd think I'd be great at it by now but I did take all those years off raising my kids and pursuing other passions. Now, living alone, I started it up again. But, with such small space in my apartment I chose to do watercolor (of which I'd done a few in years past) not the oils I prefer. 

I was using a method I guess you could call my own. Then I started watching Magnolia Workshops on the Magnolia channel on tv. There's a watercolorist there that has directed me in a different train of thought about my painting. I am trying what they call 'wet on wet'. 

                               You can't see the first one I did!! 

                                    But, here's the second one. 

Our Fall Festival

                      It's been a long time since I had a booth in a festival or craft fair. 

                                                          I mean a LONG time! 

But, yesterday I did it. It was a Mother-daughter affair and we had such a great time and we made some money and laughed and visited with people. But, man was I exhausted at the end of the day! These old bones knew they had been put through the wringer. This morning, even after a good night's sleep, I felt like a freight train had run over me. 

I had some copies of the novel "Springtime in Magnolia" that I had published back in 2014, just lying around in my way. And, I had my watercolors. Getting rid of those is like getting rid of your babies! It was hard for me but it thrilled me and lifted up my sagging confidence to have people come by and remark about how talented I was, how pretty the paintings were. I sold several and I sold some books, too. 

My daughter Shirley (she's the one with the bakery) had her fall sugar cookies. Everyone loves her cookies so we thought there for a bit that she was going to run out. All the bags filled with a dozen cookies were gone, so she opened up some packs of three and made some new 'dozen' bags. That helped. 

      It's good to get out, mingle with people, have some fun. It renews the spirit. 

After a scrambled egg and a cup of hot peach tea this morning, I think I am getting back to normal!! 

Don't Be Bored!

                                                I get bored!! 

                                       Trying to stay safe, keeps me inside a lot. 

                         So, I dragged my paints out and worked on a new project. 

                                  I used watercolors and colored pens on this one.  

I should go to town. It's too HOT!

I can talk myself out of so many things to do. 

Guess that's my choice these days.

I do what I want, when I want and I don't care!!