I love all the birds.

As we drove over the Independence bridge for breakfast Sunday morning this was our view. Two beautiful Bald Eagles, I pulled the car over and walked about a half block to get the shot only the eagles didn't like me looking, I only had time for one photo before they flew away.

 After breakfast at Andy's our favorite little restaurant we went to pick up some home grown eggs and was greeted by one of the girls.

 I bought two dozen they are so beautiful I want to just look at them in a bowl.

Monday I was suppose to be working at my desk and was watching the bird feeder from my window when I saw a beautiful little Townsend's Warbler, I grabbed my camera and got this very blurry shot.

This photo is from the National Park Service - from someone not running.

As long as I was out there I might as well get one good photo. If you click on the photo you can see the color in the eye of this little Chickadee.

Back in the house and at the desk I had to paint a wee little bird.

Mixed media sparrow or as a friend of my father calls them- LBJ (little brown job).

Hello world, it’s been awhile. I have been sick for about 3 weeks but at last I’m feeling better and ready to get back at it. My family and I had a wonderful joyous holiday. The trip to the Polar Express was magic. Christmas with all my children and grand children was the very best present on earth. We even got a trip in to the Zoo lights with one more train ride. I’m going to add a page at the top for some family photos I just have to share those cute kids and pretty lights.

Last week I spent a few hours at Alley Art Studio with the Orange Dream Monkeys (a journaling group) for fun and art. I mostly had fun. Apparently I need to ease back into art even though I have been missing getting paint and glue on my fingers.

 I didn't get a picture of everyone....

 i will make sure next time I do better....

 I did get a shot of the fabulous chocolate....

 and a few photos of our journal pages...

It was a fun and relaxing evening. I will miss next month because I get to take a trip to Orlando Fl. lucky me. I hope to do a bit of bird watching and see some art gallery's as well as Disney. I have a new Notebook (laptop mini) so I will be able to blog on the road, YAHOO. I will see you all soon I have more fun days and art to share.

Christmas elf

It's getting close sleeping elf's are starting to show up. Merry Christmas....

Naughty and Nice List

I started a naughty and nice list this year and decided to think about how to make some of the naughty a bit nicer. The nice pretty much takes care of its self. For example I love spending time with little kids who believe in Santa, and  rain hitting the window at night so I can hear it from my warm toasty bed. No need to change any of that, but...Here it comes the naughty list.
Brazil nuts. They come in a can marked “less than 50% peanuts” because it's 51% Brazil nuts. They taste wrong in fact I think they taste a bit like mold. The challenge now is what can I do with a naughty Brazil nut.
 

Have them stay over for the holidays?

Let them help trim the tree?

Go out and play with them?

 We all know they don't clean very well.

Or just chop them up and put them in a cookie. NO!  Remember they taste like mold.

I say just set them free and send them all back to Brazil.

Please leave a comment with something from your naughty list. It would be fun to do a post about it.

This post is an example of what happens when an artist is in full art mode from our resent show and attempts to stop abruptly and start cooking and cleaning too fast. I do have faith it will all level out soon.

Getting Ready

It’s time to make it all come together. The tree is a small little thing on a table at the edge of the kitchen. It holds special ornaments made by some of my art friends and is sheltering a few gifts to torment the grand children.

I found these magnetic bugs last summer, perfect for a metal Christmas tree.

My art group had a Christmas party last week, such a happy celebration after the busy show. We draw names and exchange gifts, visit and share a feast beyond compare. This flaming heart was my gift from Stephanie Brockway. Steph knows my sense of humor hence the words. I have wanted one of her hearts for a very long time, lucky me, thanks Steph.

We started baking yesterday, Jen made wonderful butter scotch cookies and I made some sugar cookies to be decorated by the family with great quantities of sprinkles, icing, and hot coco.

Apple pies for the freezer waiting to be baked Christmas eve.

 

I had some help emptying the cupboards and tasting cookies.

The parents of Natalie had new carpet installed so everyone including Nat must wear slippers in the house, a good rule. Her fathers shoes size 14 and her shoe size 4 &1/2.

I think Winnie will not be invited over, poor dog.

Winnie will be staying in today warm by the fire. She and I have had enough wet dog days for awhile.

 Stay warm friends and enjoy the holidays and everything they offer you.

A Huge Thank You

  We opened the doors Friday morning to our own winter wonderland, our  guests came in to see silver and white decorations gleaming around our art. I had front lobby duty the first hour of our show to help guide everyone back to the gym. I was not prepared for my feelings. It was like Christmas morning and your mom called out "Santa Clause came come see" only you are told "except you, you need to wait an hour", that is when it hit me just how excited I was. It was not a let down when I got in there, there was a burst of natural light coming in the windows accompanied by laughter and people enjoying everything we had done, Thank you. 

                                         

 This piece was named "Flight", she found a great new home.

 I sure enjoyed talking to everyone.

 A little Christmas shopping...

 I loved her coat...

                             Two high school friends meet up after 60 years.
Thank you everyone who came and who encouraged us. The show was a great success we could not do it with out you.

Winnie

 I was cleaning the frig and dropped this parsnip before I knew it Winnie was on it and gone, a good move for a Newf.

It looks like I need to feed her some veggies.

Getting Ready

Last April I did a felted soap tutorial and now is the time to try it. Here is the link. Give it a go it really is fun and they make great gifts.

 If you don't have time to make your own you can pick some up at the show next Friday and Saturday.

I have also made a few more characters.

I have a very little story about them on the PAC blog.
And speaking of story's, my sister saw last weeks post and named the character with the dots on her arms and wrote her a story, here is is.
Penny Polka Dot

 One sunny afternoon while Penny was strolling down the path a very large leopard came up beside her. Although quite frightened she struck up a conversation with him. It seems he had just returned from a wild adventure and was anxious to share the events of his trip with someone.  Calmly she walked beside him as he explained just how he had come to be in her part of the forest.  She had never imagined that a leopard could actually fly much less navigate from one continent to another. Skeptical of his story she began to ask questions and challenge him on parts of his tale. He was a little taken aback by her attitude and felt that she was disrespectful. She was determined to get the truth out of him and he was just as determined to finish telling her about his adventure. So he began speaking in earnest to get done before she interrupted again. The third time she stopped him he became quite angry and began to run in circles around her. Faster  and faster he went until he was no more than a blur. Soon she was caught up in the whirlwind of activity and she herself flew into the air. When she finally stopped  and came back down to earth she was covered with little red poke a dots. Alarmed she demanded to know what had happened, the leopard simply turned and walked away. When he was nearly out of sight he paused, looked over his shoulder and winked. Now, he said, tell everyone how you got your spots and see if they believe you!

Thanks Becky that was fun!

Cast of Caracters

I have been working on these people for a few days now and several story's have come to mind about their life's and personality's. It is not until I paint there faces that the story's begin. Some of these characters will be in the Portland Art Collective annual art sale and some are going to Gaurdino Gallerys Little Things Show. I hope you can come meet them in person, follow the links for dates and time.

I'm not sure what Colman is holding but it is like a syringe made from glass.

Al has just trimmed his mustache for the show.

Yoga is getting ready for a workout.

What a good man Dart is ready for action.

I don't need to say anything about Art.

I don't know her name but I like her hat.

J.G. worked hard for many years.

 Look at the move Yoga is putting on good old Dart.

 You can never get everyone to look at the camera at the same time.

This is my dear friend Winnie, she is happy the weather has changed so she can spend the day at my feet. She is a Landseer Newfoundland named after the artist Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, who featured them in many of his paintings.