Day 97 and Jacques

Today is day 97 and while this isn't exactly Jacques it is painted in his memory. For a long time as we were growing up we always loved going to my grandma and grandpa's house. They were my mom's parents. We always had fun there and they were always loving on us. There was always good food and fun. There was also a little budgie named Jacques. And a gorgeous dog named Cookie. We loved both of them. If we were good my grandpa would let us go over to Jacques cage and open the door and put our finger out and he would hop right onto it. It was always fun to put him on our heads. He always seemed to like that and sometimes he would pull your hair. I think I remember he even would give kisses. He was never mean and always sweet. I don't know when he passed on and I don't know how old he was when he died but I always remember him being on my head and sitting on my finger. I'm glad to have thought of him and to paint this image of a bird just like him. It's good to finally get a painting done earlier than usual. Just three day's to go. :) If you would love to own this beautiful painting of this budgie, email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow.

Day 94 and The Northern Mockingbird

Today is Day 94 and the Florida State Bird. I did a Mockingbird yesterday but it was yellow. This one is grey and brownish. I don't know that I ever knew that this was the state bird. I love the realism of the eye on this bird. It's painted on a map of Florida that is on a book cover. I always thought that the Florida state bird was a scrub jay. There is something that seems very interesting about the size of the bird over the map.

I think that the best thing about painting this many paintings is the quantity .. and I'm excited about what will be next. I really have enjoyed most of it .. except for the late night hold my eyelids open with a toothpick nights. Not fun. I hope to have the day's to paint and I won't wait till the last minute to work on the things I love to do. I will always paint .. I don't know that I will always choose realism but I will always paint.

If you would like to own this bird face please write to me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow and for the next four days after that .. woo hoo.!!!

Today is day 92 and the Baltimore Oriole

Today is day 92 !!!  Almost there and today my life feels a little more normal and I am painting again in the MORNING!!! yes I have discovered the time of painting joy yet again!!! I decided to paint this bird because everyone .. lots of people love the birds. I love nature and I love birds too. This is painting is on a map that I have sewn to an old photo folder the ones where they open and have a paper mat for a  photograph. This one probably had a family portrait in it at one time but more then likely was put into an album and my mom decided to keep the folder. The map is of Virginia and Maryland and Washington D.C. Two states that I lived in. Virginia was a little town near Haymarket where I went to school and the other in Maryland where I graduated from High School. SO the Orioles are Maryland's state bird. They have such beautiful orangish yellow feathers .. so lovely. This is a young bird. I like the background of the map and I loved living in both states. We were close enough to visit the wonderful museums in Washington D.C. I spent many trips going to all the art museums there when I lived in both states. Maryland is where I lived my art.. I entered my portfolio into scholastic art awards and got my portfolio picked for judging out of many that were entered. It was the first time that anyone entered portfolio's at our school and three students entered and all three of us were accepted for review. Two of us won something we were told. We would find out at the awards ceremony. One was for a full four year scholarship to an art college of our choice. I couldn't sleep for a week. Sadly I didn't win. I think it would have changed my life and the course that it took over the next 30 or so years. I do still wish I had won but I am who I am because of all that happened. When I paint .. i try to paint my heart and soul right there, no matter who or what I'm painting. I'm really very grateful to be painting every day for the last 92 days and there were some bumps in the road but I've kept true to my commitment. I am amazed when I see all the work there in front of me that I haven't sold yet. I have eight more paintings to do .. and I'm just going to have fun with it..

If you would like to own this painting today of a Baltimore Oriole bird face please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow .. !!!

Day 62 and the Blue Heron

Day 62 and it seems that life is just happening left and right here and so it's been a challenge to continue in the midst of all of it. I'm grateful always to those that stop and leave me a note. Encouragement is always a great thing when your tempted to stop .. i mean some days ... I knew that at some point there would be the days that I just didn't want to paint.. and there are some days when I just get to it and the process just seems to take over and I don't even think about what I'm doing .. i just get in the flow of things and it works out .. I like this one today of the blue heron. I tried to think of something that my mom would like .. because today is the day she was born. Yep .. she died six days before her 78th birthday and so today she would have been 79. I just don't still know where a year has gone. I don't know how it's possible. But it has and a lot has been going on this week ..

My mom loved the herons because at her home in Florida there was always a blue Heron sitting on the back deck overlooking the river. She loved the water and loved to sit and look at the river and the birds and sometimes a manatee or dolphin would come near the house. I guess I got some of my love of nature from her.

This is painted on some anniversary cards that she and my dad got for their 50th wedding anniversary. Sewn together and painted on with acrylic paint. If you would like to own this heron please send me an email to iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow.

Changes of life and beyond...and new creatures to photograph

 So many things have happened since my last post. If you follow my blog I did mention my mother I think ... if not she was struggling with illness for the last several years and last year it wore her down. She thankfully did not live long years with Alzheimer's. Her diagnosis may have come late but the progression was so rapid it was mind boggling. Truly, a most malicious and devastating way to leave the world. She died last October. It seems so recent and also so long ago. Sometimes I can't believe it. She loved the ocean, she loved the beach. I am now near the beach, gone from my mountains and walnuts which I sorely miss. The ocean does have a way of lulling my sadness and I am excited to start something new. The photos here were taken two days ago on a foggy morning walk on the beach. It was a magical morning. I love the softened sunrise. Peaceful. A cloak of privacy where you could see only so far and yet so close.

And there were feathers. Many many feathers. And many many birds. When I lived in the mountains I would see meetings of Turkeys. Below are Royal Terns. Their head feathers look tufted from the wind. I like to think they are having a meeting about the weather and the water and what's for breakfast. Then the meeting grew before they all flew away. I found a new past time, watching the birds at the beach. And .. a wonderful place for treasure hunting.

 The feet move swiftly to catch a sand crab or little fish. And somewhere in that sand below is a sand crab that I spied. He was watching me carefully and I was watching him. Where .. are you??? Aha .. gotcha .. just in my view. And then another blessing .. I am getting to spend time with my sister and her husband .. at the beach on a beautiful foggy morning.

Hopefully, you will see more of me and what I am creating in this new space. Thanks for stopping by. :)