The Idea of Trees....

"The Idea of Trees"
6 x 6
Acrylic on Acrylic paper
$50 (unframed)

Finished a few of these small ones today... A few days of thought and rest does wonders for finishing up unresolved paintings. It sometimes surprises me though...the paintings that I thought had such promise, end up to be not so great... And the ones that I am not that excited about end up being better than I'd imagined....

I'm thinking that it might be because of expectations.

Paintings that I judge to have 'promise'... I unconsciously tighten up on.... And the paintings that are boring to begin with... with some bold maneuvers... can become the paintings I like best. Hmmmmmm

Had a lot more fun painting today.... Had the reds, yellows and violets going.
Think Valentines. :) I love making valentines.

prime the pump

warm up... 6 x 6...acrylic on acrylic paper

I'm finding it a bit tough to get back in to the swing of things here at home. I spent the morning putting things away in the studio and then just started slapping paint on 6 small squares of paper, with a limited palette.

One thing I've learned in my 13 plus years of painting is that you just have to jump in and do it...don't wait until you have that "perfect" idea. Just put your brush to paper and paint. That's what makes the ideas come...the doing it. I can already tell that tomorrows painting session will be better than today's. (For one thing I'll be sure to pick more uplifting colors!)

I'm priming the pump with these little painted doodles....and before too long...the ideas will be flowing! I count on it.

grief and gratitude

Mom...headed off to college in 1948


Mom and Dad in 1949

I'm familiar with the various stages of grief you supposedly go through......but that seems like such a clinical way to describe the emotional upheaval that takes place when someone you love dies. It's a surreal experience.... Very foggy.

I'm sitting here in the kitchen of the house that my mom and dad built... on Platte Lake in a gorgeous area of Northern Michigan... I'm trying to compose some sort of memorial to my mom, a handout of sorts to be available at her "celebration of life" party on the 17th... a challenging task.

I keep crying because of the loss I feel.... then laugh and smile at the memories as I sort through photos and memorabilia. What a roller coaster of emotion...

But the prevailing feeling I'm having is gratitude. A profound sense of gratitude, for having the parents that I had.

I'm a lucky lucky girl.

A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Funeral Home....

"It's a Spring Thing"
(sold)

Many of you know that I've been away from home since last April, helping out my mom and her husband of two years. She was diagnosed with Acute Mylogenous Leukemia, and then a week later, she suffered a major stroke....paralyzing her right side.

Adding into that mix, my husband had lost his job in March...we decided to put our house up for sale (real estate in the Detroit area...hahahaha)

My mom's husband suffered a mild stroke in the summer...

I had to put my 13 year old dog...my fuzzy companion, Ivan... to sleep in November....

The chemo quit working for my mom in November, she declined and passed away on the 31st of December...

Good riddance 2009......




So.... my sister and I are driving to the funeral home, and my cell phone rings. It was the gentleman that had purchased one of my two paintings in the "Think Small 09" show at Lawrence Street Gallery. He had decided that he wanted the other painting in the show too.

I've decided that this is a sure sign that things will be looking up for me and mine!

I'm looking forward to an art and fun filled 2010!