Portrait of the Artist’s Mother…

Well, almost.  Nana, as my kids call her, is not fond of being drawn or having her picture taken, so this is as close as I could get while visiting my parents this past weekend.  She really pulled out all the stops to make my birthday special…including feeding 11 grandkids plus seven adults!  Enough to make anyone’s head spin!  We had a grand time feasting, topping off the meal with a delicious angel food cake my sister made-strawberries, ice cream, whipped cream…the works!  The rest of the time we lounged around, made a trip to one of my favorite art supply store-Cheap Joe’s- and the kids swam and played with their cousins.  Here are my older two lounging and enjoying watching cable TV–a real treat for them.

Some of my favorite things…

Trees…all shapes, sizes, colors.  Close up, far away.  Trunks, branches, canopy.  Love them.

An Experiment

I’ve had this canvas, 30″x 40″, for several years, just sitting in a closet waiting for…well, I’m not sure what.  Last summer I had an itch to paint something on it, but never felt like I had the right thing, and perhaps that ‘ol fear of large white spaces was looming as well.  So I was determined to put something on it this summer.  I started off with a teacup and teapot, as I used to do, in big, bold shapes and colors…but it just wasn’t right, it wasn’t “me” anymore, it just wasn’t happenin’.  The thing I kept thinking was…I sure wish I could get the “sketchiness” of my sketchbook onto a large canvas…   So.  I covered over the whole thing with gesso and various colors, then went into it with some brown acrylic lines and voila!  Fun.  I really enjoyed it and I like this big thing in my dining room.

This is a sketch painting of the view up at the top of our neighborhood.  We see the backside of this villa-like home from Mr. Whicker’s field which is filled with white morning glories all summer long.  I had made several sketches of this view last summer following my morning walks.  I like that it is a place familiar to me, and the simplicity of it is just what I was looking for.

So now I have plans for more.  But with bolder lines and colors…hmmm.  Maybe something like this:

That would be way cool on a big canvas…

Now I just need the guts to do it!!:)

J’adore Le Tour!

I was talking with my neighbor the other day and she was waxing poetic about golf and Tom Watson’s recent near win.  My eyes glazed over a bit, partly because I don’t know the terminology nor do I have her passion for the sport, but her enthusiasm was certainly infectious.  It dawned on me that there are probably a good many folks who react the same way when I go on and on about the Tour de France.  Just as I wonder where the excitement is in men walking around with a stick trying to get a tiny ball into a little hole somewhere, so they wonder why men in lycra on bicycles riding up and down mountains would be remotely riveting.  They fail to realize (as I do about golf) the athleticism involved, the tactics, the finesse, the wondering what your opponent is going to do, the multiple types of knowledge and training needed for each stage of the course, etc.  Then add to that, the gorgeous views of France, the rivalries, and Lance’s return to the sport this year and, well…what can I say?  J’adore Le Tour!  C’est magnifique!

No Place Like Home

I long to travel…but my life does not allow for much more than a day trip away, maybe two, to visit family usually.  During this time of year especially, I long to see France, and not just on the tele watching the Tour de France.  Painting and drawing do wonders for making me see the beauty that is literally in my own yard.  To flip through years of sketches and paintings made of scenes just out my front door or in my back yard remind me that I live a beautiful life.

This is the side of our neighbor’s house (the view from sitting in my driveway)…a neighbor whom we dearly love and enjoy. We have  sweet friends on just about every street in our subdivision.  One day, I fully  expect and hope to see France, perhaps England and Italy too.  But unless I live there for a length of time, I won’t have the relationships and connection to what I’m painting there like I have here. Yes, I’ll keep drawing and painting my little world…it’s beauty is enhanced by the memories of living life fully right here.

Les Cerises…

Love summertime…it means cherries, peaches, blueberries…gotta eat ‘em…gotta paint ‘em.  Just sayin’.

The Terrific Trio

As opposed to the Dynamic Duo…here are my kids…middle boy, youngest girl, and oldest girl (with my feet??) in that order.  I draw them ALL the time, they are used to it, and are oh so patient with mom, asking, “Can I move now?”  At any rate, I’m unbelievably blessed with these three lovely creatures who are growing into amazing young people.  Time at home allows me to enjoy them more.

Tour Frenzy!

If I were able to pick a time to convalesce, this would be it…during the three weeks of the Tour de France! Oh how I love watching the cycling, the French countryside and towns, imagining myself being there with my bike, on the side of the road somewhere with a baguette and a hunk of Camembert or some other delectable cheese. This year is particularly exciting with Lance Armstrong coming out of retirement to ride and “to win”, he says. This drawing, unfinished, from a Bicycling magazine advertisement, shows Lance and his arch nemesis (and teammate!), Alberto Contadour. The first week has proved there is going to be a struggle between these two.

This is drawn from another photo in Bicycling, one of Dave Zabriski and others probably from a previous Tour. I have made many paintings, large and small, of cyclists- famous ones and humble ones (my husband to be exact). I also try my hand at sketching while it is going on, with not great results, but it is fun to try to catch at least the gesture.

Life…unexpected.

Sometimes life throws us curve balls. Recent unexpected surgery has grounded me and even tossed the proverbial artistic salad. There’s something about a forced break from whatever trend or rut one might be in (though it never felt like a rut!), but allows you to think, explore, try new things and find unexpected joys in the midst of discomfort, rearranged plans, etc.

It allows you to watch neighbors walk their dogs, try out new(old) art supplies, and find fresh inspiration from other artists. I absolutely LOVE Jerry Waese’s artwork, which I found on the fabulous site Urban Sketchers. When you are trying out a particular artist’s style, one must allow oneself to do so in his/her OWN manner…I think it is impossible to exactly copy them, since we are each so different from one another and that should be reflected in our art. I pulled out my Caran D’Ache neocolor II watercolor crayons, waterbrush, and pen, and I’ve had a ball observing out my window, working on faces, etc.

This will be a very portable way of carrying color around when I’m able to be out and about more. I love the combination of line and sketchy color. Jerry seems to use a liberal dose of black and then limits how many colors he uses. I seem to want to use lots of colors, even blended within the same area. Well, it is fun anyway. Check out his work at http://www.flickr.com/photos/waese/  perhaps you too will be inspired…at the very least you’ll be delighted by his drawings.  Here’s a final sketch of one of my son’s friends eating pizza.  I’m hoping to blog again sooner than this last patch of unexpected events.  C’est la vie, n’est-ce pas?